Which Magnesium Is Best For You?

Walk into any store and you’ll see magnesium bottles everywhere — but here’s the uncomfortable truth—most of them don’t work. At all.

Not because magnesium is useless (it’s essential), but because the form determines the benefit, and 90% of people are buying the wrong one. If you’re taking “magnesium 400 mg” with no form listed? You’re swallowing a chalky placebo.

Why the Form Matters

Your body absorbs magnesium differently depending on what it’s bound to.

• Some forms go straight to the muscles.
• Some support the nervous system.
• Some help digestion.
• Some barely absorb and just… exit.

So if you’re trying to:

• sleep better
• calm your nervous system
• reduce anxiety
• support hormones
• ease PMS
• improve digestion
• lower inflammation
• boost energy
  

…but you’re using the wrong form, you’ll feel nothing.

The 5 Magnesium Forms That Actually Work

1. Glycinate — For stress + sleep + mood

This is the calm-your-body-down form.
It’s gentle, highly absorbable, and doesn’t cause digestive upset.

Perfect for:

• anxiety
• chronic stress
• racing thoughts at night
• light sleep
• perimenopause tension

If a woman can only choose one form, it’s this.

2. Malate — For energy + muscle tension + chronic fatigue

Magnesium malate supports ATP production, which is your cellular energy.

Great for:

• fatigue
• muscle tightness
• morning sluggishness
• chronic pain
• low stamina

If you feel “tired but wired,” malate is a game changer.

3. Threonate — For brain fog + focus + mood resilience

Magnesium L-threonate is the only form shown to cross the blood–brain barrier.

So it supports:

• memory
• clarity
• emotional steadiness
• cognitive focus

It’s not a “relaxing” magnesium — it’s a “clear thinking” magnesium.

4. Citrate — For constipation + sluggish digestion

Citrate attracts water into the intestines.

This form works for:

• occasional constipation
• slow digestion
• travel-related sluggishness

Not good for daily use if you’re sensitive, but extremely effective when needed.

5. Taurate — For heart + hormones + stress stability

Magnesium taurate pairs magnesium with taurine — amazing for:

• blood pressure
• heart rhythm
• stress regulation
• hormonal balance
• PMS mood swings

It’s calming in a deep, steady way.

Forms to Avoid

These do almost nothing:

• Magnesium oxide (barely absorbs — cheap filler)
• Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts are fine for baths, not ideal orally)
• Unlabeled blends (“magnesium 400 mg” = nope)

If the label doesn’t tell you the form, assume it’s the useless variety.

How to Choose the Right One

Choosing magnesium isn’t about one “perfect” blend — it’s about using your Nutrition Instinct™ to match the form to what your body is asking for right now.

• Stress + mood → Glycinate
• Energy → Malate
• Brain → Threonate
• Digestion → Citrate
• Hormones + heart → Taurate

Nutrition Instinct™ is Aster Elliott’s method for understanding the body’s signals and choosing what truly supports it — in real time, based on what your body needs right now.

If you're interested, you'll find magnesium and other foundational nutrients in the Foundational Supplements collection 

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