ConsumerLab.comPasses 90 Percent of Tested Magnesium Supplements

ConsumerLab.comPasses 90 Percent of Tested Magnesium Supplements

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--In the latest productreview conducted by ConsumerLab.com, 90 percent of tested magnesium supplementsmet label claims and passed contamination testing. Two out of 19 failed becausethey contained lead levels that exceeded Californias Proposition 65recommendations, and one contained 50 percent more magnesium that what waslisted on the product. Both failed products were magnesium-only supplements.

The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 300 to 350mg/d. The product that exceeded label claims delivered nearly 1,200 mg/d--threetimes the Upper Tolerable Intake Limit (UL) established by the NationalAcademies of Science. An overdose of magnesium can cause vomiting, muscleweakness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood pressure and an irregularheartbeat.

While there are times when it is appropriate to exceedthe tolerable limit to prevent or treat deficiency, it seems irresponsible for amanufacturer to recommend a dose far in excess of the limit and, on top of that,put in one-and-a-half times the labeled amount, said Tod Cooperman, M.D.,president of ConsumerLab.com. All of the other products were well withinrange of their claims, indicating that accurate formulation is certainlypossible. He added that the failed products were not grossly contaminatedwith lead, but they still had levels significantly above Prop 65s maximumrecommendation of 0.5 mcg/d for magnesium-only products. Magnesium productscontaining calcium are allowed up to 1.5 mcg/d under Prop 65.

According to Max Motyka, M.S.R., Ph.D., director of AlbionLaboratories human products division, it is conceivable that themagnesium-only companies did not worry about lead levels since this is more of acalcium issue. (This concern has been occasionally raised since lead isnaturally occurring in calcium; however, the lead levels are very minute andcalcium acts to block lead absorption.) Quite honestly, I am surprised anyonefailed Consumerlab.coms test on magnesium quantity, since many of thesecompanies--regardless of label claims--are using magnesium oxide, which isextremely inexpensive and comes at a high elemental magnesium value, Motykasaid.

ConsumerLab.com also reported that all tabletsdisintegrated properly during testing, although capsules and enteric-coatedproducts did not undergo disintegration testing.

More about these results can be found at www.consumerlab.com/results/magnesium.asp.