Form Comparison

Magnesium Taurate vs Magnesium L-Threonate

How magnesium taurate and magnesium L-threonate differ in elemental content, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

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Quick verdict. Both are rated moderate for absorption, and head-to-head human data do not reliably separate them. Choose magnesium taurate when you want taurine alongside magnesium for cardiovascular reasons and accept animal-level evidence for the combination. Choose magnesium L-threonate when you specifically want the form studied for cognition and accept thin evidence and high cost.

Side by Side

Magnesium Taurate Magnesium L-Threonate
Elemental content 8.9% elemental magnesium 8.3% elemental magnesium
Absorption Moderate Moderate
How it is absorbed Organic salt with almost no human pharmacokinetic data; assumed to behave like other soluble organic salts. Threonate is a vitamin C metabolite. In rodents it raised cerebrospinal fluid magnesium more than other salts; human brain uptake has not been directly measured.
Typical dose 100-300 mg elemental magnesium daily 1.5-2 g compound daily (about 104-144 mg elemental)
Common uses blood pressure interest, cardiovascular support cognition (limited evidence)
Side effects Low osmotic load at typical doses; well tolerated. Gentle at the low elemental doses involved.
Cost High High
Also called magnesium taurinate Magtein, magnesium threonate
Labels in index 43 95

When to Choose Magnesium Taurate

Choose magnesium taurate when you want taurine alongside magnesium for cardiovascular reasons and accept animal-level evidence for the combination. Magnesium and taurine each have modest independent blood pressure evidence. The combined salt is mostly studied in animals.

Magnesium Taurate

Choose magnesium taurate when you want taurine alongside magnesium for cardiovascular reasons and accept animal-level evidence for the combination.

What to look for: Magnesium Taurate named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.

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When to Choose Magnesium L-Threonate

Choose magnesium L-threonate when you specifically want the form studied for cognition and accept thin evidence and high cost. Human cognitive evidence is one small industry-funded RCT (Liu 2016). It delivers little elemental magnesium per dollar, so it is a poor choice for correcting a deficit.

Magnesium L-Threonate

The only form studied for cognition, on thin and industry-funded evidence. Poor value for correcting a deficit.

What to look for: Magtein (the patented form) with about 144 mg elemental magnesium per 2 g daily serving.

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Products on Titrate

In Titrate's index of NIH label data, 43 labels in the Magnesium category list magnesium taurate and 95 list magnesium L-threonate.

Open supplement search

Supplement Search loads one category at a time. Choose the Magnesium tab, then type a form such as "bisglycinate" under Must contain, or a form to avoid under Must not contain.

Related

References

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.

Firoz M, Graber M. Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnes Res. 2001;14(4):257-262.

Kappeler D, et al. Higher bioavailability of magnesium citrate as compared to magnesium oxide shown by evaluation of urinary excretion and serum levels after single-dose administration in a randomized cross-over study. BMC Nutr. 2017;3:7.

Pardo MR, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium food supplements: A systematic review. Nutrition. 2021;89:111294.

Zhang X, et al. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials. Hypertension. 2016;68(2):324-333.

Holland S, et al. Evidence-based guideline update: NSAIDs and other complementary treatments for episodic migraine prevention in adults. Neurology. 2012;78(17):1346-1353.

Garrison SR, et al. Magnesium for skeletal muscle cramps. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;9(9):CD009402.

Liu G, et al. Efficacy and Safety of MMFS-01, a Synapse Density Enhancer, for Treating Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;49(4):971-990.