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Supplements

What works, what doesn’t, and how to use them safely.

Supplements

Honest, evidence-based supplement information — what works, what doesn’t, safe doses and interactions. Many topics link into our detailed nutrition reference pages; more dedicated supplement guides are on the way.

Vitamins — in-depth guides

Vitamin monographs

All 13 vitamins in depth — grouped by solubility.

Fat-soluble
Vitamin A Vitamin A Vitamin D Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin E Vitamin K Vitamin K
Water-soluble
Vitamin C Vitamin C B1 Thiamin B1 Thiamin B2 Riboflavin B2 Riboflavin B3 Niacin B3 Niacin B5 Pantothenic acid B5 Pantothenic acid B6 Pyridoxine B6 Pyridoxine B7 Biotin B7 Biotin B9 Folate B9 Folate B12 Cobalamin B12 Cobalamin

Minerals — in-depth guides

Mineral monographs

All the minerals in depth — grouped by amount in the body.

Major minerals
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium
Trace elements
Iron Iron Zinc Zinc Iodine Iodine Selenium Selenium Copper Copper Manganese Manganese Chromium Chromium Boron Boron Silicon Silicon

Gut health & probiotics

Probiotics

Gut flora, the main strains, how probiotics are made, CFU doses, and how & when to take them.

Colostrum (bovine)

The gut-barrier supplement: what it is, the new leaky-gut research, dose, quality and safety.

Sleep support

Sleep supplements — evidence first

Separate circadian tools and better-studied options from popular compounds whose marketing has outrun the human trials.

Melatonintiming, jet lag & safety Glycinesleep & collagen L-Theaninecalm focus Apigeninpromising, but direct human evidence is thin All sleep guidancehabits, food & supplements

Performance & recovery

Creatine

The most-researched sports supplement: monohydrate vs Creapure, dosing for muscle and for the brain, the newest research, and safety.

Amino acids & performance

Amino acid supplements

The building blocks of protein, and the single aminos worth knowing — muscle, performance, recovery, sleep and mood.

All amino acids → the complete hub EAA muscle synthesis BCAA the honest verdict Leucine the muscle trigger HMB muscle preservation Creatine most proven Beta-alanine buffers the burn L-Citrulline pumps & blood flow L-Arginine nitric oxide Betaine (TMG) strength & methylation L-Carnitine energy & recovery L-Glutamine gut & immune L-Lysine cold sores Glycine sleep & collagen L-Theanine calm focus L-Tyrosine focus under stress Tryptophan / 5-HTP mood & sleep GABA calm — poorly absorbed Taurine endurance & heart NAC glutathione

Bone & joint health

Bone density, joints & osteoarthritis — exercise first

Glucosamine the most-studied Chondroitin cartilage GAG MSM sulfur, recovery Boswellia frankincense, AKBA UC-II type II collagen SAM-e OA & mood Rosehip GOPO ASU avocado-soybean Eggshell membrane fast relief (NEM) Devil’s claw back & joint pain Hyaluronic acid oral, knee OA Bromelain pineapple enzyme All joint health the honest guide

Adaptogens

Stress, energy & endurance

Ashwagandha stress & sleep Rhodiola roseroot, fatigue Panax ginseng fatigue & focus American ginseng colds & immunity Schisandra stamina & liver All adaptogens the honest guide

Hair, skin & nails

What actually works — evidence-ranked

Protein intake the first lever Silica (ch-OSA) hair & nail strength Oral keratin Cynatine HNS Annurca apple procyanidin B2 L-cysteine keratin building block Biotin (B7) deficiency-only B-complex deficiency-only Millet extract weak evidence All hair, skin & nails the honest guide

Brain & cognition

Focus, memory & mental energy — evidence-ranked

Creatine sleep-loss & vegetarians DHA / omega-3 deficiency & aging Caffeine + L-theanine acute focus B-vitamins if homocysteine is high Bacopa monnieri memory, ~12 weeks Rhodiola mental fatigue Ginkgo biloba debunked for dementia Lion’s mane mostly hype Magnesium-L-threonate thin evidence All brain & cognition the honest guide

Longevity & aging

Anti-aging supplements — myth-aware

NAD+ / NMN / NR moves a marker, not proven Resveratrol overhyped, largely failed Spermidine autophagy, early Fisetin senolytic, preliminary Quercetin senolytic, preliminary All longevity & aging the honest guide

General & specialty

More supplement guides

Multivitamins who actually benefits Collagen skin & joints Digestive enzymes & betaine HCl Colostrum gut barrier Probiotics gut health Antioxidants do the pills work?

Antioxidants

Antioxidant supplements

Do the pills work? The honest evidence, compound by compound — plus the overview.

Overview → do they work? CoQ10 heart failure, statins Alpha-lipoic acid diabetic nerve pain Astaxanthin skin & eyes Glutathione the master antioxidant Curcumin joint pain Quercetin blood pressure & allergy Green tea (EGCG) liver caution Grape seed & Pycnogenol OPCs for vessels Citrus bioflavonoids vein health Lutein & zeaxanthin eye health / AMD Lycopene tomatoes; prostate & heart Melatonin sleep & jet lag Resveratrol overhyped

Fatty acids & omega oils

Omega-3, -6, -7 oils

Fish, algae, krill and the specialty oils — judge omega-3 by its EPA+DHA, not capsule size.

All fatty acids → the hub Fish oil omega-3 EPA/DHA Algae oil vegan omega-3 Krill oil phospholipid form Cod liver oil + vitamins A & D Salmon oil whole-fish Evening primrose GLA — weak evidence Sea buckthorn omega-7; dry eyes Flaxseed oil ALA — poor conversion CLA body composition

Supplements

Supplement guides

In-depth, evidence-based — wired to our reference pages:

Comparisons

Safety & interactions

Supplements for a goal

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