Plain-language entries on supplement ingredients: what they are, how amounts are reported, and what named public sources actually say. No hype, no sponsorships.
Berberine is a plant compound found in barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape, phellodendron, and tree turmeric. This page covers identity and safety from NCCIH only. NCCIH has no standalone identity monograph; its June 2023 news note lists gastrointestinal effects, a warning for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and infants, and possible drug interactions.
Read entry →Coenzyme Q10 is a compound present throughout the body, with the highest levels in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas, and sold in the United States as a dietary supplement. NCCIH describes the research on heart disease, heart failure, blood pressure and statin-related muscle pain as inconclusive or unsupportive, and names warfarin, insulin and some cancer treatments as drugs it may interact with.
Read entry →Collagen peptides are collagen broken into fragments of roughly 1 to 10 kDa, rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. A 2023 meta-analysis of 26 trials in 1,721 people found improvements in skin hydration and elasticity while calling for large-scale trials to confirm them. Unlike every other entry here, no NIH monograph could be retrieved for collagen, so this page rests on peer-reviewed literature instead.
Read entry →Creatine gummies are a delivery format, not a different creatine molecule. The 2017 ISSN creatine position stand does not report a peer-reviewed gummy trial. It does say creatine is stable as a solid and degrades to creatinine in aqueous solution, which is why creatine is sold dry.
Read entry →Creatine monohydrate is the creatine salt used in nearly all of the human research reviewed by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. The 2017 ISSN position stand describes a loading pattern of about 0.3 g/kg four times daily for 5 to 7 days, or 3 to 5 g daily over 3 to 4 weeks, and names weight gain as the only consistently reported side effect.
Read entry →Fish oil and omega-3 are not synonyms. Omega-3s are a kind of fat, of which EPA, DHA and ALA are the main types; fish oil is one supplement source of EPA and DHA, alongside cod liver oil, krill oil, algal oil and flaxseed oil. NCCIH reports that EPA and DHA reduce triglycerides by about 15 percent, with mixed or negative findings across most other conditions.
Read entry →L-theanine is an amino acid listed in PubChem as C7H14N2O3 with a molecular weight of 174.20. NIH ODS has no L-theanine fact sheet, and NCCIH has no L-theanine monograph. NCCIH's green tea page names Camellia sinensis and does not name L-theanine.
Read entry →Magnesium glycinate is a chelated magnesium salt sold as a dietary supplement. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements magnesium fact sheet never names glycinate; it describes magnesium itself, adult intakes of 310 to 420 mg, and a 350 mg adult upper level for supplemental magnesium.
Read entry →ODS names magnesium citrate and does not name magnesium glycinate. The fact sheet says citrate, among other soluble salts, was absorbed more completely than oxide and sulfate in small studies. This page found no healthy-adult randomized trial that compares glycinate with citrate head to head.
Read entry →Melatonin is a hormone the brain makes in darkness. NCCIH says short-term supplement use appears safe for most people, that U.S. products are regulated as dietary supplements, and that a 2017 test of 31 products often found labeled amounts that did not match the bottle. Practice guidelines it cites do not recommend melatonin for chronic insomnia.
Read entry →Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host, per the definition ODS quotes from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Effects are strain-specific. ODS says labels should be read for CFU at the end of shelf life, not at manufacture.
Read entry →Rhodiola rosea is a plant of cold, high-altitude regions, also sold as arctic root, golden root and roseroot. NCCIH states there is not enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola or its components are useful for any health-related purpose, and describes most of the research as low-to-moderate quality.
Read entry →Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family whose rhizome is used as a spice. Curcumin is one of its curcuminoids and the component most of the health interest attaches to, so the two words are not interchangeable. NCCIH reports initial positive evidence in knee osteoarthritis, insufficient evidence elsewhere, and liver damage reported in some people taking high-bioavailability formulations.
Read entry →Vitamin D3 is cholecalciferol, one of the two main supplement forms of vitamin D. The NIH ODS fact sheet gives adult RDAs of 15 to 20 mcg (600 to 800 IU), an adult upper level of 100 mcg (4,000 IU), and states that D3 raises and holds serum 25(OH)D longer than D2.
Read entry →Ashwagandha is Withania somnifera, an evergreen shrub whose root is sold as a standardized extract. NCCIH says some preparations may help with insomnia and stress, that evidence on anxiety is unclear, and that it should be avoided in pregnancy. ODS reports short-term use up to about three months and notes Denmark banned ashwagandha in food supplements in 2023.
Read entry →Whey is a milk protein that is water soluble, mixes easily and is rapidly digested, in contrast to casein, which is insoluble, coagulates in the gut and digests more slowly. The ISSN position stand on protein and exercise reports whey at about 11 percent leucine and finds an overall intake of 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day sufficient for most exercising individuals.
Read entry →Zinc is an essential mineral the immune system needs to work properly, and it also supports cell division, growth, wound healing and the senses of smell and taste. MedlinePlus gives adult RDAs of 11 mg a day for males and 8 mg for females, and notes that long-term excess intake can lead to copper, iron or magnesium deficiency.
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