Supplement Ingredient & Dosage Encyclopedia

Acetyl-L-Carnitine

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

The acetylated form of L-carnitine, used for its role in mitochondrial fatty acid transport and its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier more readily than standard...

Agmatine Sulfate

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A metabolite of arginine used in pre-workouts for pump, working by a different route than citrulline. Widely used, poorly studied in humans, and worth understanding before...

Akkermansia Muciniphila

A mucin-degrading bacterium native to the human gut lining, and one of the most heavily researched next-generation probiotics. It has drawn attention for its association with...

Algal Oil

1000.0–2000.0 mg daily

EPA and DHA produced directly by marine algae, the organisms fish get theirs from. The only credible plant-based source of long-chain omega-3, and it works as...

Alpha-GPC

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A highly bioavailable choline source that crosses the blood-brain barrier and serves as a precursor for acetylcholine synthesis. Used in nootropic formulas for cognitive support and...

Alpha-Ketoglutarate

1000.0–3000.0 mg daily

A citric acid cycle intermediate that has moved from sports nutrition into the longevity category. The animal data is genuinely interesting; the human data has barely...

Alpha Lipoic Acid

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A sulphur compound that works as both a mitochondrial cofactor and an antioxidant, and is unusual in being soluble in both water and fat. The R...

American Ginseng

200.0–400.0 mg daily

A distinct species from Asian ginseng with a different ginsenoside profile and a calmer character. The cognitive research is genuinely interesting, with effects appearing within hours.

Apigenin

50.0–100.0 mg daily

A dietary flavone found in chamomile, parsley and celery, popular for evening use and relaxation. Human evidence remains early, with most data coming from laboratory models...

Apple Cider Vinegar

15.0–30.0 ml daily

Fermented apple juice, sold on claims that considerably exceed what the research supports. The blood sugar effect is modest but real; the weight loss effect is...

Aquamin

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A multi-mineral complex derived from calcified red seaweed, supplying calcium and magnesium alongside dozens of trace minerals in a plant-derived matrix. Genuinely different from a mineral...

Arachidonic Acid

500.0–1500.0 mg daily

An omega-6 fatty acid taken deliberately to amplify the inflammatory signal that follows training. It runs against everything people assume about omega-6, and the reasoning behind...

Artichoke Extract

300.0–1800.0 mg daily

An extract of globe artichoke leaves, used traditionally for digestion and with reasonable modern evidence on lipid markers. The leaf rather than the edible heart is...

Ashwagandha

300.0–600.0 mg daily

An adaptogenic root used in Ayurvedic practice and now one of the most researched botanicals in the supplement market. Standardised extracts have been studied for stress...

Astaxanthin

4.0–12.0 mg daily

A deep red carotenoid from microalgae, and the pigment that makes salmon and flamingos pink. Studied for endurance, skin and eye measures, and unusual among carotenoids...

Astragalus

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

A root used as a foundational tonic in traditional Chinese practice, more recently taken up by the longevity category for its effects on telomerase. The traditional...

AstraGin

50.0–50.0 mg daily

A patented blend of astragalus and notoginseng extracts included to improve absorption of everything alongside it. Appears in a great many formulas, with almost all the...

B-Complex

All eight B vitamins in one product. Sensible if you want broad cover cheaply, wasteful if you only need one of them — and the doses...

Bacillus Coagulans

1.0–2.0 CFU daily

A spore-forming probiotic that survives heat, shelf storage and stomach acid where ordinary probiotic strains do not. That durability is the whole proposition, and it is...

Bacopa Monnieri

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A creeping marsh herb from Ayurvedic practice, standardised to bacoside content. Unusual among nootropics in having decent human evidence, and unusual in taking around twelve weeks...

BCAAs

5.0–10.0 g daily

Leucine, isoleucine and valine sold as a trio, once a staple of every gym bag. The mechanism is real but incomplete, and controlled trials have consistently...

Beef Protein Isolate

30.0–40.0 g daily

A protein powder made from beef by-products rather than from steak. Dairy-free and complete, though the amino acid profile is weaker than whey and the marketing...

Beetroot Extract

400.0–800.0 mg daily

A dietary nitrate source and one of the best-evidenced ergogenic aids in endurance sport. What matters is nitrate content in millimoles, not grams of beetroot powder...

Berberine

500.0–1500.0 mg daily

An isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from barberry, goldenseal and related plants, studied extensively for its effects on glucose and lipid metabolism via AMPK activation. Poor oral bioavailability...

Beta-Alanine

3200.0–6400.0 mg daily

A non-essential amino acid that serves as the rate-limiting precursor to muscle carnosine, an intracellular buffer against exercise-induced acidity. Well evidenced for efforts lasting roughly one...

Betaine HCl

300.0–1500.0 mg daily

A source of hydrochloric acid used to support stomach acidity during digestion. Regularly confused with betaine anhydrous, the performance ingredient, and the two do entirely different...

Betaine (TMG)

2500.0–2500.0 mg daily

A methyl donor derived from glycine, found in beetroot and wheat bran. Works through two unrelated routes — methylation and cellular hydration — and has a...

Bilberry

160.0–480.0 mg daily

A wild European berry far richer in anthocyanins than cultivated blueberries. Sold mainly for eye comfort on the back of a wartime story that turns out...

Black Seed Oil

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

Oil pressed from Nigella sativa seeds, standardised to thymoquinone. A long traditional history and a growing modern trial record, most of it on metabolic and inflammatory...

Boron

3.0–10.0 mg daily

A trace element found in fruit, vegetables and nuts, studied for effects on bone metabolism, sex hormone binding globulin and inflammatory markers. Doses are small, typically...

Boswellia

300.0–500.0 mg daily

The resin of the Indian frankincense tree, standardised to boswellic acids. AKBA content is what separates a working extract from an inert one, and most cheap...

Bromelain

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

A protein-digesting enzyme from pineapple stem, used both as a digestive aid and for recovery. When you take it determines which of those two jobs it...

Caffeine

100.0–400.0 mg daily

The most widely used stimulant in the world and among the best-evidenced ergogenic aids available. Acts primarily through adenosine receptor antagonism, with performance benefits across endurance,...

Calcium

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

The most abundant mineral in the body, almost all of it in bone. Widely supplemented, though food sources are better absorbed and the case for high-dose...

Carnosine

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

The dipeptide that beta-alanine exists to build. Taking it directly sounds like the obvious shortcut and is in fact the inferior route, for a specific and...

Casein

30.0–40.0 g daily

The slow-digesting protein fraction of milk, making up around 80 per cent of it. Forms a gel in the stomach and releases amino acids over several...

Cayenne (Capsaicin)

2.0–10.0 mg daily

The compound that makes chillies hot, used in fat loss formulas for its effect on energy expenditure. The effect is real but small, and it fades...

Chaga

1.0–3.0 g daily

A dark fungal growth found on birch trees across northern forests. Popular in the mushroom category, though human evidence is thinner than for most, and its...

Chamomile

220.0–1100.0 mg daily

One of the most widely drunk herbal teas in the world, and the main dietary source of apigenin. Modest but consistent evidence for settling and sleep...

Chlorella

2.0–6.0 g daily

A single-celled green algae grown as a food, high in protein and chlorophyll. Its rigid cell wall has to be broken before you can digest it,...

Choline (Bitartrate)

400.0–550.0 mg daily

An essential nutrient and the cheapest way to raise choline intake. Fine for meeting requirements, poor for cognitive purposes, because very little of it reaches the...

Chondroitin

800.0–1200.0 mg daily

A structural component of cartilage, almost always sold alongside glucosamine. Quality varies enormously between products, and independent testing has repeatedly found less in the bottle than...

Chromium

40.0–200.0 mcg daily

A trace mineral marketed heavily for blood sugar and appetite control. The evidence is considerably weaker than the marketing, and its status as an essential nutrient...

Cinnamon

1.0–6.0 g daily

A common spice with reasonable research on blood sugar markers. The critical detail is that two different species are both sold as cinnamon, and one of...

Cissus Quadrangularis

500.0–3200.0 mg daily

A succulent vine used in Ayurvedic practice for bone and joint complaints, and marketed in sports nutrition for tendon and ligament support. Human evidence is limited...

Cistanche Tubulosa

500.0–1500.0 mg daily

A parasitic desert plant used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic, standardised to phenylethanoid glycosides such as echinacoside and verbascoside. Marketed for vitality, libido and...

Citicoline

250.0–500.0 mg daily

A choline compound that delivers two useful molecules at once: choline for acetylcholine, and cytidine which converts to uridine. The main alternative to Alpha-GPC, and the...

Citrulline Malate

6.0–8.0 g daily

Citrulline bonded to malic acid, and the form most performance research has actually used. The ratio on the label decides how much citrulline you are getting,...

CLA

3.0–6.0 g daily

A modified fatty acid sold for fat loss since the 1990s. The animal data was striking, the human data was not, and the isomer responsible for...

Cocoa Flavanols

200.0–900.0 mg daily

The polyphenols in cocoa, and one of very few botanical ingredients with an authorised health claim behind them. Blood vessel function is the well-supported effect, and...

Collagen Peptides

10.0–15.0 g daily

Collagen broken into short peptide chains for absorption, used for skin, joint and connective tissue support. Evidence is better than critics allow but more specific than...

Colostrum

20.0–60.0 g daily

The first milk produced after calving, rich in immunoglobulins and growth factors. Reasonable evidence for gut barrier and respiratory outcomes in athletes, though most retail products...

Copper

1.0–2.0 mg daily

A trace mineral required for iron handling, connective tissue and antioxidant enzymes. Rarely supplemented on its own, and most relevant as the mineral that high-dose zinc...

CoQ10

100.0–200.0 mg daily

A fat-soluble compound essential to the final stage of cellular energy production. Levels decline with age and are reduced by some common medications, which is the...

Cordyceps

1000.0–3000.0 mg daily

A medicinal fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine and marketed for endurance and oxygen utilisation. Species and growing substrate matter enormously to what you actually receive,...

Creatine Ethyl Ester

3.0–5.0 g daily

A creatine form sold on better absorption, which research shows degrades to a waste product before it reaches your muscles. One of the clearer cases in...

Creatine HCl

3.0–5.0 g daily

Creatine bound to hydrochloric acid, marketed for superior solubility and lower effective dosing than monohydrate. The solubility advantage is real and measurable; the claim that it...

Creatine Monohydrate

3.0–5.0 g daily

The most researched sports supplement available. Creatine monohydrate increases intramuscular phosphocreatine stores, supporting rapid ATP resynthesis during repeated short bursts of high-intensity effort. It is the...

Creatine Nitrate

2.0–3.0 g daily

Creatine bound to a nitrate group, sold as combining creatine with a pump ingredient. The nitrate contribution is too small to matter, and stability is the...

Creatinol-O-Phosphate

1.0–2.0 g daily

A buffering compound that resembles creatine and does something different. Sold for extending sets, on a small and largely non-English research base.

D-Aspartic Acid

3.0–3.0 g daily

An amino acid isomer marketed heavily as a testosterone booster. Early findings in untrained men were not replicated, and later trials in trained men found no...

Dandelion

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

The lawn weed, used traditionally as a bitter and a diuretic. Root and leaf do different jobs, and it is one of very few plant diuretics...

Dietary Nitrates

400.0–800.0 mg daily

The compound doing the work in beetroot, also abundant in rocket and spinach. Understanding nitrate rather than beetroot specifically is what lets you dose it properly...

Digestive Enzymes

1.0–2.0 capsule daily

Enzymes taken with food to help break it down. Genuinely useful for specific, identifiable problems and largely unnecessary for everyone else, which is roughly the opposite...

DIM (Diindolylmethane)

100.0–200.0 mg daily

A compound formed in the stomach from indole-3-carbinol, found in cruciferous vegetables, studied for its influence on oestrogen metabolism. Used in hormonal support formulas, with human...

Dynamine

100.0–200.0 mg daily

A purine alkaloid from the same tea as theacrine, sold as its faster-acting counterpart. Almost always paired with caffeine, and with a research base that is...

EAAs

6.0–15.0 g daily

All nine amino acids the body cannot make, supplied together. The straightforward improvement on BCAAs, since they provide both the signal to build muscle protein and...

Ecdysterone

200.0–1000.0 mg daily

A phytoecdysteroid found in spinach, quinoa and several herbs, marketed for muscle-building effects through a proposed non-androgenic pathway. Human evidence rests largely on a single notable...

Egg Albumin

25.0–40.0 g daily

Dried egg white protein, the original reference standard against which other proteins were scored. Dairy-free, complete, moderately paced, and largely displaced by whey on cost and...

Electrolytes

300.0–1500.0 mg daily

Minerals lost in sweat, replaced to maintain fluid balance during prolonged exercise. Sodium is the one that matters most, and individual sweat losses vary far more...

Eleuthero

300.0–1200.0 mg daily

A thorny shrub from northeast Asia, not botanically a ginseng despite the name. Studied as an adaptogen for endurance and fatigue resistance, with a research history...

elevATP

150.0–150.0 mg daily

A patented blend of ancient peat and apple extract, claimed to increase the body's own ATP production rather than supplying ATP. A more sensible premise than...

Epicatechin

100.0–300.0 mg daily

A flavanol found in cocoa, green tea and apples, marketed in sports nutrition for its proposed influence on myostatin and follistatin. Cardiovascular research on cocoa flavanols...

Exogenous Ketones (BHB)

10.0–12.0 g daily

Ketones taken directly rather than produced by the body. They do raise blood ketones, and that is not the same thing as burning fat — a...

Fadogia Agrestis

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A West African shrub whose stem is used traditionally as an aphrodisiac, marketed for testosterone support largely on the basis of a single rodent study. There...

Fenugreek

500.0–600.0 mg daily

A culinary seed from South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, marketed in sports nutrition for testosterone support. Also known for making users smell distinctly of maple...

Flaxseed & ALA

10.0–30.0 g daily

The richest plant source of the omega-3 fat ALA, plus useful fibre and lignans. The catch is that humans convert ALA to EPA and DHA very...

Forskolin

250.0–500.0 mg daily

A root extract that became a fat loss staple on the back of one small study and a great deal of television. The mechanism is real;...

Garcinia Cambogia

500.0–1500.0 mg daily

A tropical fruit rind standardised for hydroxycitric acid, and one of the most heavily marketed weight loss ingredients ever sold. The trial evidence is weak and...

Ginger

1.0–2.0 g daily

A culinary rhizome with a genuinely useful evidence base, best supported for settling the stomach and for reducing muscle soreness after hard training. Cheap, safe and...

Glucomannan

3.0–4.0 g daily

A soluble fibre from konjac root, and one of the only supplement ingredients anywhere with an authorised weight-loss claim. It works through sheer physical bulk, and...

Glucosamine

1500.0–1500.0 mg daily

An amino sugar used as a building block for cartilage, and one of the most widely sold joint supplements in the world. The sulphate and hydrochloride...

Glycerol

1.0–1.5 g daily

A sugar alcohol used to hyperhydrate before exercise in heat, pulling extra water into the body and holding it there. Genuinely effective for a narrow purpose,...

Glycine

3.0–5.0 g daily

The smallest amino acid, making up around a third of collagen and serving as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Best evidenced for sleep quality, and notably cheap for...

GlycoCarn

3.0–4.5 g daily

A carnitine variant bonded to glycine, sold for blood flow rather than fat metabolism. Distinct from the acetyl form, and with a research record that is...

Gotu Kola

60.0–180.0 mg daily

A creeping herb used across Asian traditional medicine, with reasonable modern evidence for connective tissue, skin and circulation in the legs. Its Ayurvedic name causes constant...

Grape Seed Extract

150.0–300.0 mg daily

A polyphenol-rich extract from the seeds left over from winemaking, standardised to proanthocyanidins. Best supported for vascular measures, and one of the better-evidenced antioxidant botanicals.

Green Coffee Bean

200.0–400.0 mg daily

Unroasted coffee beans, standardised for chlorogenic acid. Sold hard on the back of research that turned out to be seriously flawed, which is a story worth...

Green-Lipped Mussel

200.0–1200.0 mg daily

A shellfish extract from New Zealand with an unusual fatty acid profile and reasonable evidence for joint comfort. Processing method decides whether a product retains what...

Green Tea Extract

300.0–500.0 mg daily

A concentrated catechin extract standardised to EGCG, widely used in fat metabolism formulas. The effect on energy expenditure is real but small, and concentrated extracts carry...

Guanidinoacetic Acid

1.2–3.0 g daily

The compound your body makes creatine from. It raises muscle creatine more effectively than creatine itself in some people, at the cost of a methylation load...

Guarana

50.0–300.0 mg daily

An Amazonian seed containing more caffeine by weight than coffee beans. The caffeine releases more slowly because of the seed's tannin content, which is the one...

Gymnema Sylvestre

200.0–400.0 mg daily

A climbing vine whose Hindi name translates as sugar destroyer, because chewing the leaf genuinely abolishes your ability to taste sweetness. That effect is real and...

Hemp Protein

30.0–50.0 g daily

A whole-food protein from hemp seeds, lower in protein and higher in fibre than the isolates. Better understood as a nutritious food than as a protein...

HMB

3.0–3.0 g daily

A metabolite of leucine, positioned as an anti-catabolic agent that preserves muscle rather than building it. Evidence is decent in untrained and older populations and much...

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

300.0–1000.0 mg daily

An aromatic basil relative central to Ayurvedic practice and Hindu tradition, used as a calming adaptogen. Widely drunk as tea in India, and one of the...

Hops

200.0–500.0 mg daily

The flower that bitters beer, used traditionally for sleep and almost always paired with valerian. And no, drinking beer is not a route to the same...

Huperzine A

50.0–200.0 mcg daily

A potent compound from Chinese club moss that slows the breakdown of acetylcholine. Genuinely active at microgram doses, with an unusually long duration that makes cycling...

Hyaluronic Acid

120.0–240.0 mg daily

A molecule that holds water in skin and joint fluid, best known topically but with a reasonable oral evidence base. Molecular weight determines whether an oral...

Inulin

5.0–12.0 g daily

A soluble prebiotic fibre extracted mainly from chicory root, fermented by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids. Among the best-evidenced prebiotics available, though dose escalation matters...

Iodine

150.0–150.0 mcg daily

A trace mineral needed for thyroid hormone production and almost nothing else. Both too little and too much cause problems, which makes it one of the...

Iron

14.0–65.0 mg daily

Essential for carrying oxygen in the blood, and the mineral where what you take it with matters as much as how much you take. Also the...

Isomaltulose

30.0–60.0 g daily

A carbohydrate made by rearranging sucrose so the body breaks it down slowly. Supplies the same energy as sugar with a far gentler blood glucose curve,...

Krill Oil

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

Omega-3 from Antarctic krill, delivered as phospholipids rather than triglycerides. Better absorbed per milligram, but it supplies far less EPA and DHA per capsule and costs...

L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine

1.0–2.0 g daily

Glutamine bonded to alanine, which solves the two problems with plain glutamine: it is stable in solution and absorbed intact. Studied mainly for hydration and endurance...

L-Arginine

3.0–6.0 g daily

A conditionally essential amino acid and direct precursor to nitric oxide. Its mechanism is sound, but first-pass metabolism means oral arginine is a poor way to...

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate

2.0–3.0 g daily

The carnitine form studied for recovery rather than fat burning. Reasonable evidence for reduced muscle damage and soreness after hard training, which is a more defensible...

L-Citrulline

6.0–8.0 g daily

A non-protein amino acid that raises plasma arginine more effectively than arginine itself, supporting nitric oxide production and blood flow. The best-supported choice for pump and...

L-Glutamine

5.0–10.0 g daily

The most abundant free amino acid in the body and a primary fuel for intestinal and immune cells. Genuinely valuable in clinical settings, but the muscle...

L-Glutathione

250.0–1000.0 mg daily

The body's principal endogenous antioxidant, a tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine and glycine. The central question with any glutathione product is whether oral supplementation meaningfully raises tissue...

L-Histidine

500.0–4000.0 mg daily

An essential amino acid, precursor to histamine and the second building block of carnosine alongside beta-alanine. Rarely limiting, which is why beta-alanine rather than histidine is...

L-Isoleucine

1.0–5.0 g daily

One of the three branched-chain amino acids, notable for its effect on glucose uptake into muscle. Rarely supplemented alone, and there is little reason to.

L-Lysine

1.0–3.0 g daily

An essential amino acid required for collagen cross-linking and carnitine synthesis. The limiting amino acid in grain-based diets, and the one that competes directly with arginine.

L-Methionine

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

An essential sulphur-containing amino acid and the starting point for the body's main methyl donor. Rarely deficient in anyone eating protein, and one of the few...

L-Norvaline

100.0–300.0 mg daily

A pump ingredient found in many pre-workouts, included to stop arginine being broken down. Human performance evidence is absent, and there is a safety signal worth...

L-Ornithine

400.0–2000.0 mg daily

A non-protein amino acid central to the urea cycle, where it helps clear ammonia. Marketed for growth hormone and recovery, though the better evidence concerns fatigue...

L-Serine

2.0–5.0 g daily

A non-essential amino acid involved in phospholipid production, one-carbon metabolism and neurotransmission. Produced readily by the body, though there is an emerging clinical research interest.

L-Theanine

100.0–200.0 mg daily

An amino acid found almost exclusively in tea, valued for producing calm alertness without sedation. Its most reliable application is alongside caffeine, where it appears to...

L-Threonine

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

An essential amino acid concentrated in the mucus lining of the gut and in collagen and elastin. Important physiologically, but with almost no case for isolated...

L-Tryptophan

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

An essential amino acid and the starting point for serotonin and melatonin. Getting it into the brain is the hard part, which is why what you...

L-Tyrosine

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

A precursor to dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, useful specifically for maintaining cognitive performance under acute stress. Does little for a rested person, which is the key...

L-Valine

1.0–5.0 g daily

The third branched-chain amino acid, and the one with the least distinctive supplemental profile. Essential in the diet, but with no meaningful case for taking it...

Lactoferrin

200.0–400.0 mg daily

An iron-binding protein found in milk and in the body's own secretions, working largely by depriving unwanted organisms of iron. Expensive, and the iron-saturation status of...

Laxogenin

50.0–100.0 mg daily

A plant steroid marketed as a natural anabolic, usually sold as 5-alpha-hydroxy laxogenin. There are no published human trials, and independent testing has repeatedly found products...

Lemon Balm

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A lemon-scented member of the mint family used for calm and sleep. Gentler than valerian, considerably more pleasant to take, and with some support for acute...

Leucine

2500.0–5000.0 mg daily

The essential amino acid that acts as the primary trigger for muscle protein synthesis. Well understood mechanistically, though supplementing it in isolation turns out to be...

Licorice Root (DGL)

380.0–1600.0 mg daily

A traditional soothing herb for the digestive tract, sold in two forms that behave very differently. The deglycyrrhizinated version removes the compound responsible for licorice raising...

Lion's Mane

500.0–3000.0 mg daily

An edible medicinal mushroom studied for effects on nerve growth factor and cognitive function. Human evidence is early but not absent, and fruiting body versus mycelium...

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

10.0–20.0 mg daily

The two carotenoids your eyes actively concentrate into the macula, where they filter blue light and handle glare. Diet supplies them poorly for most people, and...

Maca

1500.0–3000.0 mg daily

A cruciferous root vegetable cultivated in the Peruvian Andes, used as a food and traditional tonic and marketed for energy, libido and hormonal support. Colour varieties...

Magnesium

200.0–400.0 mg daily

An essential mineral involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including energy production, muscle contraction and nerve signalling. Intake is genuinely low in many diets, and the...

Magnesium Glycinate

200.0–400.0 mg daily

Magnesium bound to glycine, the form most people should be taking. Gentle on digestion, well absorbed, and the glycine half is doing useful work of its...

Maitake

1.0–3.0 g daily

A large edible bracket fungus, genuinely good to eat and studied for immune and blood sugar effects. Better evidenced as a food than as a supplement.

Maltodextrin & Cyclic Dextrin

30.0–90.0 g daily

Carbohydrate powders used to fuel long sessions and refill glycogen. The difference between the cheap and expensive options comes down to osmolality, which determines how fast...

Manganese

2.0–5.0 mg daily

A trace mineral needed for antioxidant enzymes, bone formation and carbohydrate handling. Shortfall is rare, requirements are easily met from food, and there is little reason...

MCT Oil

10.0–30.0 g daily

Fats with shorter carbon chains that are absorbed and used differently from ordinary dietary fat. The C8 and C10 distinction matters, and coconut oil is not...

Methoxyisoflavone

400.0–800.0 mg daily

A 1970s patent compound sold as a non-hormonal anabolic since the 1990s. The one controlled trial found nothing, and it remains on shelves regardless.

Milk Thistle

200.0–600.0 mg daily

A thistle whose seeds yield silymarin, a flavonolignan complex with a long record of use in liver support. Absorption is poor in standard extracts, which makes...

MitoBurn (L-BAIBA)

250.0–500.0 mg daily

A compound muscle releases during exercise, sold on the premise of producing some of exercise's effects without the exercise. Genuinely interesting biology, and almost no human...

Moringa

2.0–6.0 g daily

A fast-growing tree whose leaves are genuinely nutrient dense, widely used as a food crop in South Asia and Africa. Sold in the West as a...

Morosil

400.0–400.0 mg daily

A standardised extract of Moro blood oranges, sold for body composition. Two small trials underpin the entire category, and both came from the same place.

MSM

1500.0–6000.0 mg daily

An organic sulphur compound found in small amounts in food, used for joint comfort and exercise recovery. Cheap, well tolerated, and with better evidence than its...

NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)

600.0–1800.0 mg daily

The acetylated form of cysteine, and the most practical way to raise glutathione. Cysteine availability is what limits glutathione production, which is why supplying it directly...

Nattokinase

2000.0–4000.0 FU daily

An enzyme isolated from natto, the Japanese fermented soybean food, studied for its fibrinolytic activity. Measured in fibrinolytic units rather than milligrams, and carries a meaningful...

NeuroFactor

100.0–200.0 mg daily

An extract from the whole coffee fruit rather than the bean, sold on claims about raising a brain growth factor. Distinct from both caffeine and green...

Nicotinamide Riboside

250.0–500.0 mg daily

A NAD+ precursor sitting one step before NMN in the same pathway. It has more human trial data behind it than NMN, and the same unanswered...

Nitrosigine

1500.0–1500.0 mg daily

A patented arginine compound bonded to silicon and stabilised with inositol, sold for blood flow and pump. Genuinely different from plain arginine, and its main claim...

NMN

250.0–1000.0 mg daily

A precursor to NAD+, the coenzyme central to cellular energy metabolism, and one of the most discussed compounds in longevity research. Human trials are accumulating but...

Oat Beta-Glucan

3.0–3.0 g daily

The soluble fibre in oats, and one of very few supplement ingredients with an authorised health claim behind it. Structurally different from the yeast and mushroom...

Olive Leaf Extract

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

An extract of olive leaves standardised to oleuropein, with reasonable evidence for blood pressure and vascular measures. The leaf contains far more polyphenol than the oil...

Omega-3 (EPA & DHA)

1000.0–3000.0 mg daily

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish and algae, among the best-evidenced supplements available. What matters is combined EPA and DHA content, not the capsule size,...

Panax Ginseng

200.0–400.0 mg daily

The classical adaptogen of East Asian practice, standardised to ginsenoside content. Which ginsenosides dominate determines whether a product is stimulating or calming — a distinction almost...

Paraxanthine

100.0–300.0 mg daily

The compound your body actually converts most caffeine into, sold directly rather than as caffeine. A genuinely interesting premise: skip the conversion step and the variability...

Passionflower

250.0–800.0 mg daily

A climbing vine used traditionally for restlessness and sleep, with a small body of human research reporting improved sleep quality without next-day grogginess.

PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide)

600.0–1200.0 mg daily

A fatty acid amide produced naturally in the body as part of the endocannabinoid-like signalling system, studied for discomfort and inflammatory processes. Particle size genuinely affects...

Pea Protein

25.0–40.0 g daily

The best-performing single plant protein for muscle purposes, made from yellow split peas. Rich in leucine and lysine, short on methionine, which is exactly why it...

Peak ATP

400.0–400.0 mg daily

Oral ATP, sold on the reasonable-sounding premise that supplying the energy molecule improves performance. It does not work the way the name implies, and almost all...

Peppermint Oil

180.0–600.0 mg daily

Solid evidence for digestive comfort when enteric-coated, plus a smaller and stranger body of research on inhaled peppermint and exercise performance. The coating is what makes...

Phosphatidic Acid

750.0–750.0 mg daily

A phospholipid that activates the same signalling pathway resistance training does. One of very few supplements with a direct muscle-building mechanism, and results that have not...

Phosphatidylserine

100.0–400.0 mg daily

A phospholipid concentrated in nerve cell membranes, studied for cognition and for blunting the cortisol response to hard training. Not the same thing as L-serine, despite...

Pine Bark Extract

100.0–200.0 mg daily

An extract from French maritime pine bark, chemically similar to grape seed but with a larger and better-funded human trial record. Genuinely useful for blood flow,...

Piperine

5.0–20.0 mg daily

The pungent alkaloid in black pepper, included in formulas not for its own effects but to slow the breakdown of other ingredients. A potentiator rather than...

Plant Sterols & Stanols

1.5–3.0 g daily

Plant compounds structurally similar to cholesterol that block its absorption by competing for the same route. One of a small number of ingredients with an authorised...

Pomegranate Extract

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A polyphenol-rich extract with decent evidence for blood flow and recovery. It is also the raw material your gut bacteria turn into urolithin A, which is...

Potassium

200.0–3500.0 mg daily

The main mineral inside cells, working opposite sodium to run nerve signals and muscle contraction. Most people fall short, and supplements are legally capped at a...

PQQ

10.0–20.0 mg daily

A compound that appears to prompt cells to build new mitochondria rather than simply supporting the ones they have. Frequently sold with CoQ10, and the two...

Probiotics

1.0–50.0 CFU daily

Live bacteria taken to influence the gut microbiota. Effects are strain-specific rather than general, which means the strain names on the label matter far more than...

Psyllium Husk

5.0–10.0 g daily

Soluble fibre from the husk of Plantago ovata seeds, and one of the few supplements in this index with genuinely strong evidence across several outcomes. Cheap,...

Quercetin

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A flavonoid found in onions, apples and capers, studied for endurance and immune outcomes. Absorption is poor enough that the formulation matters more than the milligram...

Reishi

1.0–3.0 g daily

A woody bracket fungus with a long history in East Asian practice, used for sleep and calm rather than energy. As with all medicinal mushrooms, fruiting...

Resveratrol

150.0–500.0 mg daily

A polyphenol from grape skin and Japanese knotweed, once heralded as the explanation for the French paradox. Bioavailability is very poor, and human results have consistently...

Rhodiola Rosea

200.0–600.0 mg daily

An arctic adaptogen with a Scandinavian and Russian research history, studied for mental fatigue and stress resilience. Standardisation to rosavins and salidroside is what separates a...

Ribose

5.0–10.0 g daily

A five-carbon sugar forming part of the ATP molecule, sold on the logic that supplying it speeds energy recovery. The logic is appealing and the evidence...

Rice Protein

30.0–48.0 g daily

A hypoallergenic plant protein, rich in methionine and short on lysine. On its own it is the weaker plant option; blended with pea it becomes a...

S7

50.0–50.0 mg daily

A blend of seven plant extracts at a very small total dose, claimed to raise the body's own nitric oxide production substantially. The headline percentage is...

Sage

300.0–600.0 mg daily

The kitchen herb, with a small but genuinely interesting body of cognitive research. It works through a mechanism nothing else in this index uses, and effects...

Schisandra

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

A red berry from a climbing vine, named in Chinese for containing all five tastes. Used as an adaptogen with a stimulating rather than calming character,...

Sea Buckthorn

1.0–3.0 g daily

An orange berry from a thorny shrub, and the main supplement source of omega-7. Berry and seed oils have quite different fatty acid profiles, which most...

Sea Moss

1.0–4.0 g daily

A red seaweed traditionally used in Ireland and the Caribbean, now heavily marketed as a mineral-rich superfood. Its genuine nutritional contribution is iodine, and that is...

Selenium

55.0–200.0 mcg daily

A trace mineral central to the body's own antioxidant enzymes and to thyroid hormone handling. Has the narrowest gap between requirement and upper limit of any...

Senactiv

50.0–50.0 mg daily

A patented blend of notoginseng and chestnut rose, sold for clearing worn-out muscle cells and preserving glycogen. Interesting premise, small and single-source evidence base.

Serrapeptase

40000.0–120000.0 SPU daily

A proteolytic enzyme originally isolated from bacteria in the silkworm gut, measured in enzyme activity units. Used for inflammatory and connective tissue complaints, with a research...

Shilajit

250.0–500.0 mg daily

A tar-like exudate that seeps from rock in high mountain ranges, formed over centuries from compressed plant matter. Standardised to fulvic acid content, with purification being...

Silica

5.0–20.0 mg daily

A mineral involved in collagen formation, sold widely for hair, skin and nails. The form matters enormously, and most products use one the body can barely...

Slendesta

300.0–300.0 mg daily

A potato protein extract sold for appetite control, working through a satiety hormone rather than as a stimulant. Mechanistically interesting, with a small and largely single-source...

Sodium Bicarbonate

200.0–300.0 mg daily

Baking soda, and one of the best-evidenced performance supplements in existence. Costs almost nothing, works reliably for the right efforts, and will wreck your session if...

Sodium Citrate

0.4–0.5 g/kg daily

A buffering agent that raises blood alkalinity, working the same way as sodium bicarbonate with considerably less digestive trouble. The trade is a larger dose and...

Sodium Phosphate

3.0–4.0 g daily

One of the better-evidenced endurance aids that almost nobody sells. Phosphate loading has been reported to improve VO2 max and time trial performance across several decades...

Soy Protein

25.0–40.0 g daily

The only common plant protein that is complete on its own, with a decent leucine content and decades of research behind it. Also the one carrying...

Spermidine

1.0–6.0 mg daily

A naturally occurring polyamine found in wheat germ, aged cheese and fermented soy, studied for its role in autophagy, the cellular recycling process. Human evidence is...

Spirulina

1.0–8.0 g daily

A blue-green algae cultivated as a food, unusually high in protein and rich in phycocyanin. Genuinely nutritious, and one where where it was grown matters more...

Sulforaphane

10.0–40.0 mg daily

A compound formed when broccoli is chopped or chewed, and one of the most potent activators of the body's own antioxidant defences. Most supplements are built...

Sunfiber

5.0–10.0 g daily

A branded partially hydrolysed guar gum, engineered to be a prebiotic fibre that does not cause the gas and bloating most prebiotics do. Genuinely solves a...

Tart Cherry

480.0–960.0 mg daily

A sour cherry rich in anthocyanins, with genuinely useful evidence for both recovery after hard training and sleep quality. One of the few ingredients that does...

Taurine

1.0–3.0 g daily

A conditionally essential amino acid found in high concentrations in muscle, heart and brain. Involved in cell volume regulation and calcium handling, and one of the...

Theacrine

100.0–300.0 mg daily

A compound closely related to caffeine, found in kucha tea, sold on the claim that it does not build tolerance. The tolerance claim has some support...

Theobromine

100.0–500.0 mg daily

The alkaloid that makes dark chocolate mildly stimulating. Gentler and considerably longer-lasting than caffeine, which is why it appears alongside it rather than instead of it.

Tribulus Terrestris

500.0–1500.0 mg daily

A vine used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese practice, sold for decades as a testosterone booster. Controlled trials have consistently failed to show it raises testosterone...

TUDCA

250.0–1000.0 mg daily

A taurine-conjugated bile acid, the water-soluble form of UDCA, used for liver support and studied for its effect on cellular stress pathways. Widely used alongside oral...

Turkesterone

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

An ecdysteroid from Ajuga turkestanica that became one of the most hyped supplements of recent years. There are no human trials of turkesterone specifically, and independent...

Turkey Tail

1.0–3.0 g daily

A common bracket fungus and the most thoroughly researched medicinal mushroom, thanks to decades of supervised use in Japan and China. Standardised to beta-glucan and protein-bound...

Turmeric (Curcumin)

500.0–2000.0 mg daily

The yellow rhizome behind curry powder, standardised for its curcuminoid content. Absorption is the entire story here — plain curcumin is barely absorbed at all, which...

Undenatured Type II Collagen

40.0–40.0 mg daily

Collagen taken at 40 mg rather than 10 g, working through an immune mechanism rather than by supplying building blocks. Not a smaller dose of collagen...

Uridine Monophosphate

150.0–500.0 mg daily

A nucleotide involved in building the membranes of nerve cells, and the third component of the classic choline stack alongside a choline source and omega-3.

Urolithin A

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A postbiotic produced when gut bacteria convert ellagitannins from pomegranate and walnuts, studied for its effect on mitophagy. Only a minority of people produce it efficiently...

Ursolic Acid

150.0–450.0 mg daily

A compound from apple peel with striking results in mice and very little to show in people. A clear example of promising preclinical work that has...

Valerian

300.0–600.0 mg daily

A root used for sleep since antiquity, with a distinctive and genuinely unpleasant smell. The evidence is more mixed than its reputation suggests, and it works...

Velositol

2000.0–2000.0 mg daily

A patented amylopectin and chromium complex added to protein products, claimed to roughly double the muscle protein synthesis response. A striking claim resting on a small,...

Vitamin A

700.0–900.0 mcg daily

A fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immune function and skin. Comes in two very different forms, and the one you choose determines whether an upper limit...

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

1.0–100.0 mg daily

A water-soluble vitamin central to turning carbohydrate into usable energy. Requirements rise with carbohydrate intake, which makes it quietly relevant to anyone eating a lot to...

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

2.0–1000.0 mcg daily

The one vitamin genuinely absent from plant foods, making it non-negotiable for anyone eating vegan. Absorption is unusually complicated, which is why intake and status are...

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

1.0–100.0 mg daily

A water-soluble vitamin that forms the backbone of two coenzymes used throughout energy metabolism. Also the reason your urine turns bright yellow after taking a multivitamin.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

16.0–50.0 mg daily

A precursor to NAD, the coenzyme behind most of the body's energy production. The form matters more here than for any other B vitamin, because one...

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

5.0–50.0 mg daily

The precursor to coenzyme A, which sits at the centre of fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Its name comes from the Greek for everywhere, which is...

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

1.0–10.0 mg daily

A cofactor for well over a hundred enzymes, particularly those handling amino acids and neurotransmitters. The one B vitamin with a genuine upper limit worth respecting,...

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

30.0–5000.0 mcg daily

The hair, skin and nails vitamin, sold at doses hundreds of times above requirement. Genuine shortfall is rare, and high-dose biotin causes a specific practical problem...

Vitamin B9 (Folate)

200.0–400.0 mcg daily

Essential for DNA synthesis and cell division, and one of the few nutrients with a specific public health recommendation attached. Folate and folic acid are not...

Vitamin C

200.0–1000.0 mg daily

An essential water-soluble vitamin required for collagen synthesis, immune function and iron absorption. Absorption saturates at modest intakes, which makes the very high doses common in...

Vitamin D3

10.0–25.0 mcg daily

A fat-soluble hormone precursor made in skin from sunlight, and one of the few supplements with a specific UK public health recommendation. At British latitudes production...

Vitamin E

15.0–50.0 mg daily

A fat-soluble antioxidant protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. The natural and synthetic forms differ substantially in potency, and the label tells you which you are...

Vitamin K1

75.0–120.0 mcg daily

The form of vitamin K found in green vegetables, used primarily by the liver for blood clotting. Rarely supplemented alone, and the counterpart to K2 rather...

Vitamin K2

90.0–180.0 mcg daily

The menaquinone family of vitamin K, involved in directing calcium into bone and away from arterial tissue. MK-7 and MK-4 behave differently enough that the form...

Wellmune

250.0–250.0 mg daily

A purified beta-glucan from baker's yeast, structurally distinct from mushroom or oat beta-glucans. One of the better-evidenced immune ingredients, with a research base that includes independent...

Whey Protein Concentrate

20.0–40.0 g daily

The workhorse of the protein category: fast-digesting, leucine-rich and considerably cheaper than isolate. For most people it does the same job for less money, and the...

Whey Protein Hydrolysate

20.0–40.0 g daily

Whey partially broken down into shorter peptides before you drink it. Absorbs faster, costs considerably more, tastes worse, and makes almost no practical difference for most...

Whey Protein Isolate

20.0–40.0 g daily

Whey filtered further to strip out most of the fat and lactose, giving 90 per cent or more protein by weight. Worth the premium for lactose...

White Kidney Bean Extract

445.0–1500.0 mg daily

The carb blocker, and the mechanism is real. What it blocks in practice is a good deal less than the marketing implies, and the undigested starch...

Yerba Mate

500.0–1000.0 mg daily

A South American holly leaf brewed as a social drink and used in supplements for energy and fat metabolism. Contains caffeine alongside a substantial polyphenol load,...

Zinc

10.0–25.0 mg daily

An essential trace mineral involved in hundreds of enzymes, immune function and hormone production. Effective doses sit close to the safe upper limit, and sustained high...

ZMA

1.0–1.0 serving daily

Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 sold as a combination for testosterone and sleep. The individual components matter if you are short of them, and the combination...

Zynamite

150.0–300.0 mg daily

A standardised mango leaf extract sold as a non-stimulant alternative to caffeine for mental energy. Unusually for a branded ingredient, some of the research comes from...