Does your memory take an occasional holiday now that you’re in perimenopause or menopause? Is your memory a little foggier than it used to be? There’s no need to panic: such cognitive problems are common as estrogen levels decline. For many women, memory lapses and brain fogginess are temporary. 

There is a magnesium supplement that may come to the rescue. We’re not talking about just any type of magnesium, however, but a form that has been shown to actually reverse some aspects of brain aging. You won’t find this form of magnesium in your food, but in an easy-to-take supplement called magnesium L-threonate.

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What is magnesium L-threonate?

Magnesium L-threonate is a form of this highly biologically active mineral that was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is composed of magnesium that has been chelated to threonic acid, which is in a class of organic compounds known as sugar acids. This form of magnesium is unique among magnesium supplements because it can cross the blood-brain barrier, which gives it the ability to increase the level of magnesium in the brain. 

How does magnesium L-threonate work?

When you take an oral magnesium L-threonate supplement, it is rapidly absorbed. Once it crosses the blood-brain barrier, it can increase the density of synapses, which are the spaces between brain cells where they communicate with each other. The health of these synapses is critical for brain health: a decline in density is associated with memory loss, cognitive decline, and brain shrinkage. 

The benefits of magnesium L-threonate for brain health were shown in a recent randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of adults aged 50 to 70. All of them had sleep disorders, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. 

The participants were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or magnesium L-threonate (1,500-2,000 mg daily) for 12 weeks. Cognitive function (memory, attention, executive function) was evaluated twice during the study. The authors found that among the individuals who took magnesium L-threonate:

• There were significant increases in the amount of magnesium their body absorbed and the amount circulating throughout the body.
• There were significant improvements in executive function and cognitive processing.
• They showed positive changes in their cognitive abilities while those taking placebo had considerable fluctuations in their mental function scores, which suggests the development of mild cognitive impairment.
• There were signs of reversal in brain aging by more than nine years.

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Taking magnesium L-threonate

Magnesium L-threonate is available in capsule form and should be taken according to package directions or your healthcare provider’s instructions. Possible mild side effects include headaches (although some people find their headaches improve with the use of magnesium) and drowsiness. This supplement does not disrupt hormone function. 

Bottom line

Memory and other cognitive problems are common symptoms during menopause. Magnesium plays an essential role in the health and integrity of synapses in the brain. Getting high amounts of magnesium into the brain is challenging because the mineral has difficulty getting past the blood-brain barrier. Magnesium L-threonate is a form that can reach the brain cells and synapses and increase concentrations of the mineral in the brain, which may result in an improvement in memory, cognitive performance, and reversal of brain aging.