IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate

What is IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate is a magnesium food supplement in vegetable capsules, pairing the mineral with vitamin B6. The magnesium is supplied as the bisglycinate — a salt in which each magnesium atom is chelated to two glycine molecules — produced under the Albion® brand, an American manufacturer of chelated minerals.

The formula is short, and on this type of product that is good news: Albion® magnesium bisglycinate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule shell, two anti-caking agents (magnesium salts of fatty acids and silicon dioxide), and vitamin B6 as pyridoxine hydrochloride. No flavouring, no sweetener, no colour.

One detail is worth explaining, because it changes everything when you compare two tubs: Albion® bisglycinate is 18 % magnesium by weight. In other words, the 375 mg of salt in a capsule yields only 67.5 mg of magnesium you can actually take up. That is the rule across all chelated forms, and it is the leading source of confusion in this category. The brand's full range can be found in the IO Genix section.

What does a capsule contain?

The number of capsules per bottle does not appear in the labelling data passed on to us, and we will not invent it: refer to the packaging to work out how long a bottle lasts, at one capsule a day.

The 67.5 mg of elemental magnesium represent 18 % of the nutrient reference value, set at 375 mg. Let us be straightforward about it: this is a top-up, not the correction of a deficiency. A capsule does not make up for a diet short on green vegetables, pulses or nuts. What it does is plug an 18 % gap — which is already useful when you sweat heavily and eat tightly.

That figure of 18 % has a concrete regulatory consequence: the threshold above which a claim becomes usable is 15 % of the NRV per portion. It is cleared, but only just. We can therefore state that magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal muscle function, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to electrolyte balance. These are the exact wordings from the European regulation, and there is no reason to write anything else.

The 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 cover 100 % of the NRV, which is generous for a product that does not present itself as a B complex. Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal protein and glycogen metabolism and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Its claims overlap with those of magnesium, which explains why the two are so often paired — you will find the same logic throughout our vitamin B section. The widespread notion that B6 “carries” magnesium into the cell, on the other hand, rests on no ANSES or EFSA source, and we will not repeat it.

How do you take IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

Serving: 1 capsule a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with a meal. Frequency: 1 serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of 30 to 90 days, which can be repeated.

Take it with a meal rather than on an empty stomach. It is not a question of absorption but of comfort: a mineral swallowed on an empty stomach sits less well, and bisglycinate is not entirely exempt, even though it is tolerated far better than the oxide or the chloride. The manufacturer imposes no constraint on timing: morning or evening, take it whenever you will not forget it.

Magnesium produces no immediately perceptible effect. Think in weeks rather than days, and judge it over the length of the course. One practical point to finish: leave at least two hours between a dose of magnesium and a dose of zinc or iron, as these minerals compete for the same intestinal transporters. The same goes for thyroid hormones and certain antibiotics, which we come back to below.

If your requirement is higher — long training sessions, heavy sweating, a poor diet — a 67.5 mg capsule will not be enough, and it is better to know that before buying. In that case, look at the more heavily dosed formats in the magnesium section, or add electrolytes around training, which answer a different question: that of the losses through sweat during the session.

Who is this magnesium for, and who is it not for?

It is intended for adults. As the shell is vegetable cellulose and the formula contains no ingredient of animal origin, it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The capsule format, with no taste and no preparation, suits anyone who hates powders.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and recommends seeking the advice of a healthcare professional if you are on any medication. Traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible, as production takes place in a shared environment: if you are allergic to any of them, do not take it.

It is not suitable in cases of kidney failure. It is the kidney that clears magnesium; when it works poorly the mineral builds up, and any supplementation must then be decided by a doctor, not by a product page. Magnesium also interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones, certain antibiotics and bisphosphonates taken at the same time.

What not to expect from it. It is not a sleeping aid. “Contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system” does not mean sending you to sleep, and no sleep claim is authorised for magnesium. If your problem is falling asleep, our melatonin section answers the question better — and a doctor better still if the problem persists. Nor is it a performance product: topping up an intake does not make an athlete who is already covered improve.

Magnesium bisglycinate or ZMA?

The question comes up often, because the two products share two active ingredients out of three. A ZMA combines zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 in a single evening dose; this one concentrates on magnesium and B6, without zinc.

ZMA is the better choice if you want to cover zinc and magnesium in one go, which is the classic case of an athlete in a prolonged calorie deficit: zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, and that is a claim this product cannot carry since it contains none. Its weakness is structural: zinc and magnesium compete for absorption, and a single dose gives no way of separating them.

Bisglycinate on its own is the better choice in three situations. If you already take zinc elsewhere and do not want to double the dose. If you have digested another magnesium badly — bisglycinate is the best tolerated form in the category, far ahead of the oxide. And if you want fine control over your intake: at 67.5 mg per capsule, you adjust in steps rather than swallowing a 300 mg block. A final word on the citrate, the other common form: it is cheaper per milligram, but its osmotic effect makes it markedly more laxative at high doses. Bisglycinate costs more and sits better — that is the whole trade-off.

Frequently asked questions

Why do 375 mg of bisglycinate give only 67.5 mg of magnesium?

Because Albion® bisglycinate is 18 % magnesium by weight: the rest of the weight is the two glycine molecules the mineral is bound to. That is the figure to compare from one label to another. A capsule advertising “375 mg of magnesium bisglycinate” is not advertising 375 mg of magnesium, and plenty of buyers are caught out by that line.

Is one capsule a day enough?

It covers 18 % of the nutrient reference value, so it is a supporting top-up. That is enough to close a small gap, not enough to make up for a diet low in magnesium or for heavy losses through sweat. This product tops up the plate, it does not replace it.

Does bisglycinate cause loose stools?

Far less than other forms, and at 67.5 mg per capsule the risk is very low. Chelation to glycine limits the osmotic effect responsible for digestive discomfort, unlike the oxide, the hydroxide or the citrate. Taking the capsule with a meal settles the few remaining cases.

Is absorption genuinely better?

Bisglycinate is better tolerated digestively, and that is not in dispute. A quantified superiority in absorption, on the other hand, has not been established by any health authority, so you will read no multiplier here along the lines of “three times better absorbed”. What you are buying is digestive comfort and a clean form, not a figure.

Can it be taken alongside thyroid medication?

That question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist. What we can say safely: magnesium interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones taken at the same time, which usually leads to spacing the doses several hours apart. Never alter a course of medication on your own initiative.

Can it be combined with creatine or a whey?

Yes, with no difficulty at all: there is neither a shared ingredient nor any known interaction. The only stacking to watch is that of two magnesium sources — a multivitamin and this capsule, for instance. Add up the milligrams of elemental magnesium before drawing a conclusion, bearing in mind the limit of 250 mg a day set by EFSA for supplements.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a vegetable cellulose, not bovine or porcine gelatine. No ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. That leaves the possible traces of milk, eggs and fish linked to the production site, to be considered if your requirement also covers cross-contamination.

Where can you buy IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

Magnesium is the category where people go wrong most often, and almost always in the same way: by comparing a weight of salt with a weight of mineral. Our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, exists precisely for that — putting two bottles side by side and reading together the only line that matters, the one for elemental magnesium. The rest of the everyday supplements can be found in the sports nutrition section.