I'm still trying to figure it out. When I first started, I took only a couple and my stomach ached a little bit. Today I have been taking 1 like every hour and it doesn't bother my stomach. If I eat a meal I take two at once. The bottle says not to exceed 12 in a day. They are ~600 mg each. I would say I have worked up to about 8 in a day. I really notice a difference after eating. I can tell the food is being broken down.