LONGECITY

I take magnesium citrate for anxiety reduction and mood boost. I can't say I've ever noticed anything huge in terms of benefits, but I am fairly well persuaded by the argument that magnesium deficiency is common and I've certainly never noticed it make my anxiety worse, so I continue to take it. Just in case it's helping. I take around 300-400 mg a day.

I buy the stuff in power form, put it on my tongue and just chug it down with some water. It's cheaper this way. I used to buy the Nowfoods bulk powder but last time I bought from Myprotein.com. The Nowfoods powder was extremely acidic tasting, pretty rank actually. I figured this was about right considering it's a citric acid salt. The myprotein stuff barely has a flavour at all, not nearly in the same ballpark in terms of acidity. They both claim to contain about the same percentage of elemental magnesium. The myprotein stuff has a larger grain size, a courser texture. The Nowfoods powder was very finely powdered.

Why on earth is there such a large difference in the flavour? Neither product claims to contain anything but magnesium citrate. Surely they should taste the same?
Edited by Dark Vision, 06 October 2013 - 08:53 PM.

The particle size could have an influence on taste, but I'd be a little suspicious of excess citric acid in the one that tastes acidic. The other one might be buffered at a more benign pH. Magnesium citrate should actually be basic if you put it in water. All salts of weak acids do that, because some of the anion grabs a proton from the water, leaving it with an excess of OH.

Thanks, that's interesting. I'm amazed that acid salts are basic in water, I need to read more about chemistry.

I guess what I'm most concerned about is whether the myprotein stuff is bunk or not. But they're a good company and I don't think they'd screw up on something so simple.. tbh I much prefer it too, it's nicer to take and the other stuff always made me worry about my teeth and stomach with its high acidity. I'm astonished at the difference between the two, I thought all magnesium citrate was pretty much the same thing just as all sodium chloride just tastes of salt.

I just remembered I do actually have some Holland and Barrett magnesium citrate tablets. I just chewed one up and it didn't taste acidic at all - just like the myprotein stuff. The nowfoods product is certainly in the minority.

Yes, magnesium citrate that tastes acidic was not mixed in the right proportions. They added too much citric acid and not enough magnesium hydroxide.

Yes, magnesium citrate that tastes acidic was not mixed in the right proportions. They added too much citric acid and not enough magnesium hydroxide.

Interesting, thanks. As far as I know there are no health benefits to chugging large amounts of citric acid? In which case I'll avoid Nowfoods in future.

It's not harmful, you eat citric acid every time you eat an orange. But it's not very good for your teeth. It would be fine to take the cheap magnesium citrate if you were putting it in capsules, or if you swallowed it quickly and rinsed your mouth out with water afterwards. You just wouldn't want to leave the acidic residue on your teeth for a long time.

It's not harmful, you eat citric acid every time you eat an orange. But it's not very good for your teeth. It would be fine to take the cheap magnesium citrate if you were putting it in capsules, or if you swallowed it quickly and rinsed your mouth out with water afterwards. You just wouldn't want to leave the acidic residue on your teeth for a long time.

agree you have to brush and floss very quickly

It's not harmful, you eat citric acid every time you eat an orange. But it's not very good for your teeth. It would be fine to take the cheap magnesium citrate if you were putting it in capsules, or if you swallowed it quickly and rinsed your mouth out with water afterwards. You just wouldn't want to leave the acidic residue on your teeth for a long time.

agree you have to brush and floss very quickly

Brushing after having citric acid in your mouth is not a good thing to do. Acids soften/ dissolve the outermost layer of minerals on your teeth; brushing immediately after acid exposure will whisk those minerals away. Safer to refrain from brushing for a while. Or even better, rinse with a ph basic mouth wash which will allow remineralisation.

Safe mouthwashes
http://www.freysmile...-eroding-enamel

Citric acid and acid erosion of enamel:
http://www.freysmile...ts-acid-erosion

Edited by blood, 20 October 2013 - 03:38 AM.

It's not harmful, you eat citric acid every time you eat an orange. But it's not very good for your teeth. It would be fine to take the cheap magnesium citrate if you were putting it in capsules, or if you swallowed it quickly and rinsed your mouth out with water afterwards. You just wouldn't want to leave the acidic residue on your teeth for a long time.

agree you have to brush and floss very quickly

Brushing after having citric acid in your mouth is not a good thing to do. Acids soften/ dissolve the outermost layer of minerals on your teeth; brushing immediately after acid exposure will whisk those minerals away. Safer to refrain from brushing for a while. Or even better, rinse with a ph basic mouth wash which will allow remineralisation.

Safe mouthwashes
http://www.freysmile...-eroding-enamel

Citric acid and acid erosion of enamel:
http://www.freysmile...ts-acid-erosion

This is absolutely right, you must never brush your teeth after eating or drinking something acidic. My dentist once told me that he reckons he owes a decent chunk of his business to people who drink orange juice at breakfast and then brush their teeth after. Baaad idea.

Which Magnecium citrate powder brands are safe for tooth enamel? And which brands are unsafe?

How about using a straw?

If you want to specifically take Mg Citrate, there are tablets and capsules available. Some say that the tablets might not fully disove, but I break mine in half. I use a straw when I take my various forms of Vitamin C liquids. Rinse afterward, and do not brush your teeth right away, as I understand it softens the enamel which erodes from brushing.

 

Otherwise there are some good discussions about various forms of Magnesium.

 

https://www.longecit...ntal-magnesium/

Magnesium citrate is almost as bad as magnesium oxide. The absorption is insanely poor and during fasting it may cause further magnesium deficiency by pulling water into the intestines. I really regret buying it. I bought the Now brand. It doesn't taste acidic but rather slightly bitter, burns my tongue, forms into a lump (unless dissolved in warmer water and stirred) and causes pain to the teeth. 

Magnesium citrate is almost as bad as magnesium oxide. The absorption is insanely poor and during fasting it may cause further magnesium deficiency by pulling water into the intestines. I really regret buying it. I bought the Now brand. It doesn't taste acidic but rather slightly bitter, burns my tongue, forms into a lump (unless dissolved in warmer water and stirred) and causes pain to the teeth. 

 

 

I don't think that's correct.

 

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.../pubmed/2407766