Dose-Dependent Absorption Profile of Different Magnesium Compounds.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Animal experiment (Balb/c mice) with no human clinical data.
PubMed 30761462 · doi:10.1007/s12011-019-01663-0
What was done
Balb/c mice were orally administered different organic magnesium compounds: organic acid-bound forms (magnesium citrate, magnesium malate) and amino acid-bound forms (magnesium acetyl taurate, magnesium glycinate). Compounds were tested at single doses equivalent to 45, 135, and 405 mg elemental magnesium per 70 kg body weight. A secondary experiment compared a single 405 mg/70 kg dose against a split dose of 202.5 mg/70 kg given 12 hours apart. Serum, brain, and muscle magnesium levels were measured 24 hours post-treatment relative to control animals.
What was found
The abstract does not provide numerical values or confidence intervals. It reports that magnesium acetyl taurate increased brain magnesium levels across all tested doses. Magnesium citrate increased both muscle and brain magnesium concentrations in a dose-independent manner. Dividing high doses into two administrations did not yield superior tissue magnesium elevation compared to single dosing.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that different organic chelates may direct magnesium preferentially to specific tissues, with acetyl taurate showing brain tropism and citrate elevating both muscular and neural levels in mice.
Limits
The study was conducted entirely in mice, precluding direct human dosing conclusions. The abstract does not report group sample sizes (n), baseline magnesium deficiency status, exact quantitative measurements, or p-values. Measurements were taken at a single 24-hour time point following acute administration, leaving long-term tissue accumulation and safety unaddressed.
Cited by
- supports Magnesium acetyl taurate crosses the blood-brain barrier.