Nutrition
Multivitamins: what large trials have shown
Multivitamins have been tested in randomized trials involving tens of thousands of people—a rare case in nutrition where we have experiments with placebos rather than just observations.
Supplements and vitamins
What the trials say about the popular supplements, rather than what the label promises.
Nutrition
Iron and ferritin: what the test shows and why you feel tired
Ferritin is tested more often than any other iron metabolism marker and is most frequently misinterpreted.
Biohacking
Probiotics: why the strain matters more than the word on the label
The label says "lactobacillus.
Biohacking
Mitochondria: what lies behind the term "cellular energy" in supplement marketing
Mitochondria are organelles where oxygen and nutrients are converted into ATP.
Biohacking
Melatonin: minutes, not hours, and what was found inside the bottles
Melatonin is a hormone that signals the onset of darkness to the body.
Biohacking
Nootropics: what meta-analyses showed in healthy people
The word "nootropic" unites things that have nothing in common except a promise: prescription drugs, plant extracts, amino acids, and B vitamins.
Biohacking
Magnesium: why blood tests reveal little and what the trials have shown
Magnesium is a substance with a reputation as a universal answer: from calf cramps to anxiety and poor sleep.
Biohacking
Omega-3 index: what the test shows and what supplement trials have revealed
The omega-3 index is the proportion of two fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in red blood cell membranes.
Biohacking
Adaptogens: ashwagandha, rhodiola and studies with sixty participants
The word adaptogen was coined in the mid-twentieth century for substances said to raise resistance to stress in general, without specifying to what.
Biohacking
Longevity supplements: NMN, resveratrol and what human trials measured
This shelf has the best story of any: a molecule, ageing cells, mice that lived longer.
Nutrition
Chromium picolinate: what the tests showed and why the conclusions are cautious
A meta-analysis of randomized trials showed a difference from placebo of about 1.
Nutrition
Berberine: what research has shown and why it is called a "natural supplement"
Berberine is a plant alkaloid that shows an effect on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism markers in meta-analyses.
Nutrition
Vitamin D: how much you need, where to get it, and when to get tested
Vitamin D differs from other vitamins in that humans can produce it themselves—in the skin under ultraviolet light.
Nutrition
Activated charcoal for “detox”: what it actually binds
Activated charcoal is cheap, sold without a prescription, and taken for almost anything: the morning after, a weekend cleanse, sometimes a course of capsules for weight loss.
Nutrition
Collagen supplements: what digestion does to them
Two equally confident claims circulate about collagen.
Nutrition
How dietary supplements differ from vitamins and medications
In a pharmacy, two packages of vitamin D sit on the same shelf.
Nutrition
Sports supplements: creatine, glutamine, lecithin
The sports nutrition shelf is arranged so that expensive and useless products stand next to cheap and effective ones.
From reading to doing. All of it starts in one place — knowing what is on the plate. Photograph it and the calories and macros appear on their own.
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This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.