Magnesium May Not Reach Your Brain, Despite Supplement Label Promises

But just because our cells—and especially our neurons—need magnesium doesn't mean that extra magnesium will make them function any better. Not only that, but ingesting more of the element doesn’t mean it’s reaching your brain or really any specific part of your body.

In supplement pills, magnesium isn’t just on its own but part of a compound usually called a “magnesium salt.” This must dissolve to release Mg2+, the ionic version that our bodies use. How much of this actually…