Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate (2026): Differences and Which to Take
Take glycinate if your stomach is sensitive. Take citrate if you want to pay less or tend to be constipated. Neither has been shown to work better. At brand list prices, citrate costs less than half as much per mg of magnesium (prices on Amazon differ), and Nature Made makes both on USP Verified.
The verdict
Both deliver the same mineral. The difference is what it is bound to: glycine (an amino acid) or citric acid. Most people should start with glycinate: too much magnesium most often shows up as diarrhea, and glycinate has the gentler reputation. Choose citrate if cost matters more or you want a mild push toward regular bowel movements.
Informational comparison of label data, research and cost, not medical advice. Prices are each brand’s own list price, checked October 14, 2026; Amazon’s can differ.
Nature Made glycinate vs citrate, side by side
Comparing one brand’s two products keeps the test fair: same maker, same testing list, different form.
| Glycinate | Citrate | |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium a serving | 200 mg in 2 capsules | 250 mg in 2 softgels |
| Room under the 350 mg limit | 150 mg | 100 mg |
| Testing list | USP Verified | USP Verified |
| Bowels | Not known to loosen stools at this dose | Can loosen stools; citrate is also sold as a laxative |
| Absorption data | None for glycinate itself | Better than oxide in several small studies (NIH) |
| Bottle | 60-count bottle, $21.99 | 120-count bottle, $23.59 |
| A day (one serving) | $0.73 | $0.39 |
| A year (one serving a day) | $268 | $144 |
| Per 300 mg of magnesium | $1.10 | $0.47 |
| Buy | Check price | Check price |
Which one for your goal
| Your goal | Take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Get more magnesium, everyday use | Either | Both raise intake. Pick on stomach and price. |
| Sensitive stomach, or citrate gave you loose stools | Glycinate | No trial has compared it with citrate. In one small trial it was better tolerated than oxide (Schuette 1994). |
| Mild constipation | Citrate | It draws water into the bowel (MedlinePlus). |
| Lowest cost on a testing list | Citrate | $0.47 vs $1.10 per 300 mg at list price. |
| Sleep | No clear winner | Glycinate has a reputation and one small trial of its own (Schuster 2025); no trial compares the two forms head to head. |
| Stress or anxiety | Either | Studies are poor quality and none compares forms (Boyle 2017). |
| Kidney disease | Ask first | Weak kidneys cannot clear extra magnesium (NIH). |
Does glycinate or citrate absorb better?
We found no study that tests it directly. Claims that glycinate is “the best absorbed” have no trial behind them. Here is what the research does show:
- The one close match favors citrate. In a 60-day trial, 46 healthy adults took 300 mg of magnesium a day as citrate, an amino-acid chelate (the family glycinate belongs to) or oxide. Citrate raised blood magnesium the most. Citrate and the chelate both raised urine magnesium more than oxide, which did no better than placebo (Walker 2003).
- NIH backs citrate, not glycinate. Small studies found the citrate, aspartate, lactate and chloride forms absorbed better than oxide and sulfate (NIH). NIH says nothing about glycinate either way.
- The label already does the math. Citrate is about 16% magnesium by weight and glycinate about 14%. The “Magnesium” line on the Supplement Facts panel is the magnesium itself (the elemental amount), not the weight of the whole compound (NIH). So 200 mg on either label is 200 mg of magnesium.
For most healthy people the gap, if there is one, is small: a 2021 review found that any common form can keep magnesium at normal levels in people who were not low to begin with (Pardo 2021). Oxide is the form that absorbs poorly. Citrate vs oxide.
Side effects: stomach and bowels
Too much magnesium from pills most often causes diarrhea, sometimes with nausea and stomach cramps. That is why the limit is set where it is (NIH). NIH names the forms most often reported to cause diarrhea: carbonate, chloride, gluconate and oxide. Neither glycinate nor citrate is on that list.
Citrate has a second life as a medicine. Magnesium citrate drinks are saline laxatives, sold for occasional constipation and to clear the bowel before a colonoscopy, at doses much higher than a softgel. MedlinePlus says not to use them for more than a week without a doctor. That is why citrate pills are more likely than glycinate to loosen stools as the dose climbs.
If citrate upsets your stomach: take it with food, split the dose, or switch to glycinate. If glycinate leaves you constipated: citrate is the easy swap.
Other glycinate and citrate options
If neither Nature Made product suits you, these are the other products we link. Check the magnesium per serving:
| Product | Form | Serving | Per 300 mg | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOW Magnesium Citrate | Citrate | 400 mg in 2 tablets; 1 tablet gives 200 mg. | $0.24 | Check price |
| Natural Vitality Calm powder | Citrate + glycinate | 350 mg in 2 teaspoons; start with less. | $0.27 | Check price |
| KAL Magnesium Glycinate 350 | Glycinate | 240 capsules, about 88 mg each. One serving (4 capsules, 350 mg) is the whole limit. Not on a testing list. | No list price | Check price |
| BulkSupplements Magnesium Glycinate Powder | Glycinate + oxide blend | 300 mg in ¾ teaspoon (2.2 g); its label names oxide too | $0.19 | Check price |
Natural Vitality’s 16 oz Calm tub is now sold as MaxCalm: magnesium citrate plus glycinate, 350 mg in 2 teaspoons (label read October 14, 2026). KAL and NOW are on none of the five testing lists we searched; BulkSupplements’ powder is on NSF/ANSI 173. Other forms (malate, taurate, L-threonate) are compared on every magnesium form compared.
Taking both, and how much
You can take glycinate and citrate on the same day. What counts is the total magnesium from all your supplements, including multivitamins and antacids. Adults need 310 to 420 mg a day from food and supplements together. How much magnesium per day · when to take it.
If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor before you take magnesium. Weak kidneys cannot clear the extra, so it can build up (NIH). Antibiotics: take tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) or quinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after magnesium (NIH).
Frequently asked questions
Is magnesium glycinate or citrate better?
Neither is proven better for general use. Take glycinate if your stomach is sensitive; take citrate if you want to pay less or if you tend to be constipated. Nature Made makes both, and both are USP Verified: glycinate is $0.73 a day for 200 mg, citrate $0.39 a day for 250 mg, at list price.
Is glycinate or citrate better for sleep?
No trial compares them. Glycinate has the one recent placebo trial of its own: in 155 adults who slept poorly, 250 mg a day for 4 weeks lowered insomnia scores a little more than placebo, a small effect (Schuster 2025). Citrate was one of the forms in older trials pooled in a 2021 review, where people fell asleep about 17 minutes faster, with low-quality evidence (Mah 2021). Magnesium and sleep.
Is glycinate or citrate better for constipation?
Citrate. It pulls water into the bowel, and magnesium citrate drinks are sold as laxatives for short-term use (MedlinePlus). The best-tested form for constipation is oxide, though, at laxative doses much higher than a supplement. What the constipation trials used.
Is glycinate or citrate better for anxiety?
No trial compares them. A 2017 review found the studies of magnesium for anxiety were of poor quality, with some hint of benefit in people prone to anxiety (Boyle 2017). If you want to try magnesium for this, pick the form your stomach handles.
Can you take magnesium glycinate and citrate together?
Yes. Add up the magnesium line on both labels and keep the total from supplements at or under 350 mg a day (NIH). One Nature Made glycinate serving (200 mg) plus one citrate softgel (125 mg) is 325 mg.
Related
- Best magnesium supplements: our picks across every form
- What every glycinate costs · what every citrate costs · third-party tested glycinate
- Citrate vs oxide · threonate vs glycinate · all forms compared · side effects · magnesium guide
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (updated January 6, 2026): forms and absorption, forms most linked to diarrhea, upper limit.
- Walker AF, et al. Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnes Res. 2003. PubMed 14596323
- Schuette SA, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium diglycinate vs magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1994. PubMed 7815675
- Pardo MR, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium food supplements: a systematic review. Nutrition. 2021. PubMed 34111673
- Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021. PubMed 33865376
- Boyle NB, et al. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress: a systematic review. Nutrients. 2017. PubMed 28445426
- MedlinePlus. Magnesium citrate (saline laxative).
- Labels and prices: Nature Made, NOW, Natural Vitality and BulkSupplements pages, each brand’s list price checked October 14, 2026. Testing: NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified, Informed Choice and Informed Sport, searched October 14, 2026.