With magnesium L-threonate from dementia

Magnesium L-threonate is a special form of magnesium that is bound to L-threonic acid, which distinguishes it from other magnesium compounds in terms of its properties.

• Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays an important role in every nerve cell. It helps the synapses – the connection points between the nerve cells – to remain strong and flexible, provides sufficient energy in the cells and protects them from overload. A magnesium deficiency can lead to nerve cells not performing their tasks optimally, which has a negative impact on memory, learning ability and concentration.
• L-threonate is the salt of threonic acid and a physiologically occurring sugar acid in the body, which is formed as a degradation product of vitamin C and acts as an important binding partner for magnesium.

In contrast to conventional magnesium compounds, this compound can cross the blood-brain barrier particularly well, allowing magnesium to reach the brain much more efficiently. Current studies suggest that magnesium L-threonate could have both preventive and therapeutic effects on brain function in people with dementia [2].

What the research shows?

Animal studies

Animal studies with rodents (mice and rats) show that magnesium L-threonate can increase the magnesium concentration in the brain and helps to prevent the loss of neurons and support cognitive abilities such as learning ability and memory.

In the study by Xiong et al. (2025), genetically modified APP/PS1 mice, an established animal model for Alzheimer’s disease, were divided into five groups that received different treatments over a period of three months.

• Group 1: 455 mg/kg/day magnesium L-threonate
• Group 2: 910 mg/kg/day magnesium L-threonate
• Group 3: 910 mg/kg/day magnesium L-threonate + 5 mg/kg/day ERK inhibitor (A molecule that inhibits the enzyme “ERK” and thereby controls cell growth and cell division)
• Group 4: 910 mg/kg/day magnesium L-threonate + 10 mg/kg/day ERK inhibitor
• Group 5: Control group, received only water

In the study, the mice had to complete a water test in which they had to find a hidden platform in the pool. Over time, the mice learned to reach the platform more quickly. The platform was then removed to test how well they could remember the location. Mice that received magnesium L-threonate found the hidden platform significantly faster in the water test and remembered the target area better. Especially the higher dose of 910 mg/kg/day brought the strongest improvements. At the same time, the number of newly formed nerve cells in the hippocampus increased significantly.

Mice from groups 3 and 4 were also given an ERK inhibitor, which blocks an important signaling pathway in the brain. As a result, magnesium L-threonate was unable to exert its positive effects on memory and new nerve cells. The mice that received both magnesium L-threonate and the ERK inhibitor performed significantly worse than animals that only received the magnesium preparation [3].

Human studies

Studies in humans also show that magnesium L-threonate can have a preventive effect and support brain function in Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

Therapeutic effect

Magnesium L-threonate was already investigated in 2016 in an RCT study with regard to its positive effect on cognition. In this randomized controlled trial, 51 people aged 50 to 70 years with mild dementia were divided into two groups. The intervention group received magnesium L-threonate at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight daily for 12 weeks, i.e. people between 50 and 70 kg received 1.5 g/day, and those between 70 and 100 kg received 2 g/day. The control group received a placebo. After 6 and 12 weeks, four tests were carried out (Trail Making, DigitSpan, Flanker and Face-Name) to check the cognitive performance of the participants.

After 6 to 12 weeks of treatment with magnesium L-threonate, the participants in the intervention group showed significantly higher intracellular magnesium levels in their red blood cells compared to the control group. An improvement in cognitive performance was observed after just 6 weeks. Executive functions in particular, i.e. the ability to plan and make quick decisions, improved after just 6 weeks. Working memory, which is important for the short-term memorization of numbers or information, was also improved in the short term after 6 weeks, although this effect was no longer significant after 12 weeks. In addition, there was an improvement in episodic memory, i.e. the ability to remember new events or names.

Another important effect was the reduced fluctuation in cognitive performance over time: the brain functions of the intervention group remained more stable, while the control group showed greater fluctuations. Before the start of the study, all participants showed a cognitive deficit that corresponded to a “brain age” of approximately 10 years above their actual age. After 12 weeks of treatment, this brain age in the intervention group decreased by around 9-10 years, which corresponds to an almost complete return to normal cognitive performance [1].

Preventive effect

In another RCT study from 2022, the influence of magnesium L-threonate on cognitive performance in healthy adults was investigated. A total of 109 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 took part, who were divided into an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received 2 g of Magtein®PS per day. This formula contains 400 mg magnesium L-threonate, 50 mg phosphatidylserine, 12 mg vitamin C, 4 mg vitamin B6 and 80 IU vitamin D3. The Clinical Memory Test and five other subtests were carried out to test cognitive abilities.

The results showed that the intervention group achieved significant improvements in all areas tested. Older participants in particular benefited the most from the supplementation. The combination of magnesium L-threonate, phosphatidylserine and vitamins C and D indicates a synergistic effect that can increase memory performance, attention and learning ability [4].

Conclusion

Both animal and human studies indicate a positive effect of magnesium L-threonate on cognitive performance. However, it should be noted that results from animal studies are not directly transferable to humans. In addition, the human studies to date have been carried out with relatively few participants. Large and long-term human studies are therefore still needed to fully confirm efficacy and safety. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait that long:

There is nothing to be said against supplementing magnesium L-threonate (trade name Magtein) instead of the usual magnesium compounds. This only offers opportunities and no risks.

Magnesium L-threonate has also been shown to be beneficial for other neurological disorders, as these articles from our sister project Life-SMS show.

• Not all magnesium is the same? | Life-SMS
• Magnesium compound for the brain | Life-SMS

If you would like to find out more about the effect of magnesium on dementia, click here.

References

1. Liu, G., Weinger, J. G., Lu, Z.-L., Xue, F., & Sadeghpour, S. (2016). Efficacy and Safety of MMFS-01, a Synapse Density Enhancer, for Treating Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 49(4), 971-990. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-150538
2. Sun, Q., Weinger, J. G., Mao, F., & Liu, G. (2016). Regulation of structural and functional synapse density by L-threonate through modulation of intraneuronal magnesium concentration. Neuropharmacology, 108, 426-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.05.006
3. Xiong, Y., Yang, Y., Ruan, Y., Ou, W., Hu, Z., Li, W., Xiao, N., Liao, W., Liu, J., Liu, Z., Luo, Q., Liu, F., & Liu, J. (2025). Magnesium-L-threonate Ameliorates Cognitive Deficit by Attenuating Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis Impairment in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. Experimental Neurobiology, 34(2), 53-62. https://doi.org/10.5607/en24030
4. Zhang, C., Hu, Q., Li, S., Dai, F., Qian, W., Hewlings, S., Yan, T., & Wang, Y. (2022). A Magtein®, Magnesium L-Threonate, -Based Formula Improves Brain Cognitive Functions in Healthy Chinese Adults. Nutrients, 14(24), 5235. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245235

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