Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate is a magnesium salt of citric acid used to supply magnesium and, in larger oral doses, to draw water into the intestine as an osmotic laxative.

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Osmotic laxative: A laxative that retains water in the bowel through osmotic effects, increasing stool volume and promoting bowel movements. Magnesium citrate acts this way when enough remains unabsorbed in the intestine.
Magnesium supplementation: The use of magnesium-containing products to increase dietary magnesium intake or address deficiency. Magnesium citrate is one oral form used to supply this mineral.
Magnesium oxide: An inorganic magnesium compound used in supplements, antacids, and laxatives. It is another common oral magnesium source, with different solubility and absorption characteristics.
Hypermagnesemia: An abnormally high concentration of magnesium in the blood. Excessive intake can raise blood magnesium, especially when kidney clearance is impaired.
Intestinal absorption: The movement of nutrients, drugs, and other substances from the intestinal lumen into the body. Absorption determines how much magnesium enters the body rather than remaining in the bowel.
Constipation: A condition involving infrequent bowel movements, difficult passage of stool, or a sensation of incomplete evacuation. Its laxative use is directed at short-term relief of constipation.
Magnesium glycinate: A magnesium salt formed with the amino acid glycine and used in dietary supplements. It is marketed as a supplement alternative to citrate and is generally less associated with laxation.
Chronic kidney disease: Long-term kidney damage or reduced kidney function that impairs the body's ability to filter blood. Reduced renal clearance increases the danger of magnesium accumulation.
Magnesium: A chemical element essential to many biological processes and present in cells, bones, and body fluids. The salt supplies magnesium, whose physiological effects differ from its laxative action.
Colonoscopy: An examination of the colon using a flexible camera inserted through the rectum. Bowel-clearing regimens may include magnesium citrate before this procedure.