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

Magnesium lactate vs orotate: 1,665–1,963 vs 2,751 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium

Magnesium lactate is 10.2–12.0% elemental magnesium and magnesium orotate is 7.3%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 1,665–1,963 mg of lactate against 2,751 mg of orotate: 3 vs 4 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. 0 of 1 capsule labels naming lactate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against 0 of 3 for orotate. Prices within each salt: no ranked lactate price; orotate $0.7937 per 100 mg (a single ranked offer); observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02.

computed from chemical formulas

lactate for 200 mg Mg1,665–1,963 mg10.2–12.0% magnesium · 3 size 00

orotate for 200 mg Mg2,751 mg7.3% magnesium · 4 size 00

Exceeds size 0000 of 1 · 0 of 3lactate · orotate capsule labels

Cheapest by declared elemental magnesium, per 100 mg, within each saltlactate none · orotate $0.79370 and 1 ranked offers · 2026-11-02

Compound mass for the same elemental magnesium: dark dot lactate (10.2–12.0%, lower mass bound), grey dot orotate (7.3%); the labels give each salt's full range.

Chart data

Chart labels and values for the main chart
Displayed chart text
100 mg magnesium
lactate 833–981 · orotate 1,376
200 mg magnesium
lactate 1,665–1,963 · orotate 2,751
400 mg magnesium
lactate 3,331–3,925 · orotate 5,502

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 lactate or orotate carries the same elemental magnesium?

At the same elemental amount, lactate (10.2–12.0% magnesium) always needs less compound than orotate (7.3%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 3,331–3,925 mg against 5,502 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 lactate and orotate
Elemental magnesium	lactate compound	lactate size 00	orotate compound	orotate size 00
100 mg	833–981 mg	2	1,376 mg	2
200 mg	1,665–1,963 mg	3	2,751 mg	4
400 mg	3,331–3,925 mg	5–6	5,502 mg	8

lactate: anhydrous 12.01% or dihydrate 10.19% (238.48 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 1 capsule labels naming lactate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against 0 of 3 for orotate. 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 · lactate vs orotate · capsule verdicts, 0 of 1 vs 0 of 3 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
lactate
fits 1 of 1
needs 000 0 of 1
exceeds 0 of 1
orotate
fits 3 of 3
needs 000 0 of 3
exceeds 0 of 3

Capsule verdicts for lactate and orotate labels
Salt	Audited capsule labels	Fits 0 or 00	Needs 000	Exceeds 000
lactate	1	1	0	0
orotate	3	3	0	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 lactate price; orotate $0.7937 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
Salt	Ranked offers	Lowest per 100 mg	Median per 100 mg	Observed
lactate	0	none	none	2026-11-02
orotate	1	$0.7937	$0.7937	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 lactate and orotate side by side?

No study in the PubMed-checked registry measured lactate and orotate side by side as of 2026-08-10; 2 involve lactate and 0 involve orotate separately.

measured

Registry studies involving lactate or orotate
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

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

How many labels name both lactate and orotate?

No label names both lactate and orotate as of 2026-08-10, against 6 labels naming lactate and 8 naming orotate.

measured

Labels naming both salts
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

Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium
Elemental magnesium	lactate compound	lactate size 00	orotate compound	orotate size 00
25 mg	208–245 mg	1	344 mg	1
50 mg	416–491 mg	1	688 mg	1
75 mg	624–736 mg	1–2	1,032 mg	2
100 mg	833–981 mg	2	1,376 mg	2
125 mg	1,041–1,227 mg	2	1,719 mg	3
150 mg	1,249–1,472 mg	2–3	2,063 mg	3
175 mg	1,457–1,717 mg	2–3	2,407 mg	4
200 mg	1,665–1,963 mg	3	2,751 mg	4

32 additional rows

Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium, additional rows
Elemental magnesium	lactate compound	lactate size 00	orotate compound	orotate size 00
225 mg	1,873–2,208 mg	3–4	3,095 mg	5
250 mg	2,082–2,453 mg	3–4	3,439 mg	5
275 mg	2,290–2,699 mg	4	3,783 mg	6
300 mg	2,498–2,944 mg	4–5	4,127 mg	6
325 mg	2,706–3,189 mg	4–5	4,470 mg	7
350 mg	2,914–3,435 mg	4–5	4,814 mg	7
375 mg	3,122–3,680 mg	5–6	5,158 mg	8
400 mg	3,331–3,925 mg	5–6	5,502 mg	8
425 mg	3,539–4,171 mg	5–6	5,846 mg	9
450 mg	3,747–4,416 mg	6–7	6,190 mg	9
475 mg	3,955–4,661 mg	6–7	6,534 mg	9
500 mg	4,163–4,907 mg	6–7	6,878 mg	10
525 mg	4,371–5,152 mg	6–8	7,221 mg	10
550 mg	4,580–5,397 mg	7–8	7,565 mg	11
575 mg	4,788–5,643 mg	7–8	7,909 mg	11
600 mg	4,996–5,888 mg	7–9	8,253 mg	12
625 mg	5,204–6,133 mg	8–9	8,597 mg	12
650 mg	5,412–6,379 mg	8–9	8,941 mg	13
675 mg	5,620–6,624 mg	8–10	9,285 mg	13
700 mg	5,828–6,869 mg	8–10	9,629 mg	14
725 mg	6,037–7,115 mg	9–10	9,972 mg	14
750 mg	6,245–7,360 mg	9–11	10,316 mg	15
775 mg	6,453–7,605 mg	9–11	10,660 mg	15
800 mg	6,661–7,851 mg	10–11	11,004 mg	16
825 mg	6,869–8,096 mg	10–12	11,348 mg	16
850 mg	7,077–8,342 mg	10–12	11,692 mg	17
875 mg	7,286–8,587 mg	10–12	12,036 mg	17
900 mg	7,494–8,832 mg	11–13	12,380 mg	17
925 mg	7,702–9,078 mg	11–13	12,724 mg	18
950 mg	7,910–9,323 mg	11–13	13,067 mg	18
975 mg	8,118–9,568 mg	12–14	13,411 mg	19
1,000 mg	8,326–9,814 mg	12–14	13,755 mg	19

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