NOW Foods Potassium Gluconate 99mg Vegetarian 250 Tablets

What it is

NOW Foods Potassium Gluconate 99 mg is a single-mineral dietary supplement in a 250-tablet bottle, with one tablet as the serving size. Each tablet supplies 99 mg of elemental potassium, derived from 619 mg of potassium gluconate. The front of the bottle files it under the brand's Minerals range as an "Essential Mineral", marks it Vegetarian/Vegan, and carries a Non-GMO badge.

Potassium gluconate is one of several potassium salts used in supplement manufacturing. The potassium is paired with gluconic acid — a mild organic acid that turns up naturally in honey, wine and ripening fruit, and which is used across the food industry as a carrier for minerals. Pairing the mineral with an acid like this is what makes it a stable, weighable powder that can be pressed into a tablet; elemental potassium on its own is a reactive metal.

Reading the 99 mg figure

The 99 mg on the front of this bottle is elemental potassium, not the weight of the ingredient it comes from. The Supplement Facts panel prints both numbers so there is no ambiguity: Potassium (elemental) 99 mg (from 619 mg Potassium Gluconate). Potassium gluconate is roughly one part potassium to five parts gluconate by weight, so it takes 619 mg of the salt to deliver 99 mg of the mineral itself.

That distinction matters because labels in this category quote whichever figure suits them, and two tablets with very different-looking numbers on the front can be near-identical inside. This panel gives you both. It also prints the 99 mg as 2% of the Daily Value — by the panel's own arithmetic that puts the full reference figure near 5,000 mg, so one tablet is a measured top-up rather than a whole day's reference amount.

What's in each tablet

• Potassium (elemental), 99 mg — from 619 mg potassium gluconate. The only active ingredient on the panel. Potassium is an essential dietary mineral and an electrolyte, and it is one of the nutrients the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements maintains a consumer fact sheet on; their index of supplement fact sheets is the place to read general background on it.
• Microcrystalline cellulose. Purified plant cellulose, the standard bulking agent and binder in a pressed tablet. It gives the tablet enough body to hold its shape in the bottle and to break up again after it is swallowed.
• Stearic acid (vegetable source). A fatty acid used as a processing aid so the tablet powder flows evenly into the press. The panel specifies the vegetable source, which is what keeps the tablet consistent with the Vegetarian/Vegan marking on the front.
• Silicon dioxide. A fine mineral powder used as an anti-caking agent, present in very small amounts to stop the blend clumping during manufacture.
• Magnesium stearate (vegetable source). The magnesium salt of stearic acid, used as a tablet lubricant. It is a manufacturing excipient rather than a nutrient — it is not listed on the Supplement Facts panel and contributes no meaningful magnesium.

That is the complete list as printed. There is no proprietary blend on this label, no botanical extract, and no second mineral tucked into the excipients — five named ingredients, one of which is the active.

Supplement Facts

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads: take 1 tablet 1 to 5 times daily in separate servings, with food and at least 8 oz. of water or other beverage. Two details in that sentence are easy to skim past and worth reading twice — the servings are meant to be separate rather than taken together, and each one is meant to go down with food and a full glass of liquid, not on its own.

Storage is equally plain: store in a cool, dry place after opening. The label also notes that natural color variation may occur in the product, which is normal for a pressed mineral tablet.

Nothing on this package sets a time of day or a minimum period of use. If you want a more specific routine than the label gives, that is a conversation for a pharmacist or your own clinician rather than something to infer from the bottle.

Who it's for

This is a plain, single-ingredient mineral tablet for adults who already know they want potassium in tablet form and would rather not buy it inside a multivitamin. The 250-tablet size suits someone taking it steadily rather than occasionally — at one tablet per serving, that is a long run of servings from a single bottle, and the count is what distinguishes this listing rather than anything in the formula.

It also suits anyone assembling a routine from separate supplements who wants each mineral in its own bottle rather than at whatever ratio a combination product happens to use. With one active ingredient on the panel, nothing here overlaps with the rest of what you take except potassium itself.

The label restricts it to adults, and the caution panel is more specific than most: it singles out anyone taking medication that may affect kidney function or blood potassium levels, and anyone with a heart or kidney condition or diabetes. If you are in any of those groups, this is a product to clear with your physician first rather than one to start on your own judgement. The same applies if you are pregnant or nursing.

Good to know

• Caution, as printed: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking any medications (especially those that may affect kidney function or blood potassium levels), or have a medical condition (especially heart/kidney condition or diabetes). Keep out of reach of children.
• Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, per the back panel. The bottle carries a GMP Quality Assured seal and a kosher certification mark.
• Brand and label address: NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA. The back panel also notes the company has been family owned since 1968.
• No California Proposition 65 warning is printed on this package.
• For general background on how supplements are regulated and what any panel has to show, see the FDA's questions and answers on dietary supplements and the NIH's what you need to know guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much potassium is in one tablet?

One tablet supplies 99 mg of elemental potassium, printed on the Supplement Facts panel as 2% of the Daily Value. That 99 mg comes from 619 mg of potassium gluconate.

Is this suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes — the front of the bottle is marked Vegetarian/Vegan, and the two excipients that are sometimes animal-derived, stearic acid and magnesium stearate, are both specified as vegetable source on the panel. The bottle also carries a Non-GMO badge and a kosher certification mark.

Does it contain common allergens?

The label states it is not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. It adds that the product is produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing those allergens, so it is not certified free of them — read both halves of that statement if you have a serious allergy.

How many tablets come in the bottle?

The bottle holds 250 tablets and the serving size is one tablet. The Suggested Usage on the label allows 1 to 5 tablets daily in separate servings, so how far a bottle goes depends on where in that range you sit.

How is my order packaged?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging with no product imagery and no brand marks on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name. You can browse the rest of the health and wellness range the same way.

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.