Magnesium Supplements

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Our Magnesium Collection

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme reactions in your body, and roughly half of the magnesium you carry is stored in your bones. It contributes to normal muscle function, normal functioning of the nervous system, normal psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are authorised claims and are more than most supplement categories can say.

The problem is that comparing magnesium supplements is genuinely hard. One bottle shouts 1500mg, another says 1480mg, and neither number tells you how much magnesium you are actually getting. Our range gives you three options, and the table below compares them on the number that counts.

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How much magnesium do you need a day?

The Nutrient Reference Value used on UK supplement labels is 375mg a day, and that is the figure the NRV percentages on our products are calculated against. The NHS puts actual requirements slightly lower, at 300mg a day for men and 270mg a day for women aged 19 to 64, and most of that should come from food.

On supplements specifically, NHS guidance is that 400mg a day or less is unlikely to cause harm, and higher amounts commonly cause a looser bowel habit. Our Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Complex both offer a reduced serving for exactly this reason, so you can take 222mg or 323mg of elemental magnesium instead of the full dose if you are already getting magnesium from your diet. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and dark chocolate are all decent sources.

Not sure whether you are running low in the first place? Start with the common symptoms of magnesium deficiency, and for a fuller breakdown of daily amounts see how much magnesium is the right dosage for you.

How the three VitaBright magnesium supplements compare
	Magnesium Glycinate	Magnesium Citrate	Magnesium Complex 6-in-1
Elemental magnesium	300mg per 2 capsules, 80% NRV	444mg per 2 capsules, or 222mg per 1	485mg per 3 capsules, or 323mg per 2
Form	Magnesium bisglycinate, buffered	Magnesium citrate, buffered	Six forms: glycinate, citrate, taurate, malate, orotate and lactate
Also contains	Nothing else, just magnesium	Nothing else, just magnesium	Zinc, vitamin B6 and algae-derived vitamin D3
Best if	Your digestion is sensitive, or you are taking it every night	You want a higher dose, or you tend towards constipation	You want the widest spread of forms and the partner nutrients in one capsule
Bottle	180 capsules, 3 months	240 capsules, 4 months	120 capsules
Awards	BBC Good Food Award, Best Magnesium Supplement Overall	BBC Good Food Award, plus an Olive Magazine award	Six form chelated blend

Elemental magnesium is the only number on the label that matters

Magnesium is never sold on its own. It is always bound to a partner molecule, and that partner has weight. So a label showing 1500mg of magnesium bisglycinate is telling you the weight of the whole compound, not the magnesium inside it. Fully reacted bisglycinate is only about 14% magnesium, because the two glycine molecules make up the rest.

This is why two products with almost identical front-of-pack numbers can deliver completely different doses. Always compare on the elemental figure, which sits in the nutrition table on the back, usually next to the NRV percentage. If a product does not state elemental magnesium anywhere, you cannot compare it, and that tells you something in itself.

If you are trying to work out which form suits you rather than which dose, our guide to which type of magnesium is best for sleep, anxiety and overall health goes through the differences properly, and we explain the reasoning behind multi form blends in how the 6-in-1 complex works and who it suits.

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Magnesium supplement FAQs

What should I look for when buying magnesium supplements in the UK? +

Check the elemental magnesium figure rather than the compound weight on the front of the bottle, because a 1500mg magnesium compound may deliver only 210mg of actual magnesium. Then check the form, since citrate, glycinate and the other chelated forms are absorbed far better than magnesium oxide. Finally check where it was made. Magnesium is sold as a food supplement rather than a medicine, so the manufacturing standard carries most of the quality assurance.

What is the difference between magnesium tablets and magnesium capsules? +

Very little, in terms of what reaches your bloodstream. Tablets are compressed and often need binders to hold their shape, while capsules hold loose powder in a shell and usually need fewer additives. All VitaBright magnesium comes in vegetable capsules, which you can also twist open and stir into a drink if swallowing capsules is difficult.

How much elemental magnesium is in a high strength magnesium supplement? +

There is no legal definition of high strength, so the term is only useful if a milligram figure sits next to it. For reference, the UK Nutrient Reference Value is 375mg of magnesium a day. Our Magnesium Glycinate provides 300mg of elemental magnesium in two capsules, which is 80% of the NRV, and our Magnesium Complex 6-in-1 provides 485mg across a three capsule serving or 323mg across two.

When should I take magnesium? +

Whenever you will remember it, and ideally with food, which improves tolerance. There is no strong evidence that a particular time of day changes how much you absorb. If you are taking a larger dose, splitting it across two meals is often more comfortable than taking it all at once.

Can I take magnesium with other supplements or medicines? +

Usually yes, but magnesium interacts with several common medicines. Keep it at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics, separate it from levothyroxine by at least 4 hours, and follow the leaflet timing for bisphosphonates. If you have reduced kidney function, speak to your GP before taking magnesium at all, because impaired excretion allows it to build up.

Are VitaBright magnesium supplements vegan? +

Yes. All three use vegetable capsule shells and contain no animal derived ingredients. The vitamin D3 in the Magnesium Complex 6-in-1 is algae derived rather than the lanolin sourced D3 used in most supplements, which is what keeps that formula suitable for vegan diets.