NOW Foods Full Spectrum Mineral Caps

Multi-mineral blend· evidence: Limited

Multi-mineral and trace-mineral products combine several minerals such as zinc, copper, selenium, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, iodine, magnesium and calcium in one capsule. Each mineral has its own role, and the authorised claims depend on how much of each is in a daily dose.

People with a restricted diet, such as some vegans or people eating very little, may fall short of one or two minerals. For most people who eat a varied diet, a blanket mineral supplement adds little, and doubling up with a multivitamin can push some minerals above safe levels.

Checking the amount of each mineral against the NRV is more useful than the number of minerals on the label.

Typical dose: Varies by product. Good blends give roughly 50 to 100% of the NRV for trace minerals rather than mega-doses.

Safety: Add up minerals from all your supplements: the NHS advises no more than 25 mg zinc, 1 mg copper, 350 micrograms selenium, 4 mg manganese and 400 mg magnesium a day from supplements. Keep away from children. Minerals can reduce absorption of some antibiotics and thyroid medicines.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Vitamins and minerals. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals
Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals. Safe Upper Levels for Vitamins and Minerals. Food Standards Agency, 2003.

Calcium· evidence: Moderate

Calcium is the main mineral in bones and teeth and is also needed for muscles, nerves and blood clotting. Adults need about 700 mg a day in the UK, which most people get from dairy, fortified plant milks, tofu, bread made with fortified flour and green vegetables.

Calcium supplements help people whose diets are genuinely low, for example some vegans or people who avoid dairy, and are sometimes prescribed with vitamin D for people with osteoporosis. For well-fed adults, reviews have found that extra calcium makes little difference to fracture risk.

Food is the preferred source. Different forms (carbonate, citrate) give different amounts of elemental calcium; citrate is easier to absorb without food.

Typical dose: Adults need 700 mg a day from all sources (NRV on labels: 800 mg). Supplements usually give 200 to 1,000 mg.

Safety: The FSA advises that 1,500 mg a day or less from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. High doses can cause constipation and wind. Calcium reduces absorption of some medicines (such as thyroxine, some antibiotics and bisphosphonates) and iron, so take them at different times and check with a pharmacist. People with a history of kidney stones or high blood calcium should speak to their GP.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Calcium. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium
Bolland MJ, Leung W, Tai V, et al. Calcium intake and risk of fracture: systematic review. BMJ 2015;351:h4580.
EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level of calcium. EFSA Journal 2012;10(7):2814.

Magnesium· evidence: Moderate

Magnesium is an essential mineral found in green vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and beans. UK surveys show that some groups, particularly teenagers and some adults, eat less than the recommended amount. A supplement reliably raises intake, and people with a low intake or a diagnosed deficiency are the ones most likely to notice a difference. Most people eating a varied diet get enough from food.

Labels often show the weight of the whole compound (for example 1,000 mg of magnesium citrate), but only part of that is magnesium itself. What matters is the elemental magnesium per daily dose, compared with the NRV of 375 mg. Organic forms such as citrate, glycinate (bisglycinate), malate and taurate are generally absorbed a little better than oxide in small studies, but differences between them are modest and no form has been shown to be better for any particular use.

Magnesium is widely sold for sleep, stress and cramp. These are not authorised claims. Reviews have found the evidence for sleep is of low quality, and a Cochrane review found magnesium is unlikely to prevent ordinary muscle cramps in older adults.

Typical dose: Most supplements give 100–400 mg of elemental magnesium a day (NRV 375 mg). The NHS says adults need about 270–300 mg a day in total, mostly from food.

Safety: High doses loosen stools or cause diarrhoea, especially citrate and oxide. EFSA sets an upper level of 250 mg a day of magnesium from supplements, and the FSA advises that up to 400 mg a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. Magnesium can reduce absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines, quinolones) and osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates), so take them a few hours apart. Speak to your GP first if you have kidney disease.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others – magnesium. nhs.uk.
EFSA NDA Panel (2015). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for magnesium. EFSA Journal 13(7):4186.
Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (2003). Safe upper levels for vitamins and minerals. Food Standards Agency.
Garrison SR et al. (2020). Magnesium for skeletal muscle cramps. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 9:CD009402.

Cost per daily dose lets you compare packs of different sizes fairly.Worked out from our current prices.