In the case of supplementation, until now it was necessary to choose between so-called organic magnesium salts of low content (5 to 18% elemental magnesium) but well absorbed by the intestine, and inorganic salts of high content (25 to 60% elemental magnesium) but very poorly absorbed. When we launched our magnesium formula, we had opted for the first option: high absorption and low content, but faced with some customer feedback, we set out to find a solution capable of reconciling the two variables in the equation.
WHAT TO REMEMBER :
- First generation salts such as oxide have a high magnesium content (40/60%) but a very low absorption,
- The second generation of carriers such as bisglycinate offers high absorption but low content (11% on average),
- Liposomal magnesium is the only magnesium that combines high absorption AND high content (32%).
We dreamed about it, the Italians did it...
If we knew that our transalpine cousins were far ahead in terms of micro-nutrition, we were far from imagining that they had done the impossible: reconciling mineral content and absorption. In 2015, Alesco s.r.l. filed its patent for a liposomal technology consisting of encapsulating magnesium oxide in a liposome. Elementary my dear Watson! No, we're just kidding, we're just explaining the whole thing to you...
A liposome is a small capsule of nano-metric size containing an active principle and composed of the same lipidic material as the membrane of our cells, namely phospholipids. What does that mean? It means that although it is totally tolerated by the organism and does not represent any danger. With it, we win on all levels :
- High content of the element magnesium: 32% is easily reached.
- High absorption : magnesium can easily pass the intestinal barrier at any level of the digestive tract.
- High bioavailability : it is even 20% higher than magnesium bisglycinate, one of the most bioavailable forms at present. Encapsulated, magnesium becomes invisible to the body and stays longer in the bloodstream. A real Trojan horse! It is then delivered directly into the cells by membrane fusion.
This technology is even more effective than an intravenous injection ! And much more comfortable.
But why haven't liposomes invaded the market ?
The principle of liposomes is relatively simple but their production is much less so. Quality materials must be used and stability must be ensured. Very few players master all these parameters. The phospholipids used can come from synthetic, semi-synthetic or natural sources. The most stable forms come from soya and sunflower. The size of the liposome is also a key element! The smaller it is, the easier it fuses with the cells. It is therefore important to choose vehicles ranging from 50 to 150 nm in diameter. Let's add to this that at 40€ per kilo, it can be difficult to integrate this molecule in a formulation while keeping a coherent consumer price.
High content, high absorption and record bioavailability, the opportunity was too good to pass up! So it makes sense to make it one of the star molecules of our multivitamin alongside other patents such as Gnosis' Quatrefolic or Ingredia's Chromax. We are also studying how to integrate it into our Mag formula without increasing the price.
Source : E. Brilli, S. Khadge, A. Fabiano, Y. Zambito, T. Williams, G. Tarantino Magnesium bioavailability after administration of sucrosomial® magnesium: results of an ex-vivo study and a comparative, double-blinded, cross-over study in healthy subjects, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2018; 22 (6): 1843-1851.
