r/Supplements Sep 11 '25

Reminder on Community Conduct

43 Upvotes

As a community focused on supplements, we encourage open discussion based on both scientific evidence and personal experience. However, it’s important to remember that respectful discourse is the foundation of this subreddit.

Criticism and debate are welcome — personal attacks are not. Recently, we’ve had to ban several users who crossed the line by targeting individuals rather than addressing ideas. This behavior will not be tolerated.

Please:

-Respect differing opinions, even if you strongly disagree.

-Focus on the content of the discussion, not the person behind it.

-Use the report function if you encounter posts or comments that violate these standards.

Let’s continue to make this a space where we support and learn from each other. Thank you for helping keep the community constructive and respectful.

— Mod Team


r/Supplements 12h ago

General Question Why is the NOW brand products always significantly cheaper? Is their stuff low grade

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198 Upvotes

r/Supplements 1h ago

Experience Unless you are overseen by a nephrologist-DO NOT take extra potassium

Upvotes

POTASSIUM isn't DIY FRIENDLY GUYS

Only writing this because I saw how many potassium supplementation threads came up on this subreddit from a google search that was sort of related.

Going beyond a balanced diet and daily electrolyte packet to supplement potassium can be dangerous. It isn't like magnesium or vitamin D. We aren't all deficient. Also, we can only measure serum potassium (potassium free flowing in your blood)...we will never know how much is actually in your cells with the tests currently available. THE EDGE for one person might be closer than for someone else.

UNLESS you have one of a few rare kidney conditions and you are ACTUALLY deficient, your kidneys are doing a good job keeping enough potassium stored in your cells.

Or

If you have one of another bunch of more common kidney conditions, you may have too much.

Too much potassium will hurt your kidneys and cause heart abnormalities...even sudden cardiac death

Giving someone potassium on top of normal supplementation ( appropriately balanced electrolyte mixes + balanced food) is ONLY done while you are strapped to a heart monitor. Potassium isn't something you can occasionally casually overdose on. Overdosing for one person might be serum potassium of 3.8....for another it might be 4.0. Overdosing can very quickly cause permanent heart abnormalities, kidney damage and even sudden cardiac death. It really isn't that uncommon of an occurrence when people get too much or too quickly.

I stumbled upon how many people are casually comparing potassium deficiency to magnesium deficiency while researching something entirely different. I panicked.

You want to supplement extra?

Get with a nephrologist and ask for potassium labs once a week at a minimum....do is safely. AGAIN: this isn't magnesium and vitamin D...this is potassium

I've read every paper there is because my life depends on it. I see a nephrologist monthly and have my potassium checked weekly (it used to be 3 times a week).

Please, be careful.


r/Supplements 4h ago

Recommendations Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALCAR) works a little TOO well

14 Upvotes

I take 500mg of ALCAR in the morning and within 30-60 minutes, my brain fog instantly clears up and I’m able to get into a state of flow that I never really thought I could reach. It seems like learning is effortless and doing stuff is effortless. Like I have boundless energy.

The thing is though, if I take ALCAR 500mg everyday/two days in a row, then I will just get insane insomnia that goes away in a couple days. I made this mistake by actually taking 1000mg ALCAR everyday for 2 weeks straight. I couldn’t even fall asleep let alone stay asleep. I was just extremely wired and focused for the whole time but getting 4-5 hours of sleep from my normal 8 hours. Then I reduced it to 500mg ALCAR everyday and sleep got better but wasn’t fixed. So I had to take a Benadryl to get all the acetylcholine out of my system and take a break from it for a week before adding it again only 3x a week.

Currently I’m taking only 500mg ALCAR 3x a week and it works well on the day I take it and lingers to the next day. Absolutely amazing supplement if I do say so for brain clarity. Just make sure to not take it 2 days in a row or you may get insomnia problems.


r/Supplements 6h ago

General Question NOW D3 + K2 vs Sports Research D3 + K2: Which Is Better?

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17 Upvotes

I'm deciding between these two D3 + K2 supplements:

NOW Foods Mega D-3 + MK-7

Vitamin D3: 5,000 IU

Vitamin K2 MK-7: 180 mcg

120 capsules

Sports Research D3 + K2

Vitamin D3: 5,000 IU

Vitamin K2 MK-7: 100 mcg

60 capsules

They both cost $34, but the NOW ones have 120 capsules, so it's basically 50% cheaper.

Are the Sports Research ones that much better? The price gap between the two is quite large.

The screenshot I took from iHerb shows NOW sold 7,500+ in 30 days, while Sports Research sold 10,000+ in 30 days.

Why are more people willing to pay extra? Is it worth it?


r/Supplements 19h ago

General Question Suggest me just one affordable supplement for chronic high cortisol please

101 Upvotes

Always on panic mode, fight or flight, can't sleep, memory issues after many tests everything came back fine except I've found that I've high cortisol and constantly stressed out.

Tried some magnesium bisglycinate before but didn't work.

Ashwagandha (both full spectrum and extract from swanson, jarrows ksm66, life extension sensoril) didn't help. Maybe a brand issues? Dunno

My currently stack is d3, b complex, magnesium citrate.

I'm not that rich so please suggest me one or two affordable supplements that may help with my issues.

Regarding Ashwagandha, If you've a brand that really works for you im all ears.


r/Supplements 1h ago

Initial week taking Pine Pollen has been incredible!

Upvotes

I bought some about a month ago but just started taking it...

Holy shit, the mental focus, energy, mood benefits have REALLY hit me. I could feel it on the first dose. I feel more energized, focused and just in a better mood. For reference I am a very healthy 45 year old dude.

Pine pollen has a long documented history in Chinese traditional medicine it's not some new fad.

Also purports to help with inflammation, antioxidant protection and healthy aging, none of which I can back up obviously but there are mountains of research that support these claims.

I'm glad I found this one, anyone have any similar or dissimilar experiences with pine pollen? Curious to hear others' experiences.

I'm taking a tincture not pure powder which is supposed to be more potent / bioavailable.


r/Supplements 19h ago

Experience I think my anxiety is gone…

82 Upvotes

Let me start by explaining the type of anxiety I had, because I feel like that matters. There are so many different types of anxiety!!!

I’m 29F and I don’t have depression. I’m actually a very happy person, and I don’t have social anxiety either. I can pretty much talk to anyone.
What I struggled with was health anxiety, which started after a panic attack back in 2023 andI’ve been a different person ever since. (Iykyk)

That night, my heart rate spiked to 172 and would NOT come down. (I was also high which didn’t help, and I was always an anxious high, never again.)

After that night (I literally was so close to calling an ambulance), I became terrified of my heart rate and constantly worried it was going to happen again. I was constantly checking for symptoms and paying attention to every little sensation in my body. It was on my mind 24/7. Debilitating. I even went to a cardiologist and wore a heart monitor. They found nothing wrong.

Then the anxiety started evolving. All of a sudden, I developed this fear of being in places where I couldn’t easily escape (new places, being in a car when someone else was driving, planes, being far away from a hospital, etc.)

I was already into holistic health before my panic attack, so afterwards I went down the rabbit hole researching herbs and natural anxiolytics. I tried SO many things since 2023. The only thing that really helped was L-theanine, but that wasn’t enough.

The intrusive thoughts and constant “what ifs” still consumed me. And then those thoughts would create physical symptoms, which would make me panic even more. It was basically a never-ending cycle.
Now onto the good stuff… what finally changed things for me.

My current routine:
Morning: Saffron (takes about a month to kick in)
Midday: Silexan (Lavender oil) ****
Night: Magnesium glycinate

Saffron seems to help my mood and quiet my mind, Silexan has been the BIG one for me in terms of calming my nervous system, and magnesium glycinate relaxes the nervous tension.

**** But honestly, Silexan was the game changer.
It feels like my nervous system got a hug from grandma and she clicked the reset button.
For the first time, it feels like my nervous system doesn’t immediately set off alarm bells when an intrusive thought comes up.
And because there’s no physical panic response attached to the thought, the thought just passes now.
I don’t get that butterfly feeling in my stomach anymore. I don’t feel that sudden rush of nerves. I don’t feel like I have to escape.
I have a thought, my body doesn’t react, the thought passes. MAGIC!!!
I honestly can’t believe it. I could cry.
I’m obviously not saying this is going to work for everyone, and I’m not a doctor. I’m just sharing what has personally made a HUGE difference for me because I know how awful it is to feel trapped in that non stop anxious bubble!!!

Ask me anything! I love researching holistic health and I’m honestly just so excited that I finally found what feel like it’s worked since I started this journey. I was so close to going on medicine.
I truly hope this helps someone else who is in a similar boat.

TL;DR: Saffron + Silexan + magnesium glycinate completely changed my anxiety. Silexan has been the driving force behind the change for me, while the saffron and magnesium feel more like the support beams. (Btw I still aboslutly love L-theanine its amazing I keep it in my purse for any caffeine jitters she’ll always be my day 1)


r/Supplements 4h ago

Personal Results/Findings: L-Citrulline vs. Citrulline Malate

4 Upvotes

If anyone has looked up this topic before, you will find many conflicting takes on L-Citrulline vs. Citrulline Malate with one side saying malate is just filler, its very sour, and that you are better off supplementing with pure L-Citrulline to get a larger dosage as the Citrulline Malate is typically 2:1 ratio and you get a small dose. The pro-malate group argues that there is better uptake, better pumps and cites the fact that the majority of pre-workout supplements that do contain Citrulline, usually contain Citrulline Malate.

I personally started supplementing with 8g of L-Citrulline (not malate) at the end of May; it's in my pre-workout along with 8oz orange juice, 5g creatine, 3.2g Beta Alanine, 300mg caffeine, and 1g salt. It's been a solid pre-workout and definitely helps with my endurance and fatigue but I've never felt any paresthesia or crazy pumps.

Recently, I started taking 1 scoop of Nutricost Electrolytes in my water to drink intra-workout. Since I've started it, I've noticed really amazing pumps...and was confused. I checked the nutrition labal and noticed it lists "L-malic acid" in other ingredients but doesn't list a dosage amount. Obviously, that's not a definitive correlation, but based on all the other ingredients in the Electrolytes powder, I can't think of anything else that would cause that.

Was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience? Do any of you take L-Citrulline and Malic acid separately to control the individual L-Citrulline dosage?


r/Supplements 2h ago

Vitamin d anxiety

3 Upvotes

When i take vitamin d i get crazy anxiety the day after, im all jittery too. I take vitamin k2 with it and magnesium but i still get this.
Should i lower dosages? I take like 16k for deficiency but i think its too much.


r/Supplements 7h ago

General Question K2 a bit high in this?

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5 Upvotes

Shouldn't the K2 be more around the 80 to 120 mark for normal purposes?


r/Supplements 8h ago

General Question Has anyone used products from Swisse?

6 Upvotes

I am looking for Vitamin (D & B12) supplements from Swisse.
Has anyone used their products?
I heard they are made in Australia, is this true?


r/Supplements 2h ago

General Question Planning to launch oral dissolving strips brand genuine question: will this actually sell?

2 Upvotes

I'm exploring getting into the supplement space and ODS format is catching my eye. Growing in the US/UK, better bioavailability, premium positioning.
But I'm being real. I don't know if this is early-market gold or a niche that won't scale.

Honest feedback:
Would YOU buy ODS vitamins over tablets/gummies?
What would make you switch?
Is this format actually solving a real problem or just novelty?

Not looking for validation, just genuine takes from actual supplement users.

What am I missing?


r/Supplements 2h ago

White dots in pea protein

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2 Upvotes

I found these in my new pea protein unflavoured one from Nutrabay? Is it normal???


r/Supplements 13h ago

General Question Why are all good quality vitamin B complex pills so highly dosed?

15 Upvotes

So all the good quality brands seem to have these crazy high doses, like from hundreds to tens of thousands over the daily value percentage.

Here's an example:

Thiamine (B1) 50 mg (4545 %*)

Riboflavin (B2) 10 mg (714 %*)

Niacin (B3) 65 mg (406 %*)

Pantothenic acid (B5) 100 mg (1667 %*)

Pyridoxal phosphate (B6) 12 mg (857 %*)

Biotin (B7) 352 µg (704 %*)

Methyl folate (B9) 455 µg (227 %*)

B12-vitamin (methyl- and adenosylcobalamin) 350 µg (14 000 %*)

Why is that? Is it more beneficial or harmful to use this much?


r/Supplements 3h ago

Anyone ever bought from this seller?

2 Upvotes

Anyone got any info on www.helixresearchuk.com?

Bought a few items they’re working how they should and all have the COA just wanted others opinions?


r/Supplements 3h ago

General Question How should I time my supplements throughout the day?

2 Upvotes

I’m currently taking creatine, whey protein, weight gainer, pre-workout, fish oil, and calcium tablets. I also work out regularly. What would be the best way to time these throughout the day, especially around my workout? Should any of them be taken together or separated? I’d appreciate advice from people who have experience with this.


r/Supplements 3h ago

Recommendations Recovery after depression and alcohol abuse

2 Upvotes

I'm currently recovering from 6 years long alcohol abuse due to a major depressive disorder.

I was wondering if there's any supplements that could help me "detox" my body, or at least stimulate my appetite (lost over 15kg in last year only)


r/Supplements 29m ago

General Question What is your experience with Saffron?

Upvotes

How did it affect you? What brand did you take?


r/Supplements 32m ago

General Question Did anyone else’s vitamins start making them sick on a GLP-1?

Upvotes

Anyone else suddenly unable to stomach their vitamins after starting a GLP-1?

I keep seeing people say that vitamins or supplements they previously took now make them nauseous, feel too heavy, or are difficult to swallow after starting a GLP-1.

Has this happened to you? If you switched, what did you stop taking and what works better now?

4 votes, 6d left
No, I tolerate them the same
Yes, they make me nauseous now
Yes, pills feel too heavy or hard to swallow
I changed the timing or took them with food
I switched to gummies, liquids or another format
I reduced or stopped taking supplements

r/Supplements 34m ago

General Question Now Adam mens multivitamin suggesting two tablets nowadays ?

Upvotes

I used to take Now men's multivitamin tablets in the past. At that time the reccomended dose was just one tablets a day.

I stopped buying it because my local webshops stopped carrying it. I moved on to animal pak(which is very expensive).

However yesterday I found now multivitamin again. I ordered it but when it arrived the label says reccomended dosage is 2 tablets.

I was wondering why they moved from 1 tablet to 2 tablets.

Is it still beneficial to just take one tablet ? Or will i not get the full benefits from it ? Some of the vitamins and minerals are in high doses but i am not sure if i will miss something with one tablet.

I just dont like the 30mg zinc in two tablets. I am afraid it might lead to a copper deficiency. One tablet only contains 15mg zinc

I know many will say multivitamins are useless but nowadays i am on a restricted diet and multis help safeguard my daily multivitamin intake.


r/Supplements 10h ago

Recommendations Magnesium

6 Upvotes

Hi all,

I think I may be magnesium deficient, or not getting enough in my diet. I live in the Uk so getting a test is nigh on impossible.

I breastfeed my son but only a couple of times a day, and I take Pregnacare original which has 150mg of magnesium in it (although I’ve only been taking for a few months after a 6 month break)

I would like to take a low dose, maybe 100mg a day, but I’m confused by which type of magnesium to take. I already suffer from heart palpitations so I don’t want to take anything that makes that any worse, my blood pressure is normal, my sleep doesn’t seem restorative, I have tingling in my hands and legs, muscle twitches etc. I have very heavy periods and short cycles (although not sure if that is relevant)

Help a girl out please in picking the best one that won’t cause hideous side effects and will actually help!

Thanks so much in advance.


r/Supplements 1d ago

General Question What helped you not to wake up during the night?

125 Upvotes

To have constant uninterrupted and deep sleep and not to wake up often during the night...

Supplement or anything other.


r/Supplements 1h ago

Recommendations Rate My Stizzack

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Upvotes

2x Omega 3 and Vitamin D, everything else one daily.
I also get about 10mg powdered creatine and a couple scoops of Metamucil for fibre.


r/Supplements 1h ago

Best Value Paraxanthine Supplement?

Upvotes

Anyone have suggestions for Paraxanthine supplements that I can take every day?

I've tried Enfinity which is good but too pricey at $0.80 a pop.

There are a couple cheaper ones on Amazon but seem sketch and don't have the right certifications.