Mineral
Magnesium glycinate
80 mg magnesium · 19% DV
An essential mineral, carried as a glycine chelate
Reference guide
Focus Supplement Guide: How To Read The Label Before You Buy
Quick answer
A focus supplement label is read in four passes: the Supplement Facts panel for what is declared and how much, the blend for what is listed but not measured, the form of each ingredient, and the caution for who should not take it. This guide walks through all four using the Harmo Brain label as the worked example.
Then it sets each ingredient against what published research actually used.
Reading a label takes ten minutes the first time and two minutes after that.
Pass one
Pass one: what a Supplement Facts panel carries
The panel is the one part of the bottle written to a federal format.
What the rule requires
Under 21 CFR 101.36, a supplement label carries a Supplement Facts panel in a fixed format. Five things on it do most of the work for a buyer:
- The serving size, and how many servings the container holds.
- Each nutrient with an established Daily Value, its amount and its percentage.
- Any proprietary blend, with its total weight.
- The blend’s other dietary ingredients, in descending order of predominance by weight. A nutrient with a Daily Value keeps its own amount line instead.
- Other ingredients: the capsule shell, fillers and flow agents.
What this label shows
One capsule a serving, 30 servings. Magnesium, 80 mg, 19% of the Daily Value, from the glycinate in a 575 mg blend of six named materials. Five other ingredients, starting with a hypromellose capsule.
Pass two
Pass two: reading a proprietary blend
Four steps, then the arithmetic worked through once.
Find the total
The blend’s weight is printed beside its name: here, 575 mg.
Note the order
Parts with no Daily Value are listed heaviest first. A nutrient with a Daily Value is sized by its amount, not its place.
Look for anything declared separately
A part with its own line and amount can be sized. Here, the magnesium from the glycinate is declared: 80 mg.
Do the arithmetic
Work out how much of the total the declared part must take, and what that leaves for everything else.
The arithmetic on this label
Magnesium glycinate is about 14.1% magnesium by weight, so 80 mg of magnesium takes about 568 mg of the compound. If the glycinate is the fully reacted form, that leaves about 7 mg of the 575 mg blend for alpha lipoic acid, butcher’s broom, L-carnitine, turmeric extract and CoQ10 together. A buffered grade carries more magnesium per milligram and would leave more room; the label does not say which grade is used, and no other amount is printed.
Under 21 CFR 101.36, the other ingredients in a proprietary blend are declared in descending order of weight, so alpha lipoic acid, butcher’s broom, L-carnitine, turmeric extract and CoQ10 appear heaviest to lightest. The magnesium glycinate’s share comes from arithmetic, not from its place in the list: 80 mg of magnesium takes about 568 mg of the compound.
The one constant behind it is the molecular weight of magnesium glycinate, 172.42 g/mol (PubChem), of which magnesium is 14.1%.
Pass three
Pass three: the form on the label decides which research applies
Five materials, five cases where the research used something slightly different.
| On this label | What the research used | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| L-carnitine | Acetyl-L-carnitine, 1.5 to 3.0 g a day for 3 to 12 months, in adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease (Montgomery 2003) | A different form, in a diagnosed population, at gram doses. |
| Turmeric extract, 95% curcuminoids | Specially absorbed curcumin: 90 mg twice a day for 18 months (Small 2018); 400 mg of solid lipid curcumin for 4 weeks (Cox 2015) | Ordinary curcumin is poorly absorbed (Lopresti 2018). |
| Magnesium glycinate | Magnesium diglycinate against magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection (Schuette 1994) | A bioavailability comparison in a specific patient group, not a focus study. |
| Alpha lipoic acid | 600 mg a day given intravenously for 3 weeks, in diabetic neuropathy (Mijnhout 2012) | A different route, a different condition. |
| Coenzyme Q10 as ubiquinone | Absorption studies: a blood peak about 6 hours after a dose and a half-life of about 33 hours (Bhagavan 2006) | An absorption study, not a focus study. |
Read the form on the label first, then look for research on that form.
The declared dose
Magnesium, in four numbers
The one ingredient on this label with its own printed amount.
80 mgon the labelper capsule
19%of the Daily Valuewhich is 420 mg
310–420mg a dayadult allowances, all sources
350 mgupper limitfor magnesium from supplements
The six materials
The six materials on this label, one by one
Name, what the panel prints for it, and its role, in label order.
Mitochondrial
Alpha lipoic acid
Inside the 575 mg blend
A cofactor of the mitochondrial enzymes that turn fuel into energy
Circulation
Butcher’s broom root extract
Inside the 575 mg blend
A venotonic herb, the circulatory half of the formula
Mitochondrial
L-carnitine
Inside the 575 mg blend
Carries fatty acids into mitochondria to be burned for energy
Botanical
Turmeric rhizome extract
Inside the 575 mg blend · 95% curcuminoids
Curcuminoids, the yellow compounds studied for memory and attention
Mitochondrial
Coenzyme Q10
Inside the 575 mg blend · as ubiquinone
Part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain
Research against label
What studies used, beside what the label prints
Two columns that are never merged into one sentence.
| Ingredient | What studies used | What the label prints |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium (as glycinate) | Adult RDAs of 310 to 420 mg a day from all sources; upper limit for supplemental magnesium 350 mg a day (NIH ODS) (source) | 80 mg magnesium, 19% of the Daily Value |
| Alpha lipoic acid | 600 mg a day given intravenously for 3 weeks in the diabetic-neuropathy meta-analysis; 200 to 1,800 mg a day in the glucose studies the Linus Pauling Institute summarises (source) | Inside the 575 mg blend, listed second |
| Butcher’s broom root extract | Taken for 12 weeks in a placebo-controlled trial in chronic venous insufficiency; 150 mg of root extract per capsule in the Cyclo 3 Fort combination (source) | Inside the 575 mg blend, listed third |
| L-carnitine | The memory trials used a different form, acetyl-L-carnitine, at 1.5 to 3.0 g a day for 3 to 12 months, in adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease (source) | Inside the 575 mg blend, listed fourth |
| Turmeric extract, 95% curcuminoids | 90 mg of a high-absorption curcumin twice a day for 18 months; 400 mg of solid lipid curcumin for 4 weeks (source) | Inside the 575 mg blend, listed fifth |
| Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) | Absorption is slow: a blood peak about 6 hours after a dose and a half-life of about 33 hours (source) | Inside the 575 mg blend, listed sixth |
The middle column describes studies. The right-hand column is the label. Neither is a recommendation.
Pass four
Pass four: the caution and the medicines
The label’s caution, then what it means ingredient by ingredient.
Do not exceed recommended dose. Not for use for those under the age of 18 or pregnant or nursing mothers. Consult with a physician prior to use especially if you are taking a medication or have a medical condition.
| Ingredient | Medicine | What is known |
|---|---|---|
| Magnesium | Oral bisphosphonates; tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics | Magnesium can bind them in the gut; ODS lists these interactions. (source) |
| Alpha lipoic acid | Insulin and other glucose-lowering medicine | The Linus Pauling Institute notes a risk of low blood sugar with insulin or oral diabetes medicine; case reports also tie it to rare insulin autoimmune syndrome. (source) |
| CoQ10 | Warfarin; insulin | NCCIH: CoQ10 may interact with the blood thinner warfarin and with insulin. (source) |
| L-carnitine | Acenocoumarol and similar blood thinners | A published case report describes a stronger anticoagulant effect. (source) |
| Butcher’s broom | Blood-pressure treatment | An alpha-adrenergic, vein-constricting herb; raise it if blood pressure is treated. (source) |
| Turmeric extract | Any medicine that affects the liver | NCCIH warns that highly bioavailable curcumin formulations may harm the liver. (source) |
Evidence
How strong is the evidence for focus?
Four kinds of evidence, from weakest to strongest for a buyer.
Animal studies
Useful for mechanism, never for dosing a person. Example: acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid fed to old rats (Hagen 2002).
Diagnosed populations
Useful for dose, duration and safety in that group. Example: the acetyl-L-carnitine trials in mild cognitive impairment.
Healthy adults, special forms
Closer to a buyer, but check the form: the curcumin trials used specially absorbed preparations.
Systematic reviews
The strongest summary when trials exist. Example: a 2024 review found too few trials to judge magnesium supplements for cognition (Chen 2024).
Foundations
What the public health agencies put first
The habits the National Institute on Aging lists for cognitive health.
Manage blood pressure
NIA names high blood pressure in midlife as a risk for cognitive decline later in life.
Move most days
At least 150 minutes of activity a week, the federal guideline NIA cites.
Sleep seven to nine hours
NIA lists enough sleep, generally seven to nine hours a night.
Stay connected
Social activities and community programs are on NIA’s list.
Where a supplement fits
The National Institute on Aging recommends no vitamin or supplement for preventing cognitive decline, and NCCIH finds direct evidence that supplements prevent dementia lacking. A capsule sits on top of these habits, never in place of them.
Questions
Questions about reading a focus label
What is the single most useful line on a focus supplement label?
Any ingredient printed with its own amount: the only part of a label you can set against published research.
Is a proprietary blend a bad sign?
It is a trade-off. The label still gives the total and ranks the unmeasured parts by weight, but not the amount of each one, so fewer comparisons are possible.
Does the Daily Value tell me how much I need?
It is a labelling reference. For magnesium the Daily Value is 420 mg, so 80 mg is 19%; the adult allowances run 310 to 420 mg a day from all sources (NIH ODS).
Who writes this
Who writes this guide
Four commitments a careful reader can check in ten minutes:
- The bottle is the source. The ingredient names, the two printed amounts, the capsule count, the directions and the caution come from the Harmo Brain label and the supplier’s artwork, read on 22 September 2026.
- Research amounts live in a column of their own, headed “What studies used”, beside the column that says what the label prints. No sentence moves a number from one to the other.
- Sources are cited against their own population. Where a trial was run in people with a diagnosis, the sentence says so.
- Corrections change the date. Write to [email protected] and the review date moves forward.
We earn when you buy. Harmobraines is the USA Authorized Harmo Brain Retailer and this website makes money on orders placed through it. That is why the blend arithmetic, the four-star reviews and the medicine list are printed here in full. Order support on +1 (302) 200-3480 handles tracking, changes and refunds; orders go through the checkout only.
Sources
Sources cited in this guide
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated January 6, 2026. ods.od.nih.gov
- Chen F, Wang J, Cheng Y, et al. Magnesium and Cognitive Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Adv Nutr. 2024;15(8):100272. PMID 39009081. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Schuette SA, Lashner BA, Janghorbani M. Bioavailability of magnesium diglycinate vs magnesium oxide in patients with ileal resection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1994;18(5):430-5. PMID 7815675. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- National Library of Medicine. PubChem Compound Summary: Magnesium Glycinate (CID 84645), C4H8MgN2O4, molecular weight 172.42 g/mol. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 21 CFR 101.36, Nutrition labeling of dietary supplements, paragraph (c)(2). Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. www.law.cornell.edu
- Mijnhout GS, Kollen BJ, Alkhalaf A, et al. Alpha lipoic acid for symptomatic peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Endocrinol. 2012;2012:456279. PMID 22331979. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Hagen TM, Liu J, Lykkesfeldt J, et al. Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002;99(4):1870-5. PMID 11854487. Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002;99(10):7184. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Carnitine: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov
- Montgomery SA, Thal LJ, Amrein R. Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2003;18(2):61-71. PMID 12598816. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Small GW, Siddarth P, Li Z, et al. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2018;26(3):266-277. PMID 29246725. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Cox KH, Pipingas A, Scholey AB. Investigation of the effects of solid lipid curcumin on cognition and mood in a healthy older population. J Psychopharmacol. 2015;29(5):642-51. PMID 25277322. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Lopresti AL. The Problem of Curcumin and Its Bioavailability: Could Its Gastrointestinal Influence Contribute to Its Overall Health-Enhancing Effects? Adv Nutr. 2018;9(1):41-50. PMID 29438458. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Bhagavan HN, Chopra RK. Coenzyme Q10: absorption, tissue uptake, metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Free Radic Res. 2006;40(5):445-53. PMID 16551570. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 7 Things To Know About Dietary Supplements for Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. www.nccih.nih.gov
- National Institute on Aging. Cognitive Health and Older Adults. www.nia.nih.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Structure/Function Claims. www.fda.gov
Official website
Order Harmo Brain on the official website
One capsule a day, 30 to a bottle: 80 mg of magnesium as glycinate inside a 575 mg blend of six named materials. Packs of 2, 3 or 6 are priced at checkout, with 60 days from purchase to change your mind.
Packs of 2, 3 or 6 bottles, priced at checkout · 60 days from purchase to change your mind
One capsule a day · 30 per bottle · lot HAR-26/HA-4569
