Magnesium Citrate vs. Magnesium Aspartate
Among 6,062 on-market magnesium products with an identifiable primary form, 25.3% use Magnesium Citrate (1,533 products) and 8.2% use Magnesium Aspartate (500).
| Magnesium Citrate | Magnesium Aspartate | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 1 | Unrated |
| Magnesium by weight | 16.2% | 8.4% |
| Share of market | 25.3% | 8.2% |
| On-market products | 1,533 | 500 |
| Median declared dose | 75 elemental mg middle half: 24–150 | 76 elemental mg middle half: 40–167.5 |
| Most common brands | Pure Encapsulations, Ultima, Douglas Laboratories | Bluebonnet, Douglas Laboratories, PS ProSupps |
Doses are declared per serving in elemental mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why Magnesium Citrate is tier 1
Far more soluble than oxide across physiological pH; produced the highest urinary/salivary Mg response of forms tested in a human RCT.
Source: Lindberg 1990, PMID 2407766; Walker AF et al. 2003, Magnesium Research 16(3):183-191, PMID 14596323
Why Magnesium Aspartate is unrated
No head-to-head human bioavailability study specific to this salt was found.
Source: uncertain -- needs review
Tiers summarize published comparative bioavailability or outcome evidence for each form (see methodology).
This page describes the market; it is not a recommendation to take either form. Talk to a clinician about what's right for you.
Other magnesium comparisons
- Magnesium Oxide vs. Magnesium Citrate
- Magnesium Oxide vs. Magnesium Glycinate
- Magnesium Oxide vs. Magnesium Aspartate
- Magnesium Oxide vs. Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate
- Magnesium Citrate vs. Magnesium Glycinate
- Magnesium Citrate vs. Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate
- Magnesium Glycinate vs. Magnesium Aspartate
- Magnesium Glycinate vs. Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate
- Magnesium Aspartate vs. Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate