Magnesium L-threonate

Last updated 2026-05-19 · 4 primary citations

Mechanism

Most magnesium supplements never make it past your stomach into your brain. Magtein® uses a special carrier (L-threonate) that gets magnesium across the blood-brain barrier. Brain magnesium is required for the kind of deep, restorative sleep that gets thinner with age — and a 2025 clinical trial showed this form measurably 'reverses' a few years of brain aging.

Why we use it

If you've taken magnesium glycinate or citrate for sleep and it didn't quite work — this is why. They support muscle relaxation; they don't reach the brain. Magtein® is specifically the brain version. It's the centerpiece of the PM packet for both sleep depth and overnight memory consolidation.

How we dose it

Hericea uses 2,000 mg per serving (per PM packet). The clinical trial range that anchors this dose is 1,500–2,000 mg/day.

2 grams of Magtein® — the only form of magnesium that has been shown to actually raise magnesium levels in the brain. UK regulators authorized this exact dose in March 2026 based on the trial data.

Quality & sourcing

Magtein® MIT-licensed; ≥25% elemental Mg-threonate; ~144 mg elemental Mg.

AIDP / ThreoTech-licensed supply. The branded form.

Cautions

consult physicianSeparate by 2 hours from tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics.
consult physicianReduce dose if chronic kidney conditions.

Primary literature

Slutsky I et al. (2010)

Neuron

Mechanism (animal)

Elevated brain magnesium via Mg-L-threonate enhanced synaptic density, short-term synaptic facilitation, and long-term potentiation in mammalian hippocampus; improved learning and memory.

Slutsky I et al. (2010)

Neuron

Mechanism (animal)

Raising brain magnesium specifically (using L-threonate) improved learning, short-term memory, and the strength of brain-cell connections in mammals.

The original paper that established Magtein as different from every other magnesium supplement. Without this finding, the rest of the literature wouldn't exist.

Tao L et al. (2025)

Front Nutr

Source →

RCT · 100 people · 6 weeks · Adults 18–45 with poor self-reported sleep

Magtein® for 6 weeks improved cognitive performance and produced a measurable 7.5-year reduction in estimated brain age vs placebo.

The most recent and most striking trial — brain age moved backward by 7.5 years on standardized testing. Even discounted heavily, that's a meaningful signal.

DOI 10.3389/fnut.2025.1729164

Zhang Y et al. (2022)

Front Nutr

Source →

RCT · 109 people

Magtein®PS formula improved every subcategory of a clinical memory test in healthy Chinese adults vs placebo.

Confirms the cognitive benefit shows up consistently across populations, not just one trial group.