Numbers side by side
VapoCept's Seven Printed Amounts vs the Doses Research Used
Each VapoCept capsule gives about 340 mg arginine, 200 mg citrulline and 40 mg beta-alanine. Studies used 4 to 24 g arginine, 3 to 10 g citrulline and 4 to 6 g beta-alanine a day, for blood pressure and exercise, not memory. Niacin at 7.5 mg NE is about half a man's daily need, and calcium at 18 mg is under 2%.
How do the seven VapoCept amounts compare with research?
Every amount on the VapoCept published panel is far below the doses used in research. The amino acids come in milligrams, while the studies used grams, and none of those studies tested memory.
The panel has seven lines. Two are a vitamin and a mineral: niacin and calcium. Five are amino acids: two forms of arginine, two forms of citrulline and beta-alanine. The amino acids add up to 640 mg per capsule.
One thing deserves credit. VapoCept does not use a proprietary blend. Every amount is printed, so the comparison below is possible at all. Many products hide amounts inside a blend, and then you cannot check.
| Panel line | Printed amount | Research dose or daily need | What the research was about | Gap in plain terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niacin | 7.5 mg NE | 16 mg NE need for adult men; upper limit 35 mg | Daily nutrient need | About half the daily need |
| Calcium (as calcium carbonate) | 18 mg | 1,000 mg need for adults 19 to 70 | Daily nutrient need | Under 2% of the need |
| L-Arginine (base) | 200 mg | 4 to 24 g a day, median 9 g | Blood pressure | Counted with the AKG line below |
| L-Arginine AKG 2:1 | 200 mg | Same arginine trials | Blood pressure | Adds about 140 mg arginine; total about 340 mg, one twelfth of 4 g |
| L-Citrulline HCl | 100 mg | 3 to 10 g a day | Blood pressure, vessel function | Counted with malate below |
| L-Citrulline Malate | 100 mg | Same citrulline studies | Blood pressure, vessel function | 200 mg total, one fifteenth of 3 g |
| Beta-Alanine | 40 mg | 4 to 6 g a day | Exercise | One hundredth of 4 g |
The panel comes from the sales page. No Supplement Facts image was supplied to us, so we describe it as "the published panel". Other ingredients, % Daily Values and the capsule material were not published.
How much arginine is really in one capsule?
About 340 mg. The panel lists 200 mg of arginine base plus 200 mg of arginine AKG 2:1, and the AKG form is only part arginine.
AKG stands for alpha-ketoglutarate, a compound cells use when they make energy. In a 2:1 form, about two parts are arginine and one part is AKG. So 200 mg of the AKG form gives about 140 mg of arginine.
A 2011 meta-analysis pooled blood pressure trials of oral arginine. They used 4 to 24 g a day, with a median of 9 g (Dong et al., 2011). At about 340 mg, one capsule is roughly one twelfth of the low end. It is about one twenty-sixth of the median.
How much citrulline is in one capsule?
The two citrulline lines add up to 200 mg. Because both are salt forms, the pure citrulline is slightly less than that.
The HCl form binds citrulline to hydrochloride. The malate form binds it to malic acid, and it is common in sports products. The panel does not say how much pure citrulline each form holds.
A 2018 review of citrulline and heart and metabolic health found that studies used about 3 to 10 g a day (Allerton et al., 2018). Even counted as a full 200 mg, one capsule is one fifteenth of the 3 g low end and one fiftieth of 10 g.
What about beta-alanine, niacin and calcium?
Beta-alanine is at one hundredth of the exercise dose. Niacin is about half a daily need, and calcium is a very small share.
Arginine: about 340 mg
Two lines, 200 mg base and 200 mg AKG 2:1, add up to about 340 mg. Blood pressure trials used 4 to 24 g a day.
Citrulline: 200 mg
Two salt forms, 100 mg each, hold slightly less than 200 mg pure citrulline. Studies used 3 to 10 g a day.
Beta-alanine: 40 mg
Exercise studies used 4 to 6 g a day. At 40 mg, tingling from large single doses is unlikely.
Niacin and calcium
7.5 mg NE niacin is about half an adult man's need. 18 mg calcium is a small slice of 1,000 mg.
Beta-alanine
The International Society of Sports Nutrition found 4 to 6 g a day can help in short bursts of hard exercise. Single doses above about 800 mg can cause skin tingling (Trexler et al., 2015). The capsule lists 40 mg, so tingling is unlikely, and so is any exercise effect.
Niacin
Adult men need 16 mg NE a day, and the upper limit from supplements is 35 mg (NIH ODS, niacin). The capsule lists 7.5 mg NE. If you take a multivitamin, add its niacin to this number.
Calcium
Adults 19 to 70 need 1,000 mg a day (NIH ODS, calcium). The capsule lists 18 mg, less than 2% of that. Food and any other supplement will supply most of your calcium.
Were any of these studies about memory or focus?
No. The arginine and citrulline research was about blood pressure and blood vessels, and the beta-alanine research was about exercise. The niacin and calcium figures are daily needs, not study doses.
That matters because the front label prints "CLINICAL MEMORY RESTORATION". No clinical study of this formula is published, and a supplement cannot restore memory lost to a medical cause. The label phrase post goes through this in detail.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says evidence for supplements and cognitive function is generally weak (NCCIH). Memory changes that worry you need a doctor's check, not a higher dose.
How can you check these numbers yourself?
Use five steps on any panel with printed amounts. They work on VapoCept and on any product you compare it with.
Find the printed amount
Read the number next to each line. On VapoCept, every amino acid amount is printed, with no blend.
Combine forms of the same thing
Add arginine base to the arginine share of the AKG form. Add the two citrulline salts together.
Find the study dose
Look up the range the research used, and note what the research measured.
Divide
Divide the printed amount by the low end of the study range. That gives you the most generous share.
Check the topic
Ask whether the studies were about what the label promises. Here, they were about blood pressure and exercise.
Do not try to close the gap by taking more capsules. The label says one capsule daily with an 8 oz glass of water. More capsules would also add niacin, and gram-level amino acid doses are a topic for your doctor.
For each ingredient on its own card, see the ingredients page. For the panel in label form, see Supplement Facts. For what these amino acids do in the body, read the amino acid explainer.
Questions people ask about this
Does VapoCept use a proprietary blend?
No. Every amount is printed on the published panel. That is a real plus, since it lets you check the doses yourself.
Why is the arginine about 340 mg and not 400 mg?
The AKG 2:1 form is only about two thirds arginine. So 200 mg of it adds about 140 mg, on top of 200 mg of arginine base.
Should I take more capsules to match the studies?
No. Follow the label: one capsule daily. Talk to your doctor before any gram-level amino acid dose.
Were any of these studies about memory?
No. They were about blood pressure, blood vessels and exercise. No clinical study of the VapoCept formula is published.
Does VapoCept add to my multivitamin?
Yes, a little. Add its 7.5 mg NE niacin and 18 mg calcium to what your multivitamin lists.
Sources for this page
- Dong JY, Qin LQ, Zhang Z, et al. Effect of oral L-arginine supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Am Heart J, 2011. Source
- Allerton TD, Proctor DN, Stephens JM, Dugas TR, Spielmann G, Irving BA. L-Citrulline supplementation: impact on cardiometabolic health. Nutrients, 2018. Source
- Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2015. Source
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Niacin: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Source
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated September 2023. Source
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Dietary Supplements and Cognitive Function, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease: What the Science Says. Source
Keep reading
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Review record
The people behind this VapoCept page
- Writer
- VapoCept Editorial Desk
- Reviewer
- Dr. Patricia McKeon, neuropsychologist
- Last revised
The desk wrote this page for Vapozcept from the label, the published panel and public health sources, and Dr. Patricia McKeon reviewed it before it went live. It is general information for adults, not advice about your own health.
Worried about your memory or focus, or taking blood-pressure or heart medicine? See your doctor before you start VapoCept, and bring the bottle.
