What the science says about magnesium supplements
Most of us know how essential magnesium is for our health. What often gets overlooked is how differently magnesium supplements can perform in the body. Two products may list the same number of milligrams on the label, yet behave nothing alike once you swallow them.
That’s not opinion. It’s what the research shows.
A landmark 2019 paper published in Nutrients compared fifteen widely available magnesium supplements and revealed enormous differences in how well they dissolved, how much became bioaccessible in the gut and how much was actually absorbed into the bloodstream.
The key findings?
Solubility mattered far more than dose.
Products with highly soluble, organic or mixed forms of magnesium were absorbed significantly better – even at lower milligrams.
Magnesium oxide – a form commonly used in supplements – performed the worst.
One product with 450 mg of magnesium from oxide barely budged blood levels (~4.6% increase – basically normal daily fluctuation).
Plus, this “form” is actually found in rocks, not food.
A lower-dose, well-designed product performed far better.
A product containing 196 mg of magnesium from a more soluble mixed form raised serum magnesium by ~6.2% (and nearly 8% at a double dose), outperforming the high-dose oxide version.
The conclusion was unmistakable. Magnesium absorption depends on form, solubility and formulation – not how big the number is on the label. This research further validates something we’ve known at Bio Blends for years: More isn’t better. Better is better.
Where food-based magnesium fits in
In food, magnesium isn’t found in isolated “forms” like oxide – it’s bound to organic compounds inside plants: amino acids, phospholipids, organic acids and chlorophyll. This natural “matrix” helps the body recognise, dissolve and absorb magnesium efficiently. It’s the same principle highlighted in the research: what magnesium is bound to, impacts solubility and absorption, and whether it’s able to do its vital work inside you.
Organic pumpkin seeds – the sole source of magnesium in Bio Blends Organic Magnesium – embody this perfectly. As well as magnesium, they naturally provide:
- Nourishing phospholipids (support absorption and cell membrane function)
- Protein and amino acids (part of the natural “matrix”)
- Vitamin E which works synergistically with magnesium, enhancing its effects
We’ve also removed the phytic acid (nature’s natural absorption blocker) through the extraction process to maximise absorption. No synthetic forms. No mega doses required. Just highly bioavailable magnesium your body knows exactly what to do with.
