What does an “elemental dose” mean??

We get asked this all the time, to identify how many mg per ingredient in our products are “elemental doses”, so what does that mean exactly?  Well, when we are talking about ingredients in supplements each one, based on their composition, could provide a different elemental dose.  Let’s take magnesium, for example, magnesium can be found in many different forms such as: magnesium malate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, etc.  Now the actual amount of the mineral magnesium in each of these types of magnesium will differ, let me show you…..

Magnesium glycinate – 20%* is elemental magnesium

Magnesium malate – 15%* is elemental magnesium

Magnesium citrate – 15.3%* is elemental magnesium

So ultimately, if you have a requirement for 3 x bodyweight in magnesium (the actual mineral) and choose to implement a protocol with magnesium malate, then you would need:

3 x 150lbs = 450mg

Magnesium malate provides 15% of elemental magnesium for every milligram; so 450mg/0.15 = 3,000mg of magnesium malate will net 450mg of elemental magnesium.

This is critical for people to understand and not all labels on supplements are clear.  Normally for this to identify elemental doses the label would show:

Magnesium (Malate) 450mg – this identifies that the 450mg is elemental magnesium in the form of magnesium malate.  We are proud to say that all of our supplement formulas identify and represent elemental doses of all vitamins, minerals and amino acids, so you know you are getting the exact amount each and every time. 

*Percentages based on the types of magnesium carried at Vykon’s compounding lab.