NOW Foods Magnesium Glycinate with BioPerine 180 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods Magnesium Glycinate with BioPerine is a dietary supplement sold in a white 180 veg capsule bottle with a purple cap. The Supplement Facts panel sets the serving at 2 veg capsules and puts 90 servings in the bottle, and each serving supplies 200 mg of elemental magnesium from Albion magnesium bisglycinate together with 2.5 mg of BioPerine black pepper fruit extract. The bottle's shoulder band files it under the brand's minerals range, alongside the rest of our Supplements shelf, and the front panel carries the Non-GMO badge and the words "Vegetarian/Vegan".

What's inside

Two ingredients appear on the Supplement Facts panel, and the rest of the capsule is excipients. That short list is the whole formula.

• Magnesium (elemental), from magnesium bisglycinate (Albion) — 200 mg. Magnesium bisglycinate is a chelate: the mineral is bound to the amino acid glycine, and the "bis" in the name records that two glycine molecules are attached to each magnesium atom. Glycine is the smallest of the amino acids the body uses to build protein. The chelate here is made by Albion, a Balchem Corporation brand, and the Albion Gold Medallion is printed on the bottle's side panel. Magnesium itself is an essential dietary mineral; the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on magnesium gives general background on it.
• Black Pepper Fruit Extract (BioPerine), min. 96% piperine — 2.5 mg. BioPerine is a standardized extract of black pepper fruit — the same Piper nigrum berry that dries into ordinary peppercorns. Piperine is the pungent compound that gives black pepper its bite, and the panel's "min. 96% Piperine" is the standardization figure: the extract is made to a specified piperine content rather than being a plain milled spice. BioPerine is a registered trademark of Sabinsa Corporation, USA.
• Other ingredients. The panel lists hypromellose (the cellulose capsule shell), citric acid, ascorbyl palmitate, microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide. Hypromellose is plant-derived, which is what makes the front panel's "Vegetarian/Vegan" line hold up — there is no gelatin here. Microcrystalline cellulose is a bulking agent, silicon dioxide is a flow agent that keeps powder from caking during capsule filling, and ascorbyl palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C used as an antioxidant excipient.

How to read the two numbers on the panel

The 200 mg is elemental magnesium, not the weight of the bisglycinate compound. It is an easy figure to misread, because a chelate weighs considerably more than the mineral inside it, so a panel quoting the compound weight would print a much larger and much less useful number. NOW prints the elemental figure, which is the one that can be compared like for like against another brand's panel.

The two rows also carry different marks in the right-hand column, and the difference is meaningful. Magnesium shows 48%, because a Daily Value has been set for magnesium and the panel can express 200 mg as a share of it. BioPerine shows a dagger, footnoted "Daily Value not established" — no reference intake has been set for piperine, so there is no percentage to print. A dagger is not a mark against an ingredient; it simply means the regulatory framework has no number for it yet. The FDA's page on structure/function claims explains the asterisk you will also see on this label.

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is: take 2 capsules 1 to 2 times daily with food. That is the manufacturer's own wording and the serving the panel is built around — the 200 mg figure describes two capsules together, not one. The side panel adds a single storage instruction, to store the bottle in a cool, dry place after opening. The label says no more than that; the practical reading is to close the cap firmly and keep the bottle out of a steamy bathroom cabinet, since the cellulose capsule shell takes up moisture from the air.

Why the 180-capsule bottle

180 capsules is the arithmetic of 2 capsules times 90 servings, and the panel prints both halves of that sum. That makes this the size for someone who has already settled on a magnesium form and would rather reorder two or three times a year than monthly. It is also the size where the storage line earns its place, since a bottle opened in January may still have capsules in it come April.

Who it's for

This is a straightforward mineral product for adults 18 and over who want magnesium in a chelated capsule rather than a powder, a gummy or a tablet. The allergen statement below matters to anyone screening the rest of our Vitamins range, and if you are comparing forms, the figures to line up are the elemental amount and the compound it comes from — both printed on this panel and on the panels of everything else in Health & Wellness.

Good to know

• Allergen statement, transcribed in full: 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. Both halves matter — the second is the part a buyer with a severe allergy needs to weigh.
• The label's own caution: 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.
• Color: the side panel notes that natural color variation may occur in this product.
• Who makes it: manufactured by NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA. The panel states the product is made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, and the bottle carries a GMP Quality Assured seal. NOW's certification card in this product's gallery names Intertek as the body behind that GMP audit.
• The bottle: printed as made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin. The side panel also carries the line "Family owned since 1968."
• General reading: the NIH's "Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know" and NCCIH's overview of supplement safety are sensible starting points before adding anything to a routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

There are 180 veg capsules in the bottle, which the panel divides into 90 servings of 2 capsules each. At one serving a day that is a 90-day supply, and at the label's upper suggested frequency of two servings a day it is a 45-day supply.

Does the 200 mg mean 200 mg of magnesium, or 200 mg of magnesium bisglycinate?

It means 200 mg of elemental magnesium. The panel labels the row "Magnesium (elemental)" and names magnesium bisglycinate as the source compound underneath, so the number is the mineral itself and not the combined weight of the mineral plus the glycine bound to it.

Is this product vegetarian and vegan?

Yes — the front panel prints "Vegetarian/Vegan", and the ingredient list backs it up. The capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose derived from plants, and none of the other listed ingredients (citric acid, ascorbyl palmitate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide) is animal-derived.

What is BioPerine, and why is there so little of it?

BioPerine is a standardized black pepper fruit extract, present at 2.5 mg per serving and made to a minimum of 96% piperine. The amount is small because it is a concentrated extract rather than ground pepper, and it appears as the second of the panel's two listed ingredients.

How is this order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship 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.