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

Magnesium lactate vs taurate: 1,665–1,963 vs 2,242 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium

Magnesium lactate is 10.2–12.0% elemental magnesium and magnesium taurate is 8.9%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 1,665–1,963 mg of lactate against 2,242 mg of taurate: 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 2 for taurate. Prices within each salt: no ranked lactate price; taurate from $0.1033 per 100 mg (median $0.1842, 4 ranked offers); 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

taurate for 200 mg Mg2,242 mg8.9% magnesium · 4 size 00

Exceeds size 0000 of 1 · 0 of 2lactate · taurate capsule labels

Cheapest by declared elemental magnesium, per 100 mg, within each saltlactate none · taurate $0.10330 and 4 ranked offers · 2026-11-02

Compound mass for the same elemental magnesium: dark dot lactate (10.2–12.0%, lower mass bound), grey dot taurate (8.9%); the labels give each salt's full range.

Chart data

Chart labels and values for the main chart
Displayed chart text
100 mg magnesium
lactate 833–981 · taurate 1,121
200 mg magnesium
lactate 1,665–1,963 · taurate 2,242
400 mg magnesium
lactate 3,331–3,925 · taurate 4,484

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 taurate carries the same elemental magnesium?

At the same elemental amount, lactate (10.2–12.0% magnesium) always needs less compound than taurate (8.9%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 3,331–3,925 mg against 4,484 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 taurate
Elemental magnesium	lactate compound	lactate size 00	taurate compound	taurate size 00
100 mg	833–981 mg	2	1,121 mg	2
200 mg	1,665–1,963 mg	3	2,242 mg	4
400 mg	3,331–3,925 mg	5–6	4,484 mg	7

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 2 for taurate. 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 taurate · capsule verdicts, 0 of 1 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
lactate
fits 1 of 1
needs 000 0 of 1
exceeds 0 of 1
taurate
fits 0 of 2
needs 000 2 of 2
exceeds 0 of 2

Capsule verdicts for lactate and taurate labels
Salt	Audited capsule labels	Fits 0 or 00	Needs 000	Exceeds 000
lactate	1	1	0	0
taurate	2	0	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 lactate price; taurate from $0.1033 per 100 mg (median $0.1842, 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

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
taurate	4	$0.1033	$0.1842	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 taurate side by side?

No study in the PubMed-checked registry measured lactate and taurate side by side as of 2026-08-10; 2 involve lactate and 1 involve taurate separately.

measured

Registry studies involving lactate or taurate
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
2019	Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best?	sulfate, oxide, taurate, citrate, malate	29679349

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

How many labels name both lactate and taurate?

No label names both lactate and taurate as of 2026-08-10, against 6 labels naming lactate and 12 naming taurate.

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	taurate compound	taurate size 00
25 mg	208–245 mg	1	280 mg	1
50 mg	416–491 mg	1	561 mg	1
75 mg	624–736 mg	1–2	841 mg	2
100 mg	833–981 mg	2	1,121 mg	2
125 mg	1,041–1,227 mg	2	1,401 mg	2
150 mg	1,249–1,472 mg	2–3	1,682 mg	3
175 mg	1,457–1,717 mg	2–3	1,962 mg	3
200 mg	1,665–1,963 mg	3	2,242 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	taurate compound	taurate size 00
225 mg	1,873–2,208 mg	3–4	2,522 mg	4
250 mg	2,082–2,453 mg	3–4	2,803 mg	4
275 mg	2,290–2,699 mg	4	3,083 mg	5
300 mg	2,498–2,944 mg	4–5	3,363 mg	5
325 mg	2,706–3,189 mg	4–5	3,643 mg	5
350 mg	2,914–3,435 mg	4–5	3,924 mg	6
375 mg	3,122–3,680 mg	5–6	4,204 mg	6
400 mg	3,331–3,925 mg	5–6	4,484 mg	7
425 mg	3,539–4,171 mg	5–6	4,765 mg	7
450 mg	3,747–4,416 mg	6–7	5,045 mg	7
475 mg	3,955–4,661 mg	6–7	5,325 mg	8
500 mg	4,163–4,907 mg	6–7	5,605 mg	8
525 mg	4,371–5,152 mg	6–8	5,886 mg	9
550 mg	4,580–5,397 mg	7–8	6,166 mg	9
575 mg	4,788–5,643 mg	7–8	6,446 mg	9
600 mg	4,996–5,888 mg	7–9	6,726 mg	10
625 mg	5,204–6,133 mg	8–9	7,007 mg	10
650 mg	5,412–6,379 mg	8–9	7,287 mg	10
675 mg	5,620–6,624 mg	8–10	7,567 mg	11
700 mg	5,828–6,869 mg	8–10	7,848 mg	11
725 mg	6,037–7,115 mg	9–10	8,128 mg	12
750 mg	6,245–7,360 mg	9–11	8,408 mg	12
775 mg	6,453–7,605 mg	9–11	8,688 mg	12
800 mg	6,661–7,851 mg	10–11	8,969 mg	13
825 mg	6,869–8,096 mg	10–12	9,249 mg	13
850 mg	7,077–8,342 mg	10–12	9,529 mg	14
875 mg	7,286–8,587 mg	10–12	9,809 mg	14
900 mg	7,494–8,832 mg	11–13	10,090 mg	14
925 mg	7,702–9,078 mg	11–13	10,370 mg	15
950 mg	7,910–9,323 mg	11–13	10,650 mg	15
975 mg	8,118–9,568 mg	12–14	10,930 mg	15
1,000 mg	8,326–9,814 mg	12–14	11,211 mg	16

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