Magnesium glycinate and B12

Yes, you can take magnesium glycinate and vitamin B12 together. No study documents an interaction between them, and they're commonly combined in multivitamins without a reported problem. The one thing worth knowing is unrelated to taking them together: a medication that reduces stomach acid is linked to lower absorption of both, independently.

Why they're often paired

Magnesium and vitamin B12 both carry their own EU-authorised nutrient-function claims around energy and the nervous system, which is likely why they show up together in multivitamins and energy-focused formulas. Magnesium is authorised for contributing to normal muscle function, normal energy-yielding metabolism, reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and normal nervous system function (Regulation (EU) 432/2012, EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1807 and 2009;7(9):1216). Vitamin B12 is separately authorised for contributing to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756, ID 108). They act through different mechanisms — magnesium as a cofactor in hundreds of enzyme reactions, B12 in red blood cell formation and nerve function — and nothing in either nutrient's authorised claims or absorption pathway depends on the other being present.

What we looked for, and didn't find

We searched for a documented absorption interaction between magnesium and vitamin B12 specifically and didn't find one. That's consistent with how each is absorbed: magnesium mainly through paracellular and TRPM6/7-mediated transport in the small intestine, B12 through a completely different pathway involving intrinsic factor made in the stomach. Different absorption routes are part of why the two don't compete with each other the way, say, high-dose zinc competes with magnesium (covered in magnesium glycinate and zinc).

The thing they do share: a medication risk factor

A 2013 review of long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy — a class of acid-reducing medication — notes that decreased stomach acid from extended PPI use is linked to lower absorption of vitamin B12, calcium, iron and magnesium. That's not an interaction between B12 and magnesium supplements; it's a shared risk factor from a specific medication reducing how well the gut absorbs several nutrients at once, magnesium and B12 among them. If you're on a long-term PPI and take either supplement, it's worth mentioning to your doctor or pharmacist so they can factor it into your overall nutrient picture.

Our product

Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate is a single-ingredient product: 275 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,500 mg of magnesium glycinate per three-capsule serving, no added B12. If you want both, you're combining two separate products — there's no dosing adjustment needed for either based on the other.

Questions people ask

Can you take magnesium glycinate and B12 together?

Yes. No study documents an absorption interaction between them, and they're routinely combined in multivitamins.

Does magnesium affect B12 absorption?

Not that any study we found has documented. The two are absorbed through different pathways in the gut.

Is there a reason to take magnesium and B12 at the same time?

No timing requirement is established for either. Some people prefer to combine supplements for convenience; there's no evidence that taking them together or apart changes how either is used.

Related reading

• Magnesium glycinate and zinc
• Magnesium glycinate and B6
• Magnesium glycinate, vitamin D and K2
• Magnesium glycinate and medications: what to check

Sources

• Fashner J, Gitu AC. "Common gastrointestinal symptoms: risks of long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy." FP Essent. 2013;413:29-39. PMID 24124705.
• EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1807 and 2009;7(9):1216 (magnesium claims); EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756 (vitamin B12, ID 108), Regulation (EU) 432/2012.
• Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Facts: product page.