NOW Foods L-Arginine, 500 mg (100 Veg Capsules) — (Pakistan Market)

Please Read This First, Especially If You Have a Heart Condition

This is genuinely one of the most specific and important cautions we can give on any product in our catalog, and it comes directly from the manufacturer's own label: do not use this product if you have had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or have established coronary artery disease. This isn't general caution — it reflects specific research findings on L-arginine supplementation in people with existing heart disease, and it's a genuine contraindication, not a "consult your doctor first" situation. If this applies to you, please don't use this product at all.

A Detailed List of Additional Conditions and Medications Worth Knowing

NOW Foods' own label is unusually specific here, naming several distinct situations rather than relying on generic caution language:

• Consult a physician if you are taking medication, especially antihypertensives (blood pressure medication), anticoagulants (blood thinners), or antidiabetic drugs. This makes sense given L-arginine's direct role in blood vessel dilation and its influence on blood sugar and clotting-related pathways — combining it with medications targeting these same systems needs medical oversight.
• Consult a physician if you have a medical condition, especially asthma or renal (kidney) disease.
• Consult a physician if you are planning to have surgery.
• This supplement should be avoided by persons with glaucoma or herpes simplex, unless otherwise prescribed by a physician. Arginine has been associated with potentially promoting herpes virus activity in some research, which is the basis for this specific caution.
• Not for pregnant or nursing women.

We're listing these out individually rather than compressing them into one generic line because each reflects a real, specific consideration — please take a moment to check whether any apply to you before starting this product.

What L-Arginine Actually Does

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning your body can usually produce enough on its own, but certain circumstances can increase demand beyond what it naturally makes. It's involved in urea metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protein production, and it's most commonly discussed as the body's precursor to nitric oxide (NO) — a signaling molecule that tells blood vessels to relax and expand, supporting healthy circulation and blood flow. This is why L-arginine is popular among people focused on cardiovascular wellness support and exercise performance, since improved blood flow is relevant to both.

This NOW Foods product uses pharmaceutical-grade, free-form L-arginine.

A Practical Absorption Tip

The label recommends taking this between meals or at bedtime with at least 8 ounces of water or juice, since taking it away from a full meal may improve absorption.

A Note on Capsule Material

We found a genuine inconsistency across sources for this exact product: most current major retailers (including iHerb and NOW's primary listings) describe a vegetarian Hypromellose capsule, while some other sources — including a larger 250-count version — describe a gelatin capsule instead. Given this product is also marketed as Kosher, Halal, and vegan/vegetarian on some of NOW's own retail pages, we believe the vegetarian Hypromellose version is the current standard, but we'd recommend checking your specific bottle's label to confirm, particularly for the larger count size.

Ingredient Breakdown

Non-GMO. Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, or tree nut ingredients.

Dosage Chart