Magnesium

Category: mineral

Aliases: Mg²⁺, Mg glycinate, Mg citrate, Mg malate, Mg threonate

Pharmacological Mechanism

Mg²⁺ stabilises ATP (Mg-ATP is the catalytically active form) and serves as a cofactor for 300+ enzymes including kinases, phosphatases, and glycolytic/TCA/oxidative phosphorylation steps. Voltage-dependent block of glutamate receptor pharmacology receptor Ca²⁺ channels drives the sleep-onset and neuroprotective effects. Required for DNA/RNA and protein synthesis. CNS penetration is form-dependent — threonate raises CSF Mg²⁺ measurably in rodent models (Slutsky 2010).

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 12h, IV: 12h

Dosing Guidelines

PO: Typical 367 mg (Range: 300–500 mg)
TD: Typical 367 mg (Range: 300–500 mg)
IV: Typical 367 mg (Range: 300–500 mg)

Target Organ Systems

nervous

Interactions

Vitamin D3 (synergistic): Bidirectional cofactor: D3 needs Mg for activation; Mg supports VDR-mediated gene expression.
Calcium (caution): Shared intestinal transporters; high-dose Ca can reduce Mg absorption. Separate by 2 h or keep combined dose moderate.
Zinc (caution): Competes for DMT1 transporter at high doses. Take 2 h apart.
Aspartate (synergistic): Magnesium aspartate chelate — mutual tissue-uptake enhancement.
Magnesium BHB (synergistic): Same cation pool — count combined intake to avoid GI overload.
Magnesium Citrate (synergistic): Same elemental mineral — citrate is the common OTC baseline.
Magnesium Glycinate (synergistic): Same elemental mineral — glycinate is a preferred low-GI form.
Magnesium Malate (synergistic): Same elemental mineral; malate is the fibromyalgia-focused form.
Magnesium Taurate (synergistic): Same elemental mineral; taurate is the CV-focused form.
Magnesium L-Threonate (synergistic): Same elemental mineral; threonate is specifically the CNS-targeted form.
Calcifediol (synergistic): Required cofactor for downstream 1α-hydroxylation and VDR activation.
Calcitriol (synergistic): Cofactor for VDR activation; ensure Mg sufficiency before dose escalation.
Vitamin D2 (synergistic): Required cofactor for 25- and 1α-hydroxylation of both D2 and D3.
Pyridoxine (synergistic): P5P improves intracellular Mg²⁺ uptake; classic 'P5P + Mg glycinate' stack for premenstrual/anxious symptoms.

Pathways It Modulates

Hepcidin / ferroportin iron regulation (inhibitor) — iron uptake (modest interference)
Mineral enzyme cofactor overview (cofactor) — ATP + kinase + Na/K-ATPase
Vitamin D receptor genomic signaling (VDR) (cofactor) — CYP27B1 + CYP24A1 require Mg²⁺ — Mg deficiency = functional vitamin D resistance

Chemical Identifiers

PubChem CID: 5462224
Formula: Mg
Molecular weight: 24.31 g/mol
InChIKey: FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: [Mg]