Hi —
Most of the magnesium on the shelf is junk.
Wrong form, underdosed, or cut with fillers. I’ve manufactured the stuff. I know what most brands do to hit a price point. The form that actually works — magnesium glycinate — costs the same as the form that doesn’t (oxide), and one of them just gives you the runs while pretending to be a supplement.
I take it nightly with dinner. I sleep deeper. My wife notices when I forget.
I’m not pointing you at a specific affiliate here — there’s no magnesium brand I trust enough to put my name behind yet. Look for these three things:
Label says “magnesium glycinate” or “magnesium bisglycinate” — not oxide, citrate, or “complex”
Around $20 for a 60–90 day supply
Third-party tested (lot-specific COA on the brand’s site, not a generic certificate)
Take 200mg with dinner for 30 days. See what changes.
(Quick housekeeping: every Unsupplemented issue has an affiliate disclosure when I include affiliate links. Today doesn’t have any — first issues are for trust, not commission.)
Three small wins this week
Get sunlight in your eyes within 30 minutes of waking. Five to ten minutes outside, not through a window. The effect on your sleep that night is larger than any supplement I’ve tried.
Stop caffeine at 2pm. I know you’ve heard it. I ignored it for ten years. First week I actually held the line, my Oura sleep score jumped twelve points.
Swap one carb snack a day for protein. The 3pm energy dip is mostly a blood sugar story.
The skip
Apple cider vinegar gummies. They’re everywhere right now. The actual research on ACV is thin, the dose in most gummies is a fraction of what the (already thin) studies used, and the sugar in the gummy cancels most of what you’re hoping for. Save your $30.
One thing I get asked
“Should I take D3 with K2?”
Short answer: if you’re supplementing D3 above 2,000 IU, yes — K2 (MK-7 form) helps direct the calcium where you want it. Look for a combined D3 + K2 product so you’re not buying two bottles. I’ll cover this properly in a future issue.
Next Sunday
The CBD question I get more than any other: “does it actually work for sleep, or is it placebo?” I’ll give you my honest answer and the two products I think are worth your money. See you then.
— Dan