Vitafoods Europe 2025 preview: Magtein to debut highly bioavailable magnesium L-threonate for brain health
At Vitafoods Europe (May 20–22) in Barcelona, Spain, North American ingredient supplier AIDP will debut Magtein, a highly bioavailable form for magnesium supplementation, following its introduction in the US. The company’s proprietary form of magnesium L-threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters neuron cells through glucose transporters, increasing intracellular magnesium levels.
The company highlights a common disadvantage among other magnesium compounds, which have low brain bioavailability and can cause gut problems.
In multiple clinical studies, it has been found to improve memory, cognition, calmness, mood, and sleep quality.
“Magtein is a truly unique product, which overcomes the brain bioavailability challenges associated with magnesium,” says Rory Lipsky, senior VP of marketing at AIDP distribution partner ThreoTech.
“The enormous success it has enjoyed in the US is testament to the top level of science involved in its discovery and the wealth of clinical research supporting its functions, as well as the scale of demand for effective solutions for cognitive health, mood, and sleep.”
“We’re hugely excited that consumers in the EU, where magnesium is already one of the most taken supplements, are now able to enjoy these benefits too.”
Magtein is suitable for use in a wide range of products, including capsules, ready-to-drink beverages, snack bars, gummies, gels, and powders.
Novel food authorization
Magnesium L-threonate received official authorization as a novel food in November 2024, allowing its commercial entry into the EU for the first time. AIDP and ThreoTech have exclusive rights to market the ingredient in the EU for five years, as the authorization was based on the companies’ proprietary data on Magtein.
Magtein in the EU follows success in the US, where it is available as a branded product in retailers such as Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, and Costco.
The brand highlights that with a five-year CAGR of 33%, the ingredient has outperformed the overall market for products containing magnesium and for formulas for cognition, stress, and mood. It has also received over 91,000 reviews on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.5 stars.
In Germany, magnesium ranks as the most popular supplement, with AIDP finding that 35% of consumers take it and 82% perceiving it to be effective. Similarly, 99% of Italian consumers are aware of magnesium, with 31% taking it.
The company cites anxiety/stress as the top health concern for German consumers, with 33% willing to take a supplement for it.
In other upcoming Vitafoods showcases, Epax, specializing in marine-based nutritional ingredients, will introduce Epax Evolve 05, dubbed the first commercially available very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid product. Epax says the ingredient is positioned to transform the healthy aging sector and offer opportunities in other markets.
