Same elemental magnesium · two salts · snapshot 2026-08-10
Magnesium sulfate vs taurate: 991–2,028 vs 2,242 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium
Magnesium sulfate is 9.9–20.2% elemental magnesium and magnesium taurate is 8.9%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 991–2,028 mg of sulfate against 2,242 mg of taurate: 2–3 vs 4 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. No capsule label names sulfate alone, against 0 of 2 for taurate. Prices within each salt: no ranked sulfate 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
Chart data
| Displayed chart text |
|---|
| 100 mg magnesium |
| sulfate 495–1,014 · taurate 1,121 |
| 200 mg magnesium |
| sulfate 991–2,028 · taurate 2,242 |
| 400 mg magnesium |
| sulfate 1,981–4,057 · taurate 4,484 |
Data release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · registry snapshot 2026-08-10 · latest price observation 2026-11-02 · chemistry 2026-10-17
How much sulfate or taurate carries the same elemental magnesium?
At the same elemental amount, sulfate (9.9–20.2% magnesium) always needs less compound than taurate (8.9%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 1,981–4,057 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| Elemental magnesium | sulfate compound | sulfate size 00 | taurate compound | taurate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mg | 495–1,014 mg | 1–2 | 1,121 mg | 2 |
| 200 mg | 991–2,028 mg | 2–3 | 2,242 mg | 4 |
| 400 mg | 1,981–4,057 mg | 3–6 | 4,484 mg | 7 |
sulfate: anhydrous 20.2%, heptahydrate 9.9%; 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 sulfate alone, 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| Salt | Audited capsule labels | Fits 0 or 00 | Needs 000 | Exceeds 000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sulfate | 0 | 0 | 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 sulfate 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| Salt | Ranked offers | Lowest per 100 mg | Median per 100 mg | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sulfate | 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 sulfate and taurate side by side?
One study in the PubMed-checked registry measured both salts in the same design; 2 involve sulfate and 1 involve taurate in total. They measured outcomes of the salts, not of any label.
measured| Year | Study | Salts measured | PubMed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best? | sulfate, oxide, taurate, citrate, malate | 29679349 |
| 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 |
Source · PubMed-checked study registry · registry checked 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method
How many labels name both sulfate and taurate?
No label names both sulfate and taurate as of 2026-08-10, against 4 labels naming sulfate and 12 naming taurate.
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 | sulfate compound | sulfate size 00 | taurate compound | taurate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mg | 124–254 mg | 1 | 280 mg | 1 |
| 50 mg | 248–507 mg | 1 | 561 mg | 1 |
| 75 mg | 371–761 mg | 1–2 | 841 mg | 2 |
| 100 mg | 495–1,014 mg | 1–2 | 1,121 mg | 2 |
| 125 mg | 619–1,268 mg | 1–2 | 1,401 mg | 2 |
| 150 mg | 743–1,521 mg | 2–3 | 1,682 mg | 3 |
| 175 mg | 867–1,775 mg | 2–3 | 1,962 mg | 3 |
| 200 mg | 991–2,028 mg | 2–3 | 2,242 mg | 4 |
32 additional rows
| Elemental magnesium | sulfate compound | sulfate size 00 | taurate compound | taurate size 00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225 mg | 1,114–2,282 mg | 2–4 | 2,522 mg | 4 |
| 250 mg | 1,238–2,535 mg | 2–4 | 2,803 mg | 4 |
| 275 mg | 1,362–2,789 mg | 2–4 | 3,083 mg | 5 |
| 300 mg | 1,486–3,043 mg | 3–5 | 3,363 mg | 5 |
| 325 mg | 1,610–3,296 mg | 3–5 | 3,643 mg | 5 |
| 350 mg | 1,734–3,550 mg | 3–5 | 3,924 mg | 6 |
| 375 mg | 1,857–3,803 mg | 3–6 | 4,204 mg | 6 |
| 400 mg | 1,981–4,057 mg | 3–6 | 4,484 mg | 7 |
| 425 mg | 2,105–4,310 mg | 3–6 | 4,765 mg | 7 |
| 450 mg | 2,229–4,564 mg | 4–7 | 5,045 mg | 7 |
| 475 mg | 2,353–4,817 mg | 4–7 | 5,325 mg | 8 |
| 500 mg | 2,476–5,071 mg | 4–7 | 5,605 mg | 8 |
| 525 mg | 2,600–5,325 mg | 4–8 | 5,886 mg | 9 |
| 550 mg | 2,724–5,578 mg | 4–8 | 6,166 mg | 9 |
| 575 mg | 2,848–5,832 mg | 4–8 | 6,446 mg | 9 |
| 600 mg | 2,972–6,085 mg | 5–9 | 6,726 mg | 10 |
| 625 mg | 3,096–6,339 mg | 5–9 | 7,007 mg | 10 |
| 650 mg | 3,219–6,592 mg | 5–10 | 7,287 mg | 10 |
| 675 mg | 3,343–6,846 mg | 5–10 | 7,567 mg | 11 |
| 700 mg | 3,467–7,099 mg | 5–10 | 7,848 mg | 11 |
| 725 mg | 3,591–7,353 mg | 5–11 | 8,128 mg | 12 |
| 750 mg | 3,715–7,606 mg | 6–11 | 8,408 mg | 12 |
| 775 mg | 3,839–7,860 mg | 6–11 | 8,688 mg | 12 |
| 800 mg | 3,962–8,114 mg | 6–12 | 8,969 mg | 13 |
| 825 mg | 4,086–8,367 mg | 6–12 | 9,249 mg | 13 |
| 850 mg | 4,210–8,621 mg | 6–12 | 9,529 mg | 14 |
| 875 mg | 4,334–8,874 mg | 6–13 | 9,809 mg | 14 |
| 900 mg | 4,458–9,128 mg | 7–13 | 10,090 mg | 14 |
| 925 mg | 4,581–9,381 mg | 7–13 | 10,370 mg | 15 |
| 950 mg | 4,705–9,635 mg | 7–14 | 10,650 mg | 15 |
| 975 mg | 4,829–9,888 mg | 7–14 | 10,930 mg | 15 |
| 1,000 mg | 4,953–10,142 mg | 7–14 | 11,211 mg | 16 |
Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method