It may be a mouthful to say, but magnesium glucoheptonate is simply a compound of magnesium and glucoheptonic acid. While it’s not one of the more common varieties of magnesium supplements, it’s sometimes used to treat magnesium deficiency.
What is glucoheptonic acid? It’s a carbohydrate acid that has a role as a metabolite or a substance formed in or necessary for metabolism. (PubChem)
As a chemical on its own, it is toxic. Yet, when glucoheptonic acid is combined with magnesium, the process makes it safe to ingest. (This is much like table salt, which is a combination of highly-reactive sodium and poisonous chloride!)
Magnesium glucoheptonate is just one of the different varieties of magnesium supplements that can be used to boost magnesium levels in the body. There are dozens of different forms of magnesium currently available, both as prescriptions and over-the-counter supplements.
Let’s discuss whether magnesium glucoheptonate is a good choice for you.
According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, magnesium is as vital to the body’s systems as it is overlooked. She writes:
“Magnesium is […] the second-most abundant element inside of human cells. Magnesium existed at the beginning of life and was involved with all aspects of cell production and growth. When plants evolved to use the sun as their energy source, magnesium played a pivotal role in the development of chlorophyll. So in both plants and animals, magnesium became an essential mineral involved in hundreds of enzyme processes affecting every aspect of life.”
Magnesium is a vitally important mineral that is essential to nearly every major system of the body, from the veins and arteries of the cardiovascular system, to the muscles of the body and the heart, to the nerves themselves, and even the brain.
And yet, despite magnesium’s many benefits in treating or preventing heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and more, people typically don’t get nearly enough magnesium as doctors recommend.
In fact, recent health and nutrition surveys conducted by the Canadian Government suggests that more than 34% of Canadian adults don’t meet the estimated average requirement of daily magnesium, which is approximately 265 milligrams a day for women and 350 milligrams a day for men.
Low magnesium levels can be caused by a variety of factors, including digestive problems, inefficient magnesium absorption, and dietary deficiencies.
Low magnesium levels can be a serious concern, and symptoms of low magnesium can present themselves in many different ways. According to a study published in The Clinical Biochemist journal:
“Magnesium deficiency can cause a wide variety of features including hypocalcaemia, hypokalaemia and cardiac and neurological manifestations. Chronic low magnesium state has been associated with a number of chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and osteoporosis.” (Magnesium Metabolism and its Disorders)
In more common terms, low magnesium levels have been found to contribute to conditions as diverse and wide-ranging as migraines, seizures, diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm labor, osteoporosis, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, myocardial infraction, heart arrhythmias, cataracts, glaucoma, hearing loss, and liver problems. (‘Magnesium’-the master cation-as a drug—possibilities and evidences)
Magnesium glucoheptonate is a supplement that can be used to correct magnesium deficiency. It could be a good choice if you are dealing with low magnesium levels, but let’s take a look at the research on this specific supplement.
Magnesium glucoheptonate has been studied with specific interest in the treatment of muscle cramps. A case report conducted by Drs. Douglas L.J. Bilbey and Victor M. Prabhakaran, published in the Canadian Family Physician, seems to suggest that the intravenous supplementation of magnesium can aid in the treatment of severe muscle cramps. (Nutritional Magnesium Association)
While intravenous supplementation of magnesium is not typically available for an individual outside of a specialized clinical setting, there’s good news: Oral magnesium had the same cramp-relieving effect, even with cramps that did not respond to heavy painkillers.
In their study, Bilbey and Prabhakaran found that “Many cases of muscle cramps are caused by low concentrations of magnesium in the blood… When taken orally, it seems that magnesium glucoheptonate or magnesium gluconate works best.”
Before starting any supplement, it’s always best to consult with your doctor or healthcare professional if you have a pre-existing condition or are on medication.
Magnesium glucoheptonate supplements are available in a variety of dosages. For capsule forms, take as directed on the bottle and as guided by your medical professional. There are also liquid suspensions of magnesium glucoheptonate available, and generally speaking they should be taken throughout the day and with food to improve absorption.
You can consult our guide on the RDA for magnesium by age, stage of life, and gender.
If you choose to take magnesium glucoheptonate, you may need a larger dose to meet your needs. That’s because this type of magnesium contains only a small amount of elemental magnesium (5%). In other words, 100 mg of magnesium glucoheptonate contains just 5 mg of elemental magnesium.
Elemental magnesium is the usable magnesium available to your body. It is what remains after the glucoheptonic acid is separated from the magnesium element.
For context, magnesium citrate contains 16% elemental magnesium, which is over 3x the concentration of magnesium per dose relative to magnesium glucoheptonate.
Our disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most current information possible, but medications affect each person differently. This information is not a substitute for medical advice.
When it comes to the treatment of low magnesium levels, there are key questions that you may need to consider as you choose the right magnesium supplement for you.
Firstly, consider your symptoms and their severity. You may find it illuminating to record the frequency of your symptoms, whether they are migraines or muscle spasms, and have that information on hand. As you begin a magnesium supplement regiment, you can take note of whether your symptoms are less frequent. If they are, it’s working for you!
Next, don’t forget the importance of diet. Ideally, we would be able to obtain all of the magnesium we need from the foods we eat, but for many, if not most of us, that’s just not possible. If you’re not able to add more magnesium-rich foods to your diet, adding a magnesium supplement is an easy and effective way to treat magnesium deficiencies.
Also, lifestyle factors such as high activity levels as well as stress can increase the amount of daily magnesium you need.
A magnesium supplement like Natural Calm® will help calm your stress levels down and boost your wellness, leaving you better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way.
As discussed, magnesium glucoheptonate is just one form of magnesium supplement.
One of the most popular and proven forms, magnesium citrate, is quickly and easily absorbed at the cellular level, and it provides all of the benefits of magnesium in supporting every system of the body.
“Studies on the bioavailability of different magnesium salts consistently demonstrate that organic salts of magnesium (e.g., Mg citrate) have a higher bioavailability than inorganic salts (e.g., Mg oxide) [19]. This finding was also confirmed by a recent study in which both urinary excretion and serum levels of magnesium were significantly higher after single-dose administration of these two supplements in a randomized cross-over study design [20].” — Nutrients Journal, Predicting and Testing Bioavailability of Magnesium Supplements, July 2019
Award-winning Natural Calm® is magnesium citrate powder that turns into a delicious, fruit-flavoured tea when dissolved in hot water. (Caffeine-free, of course, but Natural Calm is also free from sugar, artificial sweeteners, and other unhealthy additives.)
Backed by tens of thousands of five-star reviews globally, and dozens of supplement awards, Natural Calm can help you meet your magnesium needs.
Natural Calm is available from our online store and from retailers across Canada.
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