Bioavailability of magnesium food supplements: A systematic review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of comparative bioavailability studies
PubMed 34111673 · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2021.111294
What was done
A systematic review was conducted following the PICO framework to compare the bioavailability of various magnesium supplement formulations. Searches were executed across PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. From 433 identified records, 14 comparative studies met the inclusion criteria.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical absorption rates, bioavailability metrics, or statistical effect sizes. Qualitatively, organic magnesium formulations were reported to be more bioavailable than inorganic formulations, with the percentage of magnesium absorbed showing dose dependence. All formulations appeared capable of maintaining physiological magnesium levels in healthy individuals without baseline deficiency.
Why it matters
This review synthesizes comparative data on magnesium formulations, helping clarify whether organic salts provide absorption advantages over standard inorganic forms.
Limits
The abstract does not provide quantitative data, specific salt comparisons (e.g., citrate vs. oxide), or participant characteristics. Findings cannot be generalized to older adults, individuals with underlying diseases, or populations with preexisting magnesium deficits. Risk of bias and study design heterogeneity among the 14 included papers are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- context Magnesium glycinate is the easiest form of magnesium to absorb for most people.