Magnesium L-threonate: brain health, synaptic plasticity and mental resilience
Cognitive ageing is largely determined by the gradual decline of synaptic plasticity and neuronal communication. As we grow older, brain cells lose connections, the efficiency of signal transmission decreases, and the intracellular magnesium concentration in the brain falls—factors linked to several hallmarks of ageing, including disturbed intercellular communication, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation linked to ageing.
Magnesium plays a central role in neuronal stability, ATP binding, and the regulation of NMDA receptors. However, it appears that especially brain-specific magnesium levels decline with age, even when total magnesium intake seems adequate. Magnesium L-threonate (MgT) is a distinctive magnesium compound developed specifically to promote the uptake of magnesium into neurons, with the aim of raising the brain magnesium concentration, which is important for synaptic plasticity and memory.¹
Interest in MgT increased after preclinical research by Slutsky and colleagues (2010). In this animal study, oral supplementation with magnesium L-threonate led to increased magnesium concentrations in the brains of rats, resulting in improved synaptic density, strengthened long-term potentiation (LTP), and significant improvements in learning and memory performance in both young and older animals.²
Follow-up research into the underlying workings showed that threonate directly increases the intracellular magnesium concentration in neurons, which strengthens functional presynaptic terminals, improves mitochondrial membrane potential, and increases synaptic stability—all factors that can support synaptic plasticity and neuronal function.³
Although the evidence for neurodegenerative models such as Alzheimer’s is, strictly speaking, still preclinical and partly still being developed, recent animal studies show that magnesium L-threonate can have protective effects against cognitive decline and oxidative stress in model organisms, suggesting that MgT may have nerve-protecting potential.⁴
More limited, but existing, human data support the relevance of magnesium L-threonate in adults. In a randomised, placebo-controlled study in healthy adults, a formula containing magnesium L-threonate and phosphatidylserine showed that cognitive performance, including memory and overall cognitive scores, improved significantly compared with placebo, especially in older participants within the study population.⁵ Other recent studies suggest that supplementation with magnesium L-threonate may be associated with improvements in working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention in adults after several weeks of supplementation, although some of these studies contained combined ingredients, and the exact role of MgT on its own remains a subject of further study.⁶
In addition to direct effects on memory and cognition, magnesium and MgT play an important role in stress regulation. Magnesium’s modulation of NMDA receptors and support of the GABA system contribute to relaxation, sleep quality, and emotional stability—factors that are indirectly strongly linked to inflammation linked to ageing and cognitive resilience in later life.⁷
What sets magnesium L-threonate apart from many other measures is that it does not focus only on symptoms, but offers structural support for neuronal stability and mitochondrial efficiency through the specific increase of magnesium inside neural cells.
Within a longevity strategy, magnesium L-threonate is therefore especially interesting as a nerve-protecting building block that supports synaptic integrity, resistance to stress, and cognitive flexibility—factors that determine clear and resilient functioning in later life.
Sources
- Information about magnesium L-threonate, brain function, and cognitive health, including concepts around intraneuronal magnesium balance and synaptic plasticity. Wikipedia: Magnesium L-threonate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_L-threonate - Slutsky I, et al. Enhancement of learning and memory by elevating brain magnesium. Neuron. 2010;65(2):165–177. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20152124/
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Sun Q, et al. Regulation of structural and functional synapse density by L-threonate through modulation of intracellular magnesium concentration. Neuropharmacology. 2016;108:426–435.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27178134/ - Recent preclinical data suggest nerve-protecting effects of magnesium L-threonate in animal models of cognitive decline and oxidative stress. (For example, the HT22 cell model and APP/PS1 mouse models show protection against oxidative damage).
https://www.wjgnet.com/2220-3206/full/v12/i3/410.htm - Zhang C, et al. A Magtein®, Magnesium L-Threonate-Based Formula Improves Brain Cognitive Functions in Healthy Chinese Adults. Nutrients. 2022;14(24):5235. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36558392/
- Lopresti A, et al. The effects of magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) supplementation on cognitive performance. Frontiers in Nutrition (2025 concept study). https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1729164/full
- Neurobiological role of magnesium in neuronal plasticity and NMDA/GABA modulation in cognitive functions. General review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507257
