Same elemental magnesium · two salts · snapshot 2026-08-10
Magnesium chloride vs malate: 783–1,672 vs 1,287–1,584 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium
Magnesium chloride is 12.0–25.5% elemental magnesium and magnesium malate is 12.6–15.5%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 783–1,672 mg of chloride against 1,287–1,584 mg of malate: 2–3 vs 2–3 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. No capsule label names chloride alone, against 0 of 9 for malate. Prices within each salt: no ranked chloride price; malate from $0.0460 per 100 mg (median $0.1052, 4 ranked offers); observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02.
computed from chemical formulas
Chart data
| Displayed chart text |
|---|
| 100 mg magnesium |
| chloride 392–836 · malate 644–792 |
| 200 mg magnesium |
| chloride 783–1,672 · malate 1,287–1,584 |
| 400 mg magnesium |
| chloride 1,567–3,344 · malate 2,574–3,167 |
Data release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · registry snapshot 2026-08-10 · latest price observation 2026-11-02 · chemistry 2026-10-17
How much chloride or malate carries the same elemental magnesium?
At the same elemental amount, chloride (12.0–25.5% magnesium) always needs less compound than malate (12.6–15.5%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 1,567–3,344 mg against 2,574–3,167 mg. That is the mass of powder per dose; how much of it is absorbed is what the studies below measured.
computed| Elemental magnesium | chloride compound | chloride size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mg | 392–836 mg | 1–2 | 644–792 mg | 1–2 |
| 200 mg | 783–1,672 mg | 2–3 | 1,287–1,584 mg | 2–3 |
| 400 mg | 1,567–3,344 mg | 3–5 | 2,574–3,167 mg | 4–5 |
chloride: anhydrous 25.5%, hexahydrate 12.0%; malate: anhydrous 15.54% or dihydrate 12.63% (192.41 g/mol); 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
No capsule label names chloride alone, against 0 of 9 for malate. 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| Salt | Audited capsule labels | Fits 0 or 00 | Needs 000 | Exceeds 000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chloride | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| malate | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
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 chloride price; malate from $0.0460 per 100 mg (median $0.1052, 4 ranked offers). 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| Salt | Ranked offers | Lowest per 100 mg | Median per 100 mg | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chloride | 0 | none | none | 2026-11-02 |
| malate | 4 | $0.0460 | $0.1052 | 2026-11-02 |
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 chloride and malate side by side?
No study in the PubMed-checked registry measured chloride and malate side by side as of 2026-08-10; 3 involve chloride and 3 involve malate separately.
measured| Year | Study | Salts measured | PubMed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Study of magnesium bioavailability from ten organic and inorganic Mg salts in Mg-depleted rats using a stable isotope approach | oxide, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, citrate, gluconate, lactate, aspartate, glycinate | 16548135 |
| 2001 | Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations | oxide, chloride, lactate, aspartate | 11794633 |
| 1992 | Blood and urinary magnesium kinetics after oral magnesium supplements. | chloride, gluconate | 1468087 |
| 2020 | Dose-Dependent Absorption Profile of Different Magnesium Compounds | oxide, citrate, glycinate, malate | 30761462 |
| 2019 | Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best? | sulfate, oxide, taurate, citrate, malate | 29679349 |
| 2018 | Scottsdale Magnesium Study: Absorption, Cellular Uptake, and Clinical Effectiveness of a Timed-Release Magnesium Supplement in a Standard Adult Clinical Population. | malate | 29425476 |
Source · PubMed-checked study registry · registry checked 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method
How many labels name both chloride and malate?
No label names both chloride and malate as of 2026-08-10, against 19 labels naming chloride and 73 naming malate.
measured| Label | Declared elemental per serving | NIH 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| Elemental magnesium | chloride compound | chloride size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mg | 98–209 mg | 1 | 161–198 mg | 1 |
| 50 mg | 196–418 mg | 1 | 322–396 mg | 1 |
| 75 mg | 294–627 mg | 1 | 483–594 mg | 1 |
| 100 mg | 392–836 mg | 1–2 | 644–792 mg | 1–2 |
| 125 mg | 490–1,045 mg | 1–2 | 804–990 mg | 2 |
| 150 mg | 588–1,254 mg | 1–2 | 965–1,188 mg | 2 |
| 175 mg | 685–1,463 mg | 1–3 | 1,126–1,386 mg | 2 |
| 200 mg | 783–1,672 mg | 2–3 | 1,287–1,584 mg | 2–3 |
32 additional rows
| Elemental magnesium | chloride compound | chloride size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 mg | 881–1,881 mg | 2–3 | 1,448–1,781 mg | 2–3 |
| 250 mg | 979–2,090 mg | 2–3 | 1,609–1,979 mg | 3 |
| 275 mg | 1,077–2,299 mg | 2–4 | 1,770–2,177 mg | 3 |
| 300 mg | 1,175–2,508 mg | 2–4 | 1,931–2,375 mg | 3–4 |
| 325 mg | 1,273–2,717 mg | 2–4 | 2,091–2,573 mg | 3–4 |
| 350 mg | 1,371–2,926 mg | 2–5 | 2,252–2,771 mg | 4 |
| 375 mg | 1,469–3,135 mg | 3–5 | 2,413–2,969 mg | 4–5 |
| 400 mg | 1,567–3,344 mg | 3–5 | 2,574–3,167 mg | 4–5 |
| 425 mg | 1,665–3,554 mg | 3–5 | 2,735–3,365 mg | 4–5 |
| 450 mg | 1,763–3,763 mg | 3–6 | 2,896–3,563 mg | 4–5 |
| 475 mg | 1,861–3,972 mg | 3–6 | 3,057–3,761 mg | 5–6 |
| 500 mg | 1,958–4,181 mg | 3–6 | 3,218–3,959 mg | 5–6 |
| 525 mg | 2,056–4,390 mg | 3–7 | 3,378–4,157 mg | 5–6 |
| 550 mg | 2,154–4,599 mg | 3–7 | 3,539–4,355 mg | 5–6 |
| 575 mg | 2,252–4,808 mg | 4–7 | 3,700–4,553 mg | 6–7 |
| 600 mg | 2,350–5,017 mg | 4–7 | 3,861–4,751 mg | 6–7 |
| 625 mg | 2,448–5,226 mg | 4–8 | 4,022–4,949 mg | 6–7 |
| 650 mg | 2,546–5,435 mg | 4–8 | 4,183–5,146 mg | 6–8 |
| 675 mg | 2,644–5,644 mg | 4–8 | 4,344–5,344 mg | 6–8 |
| 700 mg | 2,742–5,853 mg | 4–9 | 4,505–5,542 mg | 7–8 |
| 725 mg | 2,840–6,062 mg | 4–9 | 4,665–5,740 mg | 7–8 |
| 750 mg | 2,938–6,271 mg | 5–9 | 4,826–5,938 mg | 7–9 |
| 775 mg | 3,036–6,480 mg | 5–9 | 4,987–6,136 mg | 7–9 |
| 800 mg | 3,134–6,689 mg | 5–10 | 5,148–6,334 mg | 8–9 |
| 825 mg | 3,231–6,898 mg | 5–10 | 5,309–6,532 mg | 8–9 |
| 850 mg | 3,329–7,107 mg | 5–10 | 5,470–6,730 mg | 8–10 |
| 875 mg | 3,427–7,316 mg | 5–11 | 5,631–6,928 mg | 8–10 |
| 900 mg | 3,525–7,525 mg | 5–11 | 5,792–7,126 mg | 8–10 |
| 925 mg | 3,623–7,734 mg | 5–11 | 5,952–7,324 mg | 9–11 |
| 950 mg | 3,721–7,943 mg | 6–11 | 6,113–7,522 mg | 9–11 |
| 975 mg | 3,819–8,152 mg | 6–12 | 6,274–7,720 mg | 9–11 |
| 1,000 mg | 3,917–8,361 mg | 6–12 | 6,435–7,918 mg | 9–11 |
Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method