Magnesium: which form, what each one does, and the dose that worked
Magnesium comes in many forms, and what it does depends on the form. Every result below names the form it came from. Pick the form you take to see its own studies, products and what the biohackers say about it. This page is educational, not medical advice.
What it does, by goalMembersThe top 5 of 19 goals
34 of these 193 human studies gave magnesium by drip, injection or inhaler, not by mouth.
| Goal | What the studies show | Studies | Dose that worked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved in studies Oxide: 7 of 12 improved, 1 no effect · Sulfate: 5 of 7 improved · Hydroxide: 3 of 8 improved, 2 no effect · L-threonate: 1 of 1 improved · Citrate: 1 study, no effect · Chloride: 1 study, no clear result | 30 | oxide 800 mg · hydroxide 1.2 g | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 6 of 24 improved, 7 no effect · Citrate: 1 of 3 improved, 2 no effect · Orotate: 1 of 2 improved · Glycinate: 1 study, no clear result · Oxide: 1 study, no effect · Hydroxide: 1 study, no effect · Chloride: 1 study, no clear result · 12 by drip, injection or inhaler | 33 | citrate 400 mg | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 4 of 7 improved, 1 no effect · Oxide: 3 of 6 improved, 1 no effect · L-threonate: 1 of 3 improved, 1 no effect · Citrate: 8 studies, 5 no effect · Aspartate: 1 study, no clear result · Chloride: 1 study, no effect · 5 by drip, injection or inhaler | 26 | oxide 226 mg · L-threonate 1 g | |
| Improved in studies Hydroxide: 5 of 11 improved · Sulfate: 1 of 3 improved · Carbonate: 1 of 2 improved · Oxide: 1 of 1 improved | 17 | hydroxide 1.6 g | |
| Improved in studies Citrate: 2 of 7 improved, 2 no effect · Oxide: 2 of 4 improved, 1 no effect · Sulfate: 1 of 5 improved · Hydroxide: 2, both no effect · Chloride: 1 study, no clear result · Glycinate: 1 study, no effect · Orotate: 1 study, no clear result · 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 21 | citrate 400 mg · oxide 250 mg | |
| Improved in studies Oxide: 3 of 5 improved · Sulfate: 2 of 2 improved · Citrate: 4 studies, 2 no effect · Hydroxide: 4 studies, 2 no effect · Pidolate: 1 study, no clear result | 16 | oxide 50 mg | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 2 of 5 improved, 2 no effect · Chloride: 1 of 2 improved · Oxide: 1 of 2 improved · Orotate: 1 of 1 improved · L-threonate: 2 studies, 1 no effect · Aspartate: 2 studies, 1 no effect · Citrate: 1 study, no effect · 4 by drip, injection or inhaler | 15 | chloride 248 mg · oxide 500 mg | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 5 of 5 improved · Lactate: 1 study, no clear result · 4 by drip, injection or inhaler | 6 | sulfate 250 mg | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 2 of 7 improved, 2 no effect · L-threonate: 2 of 2 improved · Oxide: 2 studies, no clear result · Aspartate: 1 study, no effect · 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 12 | sulfate 4 g · L-threonate 2 g | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 3 of 5 improved, 1 no effect · Chloride: 1 of 1 improved · L-threonate: 1 study, no clear result · Oxide: 1 study, no clear result · Hydroxide: 1 study, no clear result · Citrate: 1 study, no effect · 1 by drip, injection or inhaler | 10 | sulfate 300 mg · chloride 450 mg | |
| Improved in studies Sulfate: 2 of 6 improved, 1 no effect · Aspartate: 2 of 2 improved · 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 8 | aspartate 167 mg | |
| Improved in studies Oxide: 2 of 3 improved, 1 no effect · Chloride: 1 of 1 improved · Citrate: 2, both no effect · Hydroxide: 1 study, no effect · Glycinate: 1 study, no effect | 8 | oxide 250 mg · chloride 450 mg | |
| Improved in studies Orotate: 1 of 2 improved · Oxide: 1 of 1 improved · L-threonate: 1 of 1 improved · Citrate: 1 study, no clear result | 5 | oxide 500 mg · L-threonate 2 g | |
| Improved in studies Citrate: 1 of 1 improved · Sulfate: 2 studies, 1 no effect · 2 by drip, injection or inhaler | 3 | citrate 300 mg | |
| Improved in studies Oxide: 1 of 1 improved · Carbonate: 1 study, no effect · Citrate: 1 study, no clear result | 3 | oxide 250 mg | |
| Improved in studies Oxide: 1 of 2 improved, 1 no effect | 2 | oxide 250 mg | |
| Too few studies Oxide: 1 of 2 improved, 1 no effect · Sulfate: 1 study, no clear result | 3 | – | |
| Too few studies Oxide: 4 studies, 1 no effect · Citrate: 1 study, no clear result | 5 | – | |
| Too few studies L-threonate: 1 study, no clear result · Citrate: 1 study, no clear result | 2 | – |
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Products – highest ranked firstMembersThe top 3 of 25
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Dose and safetyThe dose that worked and the upper limit
The doses that worked, by form, in the studies taken by mouth: citrate 300 to 400 mg, oxide 50 mg to 1.5 g, L-threonate 1 to 2 g, chloride 248 to 450 mg, orotate 17 mmol, aspartate 167 mg to 4 g, sulfate 250 mg to 4 g, hydroxide 1.2 to 1.6 g a day.
The upper limit from supplements is 350 mg of magnesium a day, counted as the magnesium itself, not the weight of the compound; above it, members see a note and are told they can take less.
Biohacker panelMembersWhich forms of magnesium our 10 biohackers name
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Questions people askMembersAnswered from the figures on this page
Which form of magnesium is best?
Answer for members.
How much magnesium a day?
Answer for members.
Can I take magnesium with my meds?
Answer for members.
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Educational, not medical advice. Figures come from the human studies on PubMed we have graded; a study counts for a form when it names the form it used. Updated as new studies arrive. How we grade →