Last updated: October 2026
Magnesium orotate is magnesium bound to orotic acid. It is only about 6.5% magnesium, so you need roughly 1,500mg to get 100mg of magnesium. Its heart reputation comes from small, older studies in people with serious heart disease. It is not on the GB list of permitted magnesium forms, so glycinate or citrate is the simpler choice.
What is magnesium orotate?
It is a salt of magnesium and orotic acid, a compound the body makes when building DNA and RNA. Labels may say magnesium orotate or magnesium orotate dihydrate, the form the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed.
How much magnesium is in magnesium orotate?
Very little. The dihydrate (molecular weight 370.5) is about 6.5% magnesium, or 7.3% for the water-free form; the rest is mainly orotic acid. Divide the magnesium you want by 0.065:
| Magnesium orotate on the label | Elemental magnesium |
|---|---|
| 500mg | about 33mg |
| 1,000mg | about 65mg |
| 1,540mg | about 100mg |
| 3,000mg | about 195mg |
Look for the “elemental magnesium” line. For every form side by side, see types of magnesium.
Magnesium orotate benefits: what the research says
What you can rely on. Like any form, it supplies magnesium, which contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal muscle function and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. These claims apply to magnesium in general.
The heart research. The study quoted most is the 2009 MACH trial. It gave 79 people with severe heart failure, already on optimal heart medication, magnesium orotate (6,000mg a day for a month, then 3,000mg) or a placebo for a year. More survived in the orotate group (75.7% against 51.6%). It was a single-centre study, never repeated in a large trial, and says nothing about healthy people. A 2015 meta-analysis shares an author with MACH and is published in Russian.
Mood. A 2024 trial in 120 adults with depression tested probiotics, magnesium orotate and coenzyme Q10 together, funded by a company (Medlab Clinical), so any effect can’t be pinned on the orotate.
Sleep. We found no sleep trials of magnesium orotate; see magnesium for sleep.
Magnesium orotate is not a treatment for any heart or other condition, and should never replace prescribed medicine.
Magnesium orotate vs glycinate vs citrate
| Form | Magnesium by weight | Stomach | On GB permitted list? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orotate | About 6.5% | Gentle (dissolves poorly) | No |
| Glycinate | About 14% | Gentle | Yes (bisglycinate) |
| Citrate | About 16% | Can loosen stools | Yes |
Glycinate gives about twice as much magnesium per gram and is on the GB list. See magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate and glycinate vs citrate vs threonate, or compare taurate, malate and oxide.
Evopure doesn’t make magnesium orotate. Our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a berry drink powder with magnesium bisglycinate and citrate (148mg of magnesium per serving), glycine, L-theanine and botanicals. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Our reishi hot chocolate is made with cacao, which contains a little natural caffeine. Our Sleep CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with passion flower and terpenes. All are for adults (18+) only.
The FSA’s 10mg a day figure is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.
Magnesium orotate dosage: how much to take
Work in elemental magnesium. The NHS says adults need 300mg a day (men) or 270mg (women), mostly from food, and that 400mg or less a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. A 500mg orotate capsule gives only about 33mg.
There is no proven “heart dose”: the MACH amounts were given under medical care. Add up every source, including multivitamins. See how much magnesium per day.
Magnesium orotate side effects and safety
A 2004 review notes that magnesium orotate dissolves poorly, so it is less likely to be laxative than easily dissolved salts. The NHS says more than 400mg of magnesium for a short time can cause diarrhoea; see magnesium side effects.
The orotic acid question. Each 100mg of magnesium comes with about 1.25g of orotic acid. In 2009 EFSA’s experts said animal studies showed orotic acid can promote tumours started by other cancer-causing substances, and in 2025 they concluded its safety could not be established at the dose proposed.
Check with a GP or pharmacist first if you:
- have kidney disease, as magnesium can build up in the blood to harmful levels
- have a heart condition or take heart medicines (see heart palpitations)
- take any regular medicine, to check spacing
- are pregnant or breastfeeding. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Can you buy magnesium orotate in the UK?
You can find it online, but it is not among the magnesium forms listed for food supplements in Great Britain. That list includes bisglycinate, citrate, malate, taurate, oxide and, more recently, L-threonate. In the EU, a 2024 novel food application for magnesium orotate dihydrate ended with EFSA unable to establish its safety.
A listed form is the simpler choice. To compare products, see the best magnesium supplements in the UK.
FAQs
Is magnesium orotate good for the heart?
There is no good evidence that it helps healthy people’s hearts. The main trial was in 79 people with severe heart failure on heart medication. It is not a treatment for any heart condition; see your GP about heart symptoms.
Is magnesium orotate better than glycinate?
Not in any proven way. Glycinate gives about twice as much magnesium per gram and is on the GB permitted list, so it is the more practical choice.
What is the best time to take magnesium orotate?
Whenever you will remember it each day. Many people take magnesium with an evening meal. If you take any regular medicine, ask a pharmacist whether to space them apart.
Is magnesium orotate safe?
Its safety is uncertain. EFSA could not establish the safety of magnesium orotate dihydrate in 2025 because of concerns about orotic acid in animal studies. Glycinate and citrate are on the GB list of permitted forms.
Sources
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (magnesium).
- legislation.gov.uk. Nutrition (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, Schedule 2 (permitted mineral forms).
- EFSA NDA Panel (2025). Safety of magnesium orotate dihydrate as a novel food. EFSA Journal.
- Stepura OB and Martynow AI (2009). Magnesium orotate in severe congestive heart failure (MACH). Int J Cardiol.
- Torshin IY et al. (2015). Meta-analysis of clinical trials of cardiovascular effects of magnesium orotate. In Russian.
- Strodl E et al. (2024). Probiotics and magnesium orotate for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Sci Rep.
- Classen HG (2004). Magnesium orotate: experimental and clinical evidence.
- Aal-Hamad AH et al. (2023). Hypermagnesemia in clinical practice. Medicina.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Evopure makes the Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex (no orotate), the Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex and the Sleep CBD Oil.
