I’m Changing my Approach to Calcium and Magnesium
You want to take 350-500 mg of magnesium twice a day, and of course get as much as you can through food as well. But which supplement do you want? Each type has its own function:
Citrate - Supports bone health, promotes bowel movement
Oxide - Aids bone strength, relieves constipation
Glycinate - Promotes muscle relaxation, supports muscle building
Malate - Enhances muscle recovery, supports energy for muscle growth
Taurate - Supports muscle function, promotes heart health
Chloride - Relieves muscle soreness, supports muscle recovery
Sulfate (Epsom salt, external) - Soothes muscles, aids post-workout recovery
L-threonate (expensive) - Supports bone health, enhances cognitive function
Orotate - Supports muscle performance, aids heart health
Aspartate - Boosts muscle energy, supports bone mineralization
Goals
In thinking about supplements for people 50 and over, I want to emphasize building muscle and bone first, and sleep second. I was recommending AlgaeCal Plus, which includes magnesium oxide, but I also wanted glycinate and some of the other forms. In fact, I’d rather have sleep aids separate, so people can take a sleep-aid tablet whenever they want and it isn’t built into their daily vitamins.
Calcium first
I believe the most bioavailable form of calcium comes from algae, but AlgaeCal is not the only company with an algae-based calcium product. Here I’ll list three that I believe are probably all roughly similar:
AlgaeCal regular calcium
I am changing from AlgaeCal Plus to regular AlgaeCal. You take three tablets a day. Those three tablets together contain:
Calcium - 750mg
Magnesium - 65mg
Vitamin D3 - 25mcg (1,000 IU)
Boron - none
K2 - none
Potassium, boron, copper, silicon, nickel, phosphorous, strontium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, zinc - trace amounts found in algae.
AlgaeCal 750mg, one pill 3x per day, 30-day supply, $53.
New Chapter calcium
Calcium - 905mg
Magnesium - 62mg
Vitamin D3 - 25mcg (1,000 IU)
Boron - none
K2 - none
New Chapter Calcium supplement, one pill 3x per day, 2-month supply: $56
Sapling calcium
Calcium - 600mg
Magnesium - 40mg
Vitamin D3 - 20mcg (800 IU)
Boron - 3mg
K2 - 60mcg
This product still needs magnesium, but it doesn’t need boron and K2, so if you go for this option, still get the magnesium and a multivitamin. You wouldn’t need the multivitamin if you’re getting a wide variety of fresh foods. On paper at least, this seems like a better and much cheaper alternative to AlgaeCal.
Sapling Calcium supplement, one pill 3x per day, 90-day supply: $72
It makes sense to set these up as recurring orders on Amazon, which saves money.
Magnesium
All of the above have very little magnesium, so you want to take a real magnesium complex in addition. For magnesium, you want 350-500 mg per day (more for bigger people), and I think it’s a good idea to isolate the magnesium and take a complex. I don’t want to get D3 in my magnesium, so I ruled those out. These two are roughly equivalent:
Organixx combo supplement, 2 caps per day, 30-day supply for $34.
Purely Optimal magnesium complex, 1 cap per day, 120-day supply for $29
Multivitamin
To round out the above, you need to add K2 and boron. I also think a B-complex vitamin is a good idea. So I’m going to recommend multivitamins that I think complement the calcium and magnesium I’ve specified with K2 and boron:
Thorne 2 per day, 30-day supply: $30
That’s the only one with enough K2 and boron, but I’m still looking.
If you want other recommended supplements, see my supplement stack page. If you’re new here, start at the home page.