Comparison
Magnesium L-Threonate vs Noopept
Side-by-side of Magnesium L-Threonate and Noopept. 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 L-Threonate
Magnesium l-threonate (Magtein) crosses the blood-brain barrier. Typical dose 1,500-2,000 mg. Sleep and cognitive trial data, side effects.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
Effects at a glance
Magnesium L-Threonate
- •Distinct magnesium salt designed for blood-brain barrier penetration; not a higher-quality systemic magnesium
- •Liu 2010 rodent study: elevated CSF magnesium ~15% and increased hippocampal synaptic density
- •Trial portfolio in humans is small and mostly Magtein-funded; cognitive effects are modest where reported
- •Typical dose 1500 to 2000 mg/day delivers only ~108 to 144 mg of elemental magnesium
- •GI tolerability comparable to other magnesium forms; loose stools in a minority at 2000 mg/day
- •Distinct from magnesium glycinate, which is the conventional sleep/anxiety/repletion form
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Magnesium L-Threonate | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | nootropic |
| Also known as | Mg-T, MgT, Magtein, magnesium threonate | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 4 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 2000 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | 1 to 3 times daily | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 294.5 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C8H14MgO10 | C17H22N2O4 |
| Mechanism | Proposed to deliver magnesium across the blood-brain barrier more effectively than other oral salts via threonate-related transporters, raising CNS magnesium and modulating NMDA receptor function and synaptic plasticity. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement (not scheduled) | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Standard magnesium safety; Mg-T-specific data limited | Not recommended |
| CAS | 778571-57-6 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 10691810 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q27151568 | Q4321022 |
Safety profile
Magnesium L-Threonate
Common side effects
- loose stools
- mild GI upset
- headache (rare)
- fatigue (rare)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment (eGFR below 30)
- hypermagnesemia
- myasthenia gravis (high doses)
- concurrent IV magnesium therapy
Interactions
- tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones: magnesium chelation reduces antibiotic absorption; separate by 2 to 4 hours(moderate)
- bisphosphonates: reduced absorption; separate by 2 hours minimum(moderate)
- muscle relaxants and aminoglycosides: potentiated neuromuscular blockade at high doses(moderate)
- antihypertensives: additive blood pressure reduction at high doses(minor)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium L-Threonate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Noopept is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium L-Threonate.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Noopept.
Edge case: If you want to avoid controlled substance, Magnesium L-Threonate is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Magnesium L-Threonate. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept 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 Magnesium L-Threonate and Noopept?
Magnesium L-Threonate and Noopept differ in category (supplement vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Magnesium L-Threonate or Noopept?
Magnesium L-Threonate half-life is 4 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack Magnesium L-Threonate with Noopept?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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