5 Little Known Benefits of Magnesium Bisglycinate

By now, most of us know that magnesium is good for us. The body needs it, most people don’t get enough and many feel more mentally relaxed and way less tired when they supplement it. 

Magnesium is best known for enhancing sleep and reducing stress. Thanks to the addition of the calming glycine molecule, magnesium bisglycinate is the type of magnesium typically used for sleep and stress. However, it’s also considered the gold standard for correcting low magnesium levels and deficiency. 

As new research comes out we are seeing that the benefits of magnesium bisglycinate extend far beyond sleep and stress. It turns out, magnesium has some seriously impressive (and exciting) benefits when it comes to longevity and aging well. Let's explore. 

An Introduction into the Longevity Benefits of Magnesium Bisglycinate

Longevity basically describes how healthy someone is into their old age and nowadays, it's a hot topic of research. The goal of longevity research is to explore the biological factors that drive the aging process. 

A popular scientific paper called “The Hallmarks of Aging: an expanding universe” identified 12 interconnected biological processes that drive aging. These processes have collectively been termed the 12 hallmarks of aging. The idea is, that through targeting these hallmarks of aging. We can live well, stay healthy and be happy for the entirety of our lives - or at least have a better chance. 

Here’s where it gets good - Magnesium is involved in and can improve all 12 hallmarks of aging. This makes it one of the most important and easily accessible tools that can contribute to a healthier life now and in old age. Since magnesium bisglycinate is known to optimize levels- it becomes a top contender when aiming to get the full body, longevity benefits of magnesium.

We're going to look at 5 of the hallmarks of aging in terms of how magnesium supports them. The 5 we will dive into are: 

• Stem cells: more stem cells = better regeneration. Less = faster deterioration 

• Mitochondrial health: The healthier the mitochondria, the healthier the body 

• Gut microbiome: an imbalance gut microbiome accelerates aging process 

• Cellular senescence: the slower cells undergo this process, the longer the body stays healthy 

• Telomere length: longer telomeres are associated with lower biological age, while shorter one are associated with faster aging 
  

Let's see how magnesium supports everyone of these, and what this means for you and your health. 

Little Known Benefits of Magnesium Bisglyciante #1: It Supports Stem Cells

Stem cells are cells that are essentially blank slates. They can become many types of cells and their primary purpose is to repair and regenerate tissues. 

One of the most impressive benefits of magnesium bisglycinate is that it helps stem cells multiply and do their job. Magnesium exerts its benefits primarily on a specific type of stem cell that repairs bones and cartilage and has an active role in skin regeneration.

Magnesium not only helps create more of these stem cells, thus increasing the regeneration capacity of the body  - but it also helps to upregulate their activity.

The number and function of stem cells declines with age, making anything that delays this process, such as magnesium an invaluable tool in the quest for longevity. 

Little Known Benefits of Magnesium Bisglyciante #2: Maintaining Mitochondria Health 

There is something called the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging, which basically states that the number and quality of the mitochondria determine how the body holds up through the aging process.

Why is this? Healthy mitochondria pump out a constant supply of energy and energy is the currency of vitality that the entire body runs on.

When mitochondria become damaged, they cause oxidative stress, damaging both DNA and cells as a whole. The amount of energy they can produce also decreases, leaving less available energy for the body to utilize.

Magnesium is known as a “mitonutrient” meaning it is needed for the health and functioning of the mitochondria. Suboptimal levels of magnesium directly impact the energy making capacity of the mitochondria and contribute to them becoming damaged. 

How does Magnesium Help the Mitochondria?

1. It is an essential component  in the energy making process and magnesium deficiency can inhibit the amount that can be generated

2. It increases the number of mitochondria, this greatly reduces the risk for chronic disease as more energy can be produced

3. It enhances the structural integrity of the mitochondria that prevents harmful substances from leaving the mitochondria so they don't damage tissues and DNA 

There are many ways to support the mitochondria, but magnesium may be one of the easiest. 

Little Known Benefits of Magnesium Bisglyciante #3: Slows down Cellular senescence

Cellular senescence may sound complicated, but it’s simply a built-in protective mechanism that stops  damaged cells from dividing and creating new cells that would also be dysfunctional.

However, senescent cells don’t disappear. They remain in the body and accumulate over time, which isn’t ideal. These cells release inflammatory compounds that contribute to cellular dysfunction and can accelerate the aging process.

Many factors influence cellular senescence, and low magnesium intake is one of them. Research suggests that magnesium deficiency may speed up the natural process of cells becoming senescent.

This suggests that optimizing magnesium levels could help support cellular healthspan, an important factor in maintaining health and resilience as we age.

Little Known Benefits of Magnesium  Bisglyciante #4: Improves the Microbiome 

A common idea in the holistic health world is that health begins in the gut. While this is slightly simplistic, an unhealthy gut microbiome - termed ‘dysbiosis’ is important enough to be named one of the 12 hallmarks of aging.

On the topic of the microbiome, fiber and fermented foods are generally what come to mind. These are both important for the health of the microbiome, but newer research is showing that magnesium is also important - to a high degree. 

We are now learning, diets low in magnesium contribute to dysbiosis. Here are some of the ways that magnesium supports a healthy microbiome: 

1. It supports diversity of beneficial microbes, a characteristic of a healthy gut

2. Its anti-inflammatory properties, encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria strains

3. Magnesium is needed for the creation of digestive enzymes, which help to break down food 
   

Magnesium alone cannot make a healthy, diverse gut microbiome but without adequate magnesium - one is not possible either. Showing yet another important reason, optimizing magnesium levels is crucial for long-term health. 

Little Known Benefits of Magnesium  Bisglyciante #5: Telomeres

Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell divides. Factors such as chronic stress and diet can also accelerate telomere shortening. Because of this, telomere length is often used as a marker of biological age, reflecting how well the body is functioning at a cellular level.

In general, longer telomeres are associated with better overall health.

Adequate magnesium intake has been positively associated with longer telomere length and slower cellular aging. Magnesium may support telomeres through several mechanisms:

1. Supporting telomere structure and integrity, helping prevent premature shortening

2. Acting as a required cofactor for telomerase, the enzyme responsible for extending telomeres

3. Protecting DNA from damage, thereby helping preserve telomeres as part of the DNA structure

From exploring these five hallmarks of aging, it’s clear that the benefits of magnesium bisglycinate go far beyond the familiar effects on sleep and stress. Magnesium is a foundational nutrient with advanced mechanisms of action that rival many specialized biohacking supplements. In today’s world, where accelerated aging is common, magnesium may be one of the most powerful tools to support healthy aging.

Magnesium bisglycinate is especially effective at increasing systemic magnesium levels and is often used to correct chronic magnesium deficiency. Our favorite is AOR’s Magnesium Glycinate (glycinate and bisglycinate are used interchangeably, so any magnesium with either term offers the same benefits!). 

There are also other forms of magnesium, each with their own unique benefits. Just as magnesium bisglycinate has calming effects thanks to the glycine molecule, other forms of magnesium may offer different, targeted advantages. If you want to learn more about which type of magnesium is right for you, check out this blog!

Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Consult with your primary care provider before starting a new supplement.