Potassium, Calcium & Magnesium

Potassium, calcium and magnesium reference formula at example amounts of 100 mg, 210 mg and 120 mg per serving, developed as a tablet or powder.

Potassium, Calcium & Magnesium is a reference formula for brands building a three-mineral electrolyte product around example amounts of 100 mg of potassium, 210 mg of calcium and 120 mg of magnesium per serving. The brand sets the final amounts for its market. Reference labels span potassium from 25 mg to 2,560 mg, calcium from 18 mg to 2,900 mg and magnesium from 5 mg to 7,000 mg, so the example is a starting point rather than a standard.

Tablet is developed as the lead format for the example amounts, and a powder version is developed for brands that want a drink mix. The development work is about weight and solubility: three mineral salts add up to a large amount of powder per serving, and the salt that suits a tablet is not the one that suits a drink.

Ingredient Composition

IngredientPer ServingRaw Material FormAlternative Form (same amount of active)
Potassium100 mg (example amount)Potassium chloride, specified as elemental potassium; 100 mg potassium per servingPotassium citrate, with the input recalculated for the salt
Calcium210 mg (example amount)Calcium carbonate for tablets, specified as elemental calcium; 210 mg calcium per servingCalcium citrate for powders, or another calcium salt, with the input recalculated
Magnesium120 mg (example amount)Magnesium oxide for tablets, specified as elemental magnesium; 120 mg magnesium per servingMagnesium citrate for powders, or magnesium glycinate, with the input recalculated

Amounts are stated as mg of the element, not of the salt. Salt weights follow from the cached PubChem molecular weights: potassium chloride KCl 74.55 g/mol for K 39.10 g/mol; calcium carbonate CaCO3 100.09 g/mol for Ca 40.08 g/mol; magnesium oxide MgO 40.31 g/mol for Mg 24.31 g/mol; calcium citrate 498.4 g/mol for three Ca; magnesium citrate 451.12 g/mol for three Mg. The resulting inputs are given in the design estimate below.

Intended Benefits & Formula Rationale

This formula is designed for products positioned around electrolyte mineral nutrition. Potassium, calcium and magnesium are included together because they are the three minerals that dietary and supplement programs usually discuss as a group.

Intended Benefit DirectionKey IngredientsFormulation Rationale
Electrolyte mineral intakePotassium, Calcium, MagnesiumA review discusses the role of dietary and supplemental sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in cardiovascular health, describing intake of these electrolyte minerals as critical for the cardiovascular system [1]. Evidence: Referenced

The amounts are examples. The same review notes controversies about the effects of high calcium intake and a J- or U-shaped association with cardiovascular risk, and calls for long-term randomized trials [1]; the review does not test this formula, so any claim on a finished product is reviewed for each market.

Available Formats

Reference labels are mostly powders, with tablets and a few capsules; tablet and powder are developed here.

FormatUnitPer ServingPack SizeOther Ingredients (typical)Suitability
Tablet2 tabletsPotassium 100 mg, calcium 210 mg, magnesium 120 mg120 tablets (60 servings)Cellulose, croscarmellose, silica, vegetable magnesium stearate, coatingLead format for the example amounts
Powder1 stick pack, 5 gPotassium 100 mg, calcium 210 mg, magnesium 120 mg30 stick packsSweetener, acid, flavor, flow agentDrink mix; citrate salts for solubility

Raw Material Input & Fill (Design Estimate)

Design estimates. Every salt is assumed at 100% purity, and the inputs follow the molecular weights above.

FormatRaw Material Input per ServingDesign FillBalance for ExcipientsVerification Before Scale-Up
Tablet (2 per serving)Potassium chloride 191 mg, calcium carbonate 524 mg, magnesium oxide 199 mg; 914 mg in total600 mg tablet weight, 1,200 mg per serving286 mgCompression and hardness, disintegration, elemental assay of each mineral
PowderPotassium chloride 191 mg, calcium citrate 870 mg, magnesium citrate 742 mg; 1,803 mg in total5 g per stick pack3,197 mgDissolution and clarity in water, taste, moisture uptake, elemental assay

Capsule, liquid and gummy are separate projects, because a 914 mg mineral load does not fit a capsule at one per serving and the other systems need their own solubility and taste work.

Formulation Considerations

Salt weight. The element is a small part of the salt: calcium carbonate carries about 40% calcium and magnesium oxide about 60% magnesium. The three salts therefore add up to 914 mg for three elements that total 430 mg, and the tablet count or powder weight follows from that.
Salt choice by format. Calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide compress well but dissolve poorly in water, so they are used in the tablet. A drink mix uses citrate salts, which dissolve better and weigh more, as the powder figures show.
Potassium level. Potassium is often kept to small amounts per unit in supplements. The example 100 mg is set by the reference label, and the allowed level per serving is checked for each sales market before the formula is fixed.
Taste and grit. Mineral salts taste salty, bitter or chalky. The powder format needs sweetener and acid choices that cover the taste, and the particle size of the salts decides whether the drink feels gritty.

Customization Options

Brands adjust the amounts, the salts, the format and the add-ons.

ParameterRangeNote
Potassium per serving100, 200 or 370 mgExamples for the brand; the allowed level depends on the market
Calcium per serving210, 340 or 560 mgExamples for the brand; salt weight rises with the amount
Magnesium per serving100, 120 or 180 mgExamples for the brand; oxide, citrate or glycinate change the input
FormatTablet or powderCapsule, liquid and gummy are separate projects
Add-onsVitamin D, zinc, sodiumAn added nutrient changes the unit weight and the label wording

The pilot run confirms the elemental assay of each mineral against the label, tablet hardness at the full salt load, and the clarity of the powder in water.

Flavor Options

FormatSuggested FlavorsWhy
PowderLemon-lime, orange, berryCitrus and berry flavors cover the salty and bitter notes

Technical Status & Data Sources

ItemStatusDetails
Reference formulaNIH DSLDThe ingredient and amount come from a labeled product in the NIH DSLD (Potassium 100 mg + Calcium 210 mg + Magnesium 120 mg on the label of CF002755, a multi-nutrient tablet that also lists vitamins and other minerals; example DSLD labels 18161, 18170, 25893). The label names the three minerals by element; the salt forms are set in formulation.
SpecificationSet in formulationPotassium, calcium and magnesium salts specified as elemental content; elemental assays, moisture, microbial and heavy-metal limits and method are fixed with the supplier. Unit size, fill weight and stability are set in formulation.
Data sourceNIH DSLDDSLD v9.4.0, downloaded 2026-01-10: 50,824 reference formulas merged from on-market labels with complete ingredient amounts. Counts show how labels are distributed.
Market reviewPer marketDose limits, labeling and claims are reviewed for each sales market before a finished product is developed.
ReferencesSources[1] Mohammadifard N, Gotay C, Humphries KH, et al. Electrolyte minerals intake and cardiovascular health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(15):2375-2385. DOI · PubMed

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