Brain-Mag Pro (Magtein®) Supplements May Support Memory, Mood and Cognition With Age

Magnesium is important for many of the body's and mind's most important functions, such as mood regulation, memory support and metabolism.

Roughly half of Americans don’t get enough magnesium—that’s because agricultural practices have depleted soil magnesium in recent years, decreasing the amount found in plants that grow there.  

As a result, magnesium deficiency is common in the elderly. Importantly, many studies have linked magnesium deficiency to one of the main health issues that affect aging people: cognitive loss. Conversely, research has found that more magnesium is linked to slower aging in old age (McIntyre et al., 2021).

While there are many magnesium supplements available on the market, most of these products have low bioavailability, meaning our bodies don’t do a great job of taking up the mineral and using it.

To help with these problems, researchers have been looking for the best way to take magnesium supplements to improve absorption and brain health. In 2010, magnesium L-threonate (MgT), a new magnesium compound, was shown to raise magnesium levels in the brain and neurons. MgT helps keep our brains healthy and our minds sharp as we age. It also slows down the loss of brain function, makes it easier for nerve cells in the brain to talk to each other, and supports memory and mood.

The Cognitive Advantages of Brain-Mag Pro (Magtein®) 

Brain-Mag Pro contains Magtein®, which is the patented and trademarked name for MgT and made to be as bioavailable as possible to the brain. Because Magtein® can easily cross the highly selective blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from pathogens and other harmful substances, and is easily absorbed by brain cells (neurons), Brain-Mag Pro is thought to be better for supporting brain health and cognition.

And there’s data to back this up. Results from a human clinical trial indicated significant benefits of Magtein® in improving memory and cognition in healthy adults (Zhang et al., 2022). In this study, 109 Chinese adults who took Magtein®PS, a Magtein® formulation additionally containing vitamins C and D, did much better on memory tests, learning by association, figure recognition, recall, and linking a character's face to its name. 

How Does Brain-Mag Pro (Magtein®) Support Cognitive Function?

Magnesium is essential for maintaining between-cell signaling and promoting the growth, maturation and survival of both neurons and their networks. Because magnesium does these things, it is linked to synaptic plasticity, which is how flexible and adaptable the brain is at making new connections. In the same way, magnesium increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a protein that helps neurons live and grow.

In a study with animals, researchers found that MgT increased the number of synapses—or connections between nerve cells—in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that is most important for learning and memory (Slutsky et al., 2010). Plus, mice who received this supplement showed a reversal of cognitive deficits. Because synaptic dysfunction is a major cause and predictor of cognitive loss, keeping these pathways open by getting enough MgT may help keep our brains healthy as we age.

Some research points to how Brain Mag Pro supports human cognition. In one study, 44 older adults were randomized to take between 1.5 and 2 grams of MgT per day (depending on their body weight) or a placebo for 12 weeks (Liu et al., 2016). They found that those taking MgT had significantly improved cognitive ability and memory. Not only that, but MgT reduced their overall brain age by nine years, as measured by tests of executive function—the set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. 

We use these skills daily to learn, work and manage daily life. Declines in executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions and handle emotions, which are all symptoms of cognitive loss. 

How Does Brain-Mag Pro (Magtein®) Support Healthy Mood?

Magnesium also affects mood, likely because of its role in neuronal signaling and the production of BDNF, which we already talked about. Plus, magnesium is involved with the function of some neurotransmitters—chemicals made by neurons that specifically transmit messages to other cells.

One chemical that magnesium impacts is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter that blocks or decreases specific brain signals. Although blocking brain signals sounds bad, GABA’s ability to reduce nervous system activity leads to feelings of calmness and can reduce anxious or stressful feelings. Magnesium also helps to regulate the synthesis of other mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Finally, magnesium may help maintain a positive mood by preventing glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, from becoming overstimulated. Since glutamate and GABA do different things, too much glutamate kills neurons and is linked to mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions.

There has been research specifically on MgT and mood in people. A 2022 study examined how supplemental MgT affected stress and mood symptoms in adults aged 50 to 70 (Hewlings & Douglas 2022). Those in the MgT group who took it for 12 weeks reported fewer anxious and stressful symptoms than those in the placebo group.   

A 2019 study found that older people with reduced magnesium levels in their blood were much more likely to have symptoms of low mood, even if their magnesium levels were within the normal range (Tarleton et al., 2019). This suggests that magnesium levels on the low end of what is considered adequate may be linked to mood even without a full-blown deficiency, which is becoming more common in older adults. 

More research is needed on healthy adults to see how magnesium L-threonate affects sleep, mood, stress and anxiety symptoms.

Key Takeaways: 

• Most Americans, especially older adults, don't get enough magnesium from their diet or their supplements don't work well for them.
• While there are many forms of supplemental magnesium, Brain-Mag Pro solves these problems by giving you a highly absorbable form of MgT that can cross the blood-brain barrier and quickly increase magnesium levels in the brain.
• Brain-Mag Pro (Magtein®) is optimized for supporting brain health, memory and cognition with age. Studies in animals and humans have found that MgT supplementation is linked to improved memory, executive functions, cognition, synaptic plasticity and mood.

Article Reviewed By: Emily Parsell, RDN

References:

Costello RB, Elin RJ, Rosanoff A, Wallace TC, Guerrero-Romero F, Hruby A, Lutsey PL, Nielsen FH, Rodriguez-Moran M, Song Y, Van Horn LV. Adv Nutr. 2016 Nov 15;7(6):977-993. 

Susan J Hewlings and Douglas S Kalman. EC Nutrition 17.3 (2022): 07-14.

Liu G, Weinger JG, Lu ZL, Xue F, Sadeghpour S. J Al Dis. 2016;49(4):971-90. 

McIntyre RL, Rahman M, Vanapalli SA, Houtkooper RH, Janssens GE. Front Aging. 2021 Jul 15;2:708680. 

Slutsky I, Abumaria N, Wu LJ, Huang C, Zhang L, Li B, Zhao X, Govindarajan A, Zhao MG, Zhuo M, Tonegawa S, Liu G. Neuron. 2010 Jan 28;65(2):165-77.

Tarleton EK, Kennedy AG, Rose GL, Crocker A, Littenberg B. Nutrients. 2019 Jun 28;11(7):1475. 

Zhang C, Hu Q, Li S, Dai F, Qian W, Hewlings S, Yan T, Wang Y. Nutrients. 2022 Dec 8;14(24):5235.