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Citrulline Malate vs L-Citrulline: Why the Milligrams Differ
Citrulline malate vs L-citrulline comes down to weight. L-citrulline is the amino acid; citrulline malate is that amino acid bound to malic acid, and the label weight counts both. So 500 mg of citrulline malate holds less than 500 mg of citrulline. Trials dosed pure L-citrulline at 3 to 9 g a day.
Written by the Melonex label deskUpdated · 4 min read
What is the difference between citrulline malate and L-citrulline?
L-citrulline is a single amino acid, and citrulline malate is L-citrulline joined to malic acid. The body ends up with the same citrulline, which the kidneys turn into arginine (Aguayo 2021, L-citrulline review).
The Melonex label shows "L-Citrulline DL-Malate". The "DL" describes the form of the malate partner, not the amino acid.
| L-citrulline | Citrulline malate | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The amino acid alone | The amino acid plus malic acid |
| Label weight counts | Citrulline only | Citrulline plus malate |
| Used in the trials we cite | Yes (Barkhidarian 2019, citrulline meta-analysis) | Not named there |
Does 500 mg of citrulline malate equal 500 mg of citrulline?
No. Every milligram of malate in the weight pushes the real citrulline lower. Melonex does not print the split, so the exact citrulline amount is unknown.
Line 1 of the blend holds between about 167 and 500 mg (21 CFR 101.36, blends). Two capsules a day can reach 1 g of the salt at most.
Start at the label
Line 1: 167 to 500 mg of citrulline malate per capsule.
Subtract the malate
The malate share is not printed.
Compare with trials
They used 3 to 9 g of citrulline a day.
Which form do the studies use?
The blood pressure meta-analysis pooled oral L-citrulline at 3 to 9 g a day and saw systolic pressure about 4.1 mm Hg lower (Barkhidarian 2019, citrulline meta-analysis). Exercise studies gave at least 3 g, with a small strength benefit (Trexler 2019, citrulline exercise).
Those are citrulline doses, which a salt weight cannot match without the ratio.
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See packsDoes the malate change the cautions?
No source we cite says malate changes the safety picture. Citrulline still raises blood arginine more than arginine itself does (Schwedhelm 2008, citrulline kinetics).
So the drug cautions stand: ask your doctor about blood pressure medicine, nitrates and sildenafil. Keep taking prescribed medicine.
Where do you order Melonex?
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FDA disclaimer. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Melonex is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Keep taking prescribed medicine, and ask your doctor before starting any supplement.
FAQ01
Melonex questions people ask
What does DL-malate mean on a label?
It names the form of the malate partner. It does not change the citrulline, which is the L-form the body uses.
Is citrulline malate better for workouts?
The exercise pool we cite used at least 3 g of citrulline and found a small benefit (Trexler 2019, citrulline exercise). A Melonex capsule holds far less.
Can I convert citrulline malate to citrulline myself?
Not from this label. The ratio is not printed, so any conversion would be a guess. Ask the order desk for the maker's figure.
Who wrote this02
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Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, AHA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
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