{
  "dataset": "l-arginine-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "L-Arginine Supplements Compared — cost per gram and per 6 g/day blood-pressure-trial-range dose",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/l-arginine/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), L-Arginine Cost Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-20",
  "methodology": "Six L-arginine products spanning powder, tablet, and capsule forms at 700-5,000 mg/serving. costPerGram = price / (servings x (mgPerServing / 1000)), computed on LABELED grams. costPerTrialDose = costPerGram x 6 (the 6 g/day dose, in the lower part of Dong 2011's pooled 4-24 g/day blood-pressure-trial dose range, PMID 22137067). unitsPerTrialDose = scoops/tablets/capsules to reach 6 g, shown to 1 decimal (round up for whole tablets/capsules in practice). ONE product, BulkSupplements L-Arginine HCl Powder, is an HCl salt form: its labeled 5 g/serving is arginine hydrochloride, not free-base L-arginine — elemental L-arginine is only about 82.7% of that weight (~4,135 mg). This ranking compares labeled grams like every other product here; it does NOT auto-adjust for the HCl salt's lower elemental content, which is disclosed separately (see priceNote/activeMgPerServing on that product). EVIDENCE CONTEXT (YMYL category — not a cure or treatment claim): oral L-arginine has genuinely poor, variable bioavailability (~68%, range 51-87%, Bode-Boger 1998, PMID 9833603) due to first-pass arginase metabolism; a head-to-head crossover trial found L-citrulline raises plasma arginine MORE effectively than arginine itself (Schwedhelm 2008, PMID 17662090) — see /l-citrulline/ for the more bioavailable alternative. Blood pressure is arginine's strongest evidence: an 11-RCT meta-analysis found a modest -5.39/-2.66 mmHg systolic/diastolic reduction at sustained 4-24 g/day (Dong 2011, PMID 22137067). CRITICAL SAFETY SIGNAL: the VINTAGE MI RCT found L-arginine given after a heart attack was associated with significantly HIGHER 6-month mortality (8.6% vs 0%, P=.01) and the trial was stopped early for safety (Schulman 2006, JAMA, PMID 16391217) — anyone with recent cardiac events or unstable cardiac disease should not take L-arginine without direct medical guidance. None of these products are marketed or labeled to treat ED or heart disease. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 6,
    "trialDoseG": 6,
    "cheapestPerTrialDose": 0.26,
    "cheapestPerTrialDoseBrand": "Nutricost",
    "cheapestStickerBrand": "NOW Foods",
    "cheapestStickerPrice": 13,
    "note": "Powder is far cheaper per gram than tablets or capsules at the 6 g/day blood-pressure-trial dose. For the nitric-oxide/pump goal specifically, L-citrulline is the better-absorbed choice gram-for-gram (see /l-citrulline/vs-l-arginine/)."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "mgPerServing",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerGram",
    "costPerTrialDose",
    "unitsPerTrialDose",
    "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose"
  ],
  "units": {
    "mgPerServing": "mg L-arginine (labeled)",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerGram": "USD per labeled gram of L-arginine",
    "costPerTrialDose": "USD per 6 g/day trial-range dose"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "Oral L-arginine bioavailability averaged 68% (range 51-87%) for a single 6 g dose in healthy males; only a much larger 30 g IV dose, not 6 g oral, significantly moved blood pressure acutely.",
      "source": "Bode-Boger SM, Boger RH, Galland A, Tsikas D, Frolich JC. 1998, Br J Clin Pharmacol",
      "pmid": "9833603"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Oral L-citrulline dose-dependently increased plasma L-arginine AUC and Cmax more effectively than oral L-arginine itself (P<0.01).",
      "source": "Schwedhelm E, Maas R, Freese R, Jung D, Lukacs Z, Jambrecina A. 2008, Br J Clin Pharmacol",
      "pmid": "17662090"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (n=387): oral L-arginine 4-24 g/day reduced systolic BP by 5.39 mmHg and diastolic BP by 2.66 mmHg vs. placebo.",
      "source": "Dong JY, Qin LQ, Zhang Z, Zhao Y, Wang J, Arigoni F. 2011, Am Heart J",
      "pmid": "22137067"
    },
    {
      "claim": "L-arginine given after a first ST-elevation MI was associated with significantly higher 6-month mortality (8.6% vs 0%, P=.01); enrollment was stopped early for safety.",
      "source": "Schulman SP, Becker LC, Kass DA, Champion HC, Terrin ML, Forman S. 2006, JAMA (VINTAGE MI)",
      "pmid": "16391217"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "L-Arginine Powder (500 g)",
      "slug": "nutricost-l-arginine-powder-500g",
      "form": "Powder",
      "mgPerServing": 5000,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 21.95,
      "costPerGram": 0.044,
      "costPerTrialDose": 0.26,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 1.2,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 83
    },
    {
      "brand": "BulkSupplements",
      "product": "BulkSupplements.com L-Arginine HCl Powder (500 g)",
      "slug": "bulksupplements-l-arginine-hcl-powder-500g",
      "form": "Powder",
      "mgPerServing": 5000,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 23.97,
      "costPerGram": 0.048,
      "costPerTrialDose": 0.29,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 1.2,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 83,
      "priceNote": "HCl salt — the labeled 5 g is arginine hydrochloride, not free-base L-arginine. Elemental L-arginine is about 82.7% of that weight (~4,135 mg), so this is NOT a gram-for-gram equivalent to the free-base powder above."
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "L-Arginine 1,000 mg (300 Tablets)",
      "slug": "nutricost-l-arginine-1000mg-300-tabs",
      "form": "Tablet",
      "mgPerServing": 1000,
      "servings": 300,
      "price": 25.95,
      "costPerGram": 0.087,
      "costPerTrialDose": 0.52,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 6,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 50
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "L-Arginine 700 mg (180 Veg Capsules)",
      "slug": "now-foods-l-arginine-700mg-180-caps",
      "form": "Capsule",
      "mgPerServing": 700,
      "servings": 180,
      "price": 13,
      "costPerGram": 0.103,
      "costPerTrialDose": 0.62,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 8.6,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 21
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "L-Arginine 1,000 mg (120 Tablets)",
      "slug": "now-foods-l-arginine-1000mg-120-tabs",
      "form": "Tablet",
      "mgPerServing": 1000,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 17.04,
      "costPerGram": 0.142,
      "costPerTrialDose": 0.85,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 6,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 20
    },
    {
      "brand": "Pure Encapsulations",
      "product": "L-Arginine 1,400 mg (90 Capsules)",
      "slug": "pure-encapsulations-l-arginine-1400mg-90-caps",
      "form": "Capsule",
      "mgPerServing": 1400,
      "servings": 45,
      "price": 29,
      "costPerGram": 0.46,
      "costPerTrialDose": 2.76,
      "unitsPerTrialDose": 4.3,
      "daysPerContainerAtTrialDose": 10,
      "priceNote": "Priced for the lower ED-range dose (~1.4 g/day = 1 serving/day, about $0.64/day, a 45-day supply) — not competitive at the higher 6 g/day blood-pressure-trial dose (~$2.76/day)."
    }
  ]
}