The Absorption of Magnesium Oxide Compared to Citrate in Healthy Subjects

The magnesium food content in the Western world is consistently reducing. Hypomagnesemia is common in hospitalized patients, especially in the elderly with coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or those with chronic heart failure. Hypomagnesemia is associated with increased incidence of diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, mortality rate from coronary artery disease (CAD) and all cause. Magnesium supplementation improves myocardial metabolism, inhibits calcium accumulation and myocardial cell death; it improves vascular tone, peripheral vascular resistance, afterload and cardiac output, reduces cardiac arrhythmias and improves lipid metabolism. Magnesium also reduces vulnerability to oxygen-derived free radicals, improves human endothelial function and inhibits platelet function, including platelet aggregation and adhesion. The data regarding the absorption difference between supplemental magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate in humans is spare.