From the Guidelines
There is no direct conversion between magnesium glucoheptonate and magnesium oxide due to their distinct properties and elemental magnesium content. When considering the conversion, it's crucial to focus on the elemental magnesium content rather than the compound weight, as magnesium glucoheptonate and magnesium oxide have different concentrations of elemental magnesium.
- Magnesium glucoheptonate contains approximately 5.5% elemental magnesium.
- Magnesium oxide is more concentrated with about 60% elemental magnesium, as seen in its use for chronic idiopathic constipation where MgO dosing was 1.5 g/d 1. This significant difference in elemental magnesium content means that to achieve the same amount of elemental magnesium, you would need roughly 11 times more magnesium glucoheptonate than magnesium oxide. These compounds also differ in their absorption characteristics; magnesium glucoheptonate is generally better absorbed by the body due to its organic salt form, while magnesium oxide has lower bioavailability but provides more elemental magnesium per dose 1. If switching between these supplements, it's essential to calculate the elemental magnesium content rather than simply substituting the same weight of compound, considering the potential effects on gastrointestinal tolerance and the risk of hypermagnesemia, especially in individuals with significant renal impairment 1. Given the lack of direct studies comparing magnesium glucoheptonate and magnesium oxide in the context of chronic idiopathic constipation or other conditions, consultation with a healthcare provider is recommended before making such substitutions to ensure safe and effective management, particularly considering the limitations and potential adverse effects associated with magnesium oxide use 1.
From the Research
Magnesium Compounds and Bioavailability
- The bioavailability of different magnesium compounds has been studied in various research papers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Magnesium oxide has been found to have relatively poor bioavailability compared to other magnesium compounds such as magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, and magnesium aspartate 2, 3, 4.
- Magnesium citrate has been shown to be more soluble and bioavailable than magnesium oxide 3, 4.
- A study comparing magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate found that magnesium citrate led to a significant increase in urinary magnesium excretion, while magnesium oxide did not 4.
- Another study found that oral magnesium oxide treatment significantly improved intracellular magnesium levels compared to magnesium citrate 5.
Conversion Between Magnesium Compounds
- There is no direct evidence of a conversion between magnesium glucoheptonate and magnesium oxide in the provided research papers.
- However, the studies suggest that different magnesium compounds have varying levels of bioavailability, which may be relevant to understanding the potential conversion or comparison between different magnesium compounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Further research would be needed to determine if there is a conversion between magnesium glucoheptonate and magnesium oxide, as well as the bioavailability of magnesium glucoheptonate compared to other magnesium compounds.