The science
Form matters more than dose.
Two magnesium supplements can print the same number on the front of the pack and behave completely differently in the body.
What decides the difference is the form: how well it is absorbed, how gently it is tolerated, and which tissues it reaches. A large dose of a poorly absorbed form is not a large dose of magnesium. It is mostly a large dose you do not absorb, and often the reason a supplement upsets your stomach.
This page sets out exactly what is in Mend Magnesium, why each form was chosen, how it is tested, and what we are and are not allowed to claim. Where the evidence for a form is strong, we say strong. Where it is moderate, we say moderate. We would rather you trusted the page than were impressed by it.
The five forms
Five forms, each chosen for a reason.
Magnesium is not a single nutrient with a single job. Different forms cross different membranes and reach different systems. Each one below earns its place.
| Form | What it contributes | Why we chose it |
|---|---|---|
Bisglycinate
|
Contributes to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. | Among the best-absorbed forms and gentle on the gut. Well suited to sensitive digestion and to evening use. |
Malate
|
Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and normal muscle function. | Bound to malic acid, a compound involved in energy metabolism. Chosen where energy and muscle comfort matter. |
Taurate
|
Contributes to normal muscle function and to the maintenance of normal bones. | Chelated to taurine. Selected for its cardiovascular and autonomic profile. |
Citrate
|
A well-studied form for general supplementation. | A well-absorbed organic salt with reliable uptake and good bowel tolerability. |
Lactate
|
Steady, even absorption across the day. | An organic salt with an excellent tolerability profile, chosen for people who have found standard magnesium hard to take. |
Elemental content
Elemental magnesium, stated plainly.
The weight printed on most magnesium labels is the weight of the whole compound: magnesium plus whatever it is bound to. The amount your body can actually use is the elemental magnesium, which is always smaller. A label reading “1,000 mg magnesium bisglycinate” may contain only a fraction of that as elemental magnesium.
It is a legal way to make a number look bigger. We do not use it. We state the elemental figure, because it is the only one that tells you how much magnesium you are taking.
210 mg elemental magnesium per daily serving. Not the compound weight. The amount you absorb.
Full transparency
Every excipient, disclosed.
In the capsule:
- The five magnesium forms above.
- Organic rice flour, as the only lubricating agent. Every capsule needs one during manufacture; most brands use magnesium stearate or a synthetic flow agent. We use rice flour, which does the same job without the additives sensitive systems tend to react to.
- A plant-based vegetable cellulose capsule. No gelatin, no animal-derived excipients.
Deliberately left out, and why:
- Magnesium oxide, a cheap, poorly absorbed form often used to inflate the headline number.
- Magnesium stearate and synthetic flow agents.
- Soy, gluten, dairy and gelatin.
- Proprietary blends, fillers, bulking powders, colours and sweeteners.
If a component is not doing a job, it is not in the capsule.
Testing
How every batch is tested.
Testing is a method, not a badge. Here is what an independent, UKAS-accredited laboratory checks before a batch is released.
Elemental verification
The elemental magnesium content is confirmed by assay, so the figure on the label is the figure in the capsule.
Heavy metals
Screened for lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic against defined limits.
Microbiology
Tested to pharmacopoeial standards for total viable count, yeasts and moulds, and specified pathogens.
Pesticides
Screened for pesticide residues against the limits set for food supplements.
What we can say
The authorised claims.
These are the health claims authorised for magnesium in the UK. They are the only benefits we will state on this page or anywhere else.
Magnesium contributes to:
- a reduction of tiredness and fatigue;
- normal energy-yielding metabolism;
- normal functioning of the nervous system;
- normal muscle function;
- normal psychological function;
- electrolyte balance;
- normal protein synthesis;
- the maintenance of normal bones and teeth;
- a role in the process of cell division.
Anything beyond this list, we are not permitted to claim, and we will not imply it.
Read the label first. Then decide.
The full formulation, the elemental figure, and the tolerance guarantee are all on the product page.
See Mend Magnesium