Magnesium glycinate vs Magnesium L-threonate
Short version: magnesium glycinate is the default. It covers general magnesium needs at a lower price, and it's the form people take in the evening. Magnesium L-threonate is the specialist, built to raise brain magnesium, with emerging evidence and a higher pill count.
The sneaky difference is the math. Glycinate doses are stated as elemental magnesium (100 to 350 mg); L-threonate doses are the compound (1,000 to 2,000 mg), which is only about 8% elemental magnesium.
| Attribute | Magnesium glycinate | Magnesium L-threonate |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | General coverage, evenings, muscle support | The brain-specific experiment |
| Evidence | Moderate for adequacy and neuromuscular function; limited for sleep | Emerging, from limited but promising cognitive trials |
| Daily dose | 100-350 mg elemental | 1,000-2,000 mg compound (about 8% elemental) |
| When | Evening, before bed | Evening, 1-2 hours before bed |
| Watch for | 350 mg elemental ceiling for supplements | Higher pill count per dose; track elemental totals |
Which one should you take?
Pick Magnesium glycinate if
you want the workhorse: filling a dietary gap, supporting muscles and wind-down, at the lowest cost per dose. It's also the form our sleep guide lists, with the honest caveat that direct sleep evidence is limited.
Pick Magnesium L-threonate if
the cognitive angle is the whole reason you're here, and you're comfortable paying for emerging evidence. It appears in our memory guide on exactly those terms.
Can you take both?
The catalog flags stacking magnesium forms for one reason: totals. Both count toward your elemental magnesium intake, and the supplemental ceiling is 350 mg elemental. If you combine them, do the arithmetic, or let the app do it, and keep the sum under the line.
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