The earth contains several elements and they are as much needed in nature as in our bodies. Magnesium is one of those elements which is needed for a healthy body as well as in other different aspects.
Magnesium can be found in various forms, and all of them have several usages, magnesium citrate, and magnesium oxide are two such forms of magnesium.
Key Takeaways
- Magnesium citrate is a highly bioavailable magnesium supplement, while magnesium oxide has lower absorption rates.
- Both forms provide magnesium, an essential mineral, but magnesium citrate may be more effective for certain purposes, such as constipation relief.
- Magnesium oxide is more affordable, but its lower bioavailability may require higher doses to achieve desired effects.
Magnesium Citrate vs Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium citrate is a more easily absorbed form of magnesium that is frequently used to treat constipation, it is taken orally and has a laxative effect. Magnesium oxide is a less expensive form of magnesium that is frequently used for general magnesium supplementation.
Magnesium citrate is a citric acid salt that is low in bioavailability yet has many effective elements for better health. It works as a laxative, and doctors recommend this before surgery and other bowel-related treatments. The alkaline in it is low too.
Magnesium oxide gets consumed for many purposes, but the most important one is to cure constipation. It also works as a supplement of magnesium and can help treat many diseases such as migraine, heartburn, and indigestion.
The bioavailability present in it is high.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Magnesium Citrate | Magnesium Oxide |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is a magnesium salt of citric acid. | It is an inorganic compound. |
| Alkaline | It is less alkaline. | It is highly alkaline. |
| Molar mass | Its molar mass is 214.41 g/mol | Its molar mass is 40.304 g/mol. |
| Usage | It is used as a laxative. | It is mostly used as an antacid. |
| Bioavailability | It is not very bioavailable. | It has good bioavailability. |
| Formula | Its formula is C6H6MgO7. | Its formula is MgO. |
| Solubility in water | It is soluble. | It is insoluble. |
What is Magnesium Citrate?
Magnesium citrate is an acidic citric salt that gets used to clean the intestines and help it to get rid of all its stool. It gets used before surgeries or bowel procedures like colonoscopy and radiography.
As its objective is to clean the intestines, it also gets utilized to treat constipation.
Magnesium citrate is a saline laxative whose work process includes increasing the amount of fluid in the small intestine. It might take 30 minutes to 3 hours to show effective results.
Sometimes in order to improve the taste of magnesium citrate, it gets chilled in the refrigerator, but it should not get frozen under any circumstances.
The dosage of it is based on the patient’s age and medical condition. After taking the product, you need to consume at least 240 milliliters of water. The water will help to avoid the side effects such as dehydration.
But for regular usage, this is not suitable. If you use this frequently, normal bowel function will be affected.
Over usage of the product will lead to diarrhea, weakness, decreased weight, and many other complications. So for regular usage, stool softener or bulk-forming laxatives should get used.
What is Magnesium Oxide?
Magnesium oxide, or magnesia, is a hygroscopic solid mineral that is a great source of magnesium. In the medical field, it gets used to treat heartburn and indigestion and works as an antacid.
However, it is also used as a supplement for magnesium. Lack of magnesium in the body can lead to headaches. A balance of magnesium in the body can relieve stress and anxiety and maintain the level of blood pressure.
It is also capable of working as a laxative to treat constipation. However, it is not free from side effects, and magnesium oxide can cause nausea and cramping as well as bowel obstruction.
In case the lungs get exposed to magnesium oxide powder, the result can be fatal. So using it for a long time or using it in a tremendous amount is not a good idea.
It is not only significant in the medical field, but it also gets used as a construction material. It is a primary element in fireproofing. It also has a role to play in the area of food additives.
It can be utilized as an anticaking agent in products such as canned peas and frozen desserts. It works as an insulator in heat-resistant electrical cables.
Main Differences Between Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Oxide
- Magnesium citrate is a magnesium salt of citric acid that can supplement magnesium, but magnesium oxide is an iron component.
- In chemistry, magnesium citrate is known as C6H6MgO7; magnesium oxide has MgO as its formula.
- Magnesium citrate is less alkaline, whereas magnesium oxide is high.
- The molar mass of the two is also different; the molar mass of magnesium citrate is 214.41 g/mol, but the molar mass of magnesium oxide is 40.304 g/mol.
- Magnesium citrate is used as a laxative, but magnesium oxide is used to cure heartburn as an antacid and can also treat constipation.
- Magnesium citrate is not very bioavailable, but on the contrary, magnesium oxide has good bioavailability.
- Magnesium citrate is highly soluble in water, but magnesium oxide is not soluble in water, it is insoluble.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002253471739924X
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.1990.10720349
Last Updated : 25 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
I find this completely useless, and it is a waste of time to know about all these details.
I am scared of side effects, and I think this is a very dangerous medicine.
This is very interesting, I really enjoyed learning the differences between Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Oxide. It is great to know how both of them help with different aspects of our health.
Yes, I totally agree, I have used them for treating constipation, so I can confirm it really works.
It is essential to know all these details before taking any medicine. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Yes, thank you for sharing your knowledge. This is very educational.
It is amazing to see how magnesium is used for different things! Both of these forms of magnesium are fascinating!
I have to say, I prefer natural remedies over medicines.