Magnesium supplements with the fewest additives
Taking magnesium in homemade liquid form
Magnesium bicarbonate liquid is my default recommendation if you don't mind the hassle of making it:
Magnesium bicarbonate recipe >>
Taking magnesium as a capsule or powder
Magnesium glycinate
Magnesium glycinate is my default capsule/powder product recommendation:
Magnesium glycinate product suggestions >>
Other forms of magnesium
- Magnesium aspartate (page in progress, but in the meantime Pure Encapsulations has a low-excipient capsule and PureBulk has a straight powder)
- Magnesium carbonate (page in progress, but in the meantime both BulkSupplements and PureBulk have straight powder forms)
- Magnesium chloride product comparison
- Magnesium citrate (page in progress, but in the meantime Pure Encapsulations has a low-excipient capsule, and there's straight powders available from BulkSupplements and PureBulk)
- Magnesium gluconate (page in progress, but in the meantime PureBulk has both straight powder and no-excipient capsules available)
- Magnesium hydroxide (I haven't built up enough information to justify a page on this, but BulkSupplements has straight magnesium hydroxide powder manufactured in Japan)
- Magnesium malate product comparison (may be useful for fibromyalgia and other specific conditions)
- Magnesium N-acetyltaurinate: Mind Nutrition is a source of a straight powder in the UK, and they ship internationally (thanks ES).
- Magnesium taurate: Vital Biologics no longer makes a straight powder. The closest approximation I've found is Double Woods' capsules that are the magnesium taurate with no excipients, but do have hypromellose capsules.
- Magnesium threonate: Nootropics Depot and Cur-OST have straight powders that look good to me, thanks to Dan for the suggestions.
Topical magnesium for absorbing through the skin
There's some evidence that magnesium can be absorbed transdermally. I take advantage of this with epsom salt baths and topical magnesium oil.
For epsom salt brands, see my dedicated page.
For magnesium oil, you can either buy it premade, or make it using magnesium chloride flakes. I do both, using Swanson's premade spray and Ancient Minerals brand magnesium chloride flakes dissolved in an equal amount of water. These can irritate sensitive skin when used frequently, and using too much can make you resemble a magnesium dust monster. Which I consider to be a plus.
Testing your magnesium levels
I have a sister site to Toxinless about ordering your own bloodwork. On it I have a list of magnesium blood test providers, with testing as low as $22 if you don't mind a blood draw.