What is Magnesium Glycinate Capsules?
 
Magnesium is a vital mineral that is used in many biological processes. For example, it is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems! It is also one of the most common minerals that people are deficient in so it is important to take a good Magnesium supplement. This is not the easiest thing to find though as Magnesium supplements are plagued by bad absorption and there are a few different reasons for this. The main cause is magnesium's physical properties. Most of the Magnesium that we ingest is absorbed in our small intestines through small spaces called tight junctions. Absorption through tight junctions is dependent largely on the size of the compound, its solubility, and its pH. These three issues all make it very hard for Magnesium to be absorbed.
 
Absorbing a Magnesium Supplement
 
Magnesium, when it comes into contact with water, attracts a large amount of water molecules which arrange around the Magnesium ion, this is referred to as a hydration shell. The hydration shell physically makes Magnesium bigger which makes it harder for it to pass through tight junctions in the small intestines. Compared to Calcium, Magnesium has a much larger hydration shell, which causes two issues, the first being that Magnesium has a much harder time being absorbed due to its large hydration shell and the second issue is that when Magnesium and Calcium are coingested, then they are going to compete for absorption, which is problematic because Calcium will generally have the upper hand due to its much smaller hydration shell, which will limit the amount of Magnesium that can be absorbed.
 
The second major issue that makes things even more complicated is that Magnesium increases pH levels at tight junctions when ingested in supplemental dosages. This is problematic because there are proteins in the tight junctions called Claudins that strip Magnesium of its hydration shell allowing it to pass through the tight junction. However, as pH increases, Claudins become less and less active. As a result, Magnesium limits its own absorption by gradually increasing intestinal pH.
 
Benefits of Magnesium Glycinate Capsules
 
The benefits of taking a Magnesium Glycinate supplement is where Glycine comes in as an excellent pH buffer. By chelating Magnesium with Glycine, the rise in pH at tight junctions is largely negated, leading to significantly better Magnesium absorption. The Glycine in theory can also decrease the size of the Magnesium hydration shell and in addition to this, may allow Magnesium to be transported through amino acid transport systems. Magnesium is also fairly reactive and can react with Phytates that are present in our diet. Magnesium that has reacted with Phytates is practically impossible to absorb and this is highly problematic because Phytates are fairly prevalent in foods that contain large amounts of Magnesium, such as almonds and spinach. Chelating Magnesium with Glycinate, appears to reduce the reactivity of Magnesium with Phytates, thus enhancing its bioavailability even when it is taken alongside food.
 
Supplementing Magnesium Glycinate for Sleep Support
 
The final benefit of Magnesium Glycinate, is that it can increase the likelihood of L-Glycine making it to the brain. This is interesting, because L-Glycine may support sleep quality and so can Magnesium itself. Thus, Magnesium Glycinate is arguably the best form of Magnesium when it comes to supporting sleep quality.