Comparison
Magnesium Glycinate vs TUDCA
Side-by-side of Magnesium Glycinate and TUDCA. 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.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
TUDCA
TUDCA is the taurine-conjugated form of ursodeoxycholic acid, a bile-acid molecule with replicated effects on liver function, ER stress, and bile flow.
Effects at a glance
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
TUDCA
- •Bile-acid molecule (taurine-conjugated UDCA) with chemical chaperone activity at the endoplasmic reticulum
- •Established pharmaceutical use for cholestasis and primary biliary cholangitis at 500-750 mg/day
- •Reduces ER stress and stabilizes misfolded proteins; the mechanistic basis for emerging ALS / retinal applications
- •Modest improvements in NAFLD markers and insulin sensitivity at 500-1,750 mg/day in small trials
- •Mitochondrial protection signal in animal models drives the longevity-supplement positioning
- •Generally well-tolerated; mild GI effects are the main dose-dependent issue
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Magnesium Glycinate | TUDCA |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | supplement |
| Also known as | magnesium bisglycinate | tauroursodeoxycholic acid, taurine-conjugated UDCA |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 5 | 4 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 300 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | daily (often evening) | daily, divided into 2 doses with food |
| Routes | oral | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | - | 2 |
| Molecular weight | - | 499.7 |
| Molecular formula | - | C26H45NO6S |
| Mechanism | 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. | Bile-acid signaling via FXR/TGR5 receptors; chemical chaperone reducing ER stress and unfolded protein response; mitochondrial protection through reduced outer-membrane permeabilization. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement | OTC dietary supplement (US); pharmaceutical in Italy and several Asian countries |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician | Insufficient data for supplement use; UDCA used in cholestasis of pregnancy |
| CAS | 14783-68-7 | 14605-22-2 |
| PubChem CID | 84645 | 9848818 |
| Wikidata | - | Q418751 |
Safety profile
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)
TUDCA
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- diarrhea (dose-dependent)
- constipation (rare)
- nausea
Contraindications
- complete biliary obstruction
- pregnancy / lactation (insufficient supplement-dose data)
- active GI disease without medical supervision
Interactions
- cyclosporine, oral contraceptives, fat-soluble vitamins: modest absorption changes via altered bile-acid pool(minor)
- phenylbutyrate: synergistic for ALS use (Relyvrio combination); consult clinician(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium Glycinate and TUDCA score evenly on the criteria we weight (goal breadth, legal accessibility, evidence depth). The conditionals below should drive the decision more than any aggregate score.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is liver function, pick TUDCA.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick TUDCA.
Default choice: either is defensible. Magnesium Glycinate edges out on goal breadth + legal accessibility; TUDCA is the right call if your priority sits in the goals listed 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 Magnesium Glycinate and TUDCA?
Magnesium Glycinate and TUDCA differ in category (supplement vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Magnesium Glycinate or TUDCA?
Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours; TUDCA half-life is 4 hours.
Can you stack Magnesium Glycinate with TUDCA?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper