Magnesium is the most important mineral in your body. Lose your magnesium and you lose your life. Magnesium is a vital catalyst in enzyme activity, especially the activity of those enzymes involved in energy production. It also assists in calcium and potassium uptake. A deficiency of magnesium interferes with the transmission of nerve and muscle impulses, causing irritability and nervousness. Supplementing the diet with magnesium can help prevent depression, dizziness, muscle weakness and twitching, and premenstral syndrome (PMS), and also aids in maintaining the body's proper pH balance and normal body temperature. Magnesium is necessary to prevent the calcification of soft tissue. This essential mineral protects the arterial linings from stress caused by sudden blood pressure changes, and plays a role in the formation of bone and in carbohydrate and mineral metabolism. Magnesium is a factor in helping to prevent cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis,kidney stones, chronic fatigue, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrone, and a multiple of other diseases brought on by a lack of this essential mineral.<br /><br />I have taken 1/4 of a teaspoon of magnesium in a 8 oz. glass of water twice daily since 1989 for hypertension and it helps me maintain a normal blood pressure.<br /><br />Magnesium is most inexpensive, miracle mineral you will ever take. I highly recommend it.

This is oxide not citrate. Oxide is usually hardly bioavailable, but that is what is said not the reality in every case. Only a blood draw is going to show the effects of any mineral increase or decrease in a human body and every human is different. Powder is always a better form since supplement companies do not get to add any other ingredients hiding inside tablets. Powder in citrus form is produced by only two supplement companies where oxide is by many producers since oxide is so inexpensive and easier to sell with many other mixes. This oxide is as expensive as citrus which makes it more confusing. I do not take any supplements, pills or medicine for any condition at all. I have an extremely healthy diet but to increase my potassium only after getting blood test, to avoid muscle cramps when body surfing and doing other sports, my research shows;<br /><br />OXIDE (60% elemental) is a laxative, not absorbed by human body as much. Better forms of magnesium are TAURATE,<br />GLYCINATE, CITRATE (16% elemental), MALATE (6.5% elemental), ORATATE, CHLORIDE (12% elemental) in form of oil. Chelated magnesium is far better absorbed than magnesium OXIDE but cost more. Complementary medicine practitioners rely on chelated magnesium, such as magnesium GLYCINATE, TAURATE and ORTATE (magnesium plus amino acids) to treat serious cases of magnesium deficiency. Those kind of magnesium have less laxative effect on the intestines than magnesium citrate, so they are recommended if you tend to have loose stools.<br /><br />OXIDE appears to have high amount of elemental magnesium. One 500 mg capsule of magnesium oxide contains 300 mg of elemental magnesium. But little of that amount is available to the body because it is not absorbed and therefore not biologically available. One recent study reported 4% absorption rate of magnesium oxide. This means 12 mg of 500 mg capsule are absorbed and 288 may stay in the intestines, acting like a laxative.<br /><br />CITRATE is the most cost effective magnesium, easily absorbed with milder laxative effect than OXIDE. CITRATE powder mixed in water is the better form of CITRATE, not CITRATE in form of pills or tablets. CITRATE is often used in liquid form as a saline laxative to treat constipation, or to completely empty the intestines prior to surgery,<br />MALATR is most commonly used to treat a condition known as fibromyalgia, according to the University of Mary Washington. Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood disease characterized by fatigue, muscle pain, stiffness, headache and memory problems, and may be linked to low magnesium levels.<br /><br />Magnesium can be taken with or without meals, but it is preferable to take it between meals for better absorption. Magnesium requires stomach acid to be absorbed. After a full meal, stomach acid is busy digesting food and may not be available to help absorb magnesium. Also magnesium is an alkaline mineral and acts like an antacid where taken with meals, it may neutralize stomach acid and impair digestion. Developing loose stools while taking magnesium, it does not necessarily mean that body is absorbing enough and losing the rest; it may mean consuming too much at a time. BETTER NOT TO TAKE MAGNESIUM ALL AT ONCE. Spreading four times a day is best in absorbing and avoiding diarrhea. If that does not do the trick, one may probably need to cut back the amount or switch to another type or brand of magnesium. Consuming magnesium when waking up in the morning and at bedtime seems to be effective since that appears to be when body is most deficient in the early morning and late afternoon. Some even find magnesium as a good sleeping pill.<br /><br />Consult only with a licensed medical professional to see the magnesium levels in the blood by getting a blood test. Healthy diet is the best solution to supplements an unregulated business. The highest foods in magnesium PER DAILY % for amount of CALORIES are Pumpkin Seeds 180/47.7%, Sesame Seeds 206/31.5%, Sunflower Seeds 204/28.4%, Cashews 189/25%, Almonds 206/24.6% for 1/4 cup or infact less than 2 oz; Spinach 41/39.1%, Swiss Chard 353/7.6%, Soybeans 298/36.9%, Black Beans 227/30.1%, Navy Beans 255/24.11 for 1 cup or infact 8 oz, Cocoa, Bananas and Green leafy vegetables. Hemp seeds provides essential nutrients such as protein, essential fatty acids, fibre, vitamins and minerals without any chemicals and three tablespoon, once again only 3 tablespoon which is 30 gr, offers me 50% magnesium and 25% zinc as well as the highest percentage of globulin than any other plant which is an essential amino acid that helps my body to create antibodies, a component of a healthy immune system.<br /><br />Avoid falling into the world of `nutritional medicine' and vitamin supplements; these are nothing other than a substitute for what is really needed: weight control, regular exercise, and a carefully balanced nutritious dietary plan for the long term.

I bought this for my daughter who cannot swallow pills. The taste is much better than magnesium chloride drops, and more convenient than CALM (magnesium citrate). I sprinkle on her yogurt, or Kefir. Putting on top of thick Kefir prevents it from sinking down and stick to the bottom of glass like with juice. I also sprinkle on top of whipped cream & strawberries for her. It becomes slightly bitter if you leave it out too long. If you take it immediately with food, it's neutral in taste. I have stomach upset & diarrhea with Nature Made magnesium tablets (with magnesium stearate & other additives), but this pure magnesium oxide doesn't upset my tummy nor cause explosive diarrhea. It helps me to be sleepy immediately. We soaked a magnesium citrate capsule in vinegar and that took hours to dissolve, versus this powder which works immediately. Very effective for the tiny amount used, I sleep better with this product than with other forms of magnesium (capsules, Mg citrate, and Mg chloride). What I like the most is it doesn't cause excessive gas & diarrhea like other magnesiums that I tried.

This is excellent for treating constipation. Mix with psyllium (Metamucil). And if you take it before eating, it helps you feel full sooner. Remember though that magnesium oxide helps the intestines absorb water and that the magnesium is then mostly excreted with your feces; so if you take it for constipation, great, but if you need more magnesium, as it has a myriad of health benefits besides enhancing regularity, then any other form of it, such as magnesium citrate, is far better and worth the higher price than the typically lower cost magnesium oxide (note that magnesium hydroxide is basically the same thing as magnesium oxide because once you mix magnesium oxide with water, you will have magnesium hydroxide). Magnesium is also absorbed well through the skin, so an "epsom salt" (i.e., magnesium sulfate) bath, is a real treat for the body.

BEWARE PRODUCT HAS CHANGED. I have used NOW's MgOx (for my horse) and also Mg Citrate (for me) for YEARS. Unfortunately, they have recently changed both products; the old MgOx was 400mg per 1/4 teaspoon ... the new bottle has 290mg per 1/4 teaspoon. For the MgCitrate, the old was 630mg per teaspoon the new product is only 435mg per teaspoon. Plus, the MgCitrate no longer mixes well in juice but just clumps into a rock at the bottom of the glass. This should not happen... also wondering if something else has been added that is not listed? I consider making these changes without ANY notification on the label (ie: 'new formula') a serious breach of trust. Fortunately, the rock hard clumping on the Mg Citrate in addition to not working for me the way it always has, caused me to examine both products. The alarming thing for me is that I would not have known about the reduced concentration for my horse until his next annual physical/blood test. I find this breach of trust by NOW unforgivable.

I love this product cause it being a powder I am able to digest it better than tablets and it helps me with my deficiency that cause bad cramping everywhere. It also helped my digestive system