NOW Foods Calcium & Magnesium 100 Tablets

What it is

NOW Calcium & Magnesium is a two-mineral dietary supplement in tablet form, sold as 100 tablets in a white bottle with a deep purple cap. One serving is two tablets, and that serving supplies 1,000 mg of elemental calcium and 500 mg of elemental magnesium — the 2:1 ratio printed on the front of the label. The bottle belongs to NOW's mineral range and carries the teal "Minerals" band on its side panel; you will find it alongside the rest of our mineral supplements. The front panel describes the product as "High in Calcium & Magnesium" and "A Dietary Supplement", and marks it Vegetarian/Vegan with a triangle-K kosher symbol printed beside that line.

The front also carries the structure/function statement "Supports Bone Health", followed by an asterisk. That asterisk is not decoration: it points to the standard dietary-supplement footnote reproduced at the bottom of this page, and the FDA explains what that class of wording is permitted to say in its guidance on structure/function claims.

What's inside

The interesting thing about this formula is that neither mineral comes from a single compound. Calcium is declared as elemental calcium drawn from three sources — calcium carbonate, calcium citrate and calcium ascorbate — and magnesium from three more: magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate and magnesium ascorbate. Six source compounds, two declared nutrients.

"Elemental" is the word that makes the panel readable. A mineral in a supplement is never present on its own; it is always bound into a salt, and the salt weighs considerably more than the mineral inside it. When the panel says 1 g (1,000 mg) of calcium (elemental), that is the weight of the calcium itself, not the combined weight of the carbonate, citrate and ascorbate it came from — which is why two tablets delivering 1,000 mg of calcium are physically a good deal heavier than a gram. The same convention governs the 500 mg magnesium figure.

• Calcium carbonate, calcium citrate and calcium ascorbate. Carbonate is the most calcium-dense of the three by weight; citrate pairs calcium with citric acid; ascorbate pairs it with ascorbic acid, the same acid better known as vitamin C. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements keeps a general consumer fact sheet on calcium covering dietary sources and reference intakes.
• Magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate and magnesium ascorbate. Oxide is the most concentrated magnesium salt by weight, citrate binds the mineral to citric acid, and ascorbate again uses ascorbic acid as the partner. Background on magnesium itself, including where it turns up in ordinary food, is set out in the NIH fact sheet on magnesium.
• The tablet itself. Other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose, a vegetarian coating built from hypromellose (cellulose), calcium carbonate, polydextrose, glycerin and medium-chain triglycerides, plus stearic acid from a vegetable source, croscarmellose sodium, silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate from a vegetable source. Those are the binders, the disintegrant, the anti-caking agent and the film coat — the parts that hold a tablet together and then let it break apart again. Calcium carbonate turns up a second time inside that coating; the 1,000 mg on the panel is the figure the label accounts for.

Every figure below was transcribed from the panel on this bottle. If you want to compare it against other labels on the market, the NIH runs a searchable Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Other ingredients: Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Vegetarian Coating [hypromellose (cellulose), calcium carbonate, polydextrose, glycerin, medium-chain triglycerides], Stearic Acid (vegetable source), Croscarmellose Sodium, Silicon Dioxide and Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source).

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is two tablets daily, and it adds that the serving may be taken in divided doses — one tablet at two points in the day rather than both at once. The storage guidance is equally short: keep the bottle in a cool, dry place after opening.

At two tablets a day, the 100-tablet bottle works out to the 50 servings the panel declares. The tablets are oblong and film-coated.

Who it's for

This is a general adult mineral supplement rather than a targeted formula. It suits someone who wants both calcium and magnesium covered by one tablet instead of two separate bottles, and who prefers the traditional 2:1 balance the label is built around. Because the coating and the flow agents are all plant-derived, the pack is marked Vegetarian/Vegan, which puts it within reach of people who rule out gelatin-capsule products. Browse the wider supplements range if you are comparing formats.

The label restricts the product to adults. It is not formulated or labeled for children, and the caution panel says plainly that it is for adults only.

Good to know

• Caution, as printed: for adults only. Consult a physician if pregnant or nursing, taking medication, or if you have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
• Allergens: the panel states the product is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients, and that it is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
• Appearance: the label notes that natural color variation may occur in this product.
• Where it is made: manufactured for NOW Foods of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and, in the label's own words, made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. The side panel also prints "Family owned since 1968."
• On the bottle: a GMP Quality Assured seal sits next to the barcode, and the label states that the bottle is made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin.
• General reading: the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health publishes plain-language guidance on using dietary supplements safely, worth a look before adding anything to a routine. The rest of our everyday health and wellness stock sits in the same part of the catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tablets are in the bottle, and how many servings is that?

There are 100 tablets in the bottle, which is 50 servings. The panel sets the serving size at two tablets, so 100 divided by two gives exactly the 50 servings the label declares — around seven weeks at the suggested daily amount.

Which forms of calcium and magnesium does this use?

Six mineral compounds in total: calcium carbonate, calcium citrate and calcium ascorbate for the calcium, and magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate and magnesium ascorbate for the magnesium. The panel declares the result as elemental weights — 1,000 mg of calcium and 500 mg of magnesium in each two-tablet serving — rather than listing what each individual compound weighs.

Is this suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Yes — the front of the bottle is marked Vegetarian/Vegan. The tablet uses a vegetarian film coating based on hypromellose rather than a gelatin capsule, and both the stearic acid and the magnesium stearate are specified on the panel as vegetable source. A triangle-K kosher symbol is printed on the front panel as well.

Does it contain any of the common allergens?

The label states it is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. It also discloses that production takes place in a GMP facility handling other ingredients that do contain those allergens, so anyone with a severe allergy should weigh that shared-facility statement and not only the ingredient list.

How will my order be packaged?

Your order ships in a plain outer carton with no product imagery or description on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name. The sealed bottle travels inside that carton, so nothing about the contents is visible in transit.

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.