The key difference between magnesium and magnesium glycinate is that magnesium is a chemical element having the symbol Mg whereas magnesium glycinate is a chemical compound having the chemical formula C4H8MgN2O4.
Magnesium is an important metallic chemical element that can be found in the s-block elements as an alkaline earth metal. This chemical element can be used to create or derive many other chemical compounds, such as magnesium glycinate.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Magnesium
3. What is Magnesium Glycinate
4. Magnesium vs Magnesium Glycinate in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Magnesium vs Magnesium Glycinate
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is the chemical element having the atomic number 12 and the chemical symbol Mg. It occurs as a grey-shiny solid metal at room temperature. Magnesium can be found in group 2 and period 3 in the periodic table. Therefore, it is categorized as an s-block element. Moreover, it is an alkaline earth metal (group 2 chemical elements are named alkaline earth metals) with the electron configuration of [Ne]3s2.
This metal is an abundant chemical element in the universe. Usually, magnesium occurs in combination with other chemical elements. Furthermore, the oxidation state of magnesium is +2. The free metal is highly reactive, but we can produce it as a synthetic material. It can burn, producing very bright light. We call it a brilliant white light. We can obtain magnesium by the electrolysis of magnesium salts. These magnesium salts can be obtained from brine.
Magnesium is a lightweight metal, and it has the lowest values for melting and boiling points among alkaline earth metals. This metal is brittle and easily undergoes fracture along with shear bands. When it is alloyed with aluminium, the alloy becomes very ductile.
The reaction between magnesium and water is not as rapid as calcium and other alkaline earth metals. When we submerge a piece of magnesium in water, we can observe hydrogen bubbles emerging from the metal surface. However, the reaction speeds up with hot water. Moreover, this metal can react with acids exothermally, e.g., hydrochloric acid (HCl).
What is Magnesium Glycinate?
Magnesium glycinate can be described as the magnesium salt of glycine, which is sold as a dietary supplement. This substance has one magnesium ion (Mg+2) in association with two glycinate ions. Furthermore, it has 14.1% elemental magnesium by mass. Therefore, 709 mg of magnesium glycinate contains 100 mg of magnesium, which makes this an effective dietary supplement. Magnesium can activate over 600 enzymes in the body. It is also essential for DNA and RNA synthesis.
This substance can be used as a medication for many conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, chronic stress, and inflammatory conditions. Moreover, it is important to fall asleep easily since magnesium will increase the production of GABA to help calm the mind, which allows us to sleep well.
We can take this supplement at any time of the day, but it is often recommended to take it 30 minutes prior to bedtime because then it will be absorbed into the body in full. Furthermore, the recommended daily dose for this supplement is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men.
What is the Difference Between Magnesium and Magnesium Glycinate?
The terms magnesium and magnesium glycinate are important in the pharmaceutical industry due to their supplemental values. The key difference between magnesium and magnesium glycinate is that magnesium is a chemical element having the symbol Mg whereas magnesium glycinate is a chemical compound having the chemical formula C4H8MgN2O4.
The following table summarizes the difference between magnesium and magnesium glycinate.
Summary – Magnesium vs Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium is the chemical element having the atomic number 12 and the chemical symbol Mg. Magnesium glycinate is the magnesium salt of glycine, which is sold as a dietary supplement. The key difference between magnesium and magnesium glycinate is that magnesium is a chemical element having the symbol Mg whereas magnesium glycinate is a chemical compound having the chemical formula C4H8MgN2O4.
Reference:
1. “Magnesium Glycinate Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Magnesium” By fdecomite (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Magnesium Glycinate Pills” (CC0) via Pixabay