Magnesium Breakthrough is well-liked by repeat buyers, and to its credit the formula avoids the cheap magnesium oxide that pads out most drugstore bottles. This page collects the recurring complaints and the side-effect notes a shopper should weigh anyway. Everything here is dated; we flag what is a documented pattern versus an individual report, and we separate magnesium’s effects (the mineral) from anything specific to this product. It scored 61/100 — Mixed.

The complaint themes

01The proprietary blend. The central knock, from reviewers and experts alike: all seven forms are pooled into one 1,701 mg proprietary blend, so only the 500 mg elemental total is disclosed — not how much of each form. You cannot tell whether you are paying for premium bisglycinate and taurate or cheap citrate and malate. A pharmacist quoted by Forbes made exactly this point. See how the trick works in our proprietary-blend calculator.
02Price and anchor pricing. At about $1.33 a serving it costs roughly three times a plain disclosed glycinate, and the “$200 → $87” struck-through presentation overstates a real ~$40 single-bottle cost — a textbook anchor tactic buyers should discount. Our cost breakdown runs that math.
03Loose stools. A recurring physical complaint, and a predictable one: at 500 mg elemental — above the supplemental limit — with citrate in the blend, some users report a laxative effect. It is the most common tolerance gripe in the reviews.

Side effects and safety notes

Magnesium is generally well-tolerated, and its main side effect is well understood: it is a laxative at higher doses, and how much depends on both dose and form. The NIH sets the tolerable upper limit for supplemental elemental magnesium at 350 mg — a limit set largely because higher doses cause diarrhea — and Magnesium Breakthrough delivers 500 mg per serving, past that mark. That raises the odds of loose stools for a meaningful minority, more so because the blend includes citrate, a more laxative form than glycinate. Starting with one capsule rather than two, or splitting the dose, blunts it for most people. The product also adds vitamin B6; the amount is modest, but very high B6 taken over long periods has been linked to reversible nerve tingling, so it is one more undisclosed number worth noting in a blend that hides its parts. As with any daily magnesium, anyone with a kidney condition, on medications, or who is pregnant or nursing should clear it with a doctor first — the kidneys clear excess magnesium, and impaired function changes that math. None of this makes the product unsafe; it makes 500 mg more than most people need from a supplement, with a predictable digestive cost.

Frequently asked questions

Does Magnesium Breakthrough have side effects?

The main one is a laxative effect: at 500 mg elemental — above the 350 mg supplemental limit — and with citrate in the blend, some people get loose stools. Magnesium’s GI effect is form- and dose-dependent, so starting with one capsule or splitting the dose helps most people.

Is 500 mg of magnesium too much?

It is above the guidance. The 350 mg supplemental upper limit for elemental magnesium exists largely because higher doses cause loose stools, and Magnesium Breakthrough delivers 500 mg per serving. More magnesium is not automatically better, and this dose exceeds what most people need from a supplement.

Why do people complain about the proprietary blend?

Because the label lists all seven forms as one 1,701 mg blend and discloses only the 500 mg elemental total — not how much of each form. You cannot tell whether the bulk is premium bisglycinate and taurate or cheap citrate and malate. A pharmacist quoted by Forbes flagged exactly this.

Is Magnesium Breakthrough safe?

For most healthy adults, yes — the caveat is the 500 mg dose and its digestive effect. If you have a kidney condition, take medications, or are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor first, since the kidneys clear excess magnesium and the added vitamin B6 is one more undisclosed number in the blend.

Sources

  1. Consumer review platforms and retailer listings (proprietary-blend, price/anchor-pricing and loose-stool complaint themes; linked live, not republished). Accessed July 2026.
  2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements — magnesium fact sheet (350 mg tolerable upper intake level for supplemental elemental magnesium; laxative effect above it) and vitamin B6 fact sheet. Accessed July 2026.
  3. The Ingredient Report — Magnesium Breakthrough review (61/100), the magnesium glycinate guide and the cost breakdown. Checked July 2026.

Update history

Content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Medical disclaimer.