NOW Foods Cal-Mag Caps 120 Veg Capsules

What NOW Foods Cal-Mag Caps is

NOW Foods Cal-Mag Caps is a multi-mineral dietary supplement supplied in a bottle of 120 vegetarian capsules. The serving size printed on the panel is two capsules, which works out to 60 servings in a bottle. Each serving supplies 500 mg of elemental calcium and 250 mg of elemental magnesium, and the formula carries zinc, copper, manganese, organic kelp, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 alongside them. The bottle is made for NOW Foods of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and the panel records that it is made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients.

It sits in our Minerals range, part of the wider Supplements catalogue.

What is inside

Every figure below is transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle, and each amount is the quantity in one two-capsule serving.

Calcium — 500 mg (38% of the Daily Value). Calcium is a bulk dietary mineral, familiar from dairy foods, canned fish with soft bones, tofu set with calcium salts and fortified plant milks. NOW draws it from three sources here rather than one: calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, and Aquamin seaweed-derived minerals. Aquamin is a registered trademark of Marigot Limited, and the bottle says so. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on calcium gives general background on the mineral and on typical dietary intake.

Magnesium — 250 mg (60% of the Daily Value). Magnesium is the mineral of nuts, seeds, legumes and dark leafy greens, and it too is blended from several forms on this label: magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate and magnesium malate. Formulators mix oxide with organic-acid salts like citrate and malate because the forms differ in how much elemental magnesium they carry by weight. Background reading is in the NIH fact sheet on magnesium.

Zinc 7.5 mg (68% DV), copper 0.5 mg (56% DV) and manganese 2.5 mg (109% DV). These three arrive in chelated forms — a zinc amino acid complex, copper bisglycinate and manganese bisglycinate — meaning the mineral is bound to amino acids rather than supplied as a simple inorganic salt. The NIH fact sheet on zinc covers that mineral in general terms; note that copper and manganese both sit close to or above their Daily Values here, which is worth knowing if you already take a multivitamin.

Vitamin D — 25 mcg, printed on the panel as 1,000 IU (125% DV). The form is D3, cholecalciferol, the same form made in skin on exposure to sunlight. General background is in the NIH fact sheet on vitamin D.

Vitamin K2 — 40 mcg, as menaquinone-7 (MK-7). MK-7 is the long-chain menaquinone associated with fermented foods such as natto. The panel marks its Daily Value as not established.

Organic kelp — 25 mg. Kelp is a brown seaweed; the panel names it as Laminaria spp. and also marks its Daily Value as not established. It is the only botanical on an otherwise wholly mineral-and-vitamin label.

Other ingredients. Hypromellose, which is the cellulose capsule shell itself, plus magnesium stearate from a vegetable source, maltodextrin, hydroxypropyl cellulose, rice flour, stearic acid from a vegetable source, silicon dioxide and citric acid. Silicon dioxide and the stearates are flow agents that keep the powder moving cleanly through an encapsulating machine.

Supplement Facts

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is two capsules daily, preferably in divided doses, with food. "Divided doses" means splitting the two capsules across the day rather than swallowing both at once — one in the morning and one in the evening, for example. The instruction to take them with food is part of the printed directions, not a suggestion we have added.

Storage is straightforward: keep the bottle in a cool, dry place after opening. The label also carries the line "Natural color variation may occur in this product", so expect some batch-to-batch difference in the shade of the powder.

Who it is for

The label states plainly that this product is for adults only. It is a general mineral supplement rather than a targeted formula, so it suits someone assembling a routine around the two minerals in the name and who wants the supporting nutrients in the same capsule rather than in four separate bottles.

The two-capsule serving and the 120-capsule bottle make this a pantry-sized purchase rather than a trial size, so it is the option to pick if you already know these minerals are part of your routine. If you take a multivitamin as well, read both panels side by side before adding this one — the copper and manganese figures here are already at or near a full Daily Value. Anyone taking prescription medication should speak to a pharmacist or doctor first, since minerals can interfere with how some medicines are absorbed. More of this category sits under Health & Wellness.

Good to know

• Allergen statement, as printed: not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
• Caution, as printed: for adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
• Capsule shell: hypromellose, a plant-derived cellulose. No gelatin appears anywhere in the ingredient list.
• Marks on the bottle: a Non-GMO badge and a kosher symbol on the front, and a GMP Quality Assured seal on the side panel.
• Packaging: the label states the bottle is made from 100% PCR, post-consumer recycled, resin.
• Company: made for NOW Foods, Bloomingdale, Illinois. The bottle carries the line "Family owned since 1968".

Frequently Asked Questions

How many servings are in one bottle?

Sixty. The bottle holds 120 capsules and the printed serving size is two capsules, giving 60 servings — a 60-day supply at the label's suggested usage of two capsules daily.

Are the capsules vegetarian?

Yes. The capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose derived from plants, and no gelatin or other animal-derived ingredient appears in the Other Ingredients line. The magnesium stearate and stearic acid are both specified on the label as vegetable source.

Does it contain common allergens?

The label states it is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. It also states the product is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing those allergens, so anyone with a severe allergy should weigh that shared-facility statement rather than the first sentence alone. The formula does contain kelp, a seaweed, which is relevant if you avoid marine ingredients.

When in the day should the capsules be taken?

The label asks for them to be split across the day and taken with food — that is what "two capsules daily, preferably in divided doses, with food" means. It does not name a specific hour, so the split is yours to arrange around meals.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Your order ships in plain, unmarked outer packaging with no description of the contents on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.