Same elemental magnesium · two salts · snapshot 2026-08-10
Magnesium gluconate vs malate: 3,413 vs 1,287–1,584 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium
Magnesium gluconate is 5.9% elemental magnesium and magnesium malate is 12.6–15.5%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 3,413 mg of gluconate against 1,287–1,584 mg of malate: 5 vs 2–3 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. 0 of 2 capsule labels naming gluconate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against 0 of 9 for malate. Prices within each salt: gluconate $0.6164 per 100 mg (a single ranked offer); 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 |
| malate 644–792 · gluconate 1,706 |
| 200 mg magnesium |
| malate 1,287–1,584 · gluconate 3,413 |
| 400 mg magnesium |
| malate 2,574–3,167 · gluconate 6,826 |
Data release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · registry snapshot 2026-08-10 · latest price observation 2026-11-02 · chemistry 2026-10-17
How much gluconate or malate carries the same elemental magnesium?
At the same elemental amount, malate (12.6–15.5% magnesium) always needs less compound than gluconate (5.9%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 2,574–3,167 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| Elemental magnesium | gluconate compound | gluconate size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mg | 1,706 mg | 3 | 644–792 mg | 1–2 |
| 200 mg | 3,413 mg | 5 | 1,287–1,584 mg | 2–3 |
| 400 mg | 6,826 mg | 10 | 2,574–3,167 mg | 4–5 |
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
0 of 2 capsule labels naming gluconate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, 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
Chart data
| Displayed chart text |
|---|
| gluconate |
| fits 2 of 2 |
| needs 000 0 of 2 |
| exceeds 0 of 2 |
| malate |
| fits 7 of 9 |
| needs 000 2 of 9 |
| exceeds 0 of 9 |
| Salt | Audited capsule labels | Fits 0 or 00 | Needs 000 | Exceeds 000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gluconate | 2 | 2 | 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: gluconate $0.6164 per 100 mg (a single ranked offer); 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gluconate | 1 | $0.6164 | $0.6164 | 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 gluconate and malate side by side?
No study in the PubMed-checked registry measured gluconate and malate side by side as of 2026-08-10; 2 involve gluconate 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 |
| 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 gluconate and malate?
No label names both gluconate and malate as of 2026-08-10, against 20 labels naming gluconate 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 | gluconate compound | gluconate size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mg | 427 mg | 1 | 161–198 mg | 1 |
| 50 mg | 853 mg | 2 | 322–396 mg | 1 |
| 75 mg | 1,280 mg | 2 | 483–594 mg | 1 |
| 100 mg | 1,706 mg | 3 | 644–792 mg | 1–2 |
| 125 mg | 2,133 mg | 3 | 804–990 mg | 2 |
| 150 mg | 2,560 mg | 4 | 965–1,188 mg | 2 |
| 175 mg | 2,986 mg | 5 | 1,126–1,386 mg | 2 |
| 200 mg | 3,413 mg | 5 | 1,287–1,584 mg | 2–3 |
32 additional rows
| Elemental magnesium | gluconate compound | gluconate size 00 | malate compound | malate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 mg | 3,840 mg | 6 | 1,448–1,781 mg | 2–3 |
| 250 mg | 4,266 mg | 6 | 1,609–1,979 mg | 3 |
| 275 mg | 4,693 mg | 7 | 1,770–2,177 mg | 3 |
| 300 mg | 5,119 mg | 8 | 1,931–2,375 mg | 3–4 |
| 325 mg | 5,546 mg | 8 | 2,091–2,573 mg | 3–4 |
| 350 mg | 5,973 mg | 9 | 2,252–2,771 mg | 4 |
| 375 mg | 6,399 mg | 9 | 2,413–2,969 mg | 4–5 |
| 400 mg | 6,826 mg | 10 | 2,574–3,167 mg | 4–5 |
| 425 mg | 7,253 mg | 10 | 2,735–3,365 mg | 4–5 |
| 450 mg | 7,679 mg | 11 | 2,896–3,563 mg | 4–5 |
| 475 mg | 8,106 mg | 12 | 3,057–3,761 mg | 5–6 |
| 500 mg | 8,532 mg | 12 | 3,218–3,959 mg | 5–6 |
| 525 mg | 8,959 mg | 13 | 3,378–4,157 mg | 5–6 |
| 550 mg | 9,386 mg | 13 | 3,539–4,355 mg | 5–6 |
| 575 mg | 9,812 mg | 14 | 3,700–4,553 mg | 6–7 |
| 600 mg | 10,239 mg | 15 | 3,861–4,751 mg | 6–7 |
| 625 mg | 10,666 mg | 15 | 4,022–4,949 mg | 6–7 |
| 650 mg | 11,092 mg | 16 | 4,183–5,146 mg | 6–8 |
| 675 mg | 11,519 mg | 16 | 4,344–5,344 mg | 6–8 |
| 700 mg | 11,945 mg | 17 | 4,505–5,542 mg | 7–8 |
| 725 mg | 12,372 mg | 17 | 4,665–5,740 mg | 7–8 |
| 750 mg | 12,799 mg | 18 | 4,826–5,938 mg | 7–9 |
| 775 mg | 13,225 mg | 19 | 4,987–6,136 mg | 7–9 |
| 800 mg | 13,652 mg | 19 | 5,148–6,334 mg | 8–9 |
| 825 mg | 14,078 mg | 20 | 5,309–6,532 mg | 8–9 |
| 850 mg | 14,505 mg | 20 | 5,470–6,730 mg | 8–10 |
| 875 mg | 14,932 mg | 21 | 5,631–6,928 mg | 8–10 |
| 900 mg | 15,358 mg | 22 | 5,792–7,126 mg | 8–10 |
| 925 mg | 15,785 mg | 22 | 5,952–7,324 mg | 9–11 |
| 950 mg | 16,212 mg | 23 | 6,113–7,522 mg | 9–11 |
| 975 mg | 16,638 mg | 23 | 6,274–7,720 mg | 9–11 |
| 1,000 mg | 17,065 mg | 24 | 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