Guide
Magnesium glycinate and zinc
Magnesium glycinate and zinc can be taken together at ordinary supplement doses. The documented interaction — zinc reducing magnesium absorption — only appears at high zinc doses.
Yes, you can take magnesium glycinate and zinc together — most people do so without any documented problem. The interaction worth knowing about only shows up at high zinc doses, well above what's in a typical multivitamin or zinc supplement, where zinc has been shown to reduce magnesium absorption.
What the interaction evidence actually shows
A controlled feeding study in adult men gave 142 mg of supplemental zinc a day — as zinc sulfate — across three groups eating different calcium intakes, and measured magnesium absorption and balance. Across the groups combined, that zinc dose significantly decreased both magnesium absorption and magnesium balance. That's the main human evidence behind the "zinc interferes with magnesium" caution you'll see repeated online.
The dose matters here. 142 mg of zinc a day is roughly four to fifteen times a typical over-the-counter zinc supplement (8–30 mg is the common range), and well above the 40 mg/day tolerable upper intake level set for adult zinc intake from all sources. A standard zinc supplement, taken as directed, isn't the dose this study tested.
Separately, a review of mineral-mineral interactions in human nutrition notes that the most clearly documented zinc interaction is with copper — high zinc intake reducing copper absorption — rather than with magnesium specifically. Magnesium and calcium are the pairing that review flags as nutritionally significant when one is markedly in excess of the other.
What this means in practice
| Zinc intake | What's documented |
|---|---|
| Typical supplement, 8–30 mg/day | No trial has shown this range meaningfully reduces magnesium absorption. |
| 40 mg/day | The adult tolerable upper intake level for zinc from all sources (food and supplements). |
| 142 mg/day (the study dose) | Significantly decreased magnesium absorption and balance in adult men. |
If you're taking a standard multivitamin-level zinc dose alongside magnesium glycinate, there's no documented reason to avoid it. If you're taking a high-dose zinc supplement for another reason — some higher-strength supplements marketed for immune support use 50 mg or more — that's a different situation, and it's worth asking a doctor or pharmacist whether the combined mineral intake makes sense for you.
Why zinc and magnesium are marketed together anyway
Both minerals carry their own EU-authorised nutrient-function claims — magnesium for muscle function, energy-yielding metabolism, nervous system function and electrolyte balance; zinc for functions including normal cognitive function, normal immune function, and the maintenance of normal skin, hair and nails. Selling them in one bottle is a matter of formulation convenience, not evidence that combining them works better than taking each on its own. Nothing in the literature we reviewed compares a combined zinc-magnesium product against either mineral alone.
If you do want to space the two out — some people prefer not to take every supplement in one sitting — there's no evidence that timing changes how either mineral is used at ordinary doses. It's a matter of convenience, not a documented requirement.
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 zinc. If you want both minerals, you're combining two separate products, and the dose caution above is about your total zinc intake across everything you take, not about magnesium.
Questions people ask
Can you take zinc and magnesium glycinate together?
Yes, at ordinary supplement doses. The documented interaction between zinc and magnesium absorption appears at zinc doses far above a typical supplement — 142 mg/day in the controlled study that established it.
Can you take magnesium glycinate and zinc together?
Yes. There's no established problem at typical zinc doses (roughly 8–30 mg/day). High-dose zinc supplementation is the exception worth asking a doctor about.
Can I take zinc with magnesium glycinate?
Yes, at standard doses. If you're on a high-dose zinc regimen for a specific reason, mention it to whoever prescribed or recommended it so your total mineral intake is accounted for.
What is the interaction between zinc and magnesium?
At high doses — 142 mg/day in the controlled study that documented it — supplemental zinc significantly reduced magnesium absorption and balance in adult men. The interaction most clearly documented for zinc overall is with copper, not magnesium.
Is it better to take zinc and magnesium at different times of day?
There's no evidence that separating them changes how much of either mineral your body uses at ordinary supplement doses. Some people split their supplements across the day for convenience or stomach comfort, which is a reasonable personal choice rather than a documented requirement.
Related reading
- Magnesium glycinate with calcium, potassium and electrolytes
- How much magnesium glycinate should you take a day?
- How much magnesium glycinate is too much?
- Magnesium glycinate benefits: what's established and what isn't
Sources
- Spencer H, Norris C, Williams D. "Inhibitory effects of zinc on magnesium balance and magnesium absorption in man." J Am Coll Nutr 1994;13(5):479-84. PMID 7836627.
- O'Dell BL. "Mineral interactions relevant to nutrient requirements." J Nutr 1989;119(12 Suppl):1832-8. PMID 2693644.
- Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Facts: product page.
Sources
- Inhibitory effects of zinc on magnesium balance and magnesium absorption in man A high zinc intake (142 mg/day) reduced magnesium absorption and balance in adult men in a controlled feeding study.
- Mineral interactions relevant to nutrient requirements A 1989 review names calcium-magnesium as a nutritionally significant mineral pair, and identifies zinc's main practical interaction as being with copper, not magnesium.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
