Magnesium Threonate

Medicinal Ingredients

Each vegetarian capsule contains: Magnesium (from 667 mg magnesium L-threonate) — 50 mg elemental magnesium.

Non-medicinal ingredients: Brown rice flour, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose.

Recommended Dosage: Adolescents and adults (14 years and older): Take 1 capsule, 1–3 times per day, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.

Vegan, GMO-free, No gluten, dairy, soy, wheat, yeast, sugar, artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, or animal products.

 

Could Magnesium L-Threonate Help Turn Back Your Cognitive Clock?

What if your cognitive performance could improve by the equivalent of 7.5 years?

That’s one of the intriguing findings reported in a six-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating magnesium L-threonate (Lopresti & Smith, 2026). The study involved 100 adults aged 18–45 who received either 2 g of magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) daily or a placebo. Compared with the placebo group, participants receiving magnesium L-threonate demonstrated improvements in overall cognitive performance, with particularly interesting findings in working memory, episodic memory and reaction time. Researchers also calculated an improvement equivalent to approximately 7.5 years in estimated cognitive age. This figure was derived from differences in cognitive test performance and age-related reference data, rather than a direct measurement of biological brain aging.

While this doesn’t mean that the brain physically became 7.5 years younger, the findings raise interesting possibilities for further research into magnesium L-threonate and cognitive health.

An earlier randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 109 healthy adults also reported improvements in memory and cognitive performance after 30 days of supplementation (Zhang et al., 2022). That study investigated a formulation combining magnesium L-threonate with phosphatidylserine and vitamins, so the relative contribution of each ingredient could not be determined.

What About Sleep Quality?

Magnesium L-threonate has also been investigated for its relationship to sleep quality and daytime functioning. In a 2024 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 adults aged 35–55 with self-reported sleep problems received either 1 g of magnesium L-threonate daily or placebo for 21 days (Hausenblas et al., 2024). Researchers collected both objective measurements using Oura Ring wearable devices and subjective assessments through participant questionnaires and daily records.

Objective measurements showing statistically significant improvements compared with placebo included:

• Deep-sleep scores
• REM-sleep scores
• Light-sleep duration
• Activity and readiness scores

Self-reported improvements compared with placebo included:

• Mood and behaviour upon awakening
• Energy levels
• Daytime productivity and activity
• Mental alertness

The 2026 Lopresti and Smith study also examined sleep outcomes. It reported improvements in certain self-reported sleep-related measures, but did not find significant between-group improvements in sleep outcomes measured by the wearable device. This illustrates why results should be considered across studies rather than relying on one trial.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1729164/full

These findings are encouraging, particularly because they include measurements beyond participants’ personal perceptions of sleep quality. However, the study was relatively small and lasted only three weeks. Further research is needed to establish the consistency of these outcomes, the mechanisms involved and whether magnesium L-threonate offers advantages over other magnesium compounds.

The Broader Benefits of Magnesium

Beyond its emerging cognitive and sleep-related research, magnesium remains an essential mineral involved in numerous physiological processes. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium participates in more than 300 enzyme systems and contributes to energy production, protein synthesis, bone structure, DNA and RNA synthesis, and normal muscle and nerve function. Magnesium also participates in the transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, an important process for nerve signalling, muscle contraction and normal heart rhythm.

Although magnesium L-threonate has attracted particular scientific interest for its potential effects within the central nervous system, it also supplies elemental magnesium for these established nutritional functions.

The studies discussed above investigated specific magnesium L-threonate formulations and doses. Their findings provide educational context about the ingredient and should not be interpreted as proof that every magnesium L-threonate product produces identical results.

Magnesium L-Threonate and Cerebrospinal Fluid Magnesium

One particularly interesting area of research concerns the relationship between magnesium supplementation and magnesium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. A 2019 study by Shen and colleagues compared magnesium L-threonate with magnesium sulfate in mice. Researchers found that magnesium L-threonate administration increased magnesium concentrations in both the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, while magnesium sulfate increased blood magnesium without producing the same significant increase in CSF magnesium under the experimental conditions.

The findings suggest that magnesium L-threonate may have distinctive properties affecting magnesium availability within the central nervous system. However, this was animal research, not a human clinical trial. The experimental dosing and physiological responses cannot be directly translated into recommended supplemental doses for people. It is also important to distinguish increased CSF magnesium from proof that magnesium L-threonate is universally better absorbed throughout the body, or that it necessarily produces superior clinical outcomes.

Research:

Shen et al. (2019) — Treatment of Magnesium-L-Threonate Elevates the Magnesium Level in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Attenuates Motor Deficits and Dopamine Neuron Loss in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31806980/

Only 50 mg of Elemental Magnesium?

Customers comparing different magnesium supplements may notice that magnesium L-threonate products often provide a relatively modest amount of elemental magnesium per capsule. This is because magnesium L-threonate refers to the entire compound, not just the magnesium portion. Each CanPrev capsule contains 667 mg of magnesium L-threonate, supplying 50 mg of elemental magnesium. The distinction matters because the milligram amount of a magnesium compound should not be confused with the actual quantity of elemental magnesium it provides.

Researchers have explored magnesium L-threonate for its effects on magnesium distribution within the central nervous system, rather than simply maximizing elemental magnesium intake. However, a smaller elemental magnesium dose should not automatically be considered equivalent to a larger dose of another form. Different formulations, study doses and intended nutritional purposes need to be considered individually.

Magnesium Absorption and Digestive Tolerance

Different forms of magnesium can vary in their solubility, absorption and effects on the digestive tract. Some poorly absorbed magnesium salts, such as magnesium oxide, leave a greater proportion of unabsorbed magnesium in the intestines. This can contribute to an osmotic laxative effect, as water is retained within the intestinal tract. Magnesium L-threonate is often selected for its research interest in brain magnesium rather than for a strong laxative effect. Nevertheless, no oral magnesium supplement is completely free of potential digestive side effects, and individual tolerance depends on the formulation, dose and person taking it.

Further reading: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Is Magnesium L-Threonate Only for Brain and Sleep Research?

Not at all. Although magnesium L-threonate has attracted attention for its neurological research, it still supplies elemental magnesium, an essential mineral with many established physiological functions. These broader functions are important regardless of the form of magnesium selected. According to CanPrev’s authorized recommended uses, magnesium L-threonate:

• Helps in energy metabolism and tissue formation.
• Helps to maintain normal electrolyte balance.
• Helps to maintain normal muscle function, including the heart muscle.
• Is a factor in the maintenance of good health.

Magnesium also contributes to numerous normal biological functions involving bones, muscles, nerve signalling and cellular energy production.

Important Information

Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is broken. Always follow the directions and precautions printed on the product’s current label.

 

NPN 80122550

120 capsules