Hawthorn extract 95 mg, magnesium 100 mg and B6 1.4 mg, 30 tablets

Magnesium is a mineral. In nature it is found in soil and sea water, and in plants it is part of chlorophyll, the green pigment. In supplements the magnesium can come from different compounds, such as oxide, citrate or lactate. On this tablet’s label the compound named is magnesium oxide.

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble B vitamin. The name covers several very similar substances: pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine. Supplements most often use pyridoxine hydrochloride, and that is the form listed in this product.

Hawthorn is a thorny shrub or small tree in the rose family. This product uses the species Crataegus rhipidophylla, and the extract is made from the leaves. The label gives hawthorn leaf extract 10:1, 95 mg per tablet, equivalent to 950 mg of dried leaf.

The ratio 10:1 means that ten times as much leaf by weight was used as the finished extract weighs. This text says about hawthorn only what is on the label: the plant name, the part, the form and the amount.

In the diet, magnesium comes from nuts and seeds, wholegrain foods, pulses, green leafy vegetables and cocoa. In Latvia that might be oats, buckwheat, pumpkin seeds or spinach.

Vitamin B6 is found in meat, fish, potatoes, bananas, pulses and wholegrain foods. A varied, balanced diet offers many sources of both.

The label says: adults, 1 tablet a day, duration of use 30 days. The pack holds 30 tablets, so one pack is one 30-day course. The label does not say what time of day to take it or whether to take it with food. Choose the same moment each day, breakfast for example, and keep the pack where you can see it.

Not recommended if you are intolerant to any of the ingredients, or during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. If you take several products containing the same substance, add up the total amount and do not exceed the dose recommended on the label.

Keep out of the reach of children, in the original packaging, in a dry place at room temperature. Do not use a food supplement as a substitute for a complete and balanced diet.

One tablet contains 100 mg of magnesium (27% NRV) and 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 (100% NRV). Both are above 15% of the NRV, so the authorised claims may be used for them. They apply to magnesium and vitamin B6, not to hawthorn.

For magnesium the authorised claims are:

• Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance.
• Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
• Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
• Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
• Magnesium contributes to normal protein synthesis.
• Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function.
• Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
• Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.
• Magnesium has a role in the process of cell division.

For vitamin B6 the authorised claims are:

• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal cysteine synthesis.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal psychological function.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to normal formation of red blood cells.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.

Do not confuse two numbers: 95 mg is the weight of the hawthorn extract, and 950 mg is the amount of dried leaf it is equivalent to.

The order of ingredients on a label usually reflects their quantity. Here the bulking agent microcrystalline cellulose comes first, then magnesium oxide and hawthorn leaf extract, followed by calcium carbonate, anti-caking agents, pyridoxine hydrochloride and the glazing agent polyvinyl alcohol. The product is made in Latvia.

All three are one tablet a day, so the difference is in the formula. Compare the label numbers, not only the price.

Do the hawthorn, magnesium and B6 tablets need to be kept in the fridge?

No, the label has no requirement to refrigerate. It says to store in the original packaging, in a dry place at room temperature, and to keep out of the reach of children. Go by the expiry date printed on the pack.

Can this product be taken during pregnancy?

The label says the product is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplement.

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you miss a tablet, carry on the next day with the usual dose, which is one tablet. The label allows one tablet a day, and the recommended daily dose must not be exceeded.

Can this tablet be taken together with other products that contain magnesium?

The hawthorn, magnesium and B6 tablet contains magnesium and B6, which are in other products of ours as well, so look at the total amount. If you take several products containing the same substance, add up the total and do not exceed the dose recommended on the label. Read each product’s label separately.

Does this tablet contain calcium, since calcium carbonate is in the ingredients?

In the hawthorn, magnesium and B6 tablet, calcium carbonate is listed as a bulking agent, not as a nutrient. The label gives no amount of calcium, so no health claims for calcium are used here.

How long should one pack be taken?

The label gives the duration of use as 30 days and the pack holds 30 tablets, so one pack is one course of one tablet a day. Do not take more than one tablet a day.