You’re probably wondering why we have two different kinds of oral magnesium – the powdered Magnesium Citrate vs Magnesium Chelate Premium. Apart from the fact that some people like powders and others like capsules, there are some subtle differences.
Firstly, these two forms of magnesium are both known as “chelates”. In nature, elemental magnesium is always attached to another compound or ‘bonded’ to it – when magnesium is bonded to an organic compound such as an amino acid, it’s known as a chelate. Magnesium citrate is a chelate of magnesium and natural citric acid. Magnesium Chelated Premium is bonded to the amino acid glycine so it could also be called magnesium glycinate. Both these forms of magnesium are superbly absorbed, while some of the other forms are poorly absorbed.
Magnesium is responsible for THOUSANDS of biochemical processes in your body, so we can all benefit from more magnesium. It is one of the most important minerals we can take, and it is also one of the safest. It is the 5th most common dietary mineral, and the second most common electrolyte in the body.
Here are some of magnesium’s key roles:
- Energy production
- Nerve transmission
- Bone formation
- Heart rhythm
- Muscle contraction
- Blood sugar control
Getting too little magnesium can cause health problems, including difficulty falling asleep, anxiety and fatigue. Of greater concern, long term magnesium deficiency has been linked to chronic health conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Getting enough magnesium through diet or supplementation can potentially cure, alleviate or prevent many common health issues.
Here’s where magnesium can make a massive difference to your life, if you struggle with any of these areas:
- Insomnia – especially if diabetic (type 1 or 2) – improves sleep quality
- Headaches and migraines – very effective at alleviating/eliminating them
- Constipation – excellent treatment for this condition
- Anxiety – very effective if deficient
- Cramps – prevents and treats cramp of all kinds
- Joint pain – beneficial if deficient
- Weight loss – evidence suggests it balances blood sugar and therefore facilitates weight loss
There are dozens of kinds of magnesium, but we stock three for their excellent properties:
- Magnesium Citrate Powder (powder) – very good for constipation, cramps, good absorption, safety,
- Chelated Magnesium Premium (capsules) – bonded to glycine noted for it’s calming effects especially if anxious
- Luxury Bath Salts – magnesium sulphate and sea salts to put into your bath or a foot bath, well absorbed through the skin for a calming effect, relaxation and sleep plus all the other beneficial properties of magnesium
Sometimes it’s good to get magnesium any which way you can, and you may need it orally and topically to get enough. Magnesium is also vital for calcium absorption into the bone (BUT even more so is Vitamin D3 & Vitamin K2, so take these 3 TOGETHER for strong bones).
Things which interfere with the uptake of magnesium:
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) or antacids and medication for ulcers, gastritis, reflux, GERD etc. These severely inhibit magnesium, and if you are on any of these you need to aggressively address a magnesium deficiency – perhaps with several forms of magnesium, especially if you find you are suffering from headaches or insomnia.
- Low vitamin D status contributes to magnesium deficiency by reducing magnesium absorption. In turn, magnesium deficiency has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of vitamin D in performing some of its roles. Clearly these two MUST go together – and when taking vitamin D, vitamin K2 is paramount.
- Too much zinc can interfere with magnesium uptake – don’t overdo the zinc
- Too little protein from animal products in the diet (you should get more than 50 grams a day) can contribute to an inability to both absorb and retain magnesium. You need to get enough animal protein daily to make the most of your magnesium.
We hope this has helped you! A great “strong bones, strong heart” formula then would be the following:
1. Magnesium Chelate Premium (or one of the other kinds of magnesium mentioned above)
2. Vitamin D3 – 1 per day anytime
3. Vitamin K2 Premium – 1 per day anytime (100ug MK-7)
4. Our Pure Hydrolysed Collagen powder – 2 tablespoons per day
Add in one or more of the other magnesium forms to make sure you get enough magnesium – it is generally poorly absorbed, so we have to work hard at getting enough from our diets (mainly leafy greens), supplements and topical application.
Go to our shop here for all these specialised supplements.
