Comparison
Magnesium L-Threonate vs PQQ
Magnesium L-Threonate
MIT-developed magnesium that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Shown to enhance synaptic density and reduce 'brain age'.
PQQ
Pyrroloquinoline quinone — cofactor in mitochondrial biogenesis. Found in fermented foods and breast milk.
| Field | Magnesium L-Threonate | PQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | neuroprotective | neuroprotective |
| Dose range | 1000–2000mg | 10–40mg |
| Half-life | 6h | — |
| Onset | — | — |
| Evidence | EVIDENCEB | EVIDENCEC |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Legal (US) | USOTC | USOTC |
| PubMed refs | 90 | 320 |
The comparison in plain English
Auto-generated from dataMagnesium L-Threonate and PQQ are both in the neuroprotective category respectively. Magnesium L-Threonate MIT-developed magnesium that crosses the blood-brain barrier. PQQ Pyrroloquinoline quinone — cofactor in mitochondrial biogenesis.
Bottom line
Magnesium L-Threonate (evidence B, safety 5/5) has a weaker evidence base than PQQ (evidence C, safety 5/5). Magnesium L-Threonate has the slightly cleaner safety profile. For users new to either, the higher-evidence option is the safer first try.
Choose Magnesium L-Threonate if
Magnesium L-Threonate is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (L-threonate is a sugar-acid carrier that uniquely enables magnesium to cross the blood-brain barrier in meaningful quantities — most oral magnesium forms (oxide, citrate, glycinate) raise serum magnesium but not central magnesium) and the dose range (1000–2000mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is 6h.
Choose PQQ if
PQQ is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Pyrroloquinoline quinone uniquely stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis via the PGC-1α pathway — it doesn't just improve existing mitochondrial function but creates new mitochondria) and the dose range (10–40mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is —h.