Comparison
Ashwagandha vs Magnesium Glycinate
Side-by-side of Ashwagandha and Magnesium Glycinate. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha supplement guide: KSM-66 and Sensoril extracts at 300-600 mg/day cut morning cortisol and stress in RCTs. Dose, side effects, testosterone data.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
Effects at a glance
Ashwagandha
- •Reduces morning serum cortisol by ~20 to 30% at 300 to 600 mg/day standardized extract over 8 weeks
- •Lowers subjective stress on DASS-21 and PSS scales versus placebo in chronically stressed adults
- •Modest grip-strength and 1-RM gains of ~5 to 8% in trained men when paired with resistance training
- •Improves self-reported sleep quality and onset latency in adults with insomnia symptoms
- •Small testosterone increases (~10 to 15%) reported in stressed or subfertile men, less clear in healthy populations
- •May raise free T3 and T4; can interact with levothyroxine and unmask subclinical hyperthyroidism
Magnesium Glycinate
- •Shortens sleep onset latency in older adults and in deficient populations supplementing 200 to 400 mg elemental Mg
- •Improves subjective sleep quality scores (PSQI, ISI) modestly versus placebo over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Reduces nocturnal leg cramps and exercise-induced muscle cramping in some controlled trials
- •Lowers self-reported anxiety in mild-to-moderate cases, with smaller effect than first-line pharmacotherapy
- •Glycinate form delivers fewer GI side effects than oxide or citrate at equivalent elemental doses
- •Insufficient as a stand-alone hypertension treatment; small adjunctive blood-pressure reductions only
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Ashwagandha | Magnesium Glycinate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | natural | supplement |
| Also known as | Withania somnifera, KSM-66, Sensoril | magnesium bisglycinate |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 10 | 5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 600 | 300 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | daily (often evening) |
| Routes | oral | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 2 | 1 |
| Mechanism | GABAergic modulation and HPA-axis attenuation; withanolides reduce cortisol secretion and inhibit NF-kB signaling. | Magnesium acts as a cofactor for 300+ enzymes and as a voltage-dependent antagonist at NMDA receptors; glycine serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and co-agonist at glycine receptors. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement in most jurisdictions; regulated in Denmark | Dietary supplement |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician |
| CAS | - | 14783-68-7 |
| PubChem CID | - | 84645 |
| Wikidata | Q310109 | - |
Safety profile
Ashwagandha
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- drowsiness
- headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- autoimmune disease (theoretical immune stimulation)
- hyperthyroidism
- concurrent sedative use
Interactions
- benzodiazepines: additive CNS depression(moderate)
- thyroid hormone (levothyroxine): may raise T3/T4, altering dose requirements(moderate)
- immunosuppressants: theoretical antagonism via immune stimulation(moderate)
Magnesium Glycinate
Common side effects
- mild GI upset at high doses
- loose stools (dose-dependent, less than with oxide/citrate forms)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment
- myasthenia gravis
- heart block
Interactions
- tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: magnesium chelates antibiotic, reducing absorption; separate by 2+ hours(moderate)
- bisphosphonates: reduced absorption of bisphosphonate(moderate)
- potassium-sparing diuretics: possible hypermagnesemia in renal impairment(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium Glycinate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Ashwagandha is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Ashwagandha.
- → If your priority is hormonal optimization, pick Ashwagandha.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
Default choice: Magnesium Glycinate. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Ashwagandha only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Ashwagandha and Magnesium Glycinate?
Ashwagandha and Magnesium Glycinate differ in category (natural vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Ashwagandha or Magnesium Glycinate?
Ashwagandha half-life is 10 hours; Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours.
Can you stack Ashwagandha with Magnesium Glycinate?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper