Trouble With Magnesium Glycinate

Wilfrid

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Thanks for writing. What were the digestive trubles you experienced with the KAL magnesium glycinate?

Regarding PureBulk's product, When I look at their website, they don't say anything like "non-buffered" "fully reacted" "TRAACS" etc.

PureBulk Supplements

@Dan Wich 's website says it contains magnesium oxide.
Magnesium glycinate supplements with the fewest additives - Toxinless

What do you mean by "pure chelate"? How did you confirm?



Thanks. Found some magnesium supplements that conform to your standards.

Some of the supplements:
***https://www.vitacost.com/now-foods-magnesium-bisglycinate-powder NOW Foods Magnesium Bisglycinate Powder
https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Powder-8-Ounce/dp/B00NIJ03C0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Foods-...478986&sr=8-9&keywords=magnesium+bisglycinate
Magnesium Bisglycinate Powder

***
https://www.amazon.com/Bisglycinate-No-Laxative-Absorption-Bioavailability-Headaches/dp/B076S3CSCB Magnesium Bisglycinate 100% Chelate TRAACS. No-Laxative Effect. Maximum Absorption & Bioavailability, Fully Reacted & Not Buffered. Sleep, Energy, Anxiety, Leg Cramps, Headaches. Non-GMO BioSchwartz
Magnesium Bisglycinate 100% Chelate TRAACS

***https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Absorption-Buffered-Elemental/dp/B01INKVVRO Magnesium Bisglycinate – Highest Absorption – Premium Grade – No Fillers – Non Buffered – 90 Veg Caps – 500mg Magnesium Bisglycinate per cap (50mg Elemental Magnesium) by BB&G HEALTH CORP.

****https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Absorption-Supplement-Non-Laxative/dp/B0172LH89A Pure Magnesium Bisglycinate POWDER • For Purists Only • Harvard Studied Absorption • Chelated Supplement for Mg • Non-Laxative/Buffered • No Big Pills,... Periodic Essentials

I am thinking about buying NOW's product at the top of this list, but everyone says it has a very bad taste which makes me suspicious. It's interesting because they claim that the product is TRAACS. Do you have an explanation for that? Maybe I shouldn't buy that one and buy the taste-free ones on the list?
You can still have deceptive products even with TRAACS label on it. The highest grade must be completely taste free. If the product have a "taste " is probably not the highest grade standard. In France. a company named Nutrixeal have this TRAACS " taste free " grade powder. I can vouch for them if you can buy on their website. It never caused me any gut problem ( like you, I have crohn's ) neither it has any taste ( or maybe a very subtle " sweet " one ) and certainly no bad taste.
 
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tca300

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Have you tried making your own magnesium bicarbonate with clean mag hydroxide and sparkling water? Thats what I have used for several years ( sometimes foot soaks in epson salts ). If I dont drink more that 400mg worth of magnesium at a time, I dont notice and loose stools.
 
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Logan-

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You can still have deceptive products even with TRAACS label on it. The highest grade must be completely taste free. If the product have a "taste " is probably not the highest grade standard. In France. a company named Nutrixeal have this TRAACS " taste free " grade powder. I can vouch for them if you can buy on their website. It never caused me any gut problem ( like you, I have crohn's ) neither it has any taste ( or maybe a very subtle " sweet " one ) and certainly no bad taste.

Is this the product you are referring to?
Magnésium chelaté Bisglycinate en poudre

Do they send it to Switzerland?

I am not sure I can buy from their website. I don't speak French. But the product looks very good indeed, and I trust your word about it. Do they say anything about sending products outside French, to other European countries? I would like to buy that product if it is possible. Do they have an English version of their website, can you see?
 
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Logan-

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Have you tried making your own magnesium bicarbonate with clean mag hydroxide and sparkling water? Thats what I have used for several years ( sometimes foot soaks in epson salts ). If I dont drink more that 400mg worth of magnesium at a time, I dont notice and loose stools.

That's interesting, I haven't tried that. I will look into it.
 
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Logan-

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@Wilfrid I think that company doesn't sell outside the France.

I am thinking of buying two different magnesium glycinate products.

1) https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B016KO48Y8?th=1
Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate Lysinate, 100% Chelated, Non-GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, 200 Grams
by Doctor's Best

It says fully reacted, TRAACS. Although people say it tastes bad, I guess it is still not a bad product. It has 200 mg elemental magnesium in 2 grams of powder, meaning %10 magnesium. I guess fully reacted also means non-buffered, right?

The other product I am considering buying is:

2) https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsulations-Magnesium-Glycinate-Physiological/dp/B0058HWV9S?th=1 pure encapsulations magnesium glycinate 360 capsules

This one isn't TRAACS, and they don't specify if it is buffered or non-buffered; but it has good reviews and rankings in different places on the internet. Do you think this one has magnesium oxide? It's a very popular brand, but I guess it would be better if it was made with Albion TRAACS non-buffered method. It also has ascorbyl palmitate which I is probably safe.

Could you share your views on these two? I have found some better looking non-buffered TRAACS magnesium glycinate products, but they don't send them to where I live, so these two look to be the best I can obtain.
 

Wilfrid

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Is this the product you are referring to?
Magnésium chelaté Bisglycinate en poudre

Do they send it to Switzerland?

I am not sure I can buy from their website. I don't speak French. But the product looks very good indeed, and I trust your word about it. Do they say anything about sending products outside French, to other European countries? I would like to buy that product if it is possible. Do they have an English version of their website, can you see?
Sorry for the late reply. I called them this morning and they are doing overseas shipping without any problem. You can place your order online, over the phone or either via the contact form on their website.
And yes, this is the product I talked about.
 
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Logan-

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It's interesting to me that, despite both of the products being non-buffered, and fully chelated, traacs magnesium glycinate; The Dr's best powder has 200 mg elemental magnesium in 2 grams of powder, while the nutrixeal has 200 mg elemental magnesium in 2.5 grams of powder. Different ratios.

Here is the info on Dr's best powder:
High Absorption Magnesium Powder
Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium is not buffered, meaning that is it not mixed with less expensive and less absorbable magnesium oxide.

Nutrixeal's product: Magnésium chelaté Bisglycinate en poudre

I know that "taste free" grade is a different grade (Albion Human Nutrition - TRAACS®) on its own; maybe it's taste free because it has less elemental magnesium and more glycine in it? Because I don't see any other explanation, for both of the products are %100 chelated, fully reacted, non-buffered, made with TRAACS.

Edit: Though, Dr's Best's powder is actually Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate. Maybe that has something to do with the difference.
 
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Just pay a bit more for pure encapsulations 360 X mag glycinate capsules. You won't regret it

Once I oppened one of their capsules. The powder tasted and smelled extremely bad and rancid. Not sure if that means anything, but one of the comments above suggests that a taste is an indication of quality/purity.

I also take about 10 grams of pure glycine every day, and it tastes pleasant and sweet. So not sure what the awful taste in the Pure Encapsulation magnesium means.

I now take Doctors Best magnesium glycinate lysinate. It’s a pill, no much taste, so I can’t quite compare.
 
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It's interesting to me that, despite both of the products being non-buffered, and fully chelated, traacs magnesium glycinate; The Dr's best powder has 200 mg elemental magnesium in 2 grams of powder, while the nutrixeal has 200 mg elemental magnesium in 2.5 grams of powder. Different ratios.

Actually Docts Best is 100 grams in 1000 grams of powder. They list it as “per serving” but their serving is 2 pills. Pretty shady in my view.
 
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Logan-

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That's the tablet form: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B000BD0RT0?th=1

I am referring to the powder form: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B016KO48Y8?th=1

You are correct, it has 100 grams in 1000 grams of powder; that is what I am saying (200 grams in 2000 grams of powder) while Nutrixeal's product has 200 grams in 2500 grams of powder.

I wouldn't buy the tablet form, the excipient list doesn't look good to me. The powdered magnesium glycinate lysinate of the same company doesn't have any excipients.

The tablet form has Croscarmellose sodium and microcrystalline cellulose as excipients.

* Here is an article about the former: Allergic reaction to Croscarmellose sodium used as excipient of a generic drug | QJM: An International Journal of Medicine | Oxford Academic

* From Ray Peat: In the 1940s, carrageenan, a polysaccharide made from a type of seaweed, was recognized as a dangerous allergen. Since then it has become a standard laboratory material to use to produce in-flammatory tumors (granulomas), immunodeficiency, arthritis, and other in-flammations. It has also become an increasingly common material in the food industry. Articles are often written to praise its usefulness and to claim that it doesn't produce cancer in healthy animals. Its presence in food, like that of the polyester imitation fat, microcrystalline cellulose, and many other polymers used to stabilize emulsions or to increase smoothness, is often justified by the doctrine that these molecules are too large to be absorbed. There are two points that are deliberately ignored by the food-safety regulators, 1) these materials can interact dangerously with intestinal bacteria, and 2) they can be absorbed, in the process called "persorption."
Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency. Carrageenan
 

Wilfrid

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Once I oppened one of their capsules. The powder tasted and smelled extremely bad and rancid.
I think that the problem is the degradation/ decomposition of the added ascorbyl palmitate and its reaction, in the capsule, with some of residual magnesium oxide ( not fully reacted ) left in the product.
The oxidation of ascorbic acid is known to occurs rapidly in an alkaline environment, and magnesium oxide has a very high Ph.
Since ascorbyl palmitate have its esters in the 6-position of ascorbic acid (thus leaving the enediol structure of ascorbic acid free ) it can probably react with some compounds similarly to ascorbic acid.
Hence the rancid and bad odor of the product.
 

Peater Piper

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I think that the highest grade, high quality chelated magnesium should be around 8% magnesium. And it must be taste free.
Here is the page on Albion website:
Albion Human Nutrition - TRAACS®, you can see in the magnesium section the different kind of qualities available to the manufacturing companies. The " taste free " grade is the best quality but its selling price too, which means that few manufacturers are really using it in their supplements.
If taste is a measure of quality, then PureBulk Magnesium Glycinate powder fails in that regard. I feel like it must still have a high absorption rate because I've had zero digestive issues even at high doses, but the rotten fish taste is still disconcerting, especially given how pleasant glycine powder on its own tastes. I may purchase a different product once I run out.
 

managing

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Have you tried making your own magnesium bicarbonate with clean mag hydroxide and sparkling water? Thats what I have used for several years ( sometimes foot soaks in epson salts ). If I dont drink more that 400mg worth of magnesium at a time, I dont notice and loose stools.
I've been making magnesium acetate by reacting mag carbonate with apple cider vinegar. RP gave it his stamp of approval, although he did not say it was necessarily the best way. I have felt great and no irritation up to several hundred mg at a time. You can react any powdered form of Mg with ACV. Carbonate is one of the most rapid and complete. But anything w/o excipients will work. Just wait until it is completely reacted, then dilute with water, juice, whatever and drink.
 
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When to take magnesium? I’ve heard somewhere that taking it at the right time - on empty stomach in the case of Mg- is more important with magnesium than with any other supplement. But can’t find the source.
 

managing

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When to take magnesium? I’ve heard somewhere that taking it at the right time - on empty stomach in the case of Mg- is more important with magnesium than with any other supplement. But can’t find the source.
I take it before bed on a mol empty stomach usually. But, in terms of benefit (sleep and androgen) I don't see a difference w/ or w/o food. I take it before bed, because it makes me drowsy.
 

Lurker

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That's the tablet form: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B000BD0RT0?th=1

I am referring to the powder form: https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Absorption-Magnesium-Glycinate/dp/B016KO48Y8?th=1

You are correct, it has 100 grams in 1000 grams of powder; that is what I am saying (200 grams in 2000 grams of powder) while Nutrixeal's product has 200 grams in 2500 grams of powder.

I wouldn't buy the tablet form, the excipient list doesn't look good to me. The powdered magnesium glycinate lysinate of the same company doesn't have any excipients.

The tablet form has Croscarmellose sodium and microcrystalline cellulose as excipients.

* Here is an article about the former: Allergic reaction to Croscarmellose sodium used as excipient of a generic drug | QJM: An International Journal of Medicine | Oxford Academic

* From Ray Peat: In the 1940s, carrageenan, a polysaccharide made from a type of seaweed, was recognized as a dangerous allergen. Since then it has become a standard laboratory material to use to produce in-flammatory tumors (granulomas), immunodeficiency, arthritis, and other in-flammations. It has also become an increasingly common material in the food industry. Articles are often written to praise its usefulness and to claim that it doesn't produce cancer in healthy animals. Its presence in food, like that of the polyester imitation fat, microcrystalline cellulose, and many other polymers used to stabilize emulsions or to increase smoothness, is often justified by the doctrine that these molecules are too large to be absorbed. There are two points that are deliberately ignored by the food-safety regulators, 1) these materials can interact dangerously with intestinal bacteria, and 2) they can be absorbed, in the process called "persorption."
Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency. Carrageenan

With the information provided in this thread, the math works out like Drs Best is using the 10% elemental mid level option despite the labeling (100% nonbuffered b.s.) whereas the French brand is using the high grade 8%. I think the Drs Best tablets gave me hemorrhoids so I wouldn’t recommend that one. I was taking 4 tablets @ 100 mg elemental magnesium every night before bed. When I stopped taking it went away. Peat has mentioned supplemental magnesium as a source of intestinal irritation never mind the excipients.

At this point I’m thinking topical may be a better route for magnesium anyway. I’m going to try the People’s Pharmacy milk of magnesia roll on deodorant. It was about the same price as trying to buy empty roll on bottles. If it works out, I’ll just refill the container with MoM. I don’t know how much magnesium that will be but it’s better than piles.
 

lilsticky

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I think that the highest grade, high quality chelated magnesium should be around 8% magnesium. And it must be taste free.
Here is the page on Albion website:
Albion Human Nutrition - TRAACS®, you can see in the magnesium section the different kind of qualities available to the manufacturing companies. The " taste free " grade is the best quality but its selling price too, which means that few manufacturers are really using it in their supplements.
should it have a urine taste?
 
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Logan-

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Guys, I am considering buying this magnesium glycinate supplement, these are the excipients:
“Microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate (vegetable source), stearic acid, modified cellulose (coating).”

What do you think? I need to buy a magnesium glycinate (tablet/capsule form) supplement that doesn’t have magnesium oxide in it (i.e. non-buffered, fully chelated). How bad would this one be? Persorption of and probable gut damage from the excipients are some issues that I consider but, as always, it’s a calculation of harm vs benefits… I wonder how much excipients there are in the capsules… Any thoughts?

Pure encapsulations has a magnesium glycinate capsule supplement but it has ascorbyl palmitate in it which seems problematic (see Ascorbyl Palmitate Fat Soluble Vitamin C) and I am not sure if it has the oxide form in it.
 
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