---
type: Guide
title: "Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate: Which One Should You Actually Take?"
description: "The two forms side by side: what each is bound to, why a 500 mg glycinate capsule holds about 70 mg of elemental magnesium, and which form suits sleep, stress or constipation."
resource: "https://4well.com/blogs/news/magnesium-glycinate-vs-citrate"
tags: [sleep, guide, evidence]
timestamp: 2026-09-17T00:00:00Z
---

# Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate: Which One Should You Actually Take?

The two forms side by side: what each is bound to, why a 500 mg glycinate capsule holds about 70 mg of elemental magnesium, and which form suits sleep, stress or constipation. Sleep and stress trials dosed the mineral, not the carrier (PMID 23853635, 30562392); citrate's laxative effect is the practical reason glycinate wins the evening slot.

**One-line answer:** Both forms beat oxide and neither has been tested against the other; pick glycinate for an evening routine, citrate for constipation, and compare elemental milligrams rather than compound weight.

- Published: 2026-09-20
- Read: https://4well.com/blogs/news/magnesium-glycinate-vs-citrate
- Every trial in the guide links to its PubMed record; the guide ends with a References list and the same set is exposed as `citation[]` in its BlogPosting markup.
- Trials cited above: [PMID 23853635](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23853635/)

## Related

- Topic: [Sleep](okf-topics-sleep.md)
- Formula discussed on the site for this topic: [Magnesium Advanced](okf-products-magnesium-advanced.md)

## Source

Summary written from the published guide (reviewed 2026-09-17). Guides are written by the formulation team from human trials; every dose claim links to its PubMed record; mixed and negative results are included; there is no clinician review and nothing on the site is medical advice.