NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate 120 Veg Capsules

What this is

NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate is a single-mineral dietary supplement supplied as 120 vegetarian capsules in a white bottle with a purple cap. The labeled serving is three capsules, and that serving declares 400 mg of elemental magnesium — 95% of the Daily Value. The Supplement Facts panel carries exactly one active row and three other ingredients, and the band across the top of the back label reads "Minerals." The bottle is made by NOW Foods of 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, Illinois, a company the label describes as family owned since 1968.

At the labeled three capsules a day, the bottle holds 40 servings, which works out to a 40-day supply. That sits this 120-count in the middle of the Minerals range: larger than a trial bottle, small enough to finish well inside a normal storage window once opened.

What the panel declares

Reading the 400 mg: elemental weight, not compound weight

The active row reads "Magnesium (elemental) (from Magnesium Citrate)," and that parenthetical is doing real work. The 400 mg figure counts the magnesium itself, weighed apart from the citrate it is bound to. Magnesium citrate is a salt — magnesium joined to citric acid, the same acid that gives citrus fruit its sharpness — and the citrate portion of that molecule is considerably heavier than the magnesium it carries. Delivering 400 mg of the mineral therefore takes several times that weight of magnesium citrate powder, and that is the plain reason the serving on this label is three capsules rather than one.

Knowing which of the two numbers a panel is reporting is the difference between comparing products and comparing packaging, since the compound weight and the elemental weight of the same capsule are very different figures. The NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database holds scanned panels from thousands of products if you want to see how other labels word it. For general reference material on magnesium as a nutrient, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet gives background independent of any product.

The 95% on the panel is straightforward arithmetic: 400 mg measured against the 420 mg Daily Value used for magnesium comes to a shade over 95%, and the label rounds down. One other label statement belongs here — "This magnesium citrate is a fully reacted mineral supplement." Read as chemistry, that means the magnesium and the citric acid were combined into a single salt during manufacture rather than mixed together as two separate powders in the capsule. It describes how the raw material was made, and nothing beyond that.

The three other ingredients

This panel lists three other ingredients, and each has a specific job that has nothing to do with the mineral itself.

• Hypromellose (cellulose capsule) — the two-piece shell the powder is packed into, made from plant cellulose rather than gelatin. It is the reason the front of the bottle can print "Vegetarian/Vegan" at all, since the shell is the one component on a capsule product most likely to be animal-derived.
• Ascorbyl Palmitate — an ester of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) joined to palmitic acid, which makes it fat-soluble where plain vitamin C is water-soluble. It is used here as an antioxidant and processing aid in quantities far too small to count as a nutrient, which is precisely why it sits in the "other ingredients" line below the panel instead of appearing as a declared row inside it.
• Silicon Dioxide — a flow agent, chemically the same family of material as sand. Fine mineral powders clump and bridge as they move through filling equipment; a small fraction of silicon dioxide keeps the blend loose enough that each capsule fills to a consistent weight.

Two of those three, then, are there to get the magnesium citrate into the capsule reliably and keep it stable once it is there. Only the hypromellose is part of what you actually hold.

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads: "Take 3 capsules daily, preferably in divided doses, with food." That instruction is worth taking literally — "divided doses" means splitting the three capsules across the day rather than swallowing all three at once, for example one capsule with each of three meals. The "with food" part is printed as part of the same instruction.

For storage the bottle says "Store in a cool, dry place after opening." The pack also notes that "Natural color variation may occur in this product," which is ordinary for a mineral supplement whose raw material is not dyed.

Who it's for

This is a product for adults aged 18 and over who already know they want a magnesium citrate capsule and want a mid-size bottle of it. The three-capsule serving and the divided-dose instruction suit someone with a settled daily meal pattern rather than someone looking for a single capsule to swallow and forget. The 120-count is the size to pick if magnesium citrate is already a fixture in your routine and a 40-day run between reorders fits how you buy. You can browse the wider Supplements range if you are comparing forms and counts before deciding.

Good to know

The printed Caution reads: "For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children."

On allergens the label states that the product is "Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients," and adds that it is "Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens" — worth reading in full if you are sensitive to any of those eight.

The marks printed on the bottle itself are a Non-GMO badge, a kosher "K", a "GMP Quality Assured" roundel, and the words "Vegetarian/Vegan" beside the capsule count. The label also carries one line about the container rather than the contents: "This bottle is made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin."

Finally, the asterisks. The front of this pack carries starred statements, and the side panel prints the box those asterisks point to. That convention is a labeling requirement rather than a marketing flourish — the rule governing it is 21 CFR 101.93, and the FDA's consumer page on dietary supplements explains how the category is regulated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in a serving, and how many servings are in this bottle?

The serving is three veg capsules, and the bottle holds 40 servings. That is 120 capsules in total, which at the labeled three a day is a 40-day supply.

Why is the serving three capsules instead of one?

Because the 400 mg on the panel is elemental magnesium, not the weight of the magnesium citrate carrying it. The citrate part of the salt is much heavier than the magnesium, so the powder needed to reach 400 mg of the mineral does not fit into a single capsule of this size.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes — the shell is hypromellose, a plant cellulose material, and the front of the bottle prints "Vegetarian/Vegan." The label also states the product is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients.

What does "divided doses" mean on this label?

It means spreading the three capsules across the day instead of taking them together — one with each of three meals, for instance. The full printed instruction is "Take 3 capsules daily, preferably in divided doses, with food."

How will my order be packaged?

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.