Best Magnesium and Vitamin D Supplements in Canada: Forms, Label Amounts and Cost per Capsule

The number that matters on a magnesium supplement label is elemental magnesium per capsule, not the weight of the compound it's bound to — on the Applied Nutrition Tri-Magnesium label, for example, 1,000 mg of magnesium bisglycinate supplies 200 mg of elemental magnesium, and the elemental figure is the one to compare. For vitamin D, the practical pick for most Canadians is a D3 (cholecalciferol) softgel, often paired with vitamin K2, because D3 is the form used in nearly every product on the shelf here. Both are among the best sellers in our vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements collection.

Key Takeaways

• Always check elemental magnesium per capsule, not the total compound weight — they're not the same number, and labels list both.
• Health Canada sets an upper limit of 350 mg of elemental magnesium per day from supplements alone for adults, separate from food sources — so two 200 mg capsules already exceeds it.
• Bis-glycinate is the form most often chosen for being gentle on the stomach; citrate and oxide carry tradeoffs worth knowing before you buy.
• Vitamin D3 is the form in nearly every Canadian product; K2 (as MK-7) is a common pairing, not a requirement.
• Cost per capsule varies more than people expect between otherwise similar bis-glycinate products — the table below uses only label numbers and shelf prices checked November 10, 2026.
• Licensed natural health products sold in Canada carry an 8-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label — look for it before you buy.

What Do the Different Magnesium Forms Actually Mean?

Magnesium is never sold as pure metal in a capsule — it's bound to another compound, and that compound affects how much elemental magnesium you get and how it sits in your stomach. No form of magnesium treats or cures anything; the forms differ mainly in elemental content per capsule and digestive tolerance. Magnesium's recognized role, per Health Canada, is helping maintain proper muscle function and helping in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth.

Bis-Glycinate

Magnesium bis-glycinate (also written bisglycinate) binds magnesium to the amino acid glycine. It's commonly chosen because it's considered gentle on the stomach compared with other forms, which is why it dominates our best-selling shelf. The label will state elemental magnesium per capsule — read that number, not the compound total.

Citrate

Magnesium citrate dissolves well in liquid and is often sold as a powder. Larger servings can have a loosening effect on stools, which is simply a function of how citrate behaves in the gut — not a defect, but worth knowing before you take a full serving at once.

L-Threonate

Magnesium L-threonate, commonly sold under the branded name Magtein, delivers comparatively low elemental magnesium per capsule next to bis-glycinate or oxide. It's usually taken in the evening by the people who choose it, though that's a matter of personal routine rather than a labelled instruction.

Oxide

Magnesium oxide packs a lot of elemental magnesium by weight, but it's generally regarded as less well absorbed than bis-glycinate or citrate. You'll see it on its own and as part of some blends.

Multi-Form Blends

Some products combine two or three forms — bis-glycinate, taurate and citrate, for example — aiming to balance absorption, tolerance and total elemental magnesium in one serving. Check the label breakdown by form if the product lists one.

How Much Elemental Magnesium Do You Actually Need?

Health Canada's Dietary Reference Intakes set the adult RDA at 400–420 mg a day for men and 310–320 mg a day for women, counting food and supplements together. The upper limit from supplements alone is 350 mg of elemental magnesium per day for adults — which means two 200 mg bis-glycinate capsules already puts you above that supplemental ceiling before food is even counted. This is a label-reading guideline, not dosing advice: follow the directions on the product you choose, and check with a health care practitioner if you're pregnant, nursing or taking medication.

Magnesium Products Compared: Form, Label Amount and Cost per Capsule

The table below uses only the elemental magnesium amounts and shelf prices on our own product pages, checked November 10, 2026. Where a product's label doesn't state elemental magnesium per serving on the information we have, that's marked "check the label" rather than estimated.

Among the bis-glycinate products in this table, the 240-capsule CanPrev Magnesium Bis-Glycinate 200 Gentle was the single best-selling product of the 15 covered in this guide across our BC stores and online over the last 90 days, with the 120-capsule size of the same product in second place — both work out to the same 200 mg elemental dose per capsule, so the choice between them comes down to count and cost per capsule rather than strength. The Purica Magnesium Bisglycinate powder's most-ordered option is raspberry, accounting for 58% of that product's units sold in the same window.

If you're after a single form by itself, start with our magnesium supplements collection and filter by capsule or powder.

Vitamin D3 and K2: What's on the Label and Why It's Paired

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form carried in nearly every vitamin D product we stock, sold as softgels or oil-based drops because D3 is fat-soluble. At Canadian latitudes, the skin makes little vitamin D from roughly October through March, which is the main reason it's treated as a winter staple here. Vitamin D's recognized role, per Health Canada, is helping in the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus and in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. K2, usually in the MK-7 form, is a common partner ingredient in these products, though pairing the two is a formulation choice, not a requirement for either nutrient to do its job.

Vitamin D Products Compared: IU, Softgel Count and Cost

Across the 15 products in this guide, the 240-softgel CanPrev Vitamin D3 & K2 ranked fourth by units sold at our BC stores and online over the last 90 days.

Do You Need Both Magnesium and Vitamin D, or Just One?

That depends on diet, time of year and what a health care practitioner recommends for your situation — this guide can't make that call for you. Health Canada specifically advises adults over 50 to take a daily 400 IU vitamin D supplement, which is a useful anchor point if you're deciding where to start. The adult upper limit for vitamin D is 4,000 IU (100 mcg) a day from all sources. For either nutrient, follow the directions printed on the product you choose rather than stacking multiple products to reach a number you've seen online.

Which Should You Buy? A Simple Selection Framework

Match the form to your reason for buying, then compare elemental amount and cost per capsule within that form — not across forms, since a 200 mg bis-glycinate capsule and a lower-dose L-threonate capsule aren't doing the same job on paper even if both are "magnesium."

• Want an everyday bis-glycinate capsule with a clearly stated elemental dose: CanPrev Magnesium Bis-Glycinate 200 Gentle, 120 capsules suits someone starting out who wants to try the format before committing to a larger bottle.
• Want the lowest cost per capsule in the same 200 mg dose: the 240-capsule CanPrev Magnesium Bis-Glycinate 200 Gentle is the better per-capsule value for regular, ongoing use and is the single best-seller among the products in this guide.
• Prefer a powder you can measure into a drink: Purica Magnesium Bisglycinate powder suits someone who dislikes swallowing capsules; raspberry is the most-ordered option among its buyers.
• Want a D3/K2 softgel at the lowest cost per softgel: Tested Nutrition Vitamin D3 + K2, 240 softgels suits anyone taking it daily through the darker months who wants a large supply on hand.
• Want D3 alone without K2, at the lowest per-unit cost in this guide: NOW Vitamin D3 1000 IU, 180 softgels suits someone who already gets K2 elsewhere or prefers to keep the two separate.

For a wider look at related nutrients, our vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements collection covers the rest of the shelf, and the shop by category vitamin and mineral index is the fastest way to look up a single nutrient by name.

Other Everyday Essentials Worth Knowing About

Beyond magnesium and vitamin D, a handful of single-nutrient products round out most people's basics: CanPrev Zinc Bis-Glycinate 25 mg, 120 capsules ($14.99) is a bis-glycinate-bound zinc in the same gentle-on-digestion family as the magnesium above; CanPrev Vitamin C 1000 mg, 240 capsules ($30.99) is a straightforward high-count option; NOW B-12 5,000 mcg lozenges (methylcobalamin with 400 mcg folic acid, 60 lozenges, $29.99) dissolve under the tongue; and for a broader daily base, Progressive Active Men Multivitamin ($29.99–$42.99 by size) and Allmax VitaForm (2 tablets per serving, 30 servings, $22.99, about $0.77 per serving) are both multi-ingredient formulas rather than single-nutrient products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which magnesium form is easiest on the stomach?

Bis-glycinate is the form most commonly chosen for being gentle on digestion, which is part of why it's the top seller among the products in this guide. Citrate, by contrast, can have a loosening effect on stools at larger servings.

How much elemental magnesium is actually in one capsule?

On a Canadian label it's in the Medicinal Ingredients panel, listed as magnesium (often "elemental magnesium") with the compound named beside it — always check that specific line rather than the ingredient name alone.

Do I need K2 together with vitamin D3?

No — D3 and K2 are two separate nutrients commonly sold together as a matter of formulation, not because one requires the other to function. You can take a D3-only product like NOW Vitamin D3 1000 IU just as validly as a combined D3/K2 softgel.

When should I take magnesium and vitamin D?

Follow the directions printed on the specific product you buy; some people take L-threonate in the evening as a matter of routine, but there's no universal timing rule stated on these labels for either nutrient.

Are these supplements licensed in Canada?

Look for the 8-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label — it shows Health Canada has licensed the product for sale in Canada. If you're pregnant, nursing or taking medication, check with a health care practitioner before starting any new supplement.