Magnesium Glycinate: The Form Of Magnesium That Will Really Help With Anxiety & Sleep

If you're a health-conscious individual, you've probably already heard that taking a little bit of extra magnesium might support your health in myriad ways. Maybe you have a friend who takes magnesium for her headaches or a family member who's an Epsom salt bath enthusiast, or a co-worker who swears by that powdered magnesium they drink for recovering from post-workout aches and pains. Whatever the reason, magnesium is quickly becoming one of the most popular supplements in the wellness world.

Here's what you need to know:

But what about the typical oral magnesium supplement in a capsule or powder? According to expert sources, supplemental oral magnesium—which includes forms like magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, and magnesium oxide—is safe in the following doses6:

The dosage recommendations for magnesium can vary slightly with other sources saying that the recommended dose for women is 320 mg and the recommended dose for men is 420 mg per day. Many also suggests that magnesium intake should be increased during pregnancy.

Should you choose this form of magnesium over others? Magnesium glycinate is a favorite among integrative and functional medicine doctors and has been used in quite a few studies. According to William Cole, D.C., IFMCP, a functional medicine expert and mbg Collective member, "Magnesium glycinate is one of the easiest types for your body to absorb, making it a great form for treating migraines and other headaches as you want something that is as fast-acting as possible. Also, since it is one of the most bioavailable forms, it's a great option for those looking to help correct nutrient deficiencies." Here are just some of the major benefits of magnesium glycinate:

Many people use magnesium as a sleep aid, and while the mechanisms aren't entirely clear, its ability to induce muscle relaxation and ease anxiety are two of the ways it's thought to help improve sleep. In a study on the elderly, magnesium glycinate supplementation subjectively improved insomnia7.

Research has shown that magnesium glycinate can help lessen daytime sleepiness and enhance memory. One randomized single-blinded crossover study showed improved performance in memory recognition tasks and less daytime sleepiness from taking 3 grams of glycine a day.

Magnesium may moderately lower blood pressure8 in those who already have a magnesium deficiency. In fact, "People receiving about 368 mg/day of magnesium for about three months had overall reductions in systolic blood pressure of 2.00 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 1.78 mm Hg," one study concluded.

Lowering blood sugar is no easy task, but magnesium might be a useful tool in doing so. Research has shown that dietary magnesium intake (aka, eating foods high in magnesium) reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because magnesium helps break down sugar,9 which in turn decreases insulin resistance.

When it comes to bone health, calcium tends to get a lot of the attention. But magnesium is involved in bone formation10 and has an influence on parathyroid hormone and vitamin D concentrations, which are also involved in bone formation. This means that having adequate intakes of magnesium is useful for preventing osteoporosis.

Low levels of magnesium in the blood (aka, a magnesium deficiency) has been linked to migraine headaches11. In addition, supplementing with magnesium has been shown to successfully reduce the frequency of migraines12.

It's true! Studies, like one double-blinded placebo-controlled trial, have shown that taking magnesium glycinate (at a dose of 250 mg per day) reduces PMS symptoms13. You might be surprised by the connection between magnesium and hormones, but according to Jolene Brighten, N.D., a naturopathic doctor, female hormone expert, and founder of Rubus Health, "Magnesium has been shown to be more effective than placebo in positively helping lower prostaglandins and easing menstrual cramps. Magnesium is also necessary for estrogen detoxification, which is why it can help ease PMS."

Studies have shown that magnesium glycinate is effective in treating pregnancy-induced leg cramps. In one study, 80 pregnant women participated in a double‐blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial by taking 300 mg of magnesium glycinate per day. The frequency of cramping as well as the intensity of leg cramping were reduced by 50 percent when compared to the placebo group.

Hypermagnesemia is the name for a magnesium overdose, which is rare but more common in people with kidney disease as the kidneys are required to excrete excess magnesium17 and work to regulate magnesium balance in the body. Overdosing on magnesium can cause serious side effects18, including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and even a few deaths have been reported. Keep in mind that an overdose of this measure would require a person to take thousands of milligrams of magnesium, which is well beyond the dose in a typical magnesium supplement.

Magnesium can also interact with certain medications, and especially relevant is its interaction with certain types of antibiotics21. Because of this, one study concluded that “Antibiotics should be taken at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after a magnesium-containing supplement.” Another magnesium-drug interaction has to do with bisphosphonates, which are a group of drugs often used to treat osteoporosis. Magnesium can interfere with how well this drug can be absorbed22, so it should be taken at least two hours before or after taking these medications.

Both magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are more bioavailable than other common forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide. To conclude, both magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are great options for magnesium supplementation. It all just depends on your specific needs, whether they be correcting a deficiency, helping with sleep, or increasing gut motility and supporting digestion.