NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate 90 Softgels

What it is

NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate Softgels is a mineral dietary supplement that provides 400 mg of elemental magnesium per three-softgel serving, in a bottle of 90 softgels. It is an oil-based format: rather than a dry powder pressed into a tablet or filled into a capsule, the mineral is suspended in rice bran oil and sealed inside a soft gelatin shell. The bottle holds 30 servings, and the front panel carries a Non-GMO mark and a Kosher mark.

What's inside

The 400 mg of magnesium in each serving is drawn from four different magnesium compounds rather than a single one. The panel names them together in one parenthetical beneath a single magnesium row: magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate and magnesium oxide. Because the label declares only the combined elemental total, there is no printed figure for how much of the 400 mg comes from each of the four, and this page does not estimate one.

Each of the four is the same mineral joined to a different partner molecule, and the partners are ordinary food chemistry. Citrate is the salt of citric acid, the acid that makes citrus fruit taste sour. Glycinate pairs magnesium with glycine, the smallest of the amino acids that build protein. Malate uses malic acid, a compound that occurs naturally in apples and is what gives an unripe one its sharpness. Oxide is the plainest of the set — magnesium bound directly to oxygen, with no organic acid involved at all. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on magnesium gives general background on the mineral itself.

Everything else on the ingredient line is the delivery system rather than the mineral. The panel lists rice bran oil, the softgel capsule itself — bovine gelatin (BSE-free), glycerin and water — plus beeswax and sunflower lecithin. Rice bran oil is the liquid the mineral is suspended in. Beeswax and sunflower lecithin are the suspension agents that hold a fine mineral powder evenly through an oil instead of letting it settle to the bottom of the shell. Glycerin keeps the gelatin flexible so the shell stays soft rather than brittle. Nothing else is declared anywhere on the label.

Supplement Facts

** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Other ingredients: Rice Bran Oil, Softgel Capsule [bovine gelatin (BSE-free), glycerin, water], Beeswax and Sunflower Lecithin.

How to use it

Take 3 softgels daily, preferably in divided doses, with food. That sentence is the complete suggested usage printed on the bottle, and nothing further about timing is specified on the label. Store in a cool, dry place after opening. Taken at three a day, a 90-softgel bottle is a 30-day supply.

Who it's for

This is a mineral supplement for adults 18 and over who would rather swallow a softgel than a tablet, a capsule or a mixable powder. One printed fact matters more than format preference: the shell is bovine gelatin, so this product is not vegetarian and not vegan. The Kosher mark on the front of the bottle is printed with the words "Contains Gelatin" directly beneath it. Anyone who needs a plant-based shell should look for a capsule made from plant cellulose instead, and our minerals section is the place to compare formats.

On allergens, the panel states that the product is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish or sesame ingredients, and that it is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens. Both halves of that statement are printed on the bottle and both matter when you are weighing it up. If you are new to reading supplement labels, the NIH guide to what you need to know about dietary supplements covers how these panels are put together.

Good to know

• Caution, printed on the bottle: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
• The label notes that natural color variation and oil separation may occur in this product.
• The side panel prints "Family owned since 1968" and carries a GMP Quality Assured roundel.
• Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, worded exactly that way on the panel.
• The asterisk that appears beside statements on supplement packaging has a specific regulatory meaning; the FDA explains it in its note on structure/function claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this product vegetarian or vegan?

No — the softgel shell is made from bovine gelatin, which is an animal-derived ingredient, so NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate Softgels is neither vegetarian nor vegan. The panel lists the shell as "Softgel Capsule [bovine gelatin (BSE-free), glycerin, water]", and the Kosher mark on the front of the bottle is printed with "Contains Gelatin" beneath it.

How many softgels make a serving, and how many servings are in the bottle?

A serving is three softgels, and the 90-softgel bottle holds 30 of them. The Supplement Facts panel states a serving size of 3 softgels and a serving count of 30, and the front of the bottle states 90 softgels. Taken as directed at three a day, that is a 30-day supply.

Why does the Supplement Facts panel list calories and fat?

Because this is an oil-based softgel rather than a dry capsule or tablet. The mineral is suspended in rice bran oil, and that oil is food, so the panel declares 20 calories and 2 g of total fat for each three-softgel serving, alongside the magnesium row.

Which forms of magnesium does it use?

Four: magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate and magnesium oxide, all listed under one 400 mg elemental magnesium row on the panel. The label gives the combined elemental total only, so it does not break the 400 mg down by individual compound. You can browse comparable items in our supplements section.

How is this order packaged for delivery?

Every Gear Isle order ships in plain, unbranded outer packaging with no product images or descriptive wording 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.