Guide
Magnesium glycinate vs sucrosomial magnesium: what's actually different
Sucrosomial® magnesium is a trademarked delivery technology — a mineral core coated in a phospholipid and sucrester matrix — not a chemical salt like glycinate or citrate. The one comparative human trial, run by the technology's own manufacturer, found an advantage over glycinate on one measure.
Sucrosomial® magnesium isn't a chemical compound the way glycinate or citrate are — it's a trademarked delivery technology, a mineral core coated in a phospholipid and sucrester matrix, designed to change how the mineral survives digestion. The one comparative human trial we found, run by the technology's own manufacturer, found it raised red-blood-cell magnesium more than bisglycinate and raised blood and urine magnesium more than oxide.
What "sucrosomial" actually means
Where glycinate, citrate, oxide and orotate are all magnesium bonded to a different acid or amino acid, Sucrosomial® magnesium starts from a magnesium salt (commonly oxide) and wraps it in a coating — a phospholipid membrane and a sucrester matrix — intended to protect the mineral through the stomach and improve how it's taken up in the small intestine. It's a packaging approach layered on top of a base compound, not a new salt.
The one comparative trial that exists
A 2018 study from PharmaNutra S.p.A., the Italian company that manufactures and holds the Sucrosomial® trademark, ran two parts. First, an ex-vivo test using sections of rat intestinal mucosa found faster, higher-rate magnesium absorption from Sucrosomial® magnesium than from a standard magnesium oxide preparation. Second, a same-day, double-blinded, repeated crossover study gave healthy adult subjects 350 mg of magnesium as Sucrosomial® magnesium, citrate, oxide, or bisglycinate, on separate occasions after a week's washout, and measured magnesium in blood, urine and red blood cells. Sucrosomial® magnesium produced a statistically higher rise in blood and urine magnesium than oxide, and — the comparison most relevant here — a statistically significant advantage over bisglycinate specifically in red-blood-cell magnesium.
That's a real, specific, favorable result for the technology on one of three measures tested. It also comes with the same caveat that applies to any manufacturer-funded comparison: the study was designed, run and published by the company that sells the product being tested, and we found no independent replication. The authors themselves note further study is needed to see whether the bioavailability advantage translates into a clinically meaningful difference.
What this means in practice
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Blood magnesium, sucrosomial vs oxide | Higher increase for sucrosomial (statistically significant) |
| Urine magnesium, sucrosomial vs oxide | Higher increase for sucrosomial (statistically significant) |
| Red-blood-cell magnesium, sucrosomial vs bisglycinate | Higher increase for sucrosomial (statistically significant) |
| Independent replication | None found |
Our product
Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate provides 275 mg of elemental magnesium per three-capsule serving, from 2,500 mg of magnesium glycinate — both numbers on the panel, 30 servings a bottle, as low as $16.31 a bottle on subscription. We don't sell a sucrosomial-technology product; this page compares the two as approaches to delivering magnesium.
Questions people ask
What is sucrosomial magnesium?
It's a delivery technology, not a compound: a magnesium salt (typically oxide) coated in a phospholipid and sucrester matrix, trademarked by the Italian manufacturer PharmaNutra. It's meant to change how the mineral is absorbed, not to be a new chemical form of magnesium.
Is sucrosomial magnesium better than glycinate?
In the one trial that compared them — run by the maker of the sucrosomial product — sucrosomial magnesium showed a statistically significant advantage over bisglycinate in red-blood-cell magnesium after a single 350 mg dose. That's a real result, but it's a single manufacturer-funded study with no independent replication, so treat it as suggestive rather than settled.
Why haven't I heard of sucrosomial magnesium before?
It's a newer, patented approach compared with long-established salts like citrate, oxide and glycinate, and it's typically priced and marketed as a premium option built on that technology.
Related reading
- Types of magnesium compared
- Magnesium glycinate vs citrate
- Chelated magnesium, explained
- How to choose a magnesium glycinate
Sources
- Brilli E, Khadge S, Fabiano A, Zambito Y, Williams T, Tarantino G. "Magnesium bioavailability after administration of sucrosomial® magnesium: results of an ex-vivo study and a comparative, double-blinded, cross-over study in healthy subjects." Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2018;22(6):1843-1851. PMID 29630135.
- Electric Tiger Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Facts: product page.
Sources
- Magnesium bioavailability after administration of sucrosomial® magnesium: results of an ex-vivo study and a comparative, double-blinded, cross-over study in healthy subjects In a same-day crossover trial funded and run by the maker of Sucrosomial® magnesium, it raised blood and urine magnesium more than oxide, and red-blood-cell magnesium more than bisglycinate.
*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.
