Identifying Effective Food Supplements

Food Supplements Effectiveness

Nootropic nutritional supplements at sea need to be able to determine if a nutritional supplement is effective.

We have compiled a list of the most common vitamins, minerals, and extracts that have strong quality and research indicators that are included in the list of ingredients in a nutritional supplement. Many companies manufacturing nootropic supplements try to conceal the amount of ingredients in order to protect their formula, but not knowing the number of ingredients in the product capsule is unacceptable and often dangerous.

To begin with, here are some general guidelines to follow when first looking for a nootropic supplement, or any supplement, for that matter:

• If the supplement formula is patented, you better find another product. Proprietary formulas do not disclose individual doses of their ingredients. Many companies hide doses based on “protect your product (s) from copying”. This does not seem to be a widespread issue. In fact, this is an easy way to increase your profits with lower doses.
• If one product has too many ingredients, it has been made to give the impression that it is better. This is almost certainly not the case. Excessive consumption of ingredients can have negative consequences and is a waste of money. Instead, look for target formulas, typically no more than 10 ingredients. Vitamin and mineral formulations are the only exceptions.
• If the exact form of the ingredient or active compounds it is intended to contain is not specified, you may think that it is probably not the type you are looking for. Always ask the manufacturer for details, but they should provide it without question. Most supplements manufacturers will not provide third-party analytical certifications, nor will they openly share the sources and forms of their ingredients - at least without asking for them. This is simply because they know they are using inferior ingredients.
• If the product contains any botanical extracts, heavy metal analysis is essential. Remember no products containing extracts like Bacopa or Ashwagandha without this analysis unless you are a fan of heavy metal poisoning. The exceptions are if proprietary extracts such as Synapsa and Bacognize (both Bacopa and KSM-66 and Sensoril (Ashwagandha)) are used.
• If you are analyzing every aspect of quality, select only vegetarian capsules without dyes. Gelatin-based capsules are made from hydrolyzed beef collagen, while colored capsules contain questionable additives.

These five simple guidelines will help you eliminate the most poor, effective, and potentially harmful products.

Know the Components

Let’s move on to the ingredient list below.

You will find these ingredients in almost every blend of nootropic supplements.

Zinc

Avoid: Oxide and Sulphate. Both forms have different bioavailability results in the body.
Choose from: Picolinate, Orotate, or Gluconate
Dosage: 10 mg +

Vitamin B6

Enough: Pyridoxine HCL
Optimal: P-5-P B6, which is once again the active form of the vitamin b6.
Dosage: 10 mg +

Vitamin B9 (folic acid)

Suboptima: Folic acid
Optimal: Methyl folate, the active form of this vitamin.
Dosage: 300 mg methyl folate

Vitamin D3

Dosage: At least 3000 iu. Optimum 5,000 - 10,000 iu.

L-Theanine

There is no advantage to using a branded / proprietary L-Teanine form, you just pay for the same ingredient.
Dosage: 200 mg

Lion's Mane Mushroom Extract

Avoid: doses below 1000 mg if beta-glucan is not specified or if it is not an extract. The amount of polysaccharides is usually meaningless.
Dosage: 1000 - 3000 mg.

Misleading examples of product labeling

In conclusion, we will provide some examples of supplements that are mis-listed and poorly / dangerously formulated. These are fancy labels, but we have seen examples of such practices in different products. Malicious or not, it is important to learn how to identify these nuances on product labels.