NOW Foods Magnesium Malate Caps 180 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods Magnesium Malate Caps is a single-ingredient mineral supplement that supplies 95 mg of elemental magnesium per veg capsule, drawn from 840 mg of magnesium malate. The bottle holds 180 veg capsules. The front panel carries a Non-GMO seal and the line "Vegetarian/Vegan", and the bottle is manufactured by NOW Foods of 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, Illinois, a company whose own label describes it as "Family owned since 1968."

It sits in the mineral aisle rather than the multivitamin one: there is no blend here, no botanical extract and no second active. One capsule, one mineral, three structural ingredients, and a panel short enough to read in full on the bottle. You will find the rest of the range in Minerals.

What's inside

Magnesium malate is the magnesium salt of malic acid — the acid that gives apples, cherries and other fruits their sharp edge. That pairing is the whole point of this particular bottle, and it is what separates it from the oxide, citrate and bisglycinate forms that also appear on mineral shelves. The panel describes the raw material in the manufacturer's own words as "a fully reacted mineral supplement", meaning the magnesium and the malic acid have been combined into a finished compound rather than tumbled together as two separate powders.

The two numbers on the panel are worth reading side by side, because they are not alternatives — they describe the same capsule. The 840 mg is the weight of the entire magnesium malate compound. The 95 mg is the weight of the magnesium itself inside that compound, which works out at roughly 11% of it. Every magnesium supplement has this relationship between compound weight and elemental weight, and the proportion differs by form, which is why the milligram figure printed largest on a front panel is not always the one a Supplement Facts panel counts. Here the panel counts the elemental figure, and the front of the bottle agrees with it: "95 mg of Elemental Magnesium". The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on magnesium gives general background on the mineral and on the Daily Value used to work out the panel's percentage.

The remaining three ingredients are structural rather than active, and the panel lists them in full:

• Hypromellose (cellulose capsule) — the capsule shell itself, made from plant-derived cellulose. This is why the front of the bottle is able to print "Vegetarian/Vegan" rather than qualifying it; there is no gelatin anywhere in the formula.
• Stearic acid (vegetable source) — a common processing aid that keeps powder flowing evenly through a filling machine, noted on the panel as coming from a vegetable rather than an animal source.
• Silicon Dioxide — an anti-caking agent, used so the fill weight stays consistent from capsule to capsule.

That is the complete list. There is no tablet coating, no binder system and no added color, which is a direct consequence of the capsule format: a shell can be filled with loose powder, so it needs far less holding together than a compressed tablet does. The panel adds one honest note about appearance — "Natural color variation may occur in this product." If you want to see how a given product's panel is worded before you buy, the NIH runs a public Dietary Supplement Label Database of label transcriptions.

Supplement Facts

Transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle photographed for this listing. The 23% is the panel's own figure: the US Daily Value for magnesium on supplement labels is 420 mg, and 95 mg is 23% of that.

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads, in full: "Take 1 capsule 3 times daily, preferably with food." Followed at that rate, a 180-capsule bottle is a 60-day supply, and a full day of three capsules comes to 285 mg of elemental magnesium — 68% of the same 420 mg Daily Value, by arithmetic from the panel's own figures. Storage guidance is printed directly beneath the panel: store in a cool, dry place after opening.

The bottle also carries a printed capsule-size diagram against inch and centimeter scales, with the manufacturer's note that size and color shown may vary from the actual product. Structure-function wording on supplement labels is regulated, and the FDA explains the rules behind it in its guidance on structure/function claims.

Who it's for

This is a format-and-form choice for adults who already know which magnesium they are after. The malate form is the distinguishing feature, and the veg capsule is the second: a capsule is swallowed whole, has no coating and no compression, and can be pulled apart by anyone who prefers to empty it. Anyone who would rather have a tablet, a powder or a different magnesium salt has other options, and this bottle makes no attempt to be all of them.

The 180-count size suits someone who has already settled on this product, since the label's three-a-day usage moves through a bottle steadily; a first-time buyer may prefer a smaller count. It is sold as a dietary supplement for adults, and it is listed under Supplements and Health & Wellness.

Good to know

• Printed caution. The bottle states: "For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children."
• Allergens. The panel reads: "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."
• Origin. The label's wording is "Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients" — not a claim that every ingredient originates in the United States.
• Seal on the bottle. The back panel carries a "GMP Quality Assured" roundel.
• Packaging. The side panel notes that the bottle is made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin.
• General reading. The NIH publishes a plain-language overview of what to know about dietary supplements for anyone new to buying them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how far does that go?

The bottle holds 180 veg capsules, which is a 60-day supply at the label's suggested usage of one capsule three times daily. Each capsule is one serving, so a day at that rate uses three capsules and comes to 285 mg of elemental magnesium in total.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes — the front of the bottle prints "Vegetarian/Vegan" directly. The only capsule material named on the Supplement Facts panel is hypromellose, a cellulose taken from plants, and the stearic acid is specified as vegetable source, so no animal-derived ingredient appears anywhere in the formula.

What is magnesium malate, and how is it different from other magnesium forms?

Magnesium malate is magnesium bound to malic acid, the acid naturally present in apples and other fruits. Magnesium is always supplied as a compound rather than as a bare metal, and the partner acid or salt is what distinguishes one product from another — malate here, where another bottle might use oxide, citrate or a glycinate chelate. Each compound carries a different proportion of elemental magnesium by weight, which is why this panel prints both the 840 mg compound figure and the 95 mg elemental figure.

Which allergens is it made without?

The panel lists nine: wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut and sesame, none of which the product is manufactured with. The same sentence adds that it is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens, so it is a "not manufactured with" statement rather than a dedicated-facility one.

How is my order packaged?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging. 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.