Cognitive Benefits of Magnesium L-Threonate

This lab-made magnesium salt is showing some remarkable effects on the brain

It’s now believed that increasing synapses and their density may prevent cognitive decline, and magnesium L-threonate may help. Andrus Ciprian/Shutterstock

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Developed by scientists in 2010, magnesium L-threonate (MgT) is a patented magnesium compound with the ability to enhance working memory, short- and long-term memory, and learning.
• In 2016, scientists found that not only did MgT enhance performance on individual cognitive tests in older adults with cognitive impairment, but also reversed brain aging by more than nine years.
• MgT has been found to make dramatic improvements for people suffering from anxiety, sleep disorders, and cognitive dysfunction.
• People with low magnesium levels are at risk for a number of serious disorders, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other signs of metabolic syndrome, as well as osteoporosis.
• The latest discoveries regarding MgT were deemed critical because of the connection between the loss of synaptic density, brain shrinkage, and subsequent cognitive decline.

Magnesium comes in a wide variety of naturally occurring forms, but magnesium L-threonate isn’t one of them. This magnesium salt of L-threonic acid was made in a lab, although it’s made of two natural parts.

Some people’s brains shrink with age more than others. It’s now believed that increasing synapses and their density may prevent cognitive decline, and magnesium L-threonate may help.