The best magnesium supplement in India is the one that gives you the right form for your goal, at a dose you can read off the label, for a fair price per milligram of actual magnesium. That's less catchy than a top-10 list, but it's how we compared six products for this guide. We read each brand's own page (or its marketplace listing) in October 2026 and wrote down only what they state.
We make SILT™ Nights, a sleep drink with magnesium in it, so we've put it in the table like everyone else. It isn't our "best overall". If you want the full label maths on our own product first, see our magnesium glycinate powder page, or go straight to SILT Nights, our melatonin-free sleep drink.
Quick answer by goal
There's no single best magnesium supplement. Pick the form for the job, then compare products on elemental magnesium per rupee.
- For sleep: magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate). It's the form used in the most relevant recent sleep trial, which found a small benefit (Schuster et al., 2025).
- For occasional constipation: magnesium citrate, used only as its label directs. In the US it's sold over the counter as a saline laxative for occasional constipation (US OTC magnesium citrate label).
- For topping up intake: any well-absorbed form that gives the elemental dose you need at the lowest cost per 250 mg. See the table below.
- Skip oxide if absorption is the point. In a 60-day trial it was no different from placebo on several absorption measures (Walker et al., 2003).
So the best magnesium supplement for sleep and the best one for a sluggish gut are different products. That's why every row in our shortlist says what it's best for, not where it ranks.
Read the label: elemental vs compound
Elemental magnesium is the magnesium itself. Compound weight is the magnesium plus whatever it's bound to. Only the elemental number tells you your dose.
A pack that says "Magnesium Glycinate 1,200 mg" is telling you the compound weight. Most of that weight is glycine. To find the magnesium, you need the form's magnesium percentage.
The 14.1% ceiling
Magnesium glycinate (bisglycinate) has the formula C4H8MgN2O4 and a molar mass of 172.42 g/mol (PubChem CID 84645). Magnesium's atomic mass is 24.305. So pure magnesium bisglycinate is at most 24.305 ÷ 172.42 = 14.1% magnesium by weight.
That 1,200 mg label therefore carries at most 1,200 × 14.1% = 169 mg of elemental magnesium, if it's all bisglycinate.
A label that prints its percentage makes the check easy. Ours reads "magnesium bisglycinate (13.8% elemental), 1.8 g = 250 mg magnesium" (SILT pack).
Worked example: same 121 mg, two different capsules
One Indian brand sells two magnesium glycinate capsules, and its own blog explains the difference (brand blog, 2026):
| "14%" variant | "22%" variant | |
|---|---|---|
| Elemental magnesium per serving | 121 mg | 121 mg |
| Capsules per serving | 2 | 1 |
| Magnesium sources the brand names | Glycinate only ("non-buffered") | Glycinate plus magnesium hydroxide |
Both deliver the same magnesium. The 22% capsule gets there in one capsule because it adds magnesium hydroxide, a denser magnesium compound. That's legal, and here it's disclosed. The buffered bisglycinate tablets in our shortlist also list magnesium hydroxide as a buffer on their product page.
The rule of thumb: if a "glycinate" label's elemental figure is more than about 14% of its glycinate weight, some of the magnesium comes from another compound. That isn't a defect. It just means you're not buying pure glycinate, and you should check which compound makes up the rest. It's the same reason we list every dose and use no proprietary blends, as set out on our science page.
Read the elemental line. Then do the division.
Which magnesium is best for you?
Which magnesium is best depends on what you want it to do. Glycinate has the sleep trial, citrate has the absorption and laxative data, oxide carries the most magnesium per gram but absorbs poorly, and threonate is the newest with the least magnesium per dose.
| Form | Magnesium by weight* | What the evidence says | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glycinate / bisglycinate | 14.1% (CID 84645) | 155 adults with poor sleep took 250 mg elemental as bisglycinate or placebo, 30-60 min before bed, for 4 weeks. Insomnia Severity Index fell 3.9 points vs 2.3 on placebo (p = 0.049), a small effect (d = 0.2); other sleep scales showed no difference (Schuster et al., 2025) | Sleep is your reason |
| Citrate | 16.2% anhydrous (CID 6099959) | Gave the highest serum magnesium of three forms over 60 days (Walker et al., 2003). Sold in the US as a saline laxative "for relief of occasional constipation" (FDA label) | You want good absorption, or a laxative product for occasional constipation, used as its label directs |
| Oxide | 60.3% (CID 14792) | Only 43% soluble in simulated peak stomach acid, and less bioavailable than citrate (Lindberg et al., 1990); no different from placebo in Walker 2003 | Price per tablet matters more than absorption |
| L-threonate | 8.3% (CID 45489777) | Two small RCTs. 1 g/day for 21 days improved deep and REM sleep scores vs placebo in 80 adults (Hausenblas et al., 2024). 2 g/day for 6 weeks improved sleep-related impairment but not sleep disturbance in 100 adults (Lopresti & Smith, 2026) | You accept a low magnesium dose for a newer, less-studied form |
Two things the table shows. First, oxide looks strong on paper because it's 60% magnesium, but the absorption data doesn't back it up. Second, threonate gives you very little magnesium: one trial's 2 g dose supplied about 145 mg (Mastrofini et al., 2026). For more on what glycinate has and hasn't been studied for, read our summary of magnesium glycinate benefits.
Magnesium supplements in India, compared
We started from the products a search engine's AI overview names for this search, kept the ones whose brand page or marketplace listing we could open, and recorded the stated figures. All data is as of October 2026, read on 6 October 2026. Prices move, so check before you buy.
| Product type (format) | Magnesium sources named | Elemental Mg per serving | Pack and price | Cost per 250 mg elemental | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelated magnesium glycinate, 440 mg (tablet) | Chelated magnesium glycinate | 440 mg / 2 tablets | 120 tablets, ₹699 (list price ₹1,075) | ≈ ₹6.62 | Marketplace listing |
| Buffered magnesium bisglycinate, 440 mg (tablet) | Magnesium bisglycinate plus magnesium hydroxide (buffer) | 440 mg / 2 tablets | 60 tablets, ₹425 (MRP ₹529) | ≈ ₹8.05 | Online pharmacy page |
| Glycinate-citrate mix with B6, 300 mg+ (capsule) | Magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium citrate; plus vitamin B6 (P-5-P) | "300mg+" / 2 capsules | 60 capsules, ₹839 | ≈ ₹23 (at 300 mg) | Brand page |
| Non-buffered magnesium glycinate 14%, 121 mg (veg capsule) | Magnesium glycinate, non-buffered | 121 mg / 2 capsules | 30 capsules, ₹319 | ≈ ₹43.94 | Brand page |
| Three-form magnesium complex (capsule) | Magnesium bisglycinate, threonate, citrate (Aquamin) | Not stated on the brand page | 60 capsules (2 per serving), ₹1,357 (MRP ₹1,399) | Not calculable | Brand page |
| SILT Nights (powder stick, four-ingredient blend) | Magnesium bisglycinate 1.8 g (13.8% elemental, per the pack); plus glycine 3 g, KSM-66 ashwagandha 300 mg, L-theanine 200 mg | 250 mg / 1 stick | 15 sticks, ₹900 (MRP ₹1,125); 30 sticks, ₹1,500 (MRP ₹2,250) | ₹60 (15-stick pack) or ₹50 (30-stick pack). That's one stick, so it's also the cost per day. The price also covers 3 g glycine, 300 mg KSM-66 and 200 mg L-theanine, so it isn't a magnesium-only cost | siltnutrition.com |
How we worked out cost per 250 mg: listed price ÷ (servings per pack × elemental mg per serving) × 250. At MRP or list price, the buffered bisglycinate tablet works out to about ₹10.02 and the chelated glycinate tablet to about ₹10.18.
What each one is best for
- The two 440 mg tablets: lowest cost per milligram. Both state 440 mg elemental per two-tablet serving. That full serving is above the 350 mg supplemental limit covered below, so ask your doctor whether you need both tablets.
- The 300 mg+ capsule: a glycinate-citrate mix. The brand suggests 2 capsules 30-60 minutes before sleep. It states "300mg+" rather than an exact figure, so our cost is a ceiling.
- The 14% capsule: single-form, non-buffered glycinate. The most expensive per milligram among the plain products, and the brand states it's non-buffered, single-form glycinate.
- The three-form complex: three forms in one capsule. We couldn't find the elemental figure on its page, so we can't price it per milligram. Ask the brand before you compare.
- SILT Nights: best for a melatonin-free sleep routine. It isn't a like-for-like magnesium product, and per milligram of magnesium it's the dearest here. Details in our verdict below.
No product here gets a star rating from us. We haven't tested them, and we don't print reviews we didn't collect. The best magnesium supplement brand for you is the one whose label answers your questions.
Tablets, capsules or powder?
Choose the format you'll actually take every day. For the same form of magnesium, the label's elemental dose matters more than whether it comes as a tablet, capsule or powder.
Format mostly decides how many units you swallow. Because bisglycinate is only 14.1% magnesium, 250 mg elemental needs about 1,770 mg of compound (oxide needs about 415 mg, citrate about 1,550 mg, threonate about 3,030 mg, by our maths from the PubChem figures above). That's why glycinate products in the table use two tablets or two capsules per serving, and why a powder can fit a full dose in one serve.
Read the excipients too: the buffered bisglycinate tablet's page, for example, lists microcrystalline cellulose, coating agents and artificial colour alongside the magnesium. Powders dissolve in water and suit people who dislike pills. Timing matters less than consistency: the 2025 sleep trial gave its dose 30-60 minutes before bed for four weeks (Schuster et al., 2025). There's more in when to take magnesium glycinate.
How much magnesium do you need?
Indian adults need 440 mg (men) or 370 mg (women) of magnesium a day from all sources, and most of it should come from food. Supplements on top should stay within 350 mg a day unless a doctor says otherwise.
ICMR-NIN 2020 requirements for adults: RDA 440 mg/day for men and 370 mg/day for women. The average requirement (EAR) is 370 mg and 310 mg (ICMR-NIN, 2020, Tables 3 and 4).
Upper limit from supplements: the US Institute of Medicine set 350 mg/day for adults from supplements alone; diarrhoea was the limiting effect, and it doesn't apply to magnesium in food (Costello et al., 2023).
Use these numbers to read the table. A 250 mg serving covers about 57% of the men's RDA (250 ÷ 440) and 68% of the women's (250 ÷ 370). A 440 mg serving matches the men's RDA on its own, before you've eaten anything, and sits above the 350 mg supplemental limit. If you're not sure you're short in the first place, start with the signs of low magnesium and talk to your doctor.
The best magnesium supplement for women in India
The forms and the label maths are the same for women; the target is lower. At an RDA of 370 mg, a 440 mg serving is more than the whole day's requirement, so a lower-dose product can be the better fit, not a lesser one. How much you need from a supplement depends on what you already eat. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor before taking any magnesium supplement; the US magnesium citrate label carries the same advice (FDA label).
Who should check first
Most healthy adults tolerate magnesium within the supplemental limit, but some people should ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting. Magnesium can change how some medicines are absorbed, and the spacing depends on the drug.
- Kidney disease. The US magnesium citrate label says to ask a doctor before use (FDA label).
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Ask your doctor first.
- Quinolone antibiotics (e.g. ciprofloxacin). The ciprofloxacin label says to take it at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after magnesium/aluminium antacids (ciprofloxacin label). Ask your pharmacist how that applies to your supplement.
- Tetracycline antibiotics (e.g. doxycycline). Their absorption is impaired by magnesium-containing antacids (doxycycline label). Ask your pharmacist about spacing.
- Thyroid medicine (levothyroxine). Its label lists magnesium hydroxide antacids among products that can reduce its absorption (levothyroxine label). Ask your pharmacist how far apart to take them.
- Already taking magnesium elsewhere (another supplement, an antacid or a laxative). Add it all up against the 350 mg limit.
For SILT Nights specifically, our store asks you to check with your doctor first if you have a liver or thyroid condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicines. The pack adds that it is not a substitute for a varied diet, and that if you're pregnant or nursing, taking any medications or have any medical conditions, you should contact your healthcare practitioner.
Loose stools are the usual sign of too much. In the 2025 bisglycinate trial, 93% of all participants (magnesium and placebo groups together) reported no adverse events (Schuster et al., 2025). Read more on magnesium glycinate side effects.
Our pick for sleep
If you want the cheapest magnesium per milligram, the table points to the two-tablet glycinate products. If you want a melatonin-free sleep routine with every active listed with its dose on the pack, our pick is SILT Nights. We make it, so weigh our pick with that in mind.
SILT Nights is a four-ingredient blend, not a plain magnesium supplement. Each stick has 1.8 g magnesium bisglycinate (250 mg elemental, the same elemental dose as the 2025 sleep trial), plus 3 g glycine, 300 mg KSM-66 ashwagandha and 200 mg L-theanine. It has zero melatonin, zero caffeine, no maltodextrin and no added sugar. You stir one stick into 200-250 ml of lukewarm or cold water (not boiling), 30-60 minutes before bed, the window we recommend. If magnesium is all you want, buy a plain product from the table; if you want this combination, it saves you buying four things.
Why it's our sleep pick and not our "best overall":
- It's the most expensive per milligram of magnesium here, because you're also paying for glycine, KSM-66 and L-theanine.
- Its 250 mg sits under the 350 mg supplemental limit, at the dose used in the bisglycinate trial.
- Every dose is printed on the back of the pack, and there are no proprietary blends. The box also prints "no added sugar, no maltodextrin, no melatonin", and the ingredient list names the taste and processing extras too (black salt, iodised salt, cumin powder, citric and malic acid, silicon dioxide), none of them a dosed active. Every ingredient comes with a supplier certificate of analysis (on our science page). The KSM-66 certificate reads 5.30% withanolides and the glycine certificate 99.4% purity. A finished-product NABL lab report is pending, and we'll publish it when it's ready.
If you're weighing magnesium against a melatonin tablet, read magnesium vs melatonin. For other options, our guide to the best sleep supplements in India goes wider. And if you're comparing glycinate labels specifically, the magnesium glycinate powder label maths shows how our 1.8 g becomes 250 mg.
Best is a fit, not a ranking.
MRP ₹1,125 ₹900 · 15 sticks or ₹1,500 for 30 (MRP ₹2,250)
That's ₹60 a stick on the 15-pack, or ₹50 a stick on the 30-pack.
Shop SILT NightsMagnesium supplements, answered
Is it okay to take magnesium pills daily?
For most healthy adults, yes, if your total from supplements stays within 350 mg a day (Costello et al., 2023). In a four-week trial of 250 mg a day against placebo, 93% of all participants (both groups together) reported no adverse events (Schuster et al., 2025). If you have kidney disease or take antibiotics, thyroid medicine or other regular medicines, ask your doctor first.
Can I take magnesium without consulting a doctor?
Magnesium supplements are sold without a prescription in India, and a healthy adult staying under the 350 mg supplemental limit is the typical buyer. See a doctor first if you're pregnant, have kidney disease, take regular medication, or want to take a serving above 350 mg. When in doubt, a pharmacist can check your medicines in a few minutes.
What time should I take magnesium glycinate?
There's no proven best hour for magnesium itself. For sleep, the 2025 bisglycinate trial used 30-60 minutes before bed, taken daily for four weeks (Schuster et al., 2025). Our guide on when to take magnesium glycinate covers timing around meals and medicines.
What are the signs your body needs magnesium?
We don't diagnose from a checklist in a buyer's guide. If you think you're low, ask your doctor, who can test you and compare your diet with the ICMR-NIN requirement. Our guide to magnesium deficiency symptoms covers the signs in detail.
Sources
- Schuster et al. (2025). Magnesium bisglycinate supplementation in adults with poor sleep: randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. PMC12412596
- Walker AF et al. (2003). Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnesium Research. PubMed 14596323
- Lindberg JS et al. (1990). Magnesium bioavailability from magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide. J Am Coll Nutr. PubMed 2407766
- Hausenblas HA et al. (2024). Magnesium-L-threonate improves sleep quality and daytime functioning in adults with self-reported sleep problems. Sleep Med X. PubMed 39252819
- Lopresti AL, Smith SJ (2026). Magnesium L-threonate, cognitive performance and sleep quality in adults. Front Nutr. PubMed 41601871
- Mastrofini GF et al. (2026). Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. PubMed 42829807
- ICMR-NIN (2020). A brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians, the RDA and the EAR (Tables 3 and 4). nin.res.in/rdabook/brief_note.pdf
- Costello RB et al. (2023). Call for re-evaluation of the tolerable upper intake level for magnesium supplementation in adults. Advances in Nutrition. PMC10509448
- PubChem. Magnesium glycinate (CID 84645), magnesium oxide (CID 14792), trimagnesium dicitrate (CID 6099959), L-threonic acid magnesium salt (CID 45489777). pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- US FDA (openFDA). Labels for OTC magnesium citrate, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and levothyroxine. api.fda.gov
- Brand, online pharmacy and marketplace pages for each product in the shortlist, as of October 2026 (read 6 October 2026).