Same elemental magnesium · two salts · snapshot 2026-08-10

Magnesium aspartate vs gluconate: 1,279–2,670 vs 3,413 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium

Magnesium aspartate is 7.5–15.6% elemental magnesium and magnesium gluconate is 5.9%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 1,279–2,670 mg of aspartate against 3,413 mg of gluconate: 2–4 vs 5 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. 0 of 15 capsule labels naming aspartate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against 0 of 2 for gluconate. Prices within each salt: no ranked aspartate price; gluconate $0.6164 per 100 mg (a single ranked offer); observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02.

computed from chemical formulas
aspartate for 200 mg Mg1,279–2,670 mg7.5–15.6% magnesium · 2–4 size 00
gluconate for 200 mg Mg3,413 mg5.9% magnesium · 5 size 00
Exceeds size 0000 of 15 · 0 of 2aspartate · gluconate capsule labels
Cheapest by declared elemental magnesium, per 100 mg, within each saltaspartate none · gluconate $0.61640 and 1 ranked offers · 2026-11-02
dumbbell · aspartate vs gluconate · compound mass for 100, 200 and 400 mg magnesium, 1,279–2,670 vs 3,413 mg at 200 mg · chemistry 2026-08-10
Compound mass for the same elemental magnesium: dark dot aspartate (7.5–15.6%, lower mass bound), grey dot gluconate (5.9%); the labels give each salt's full range.
Chart data
Chart labels and values for the main chart
Displayed chart text
100 mg magnesium
aspartate 639–1,335 · gluconate 1,706
200 mg magnesium
aspartate 1,279–2,670 · gluconate 3,413
400 mg magnesium
aspartate 2,558–5,340 · gluconate 6,826

Data release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · registry snapshot 2026-08-10 · latest price observation 2026-11-02 · chemistry 2026-10-17

Elemental: The magnesium itself; the rest of the compound weight is the partner molecule.

Compound: The whole salt that must physically fit in a capsule; a lower magnesium fraction means more compound for the same magnesium.

How much aspartate or gluconate carries the same elemental magnesium?

At the same elemental amount, aspartate (7.5–15.6% magnesium) always needs less compound than gluconate (5.9%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 2,558–5,340 mg against 6,826 mg. That is the mass of powder per dose; how much of it is absorbed is what the studies below measured.

computed
Compound mass and size 00 capsules for aspartate and gluconate
Elemental magnesiumaspartate compoundaspartate size 00gluconate compoundgluconate size 00
100 mg639–1,335 mg1–21,706 mg3
200 mg1,279–2,670 mg2–43,413 mg5
400 mg2,558–5,340 mg4–86,826 mg10

aspartate: 1:1 magnesium aspartate 15.64%; bis(hydrogen aspartate) 8.42%, its dihydrate 7.49%; stoichiometry and hydration unresolved; hydration ambiguity stays a range.

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

Estimated salt mass versus assumed capsule capacity

0 of 15 capsule labels naming aspartate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against 0 of 2 for gluconate. Verdicts use the most favourable hydration and the most units per serving at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range; the audited registry as a whole has 8 of 137 capsule labels above size 000.

computed with assumption
stacked bar · aspartate vs gluconate · capsule verdicts, 0 of 15 vs 0 of 2 exceed size 000 · snapshot 2026-08-10
Capsule verdicts for labels naming each salt alone: fits size 0 or 00, needs 000, exceeds 000.
Chart data
Chart labels and values for Estimated salt mass versus assumed capsule capacity
Displayed chart text
aspartate
fits 13 of 15
needs 000 2 of 15
exceeds 0 of 15
gluconate
fits 2 of 2
needs 000 0 of 2
exceeds 0 of 2
Capsule verdicts for aspartate and gluconate labels
SaltAudited capsule labelsFits 0 or 00Needs 000Exceeds 000
aspartate151320
gluconate2200

Source · NIH DSLD labels; mass balance · recognized salt only; snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

What does each cost per 100 mg of elemental magnesium, within its own salt?

Compared only with offers of the same salt: no ranked aspartate price; gluconate $0.6164 per 100 mg (a single ranked offer). Prices observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02; a ranking exists only inside one salt, because the compound mass per 100 mg of magnesium differs between salts.

computed
Price per 100 mg of declared elemental magnesium, within each salt
SaltRanked offersLowest per 100 mgMedian per 100 mgObserved
aspartate0nonenone2026-11-02
gluconate1$0.6164$0.61642026-11-02

Source · Amazon via licensed data provider; NIH DSLD · unique ASIN × date; prices observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

Has any study measured aspartate and gluconate side by side?

One study in the PubMed-checked registry measured both salts in the same design; 2 involve aspartate and 2 involve gluconate in total. They measured outcomes of the salts, not of any label.

measured
Registry studies involving aspartate or gluconate
YearStudySalts measuredPubMed
2005Study of magnesium bioavailability from ten organic and inorganic Mg salts in Mg-depleted rats using a stable isotope approachoxide, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, citrate, gluconate, lactate, aspartate, glycinate16548135
2001Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparationsoxide, chloride, lactate, aspartate11794633
1992Blood and urinary magnesium kinetics after oral magnesium supplements.chloride, gluconate1468087

Source · PubMed-checked study registry · registry checked 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

How many labels name both aspartate and gluconate?

No label names both aspartate and gluconate as of 2026-08-10, against 46 labels naming aspartate and 20 naming gluconate.

measured
Labels naming both salts
LabelDeclared elemental per servingNIH DSLD
No label as of 2026-08-10

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

What does every dose from 25 to 1,000 mg of magnesium need in each salt?

The table converts 40 elemental amounts, 25 to 1,000 mg in 25 mg steps, into compound mass and size 00 capsules for both salts, against 730 mg per size 00 capsule at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. The first eight rows are shown; the rest open below.

computed
Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium
Elemental magnesiumaspartate compoundaspartate size 00gluconate compoundgluconate size 00
25 mg160–334 mg1427 mg1
50 mg320–668 mg1853 mg2
75 mg480–1,001 mg1–21,280 mg2
100 mg639–1,335 mg1–21,706 mg3
125 mg799–1,669 mg2–32,133 mg3
150 mg959–2,003 mg2–32,560 mg4
175 mg1,119–2,336 mg2–42,986 mg5
200 mg1,279–2,670 mg2–43,413 mg5
32 additional rows
Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium, additional rows
Elemental magnesiumaspartate compoundaspartate size 00gluconate compoundgluconate size 00
225 mg1,439–3,004 mg2–53,840 mg6
250 mg1,598–3,338 mg3–54,266 mg6
275 mg1,758–3,672 mg3–64,693 mg7
300 mg1,918–4,005 mg3–65,119 mg8
325 mg2,078–4,339 mg3–65,546 mg8
350 mg2,238–4,673 mg4–75,973 mg9
375 mg2,398–5,007 mg4–76,399 mg9
400 mg2,558–5,340 mg4–86,826 mg10
425 mg2,717–5,674 mg4–87,253 mg10
450 mg2,877–6,008 mg4–97,679 mg11
475 mg3,037–6,342 mg5–98,106 mg12
500 mg3,197–6,676 mg5–108,532 mg12
525 mg3,357–7,009 mg5–108,959 mg13
550 mg3,517–7,343 mg5–119,386 mg13
575 mg3,676–7,677 mg6–119,812 mg14
600 mg3,836–8,011 mg6–1110,239 mg15
625 mg3,996–8,344 mg6–1210,666 mg15
650 mg4,156–8,678 mg6–1211,092 mg16
675 mg4,316–9,012 mg6–1311,519 mg16
700 mg4,476–9,346 mg7–1311,945 mg17
725 mg4,636–9,680 mg7–1412,372 mg17
750 mg4,795–10,013 mg7–1412,799 mg18
775 mg4,955–10,347 mg7–1513,225 mg19
800 mg5,115–10,681 mg8–1513,652 mg19
825 mg5,275–11,015 mg8–1614,078 mg20
850 mg5,435–11,348 mg8–1614,505 mg20
875 mg5,595–11,682 mg8–1714,932 mg21
900 mg5,754–12,016 mg8–1715,358 mg22
925 mg5,914–12,350 mg9–1715,785 mg22
950 mg6,074–12,684 mg9–1816,212 mg23
975 mg6,234–13,017 mg9–1816,638 mg23
1,000 mg6,394–13,351 mg9–1917,065 mg24

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method