The new research, which was funded by AIDP, was published in the journal Nutrients. It was the work of a research team from Nanjing Medical University and Canadian contract research organization Nutrasource.
The study material was AIDP’s branded ingredient Magtein, which is a patented form of magnesium L-threonate. AIDP has had the ingredient on the market since 2014. It was first discovered by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Higher bioavailability
The company claims that Magtein is the most bioavailable form of magnesium yet discovered. The mineral is on the market as a dietary ingredient in many other forms, such as magnesium chloride, citrate, glycinate and gluconate. According to AIDP, the MIT researchers proved that Magtein is not only the most bioavailable of these, but also that it can effectively deliver the mineral to brain tissue.
Magnesium is a key element in many processes in the body and is the second most abundant mineral in body tissues after calcium. It is involved in more than 300 processes, including energy generation in every cell, protein production, gene regulation, bone and teeth maintenance, as well as the proper functioning of the brain and nervous systems.
The researchers noted that a study using NHANES data from the 2011-2014 time frame found that higher magnesium levels were associated with better cognition. To drill down further into the ingredient’s effects, the researchers recruited a cohort of 102 healthy Chinese subjects who ranged in age from their early 30s to early 50s. There were slightly more women than men in the study.
The two groups received the Magtein supplement or a placebo daily for 30 days. The Magtein was formulated in a supplement that also included Vitamins B6, C and D3 as well as phosphatidylserine. The total Magtein dose, delivered in four capsules (two in the morning and again at night) was 1,600 mg/day.
According to supplement manufacturer NOW, which recently exposed misleading labeling practices among magnesium products for sale on Amazon, 2,000 mg of Magtein (which it sells as a single-ingredient SKU) delivers 144 mg of elemental magnesium. That means the Chinese subjects were getting about 115 mg of elemental magnesium daily.
Memory test scores improve
The subjects participated in a memory test before the 30 days of supplementation/placebo and again after. The test is a standardized measure developed by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Science. It includes five parts:
- Directed memory, which involves memorizing words from a list
- Paired-association learning, which involves pairs of words with a logical connection and pairs without
- Free recall of pictures, in which subjects are asked to recall pictures of familiar objects or activities
- Recognition of meaningless figures, which includes recalling graphical representations
- Portrait-features memory, in which subjects were asked to recall the name, occupation and hobbies associated with individual portraits.
The scores on the tests were crunched, yielding both raw score differentials as well as a ‘memory quotient’ for each participant. The researchers also measured biochemical factors and behavioral factors such as sleep scores and found that the Magtein supplement was well tolerated.
“Our data supported the benefits of Magtein PS on improving learning, recall, memory and cognitive abilities in this group of healthy Chinese adults. Furthermore, the benefits of Magtein PS were observed among all ages, with older people demonstrating the most improvement,” they concluded.
Jennifer Gu, AIDP’s vice president of research and development, said this newest study adds to the already solid amount of research backing the ingredient. “This study is the third human clinical publication in healthy adults and validates, Magtein’s cognitive support for a broad age group as well as an ethic group,” she said.
Source: Nutrients
2022, 14(24), 5235; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245235
A Magtein, Magnesium L-Threonate, -Based Formula Improves Brain Cognitive Functions in Healthy Chinese Adults
Authors: Zhang C, et al.
