Guide
Magnesium glycinate vs magnesium lysinate glycinate
Magnesium lysinate glycinate is a proprietary chelate that binds magnesium to both lysine and glycine, instead of glycine alone. It has no published human trials of its own, and none comparing it to plain magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium lysinate glycinate is a chelate that binds magnesium to two amino acids — lysine and glycine — instead of the single glycine molecule used in plain magnesium glycinate. It's a proprietary ingredient rather than a generic one, and no published human trial has tested it on its own or against plain magnesium glycinate.
What magnesium lysinate glycinate actually is
Ordinary magnesium glycinate (also called magnesium bisglycinate) binds one magnesium ion to two glycine molecules. Magnesium lysinate glycinate is a related but distinct chelate, sold under a manufacturer's branded validation system, that binds magnesium to a mix of lysine and glycine instead. The pitch behind it is the same one made for every proprietary chelate: a different amino-acid combination might change how the mineral is handled in the gut. A search of the published literature turned up no human trial of magnesium lysinate glycinate specifically — no absorption study, no tolerability comparison, nothing.
Why the comparison is mostly theoretical
The trial evidence on magnesium salts in general doesn't support strong claims for any one chelate over another. A 2003 randomized, placebo-controlled trial gave 46 healthy adults 300 mg of elemental magnesium a day as citrate, an amino-acid chelate, or oxide for 60 days; the amino-acid chelate outperformed oxide but not citrate. A 2017 review of the broader absorption literature concluded that the type of magnesium salt matters less to bioavailability than is often assumed, with dose and a person's existing magnesium status identified as the bigger factors. Neither of those covers magnesium lysinate glycinate directly, but they're the closest evidence that exists for the category it belongs to.
Once magnesium is absorbed into the bloodstream, it's the same ion regardless of which amino acid or acids carried it across the gut wall. The chelate is a delivery vehicle, not a different form of magnesium once it's doing its job in the body.
Questions people ask
Is magnesium lysinate glycinate the same as magnesium glycinate?
No. Magnesium lysinate glycinate is a different chelate that adds lysine alongside glycine, rather than using glycine alone. They're distinct compounds with no head-to-head human trial comparing them, though the magnesium each delivers is chemically identical once absorbed.
Is magnesium lysinate glycinate better absorbed than magnesium glycinate?
There's no evidence either way. No published trial has tested magnesium lysinate glycinate's absorption at all, so any claim that it beats plain glycinate isn't based on a comparison that's actually been run.
Why would a product use magnesium lysinate glycinate instead of plain glycinate?
It's usually a formulation and sourcing choice — a specific branded ingredient a manufacturer has chosen to use — rather than a response to a published finding that it performs better. Without a trial testing it, that's a marketing distinction more than a proven one.
Related reading
Sources
- Intestinal Absorption and Factors Influencing Bioavailability of Magnesium-An Update A 2017 review of magnesium absorption research concluded the type of magnesium salt matters less than is often claimed — the evidence for one form being reliably better absorbed than another is inconsistent.
- Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study In 46 healthy adults taking 300 mg a day for 60 days, citrate raised blood magnesium most; an amino-acid chelate did not beat it.
*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.
