Best Magnesium Glycinate (2026): 10 Compared, Cost per 200 mg
By Erin Rose Updated October 29, 2026 How we rank
The best magnesium glycinate for most people is Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate: $0.33 a day ($19.99 for a 60-serving bottle at list price), with 200 mg of magnesium in 2 capsules, all glycinate, on the Informed Sport list, which tests every batch for drugs banned in sport. Check the “Magnesium” line, not the front: most glycinate labels make a serving 2 or more capsules.
Our pick for: Most people
Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate
Same 200 mg in 2 capsules as Nature Made, for less than half the price
- Magnesium
- 200 mg a serving2 capsules (100 mg each)
- A day
- $0.33one serving, Revive MD’s own price
- Testing list
- Informed Sportevery batch tested for drugs banned in sport
- Form
- Bisglycinateglycinate only, no oxide
- Bottle
- 60 servings, $19.99Revive MD’s own price
- Per 200 mg
- $0.33one serving
Why we pick it We pick it because it has the same 200 mg in 2 capsules as the rest of the glycinates we compare, is on the Informed Sport list (every batch is tested for drugs banned in sport), and costs less than half as much a day as Nature Made, the highest-scoring glycinate on our list. Glycinate is a form many people choose because it is gentle on the stomach. Each capsule holds 100 mg, close to the 111 mg middle of the 149 glycinate labels we read, so the 2-capsule serving gives 200 mg, all as glycinate with no oxide on the label.
What to know Informed Sport tests for drugs banned in sport; it does not check the label. If you want a contents check, Nature Made Magnesium Glycinate 200mg is on USP Verified and has the top score of the glycinates we score (8.0/10), at $0.73 a day. Thorne’s capsules, on NSF/ANSI 173, list at $0.48 per 200 mg against $0.33. Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate 210 mg scores higher (8.5) because it costs less, but it is on no testing list, so we do not pick it.
- 350 mga day: the adult limit for magnesium from supplements (NIH)
- ~4%of magnesium oxide was absorbed in one study (Firoz 2001); check that a glycinate lists no oxide
- 78.5%of 149 glycinate labels need 2 or more capsules a serving
Which magnesium glycinate is right for you?
Costs are each brand’s list price, checked October 14, 2026. Prices on Amazon differ.
Want smaller capsules, also tested?
120 mg of magnesium as glycinate a capsule, on NSF/ANSI 173. Two capsules give 240 mg for $0.58 at Thorne’s list price, more per mg than our pick’s list price (prices on Amazon differ). It scores lower only because one capsule (its label serving) is under the 200 mg we count as a full dose. Its label allows up to 4 capsules (480 mg), more than you should take from pills. Not on NSF Certified for Sport; that list names Thorne’s powder. Thorne vs Doctor’s Best.
Thorne Magnesium Glycinate
6.5/10 · $0.58 for 2 capsules (240 mg) · NSF/ANSI 173
Want the lowest cost, with no testing list?
Glycinate only, at the lowest cost per mg of the 6 glycinates we score (at list price; prices on Amazon differ). It scores higher than our pick because cost counts in the score, but it is on none of the five public testing lists we searched, so we do not pick it. Each capsule holds about 70 mg, so a serving is 3 capsules.
Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate 210 mg
8.5/10 · $0.20 per 200 mg · no testing list found
Want a powder?
NOW’s powder is glycinate only. BulkSupplements powder is on NSF/ANSI 173 and costs less, but its label says glycinate and oxide.
NOW Magnesium Bisglycinate Powder
$0.21 per 200 mg · glycinate only
Want one big bottle of capsules?
240 capsules, about 88 mg each. One serving (4 capsules, 350 mg) is the whole limit. Not on a testing list.
KAL Magnesium Glycinate 350
about 88 mg a capsule · not on a testing list
How do you choose a magnesium glycinate?
Check three things, in this order: a full dose in one serving, a testing list, then the cost per mg.
- A full dose in one serving, read from the Supplement Facts row. The row that says “Magnesium” is the magnesium itself. A front label that says “magnesium bisglycinate 2,000 mg” is quoting the whole compound, of which about 14% is magnesium. We count 200 mg in one label serving as a full dose, without going over the upper limit. The median glycinate capsule holds 111 mg, so most bottles need 2 or more capsules a serving.
- A label someone else has checked. We search five public testing lists. Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate (Informed Sport), Nature Made Magnesium Glycinate (USP Verified) and Thorne Magnesium Glycinate (NSF/ANSI 173) are on them; BulkSupplements powder is too, but it is a glycinate and oxide blend. A GMP or Non-GMO seal is a factory or sourcing audit, not a test of the finished product.
- Then the cost per mg. At each brand’s list price, 200 mg of magnesium costs $0.20 to $0.73 across the glycinates we price. Cost counts after the first two rules, which is why the cheapest bottle is not our pick.
These are the marks in our score (testing 3, dose 3, cost 2, label 1 and recalls 1 points; how we score). Nature Made has the top score of the glycinates we score. We pick Revive MD because it gives the same full dose, is on a testing list, and costs less than half as much a day. Thorne gives 120 mg a capsule, so it misses the full-dose mark; if you take 2 capsules, it is a fine buy.
Every magnesium glycinate we track, ranked
Doses are the magnesium on each Supplement Facts panel. Cost per 200 mg is the brand’s list price divided by the magnesium in the bottle, times 200. The per-capsule column decides rule 1; the testing column decides rule 2.
| Product | Score | A capsule | Serving | Per 200 mg | Testing list | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate 210 mg360-capsule bottle, $24.97 | 8.5 | 70 mg | 210 mg in 3 capsules | $0.20 | None found | Check price |
| Nature Made Magnesium Glycinate 200mg60-count bottle, $21.99 | 8.0 | 100 mg | 200 mg in 2 capsules | $0.73 | USP Verified | Check price |
| Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium240-tablet bottle, $23.99 | 7.0 | 100 mg | 200 mg in 2 tablets | $0.20 | None found | Check price |
| NOW Magnesium Bisglycinate Powder8 oz tub, $23.99 | 7.0 | powder | 300 mg in 1 level teaspoon | $0.21 | None found | Check price |
| Thorne Magnesium Glycinate90-serving bottle, $26.00 | 6.5 | 120 mg | 120 mg in 1 capsule | $0.48 | NSF/ANSI 173 | Check price |
| NOW Magnesium Glycinate 200 mg180-tablet bottle, $31.99 | 6.0 | 100 mg | 200 mg in 2 tablets | $0.36 | None found | Check price |
| BulkSupplements Magnesium Glycinate Powder114 servings, $21.97 | — | powder | 300 mg in ¾ teaspoon (2.2 g) | $0.13 | NSF/ANSI 173 | Check price |
| KAL Magnesium Glycinate 350No list price | — | 88 mg | 350 mg in 4 capsules | No list price | None found | Check price |
| Nature’s Bounty Magnesium Glycinate 240 mgNo list price | — | 120 mg | 240 mg in 2 capsules | No list price | None found | Check price |
| Revive MD Magnesium GlycinateOur pick60 servings, $19.99 | — | 100 mg | 200 mg in 2 capsules | $0.33 | Informed Sport | Check price |
BulkSupplements’ label says “Magnesium (as Magnesium Glycinate and Magnesium Oxide).” KAL (240 capsules) and Nature’s Bounty have no list price we could check. No product here puts more than 350 mg in one label serving. KAL’s 4 capsules (350 mg) are the whole upper limit, so count any other magnesium you take. Ranked on price alone.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate 210 mg | $0.20 |
| Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium | $0.20 |
| NOW Magnesium Bisglycinate Powder | $0.21 |
| Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate | $0.33 |
| NOW Magnesium Glycinate 200 mg | $0.36 |
| Thorne Magnesium Glycinate | $0.48 |
| Nature Made Magnesium Glycinate 200mg | $0.73 |
How much magnesium is in one magnesium glycinate capsule?
About 111 mg, on the middle of the 149 glycinate labels we read in NIH’s label database. And 78.5% of labels make a serving two or more capsules.
From 827 labels sold as magnesium glycinate (NIH label database, August 27, 2026), 149 list glycinate or bisglycinate on the Supplement Facts panel. We split the labels into two groups and print a figure only if both groups gave the same answer.
The median product directs 250 mg of magnesium a serving. 78.5% of labels reach 200 mg a serving and 32.9% reach 400 mg; at the median capsule, 400 mg is 4 capsules. And “glycinate” on the front is not a guarantee: some labels also list oxide in the same row, which raises the mg number but is poorly absorbed.
| Finding | Share of labels |
|---|---|
| Serving is 2 or more capsules or tablets (149 labels) | 78.5% |
| Serving is 200 mg or more (149 labels) | 78.5% |
| Serving is 400 mg or more (149 labels) | 32.9% |
What it cannot tell you: how much of each product sells, whether a capsule holds what its label says, or how much magnesium you absorb. Open data: download the data (JSON) (CC BY 4.0). In November 2025, Health Canada recalled two bisglycinate products that held oxide their labels did not list (Life Brand, MapleLife).
Is magnesium glycinate absorbed better than other forms?
Not by much. The case for glycinate is the stomach, not a big absorption edge. In one study of four US products, oxide was about 4% absorbed, while chloride, lactate and aspartate were higher and equal to one another (Firoz 2001). In a 60-day trial of 46 people taking 300 mg a day, citrate gave the highest blood magnesium, and both citrate and an amino-acid chelate were absorbed better than oxide (Walker 2003). A 2021 review read the studies the same way: organic forms ahead of oxide, with absorption depending on the dose (Pardo 2021). In 12 people who had part of the small bowel removed, a glycinate chelate and oxide were absorbed about the same overall (23.5% vs 22.8%), but the chelate did better in the 4 who absorbed least, and everyone tolerated it better (Schuette 1994).
Citrate and oxide pull water into the bowel, which is why they are sold as laxatives. Glycinate is often called gentler; the one trial that compared it with oxide at the same dose found it better tolerated (Schuette 1994). Glycinate vs citrate · 8 forms compared.
How much magnesium glycinate should you take?
Adults need 310 to 420 mg a day from food and supplements. The upper limit for adults is 350 mg a day of magnesium from supplements and medicines. Food does not count toward it (NIH). 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). Check the serving size, since most labels direct 2 or more capsules. The dosage guide walks through it by age.
Sleep trials of plain magnesium used 250 to 729 mg of magnesium a day, including a 2025 trial of 250 mg as glycinate (Schuster 2025). Trials of magnesium L-threonate are separate: they used 1 to 2 g of the compound, about 72 to 144 mg of magnesium. The benefit in the trials was small. Antibiotics: take tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) or quinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after magnesium (NIH). Osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates such as alendronate): take them at least 2 hours apart from magnesium (NIH). Water pills: loop and thiazide diuretics make you lose more magnesium; potassium-sparing ones make you lose less (NIH). One large Dutch study found the link only for thiazides (Kieboom 2018). Best time to take magnesium · side effects by form.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best magnesium glycinate supplement?
Revive MD Magnesium Glycinate: 200 mg of magnesium in 2 capsules, on the Informed Sport list, $0.33 a day at Revive MD’s own price. Nature Made Magnesium Glycinate has the top score of the glycinates we score and is on USP Verified, at $0.73 a day. Thorne Magnesium Glycinate, on NSF/ANSI 173, has 120 mg a capsule and lists at $0.48 per 200 mg, but prices on Amazon differ.
Is magnesium glycinate better than oxide?
For absorption, it is not proven. Oxide was about 4% absorbed in one study of US tablets (Firoz 2001). In the one trial that compared glycinate with oxide at the same dose (100 mg, in 12 people who had part of their small bowel removed), overall absorption was about the same (23.5% vs 22.8%), and glycinate was better tolerated by every patient (Schuette 1994). Glycinate has not been shown to beat citrate. Oxide vs glycinate · glycinate vs citrate.
Why does the bottle say 400 mg but the capsule only has 100 mg?
Because the front gives the serving, and 78.5% of glycinate labels define a serving as two or more capsules. The median capsule holds 111 mg of magnesium, so 400 mg is about 4 capsules. Some labels also quote the weight of the whole compound; bisglycinate is about 14% magnesium.
Is "buffered" magnesium glycinate real glycinate?
Often it is glycinate mixed with another form, usually oxide, to raise the mg per capsule. Read the words in brackets on the magnesium line, not the product name. In November 2025, Health Canada recalled two “bisglycinate” products that held oxide their labels did not list.
What do studies say about magnesium glycinate and sleep?
One small one. One newer trial tested glycinate itself: in 155 adults who slept poorly, 250 mg of magnesium as bisglycinate for 4 weeks lowered insomnia scores a little more than placebo, a small effect (Schuster 2025). The three older trials in a 2021 review used oxide, citrate and effervescent tablets: people fell asleep about 17 minutes faster, on low-quality evidence (Mah 2021). Glycine alone, at 3 g before bed, has a small trial record (Bannai 2012); a 200 mg magnesium serving carries about 1.2 g of glycine.
Related guides
- Magnesium: forms, dose and what to buy · best magnesium supplement, all forms
- Cheapest magnesium glycinate · what every glycinate costs, every size · glycinate 400 mg
- Third-party tested glycinate · Thorne vs Doctor’s Best · Nature Made vs Doctor’s Best
- Magnesium glycinate vs citrate · magnesium and sleep · dosage guide
Sources
- Firoz M, Graber M. Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnes Res. 2001. PubMed 11794633
- Walker AF, et al. Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnes Res. 2003. PubMed 14596323
- Pardo MR, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium food supplements: a systematic review. Nutrition. 2021. PubMed 34111673
- Schuette SA, et al. Bioavailability of magnesium diglycinate vs magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1994. PubMed 7815675
- Schuster J, et al. Magnesium bisglycinate supplementation in healthy adults reporting poor sleep: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Nat Sci Sleep. 2025. PubMed 40918053
- Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021. PubMed 33865376
- Bannai M, Kawai N. New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: glycine improves the quality of sleep. J Pharmacol Sci. 2012. PubMed 22293292
- Kieboom BCT, et al. Thiazide but not loop diuretics is associated with hypomagnesaemia in the general population. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2018. PubMed 30095199
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (updated January 6, 2026). NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (dsld.od.nih.gov), read August 27, 2026.
- Testing lists: NSF/ANSI 173, NSF Certified for Sport, USP Verified, Informed Choice, Informed Sport, searched October 14, 2026. Prices: each brand’s own list price, checked October 14, 2026; scores rebuilt October 14, 2026.
This page is for information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before starting magnesium, especially with kidney disease.