Magnesium Glycinate vs Magnesium Oxide

Magnesium Glycinate vs Magnesium Oxide

🧪 Why Magnesium Type Matters — Not All Forms Are Equal

Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body — from muscle and nerve function to energy production, recovery, and sleep quality.

But here’s what most people don’t realise:

The form of magnesium you take is often more important than the total amount.

Two supplements can both say “magnesium glycinate,” yet perform totally differently depending on whether they’ve been buffered with magnesium oxide (a cheaper, poorly absorbed form).

This guide shows you how to spot real magnesium glycinate — and why it matters for your health.

⚠️ The Elemental Magnesium Red Flag: What to Look For

When checking your supplement label, remember:

✔ Pure magnesium bisglycinate = 12–14% elemental magnesium

✖ Anything significantly higher usually means it’s been spiked with magnesium oxide.

Why?

• Magnesium bisglycinate → ~14% elemental magnesium

• Magnesium oxide → ~60% elemental magnesium but only ~4% absorbed

So if a product claims you’re getting “200mg of elemental magnesium” from only a tiny amount of “glycinate,” oxide has almost certainly been added.

This is one of the most common ways supplements mislead consumers.

👉 Explore Arbor Magnesium Complex

🤢 Why Magnesium Oxide Isn’t Worth It

Magnesium oxide is widely used because it’s cheap and compact.
But the downsides are significant:

• ❌ Only ~4% absorption

• ❌ Higher chance of digestive upset

• ❌ Often used to artificially inflate elemental magnesium numbers

• ❌ Can hide behind blends like “magnesium (oxide & glycinate)”

If your goal is sleep, muscle recovery, mental calm, or heart health — oxide won’t help.

👉 Explore Arbor Magnesium Complex

💡 How to Make Sure You’re Getting Pure Magnesium Glycinate

✔ Check the elemental %

100mg elemental magnesium should come from 700–800 mg magnesium glycinate.

✔ Read the ingredient list

Look for:

• “Magnesium Bisglycinate”

• “Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate”

Avoid:

• “Magnesium (oxide & glycinate)”

• “Buffered magnesium glycinate”

• Proprietary blends

• Unusually high elemental magnesium percentages

✔ Choose transparent brands

Trustworthy brands show both:

• Exact compound amount

• Exact elemental amount

If this isn’t listed clearly, it’s a red flag.

👉 Explore Arbor Magnesium Complex

🌿 Why Arbor Vitamins Uses Only Pure, High-Absorption Magnesium Forms

At Arbor, we refuse to use oxide, fillers, stearates, talc, or synthetic bulking agents.

Our Magnesium Complex combines two of the most absorbable and effective magnesium forms:

👉 Explore Arbor Magnesium Complex

🔹 Magnesium Bisglycinate

Bound to the amino acid glycine for:

• Better absorption

• Calming, sleep-supporting effects

• Nervous system balance

• Gentle digestion

This is the form most people turn to for sleep, recovery, and relaxation.

🔹 Magnesium Taurate

Bound to taurine — an amino acid essential for:

• Heart health

• Microcirculation

• Nervous system calm

• Healthy blood pressure

• Smooth muscle relaxation

Magnesium taurate is one of the gentlest and most cardiovascular-friendly forms.

You get both in one clean-label product:

👉 Shop Magnesium Complex — Glycinate + Taurate

📊 A Quick Comparison

Here’s how real glycinate compares to oxide:

🌙 Magnesium in Arbor Formulas

Our magnesium approach is simple:
use the cleanest forms with the highest absorption — and zero fillers.

We use:

✔ Magnesium Bisglycinate

for relaxation, nervous system support, and deep sleep

✔ Magnesium Taurate

for heart health, energy balance, and a smooth, calm nervous system

This combination gives you 1,800mg of magnesium compounds delivering 264mg elemental magnesium — all from pure, non-buffered sources.

👉 Try Magnesium Complex here

🔎 Recap: How to Spot Real Magnesium Glycinate

🧠 Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Fooled by Magnesium Marketing

Many supplements look clean — but hide cheap forms that do little for your health.

Your body deserves magnesium it can actually use.

With Arbor’s Magnesium Complex, you get:

• Scientifically backed forms

• High absorption

• Clean-label ingredients

• No fillers, ever

• No oxide

• Gentle digestion

• UK-made quality

👉 Shop Arbor Magnesium Complex