NOW Foods Magnesium & Potassium Aspartate 120 Veg Capsules

What this is

NOW Magnesium & Potassium Aspartate with Taurine is a dietary supplement that puts two minerals and one free-form compound into a single vegetarian capsule. The bottle holds 120 veg capsules, and the Supplement Facts panel divides them into 60 servings of two capsules each. One serving provides 250 mg of elemental magnesium from magnesium aspartate, 99 mg of elemental potassium from potassium aspartate, and 100 mg of taurine in its free form. The front of the bottle is marked Non-GMO and Vegetarian/Vegan, and the side band files the product under NOW's Minerals line, where it sits with the rest of our minerals range.

What is in each serving

Both minerals in this formula arrive attached to the same partner molecule. Magnesium aspartate and potassium aspartate are salts of aspartic acid, an amino acid present in ordinary protein foods, and in each compound the aspartate half is the carrier while the mineral is what the panel counts. That is why the panel names each mineral twice in its own row — once as the element being measured, written "Magnesium (elemental)", and once as the compound it came from, written "from Magnesium Aspartate". The milligram figure always refers to the element alone, so the 250 mg counts the magnesium itself and not the weight of the magnesium aspartate it was released from.

Taurine is listed on a different principle. It is a sulfur-containing compound that occurs in the everyday diet, and here the panel qualifies it as "Free-Form" — supplied as the isolated compound rather than bound to a mineral or held inside a protein chain. So one serving carries two bound minerals and one unbound compound: three declared ingredients, assembled two different ways.

The Other Ingredients line is short, and reads in full: Hypromellose (cellulose capsule), Ascorbyl Palmitate and Silicon Dioxide. Hypromellose is the plant cellulose the shell itself is made from. Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble form of ascorbic acid, and silicon dioxide is a fine powder that keeps the blend flowing evenly through the encapsulating machinery; both are present in the small amounts that job requires.

Supplement Facts

How to read the panel

Two of the three ingredient rows carry a percentage and the third carries a dagger. Magnesium is printed at 60% and potassium at 2%, while taurine is marked † against the footnote "Daily Value not established." A Daily Value is a published daily reference figure for a nutrient, and the % Daily Value column expresses what is in one serving as a fraction of that figure. Magnesium and potassium each have one, so the panel can print a percentage for them. None has been set for taurine, so rather than leave the column empty the panel says so in the footnote.

That is also the reason the two percentages should not be read against each other. The 250 mg of magnesium and the 99 mg of potassium are each measured against a reference figure of a very different size, so 60% and 2% describe each mineral on its own scale rather than ranking the two inside the capsule. The dagger works the same way: it is a statement about the reference tables, not about the ingredient beside it.

The NIH publishes consumer fact sheets for individual nutrients. The Office of Dietary Supplements sheet on magnesium covers dietary sources and reference intakes, and the full index of ODS fact sheets is where to look up the other entries on this panel. Both are general reference material and neither is a statement about this product.

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads: take 2 capsules 1 to 2 times daily. Storage guidance printed on the same panel is to store in a cool, dry place after opening, and the panel adds that natural color variation may occur in this product.

Because the frequency is printed as a range rather than a single instruction, the number of days a bottle covers follows the frequency you settle on. At one serving a day, 60 servings is a 60-day supply; at two servings a day it is 30. The caution panel directs anyone taking medication or managing a medical condition to consult a physician before starting.

Who it's for

This is a general-audience mineral supplement for adults, shelved in supplements rather than sold as a sports or specialty formula. It suits someone who wants magnesium and potassium from one capsule instead of two separate bottles, who is comfortable with a two-capsule serving, and who prefers a short, fully itemized ingredient list to a proprietary blend. The front of the bottle is marked Vegetarian/Vegan and Non-GMO.

It will not suit everyone. The label restricts the product to adults and asks anyone who is pregnant or nursing, taking medication, or managing a medical condition to consult a physician first. Anyone who wants a single-mineral product, or who has been asked to keep a close eye on a particular mineral intake, should read this panel against their own requirements before buying.

Good to know

• Allergen statement. 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. Both halves of that sentence are printed on the bottle, and the second half is the part to weigh if an allergy is severe.
• Where it is made. The panel reads "Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients" and gives the manufacturer as NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA.
• Marks on the bottle. The container carries a GMP Quality Assured seal and a kosher K inside a triangle.
• Storage. Store in a cool, dry place after opening, as printed on the label.
• Caution. For adults only. Consult a physician if pregnant or nursing, taking medication, or managing a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.

General background on choosing and using dietary supplements is available from NCCIH's overview of dietary and herbal supplements, part of our wider health and wellness range.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

There are 120 veg capsules in the bottle and 60 servings, because the panel sets one serving at two capsules. At one serving a day that is a 60-day supply, and at the label's higher frequency of two servings a day it is 30 days.

Why does taurine show a dagger instead of a percentage?

Because no Daily Value has been established for taurine, which is what the panel's own footnote states. The % Daily Value column compares one serving against a published daily reference figure; magnesium and potassium have such a figure, which is why their rows print 60% and 2%, and taurine does not.

What does "aspartate" mean on this label?

Aspartate is the form each mineral is supplied in. Magnesium aspartate and potassium aspartate are both salts of aspartic acid, an amino acid, and the panel prints the compound underneath each mineral it carries. The milligram figure beside the row counts the mineral itself, not the weight of the whole compound.

Is this suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Yes — the front of the bottle is marked Vegetarian/Vegan, and the capsule shell is hypromellose, a plant cellulose named on the Other Ingredients line. The complete declared list is hypromellose (cellulose capsule), ascorbyl palmitate and silicon dioxide.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging. It will not show the Gear Isle name. The bottle travels inside that outer packaging.

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.