Q: What does this product do?
A: This formula helps to maintain proper muscle function, including the heart muscle. It helps in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. It helps to maintain the body's ability to metabolize nutrients. It is a factor in the maintenance of good health. These are the Health Canada approved uses (NPN 80077844). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Q: What is magnesium and why is it important?
A: Magnesium is an essential mineral and the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. Approximately 60% of the body's magnesium is stored in bone, 39% is found inside cells (primarily in muscle and soft tissue), and less than 1% is in the blood. Magnesium is a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It is required for all reactions involving ATP (adenosine triphosphate) — the primary energy currency of cells. ATP must be bound to magnesium to be biologically active; the active form is Mg-ATP. This means magnesium is involved in glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, and protein synthesis.
Q: What does chelated mean and what is magnesium bisglycinate?
A: Chelation is the process of binding a mineral ion to an organic molecule to form a stable ring structure. The word chelate comes from the Greek word for claw (chele). In magnesium bisglycinate, one magnesium ion is bound to two glycine amino acid molecules. The chelate structure protects the magnesium ion from forming insoluble complexes in the digestive tract and allows it to be absorbed via amino acid transport pathways in the small intestine, rather than relying solely on passive diffusion. This is why chelated magnesium bisglycinate is considered more bioavailable and gentler on the digestive system than non-chelated magnesium forms such as magnesium oxide, citrate, or sulfate.
Q: Why is magnesium bisglycinate gentler on the digestive system than other magnesium forms? A: Non-chelated magnesium salts that are not fully absorbed in the small intestine reach the large intestine, where they draw water into the intestinal lumen through osmosis. This osmotic effect causes loose stools or diarrhea — the well-known laxative effect of magnesium supplements. Chelated magnesium bisglycinate is absorbed more efficiently in the small intestine via amino acid transport pathways, reducing the amount that reaches the large intestine and therefore reducing the osmotic laxative effect. This makes bisglycinate significantly gentler on the digestive system than non-chelated magnesium forms.
Q: Why does this formula contain both magnesium bisglycinate and magnesium oxide?
A: The medicinal ingredient in this formula is Elemental Magnesium 200mg, derived from a blend of magnesium bisglycinate and magnesium oxide. Magnesium bisglycinate is the primary, chelated form and provides the majority of the bioavailable magnesium. Magnesium oxide has a lower bioavailability than bisglycinate but a high elemental magnesium content per gram, making it useful as a secondary source to achieve the 200mg elemental magnesium target per capsule. The combination of bisglycinate (for bioavailability and digestive gentleness) and oxide (for elemental magnesium density) is a common approach in magnesium bisglycinate formulas.
Q: What is the role of glycine in this formula?
A: Glycine is a non-essential amino acid — the smallest of the 20 amino acids. In magnesium bisglycinate, two glycine molecules are bound to each magnesium ion. When the chelate is absorbed, the glycine is released along with the magnesium. Glycine has its own roles in the body: it is a component of collagen (the most abundant protein in the body), a precursor to glutathione (the body's primary intracellular antioxidant), and an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. At the dose in this formula, the glycine contribution is modest but present as a co-benefit of the chelated form.
Q: How does magnesium support muscle function, including the heart muscle?
A: Magnesium is required for both muscle contraction and relaxation. Calcium triggers muscle contraction by binding to troponin and initiating the actin-myosin interaction. Magnesium is required for the SERCA pump (sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase), an ATP-dependent pump that moves calcium back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum after contraction, allowing the muscle to relax. Without adequate magnesium, this calcium recycling is impaired. This mechanism applies to all muscle types, including skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle (the heart). The NPN approved use specifically includes the heart muscle because the heart is a continuously working muscle that depends on this calcium-magnesium balance for every heartbeat.
Q: How does magnesium support bone and teeth health?
A: Approximately 60% of the body's magnesium is stored in bone. Magnesium is a structural component of the hydroxyapatite crystal lattice that gives bone its hardness and rigidity. Magnesium is also required for the activation of Vitamin D: the enzyme that converts 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the storage form) to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (the active form, calcitriol) requires magnesium as a cofactor. Active Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption from the intestine. Magnesium deficiency can therefore impair Vitamin D activation and indirectly affect calcium metabolism, bone mineralization, and tooth enamel formation.
Q: How does magnesium support nutrient metabolism?
A: Magnesium is a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions. Because ATP must be bound to magnesium to be biologically active (Mg-ATP), magnesium is required for every ATP-dependent reaction in the body. This includes glycolysis (the breakdown of glucose to pyruvate), the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (ATP production in the mitochondria). Magnesium is also required for DNA and RNA polymerase enzymes, making it essential for DNA replication and gene expression. The NPN approved use helps to maintain the body's ability to metabolize nutrients reflects this broad role in energy-producing metabolic pathways.
Q: How do I take this product and how long will 120 capsules last?
A: Adults and adolescents (9 to 18 years of age): 1 capsule, 1 time per day. At 120 capsules and 1 capsule per day, one bottle provides a 120 day supply (4 months). Also available in 300 capsules (300 day supply — 10 months) for those who want a longer supply.
Q: Is this product suitable for vegans or vegetarians?
A: Yes. The capsule shell is Hypromellose, a plant-derived material. The other non-medicinal ingredient is Magnesium Stearate, which is also plant-derived. There are no animal-derived ingredients in this formula. This product is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Q: Who should not use this product and are there any cautions?
A: Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have kidney disease or impaired kidney function — magnesium is primarily excreted by the kidneys and can accumulate in individuals with reduced kidney function. Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are taking antibiotics (tetracyclines or fluoroquinolones), bisphosphonates (used for bone density), or diuretics, as magnesium can affect the absorption or activity of these medications. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Verify the complete contraindications and known adverse reactions against the NPN 80077844 licence before publishing and update this answer with the complete verbatim cautions. Keep out of reach of children. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Q: How should I store this product?
A: Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and moisture. Keep the bottle tightly sealed after each use.
