Products

What is Now Foods' Avocado Oil?

Now Foods Avocado Oil is a pure avocado oil intended for external cosmetic use. The bottle contains only one ingredient: Persea gratissima oil, obtained by cold pressing, with no hexane solvent. It comes in 118 ml and 473 ml.

Avocado oil is extracted from the flesh of the fruit and not from the stone, which sets it apart from most vegetable oils, generally obtained from seeds. It is a thick oil, green to yellow depending on the batch, with a discreet, vegetal smell.

A single line in the ingredients list: that is what makes this product worth having. No preservative, no synthetic fragrance, no colouring. You know exactly what you are applying, which is far from being the case with a supermarket skincare oil. The rest of the American range can be browsed in our Now Foods section.

What does avocado oil contain?

Cold pressing is the only technical mention that really counts here. An oil extracted with heat or with solvent costs less to produce, but the process degrades some of the fragile compounds in the flesh. Cold pressing preserves them, at the cost of a lower yield — which is what explains the price difference between two oils that look identical.

The main fatty acid in avocado oil is oleic acid, the same one found in olive oil. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid, stable, which gives the oil its enveloping feel and its good keeping qualities compared with oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are more fragile.

The manufacturer notes the natural presence of squalene, sterolins, lecithin and chlorophyll, along with several vitamins. We pass this information on and attribute it, without turning it into a promise: no quantity is given for these compounds, and we will not estimate them. They are natural constituents of avocado flesh, present at levels that vary with the origin and the batch.

One practical consequence of this purity: the colour and appearance vary from one bottle to the next, and small natural particles may appear. That is not a fault, it is the sign of an unrefined oil.

Ingredients list

Persea gratissima (avocado) oil. No preservative, no artificial colouring, no synthetic fragrance.

Not recommended if you have a known allergy to avocado. The manufacturer also states that the product is not tested on animals.

How do you use avocado oil?

Amount: a few drops, 2 to 3 for the face, more for the body. Surface: clean, dry skin, or slightly damp skin after showering. Timing: preferably in the evening for the face. Frequency: as needed, daily if you wish. Use: external only.

Start with a tolerance test, and that is not just a form of words. Apply a few drops to the crook of your elbow and wait twenty-four hours before the first application on your face. It is the precaution the manufacturer asks for, and it holds for any pure vegetable oil, however gentle.

On the face, two to three drops are enough, as a night serum or mixed into your usual cream. Avoid the eye contour area, as the manufacturer specifies. On the body, apply to skin that is still damp after showering: the oil holds the water at the surface and sinks in better.

A word on how an oil works on the skin, because the confusion is permanent. A vegetable oil does not hydrate: it contains no water. What it does is form a film that slows the evaporation of the water already present in the surface layers. That is exactly why applying it to damp skin, just after a shower, gives a far better result than on perfectly dry skin: you are trapping water instead of covering a desert.

On hair, it is used as a pre-shampoo mask, applied to the lengths and left on for twenty to thirty minutes. This is the use where the large 473 ml size makes complete sense: a hair mask uses far more than a facial treatment.

Storage: close the bottle carefully after each use and keep it away from heat and direct light. In the height of summer in Montpellier, a spell in the fridge does no harm — the oil sets slightly in the cold and becomes fluid again within a few minutes in your hand, without causing the slightest problem.

Who is avocado oil for, and who is it not for?

It suits dry or dehydrated skin, dry and brittle hair, and anyone looking for a single-ingredient product rather than a cosmetic formula thirty lines long. It also serves as a massage base, on its own or combined with essential oils.

It is not suitable if you have a known allergy to avocado, an explicit contraindication from the manufacturer. It is for external use only: this bottle is not intended for cooking, whatever the quality of the oil it contains. Avoid the eye contour area, and stop using it if a skin reaction occurs.

Oily or blemish-prone skin should try it cautiously on a small area: it is a rich oil, and not every skin type tolerates it on the face. On the body and the hair, the question arises far less.

Nor is it suitable if you are looking for a product that smells good. With no added fragrance, a pure avocado oil has a discreet but very real vegetal smell that some people do not care for on the face. That is the price of a one-line ingredients list, and it is better to know before opening the 473 ml bottle. A drop of essential oil can put that right for body or massage use, never around the face.

What not to expect from it. It is not a food supplement and it has no nutritional effect: the vitamins mentioned by the manufacturer are constituents of the oil, not a dietary intake. It is not a dermatological treatment: a skin condition is a matter for a doctor. And an oil does not replace a moisturiser — it limits water loss, it does not supply any.

Avocado oil or a supplement taken internally?

The question often comes up in the shop, and the answer is clear-cut: these are two completely different approaches.

This oil works where you apply it, and nowhere else. It is external care in the strict sense: it forms a film that limits the evaporation of water at the surface of the skin. It is useful, it is immediate, it is visible, and it has nothing to do with what you eat.

If your concern is your skin, your nails or your hair from the inside, other products come into play, and they have authorised claims that this oil does not. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, nails and hair; vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. Our collagen section and our multivitamin section cover that approach.

In which cases do the two complement each other? Almost always, in fact, since they do not work in the same place. A supply of omega 3 or vitamin E is a matter of diet; an avocado oil is a matter for the bathroom. There is no reason at all to choose.

Frequently asked questions

Can this oil be eaten?

No. The manufacturer states external use only, for cosmetic care. That is the wording that appears on the product warning and it is the one that prevails: this bottle is not intended for cooking, whatever the purity of the oil it contains.

What is the difference between the sizes?

The volume alone: 118 ml and 473 ml, with the same oil in both. The small size suits facial use, where two to three drops are enough. The large size is worthwhile for the body and above all for hair masks, which use far more.

What does cold-pressed mean?

That the oil is extracted mechanically, without excessive heating and without hexane solvent. The yield is lower and the cost higher, but the fragile compounds in the flesh are preserved. It is the only technical mention that genuinely distinguishes two oils that look identical.

The oil changes colour, is that normal?

Yes. An unrefined oil naturally varies from green to yellow depending on the origin of the fruit and the batch, and small particles may appear. The manufacturer states this explicitly. It is not a fault, it is the opposite of heavy refining.

Is it suitable for oily skin?

It is a rich oil, to be tested cautiously on a small area before any application to the face if your skin is on the oily side. On the body and the hair, the question arises far less. Do the tolerance test in the crook of your elbow in every case.

Can it be used on hair?

Yes, as a pre-shampoo mask on the lengths, left on for twenty to thirty minutes, or as a few drops on dry hair. It is the use that gets through the most: if that is your main goal, go straight for the 473 ml bottle.

Does it need to be kept cool?

It is not compulsory, but it is recommended in hot weather: keep the bottle away from heat and light, tightly closed. The oil may set slightly in the fridge and becomes fluid again within a few minutes in your hand, with no deterioration.

Where can you buy Now Foods' Avocado Oil?

The sizes can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we sell with a single warning, always the same one: external use, and a test in the crook of the elbow before applying it to the face. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Now Foods Biotin 5000 mcg?

It is a biotin supplement in vegetable capsules, dosed at 5,000 µg per capsule. The formats listed: 60 and 120 capsules, that is two or four months at one capsule a day.

Biotin, also known as vitamin B8 or vitamin H, is a water-soluble B-group vitamin. The formula is about as simple as a supplement can be: biotin, rice flour as a carrier, a hypromellose capsule, stearic acid of vegetable origin and silicon dioxide.

As the capsule is plant-based, the product is suitable for vegetarians. The manufacturer declares it free from wheat, gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame and GMOs. The rest of the American range is in our Now Foods section, and the whole category in vitamin B.

What does one capsule contain?

Other ingredients: rice flour, hypromellose (vegetable capsule), stearic acid of vegetable origin, silicon dioxide. NRV within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 50 µg. Pack sizes: 60 or 120 vegetable capsules.

One hundred times the reference value deserves a frank explanation. Biotin is water-soluble: whatever the body does not use leaves in the urine, and EFSA has set no upper limit for this vitamin. The 5,000 µg dose is the American market standard on hair products; it is not dangerous, but nothing shows that it does better than a 50 or 150 µg dose in a person whose status is normal. We would rather say so.

Let us come to what the regulations authorise, because it is the most useful point on this page. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, normal skin and normal mucous membranes, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal macronutrient metabolism, to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function. Those are the exact wordings, and they are broad.

On the other hand, and this is a distinction the whole aisle glosses over: there is no authorised claim concerning nails for biotin. European regulation recognises hair, skin and mucous membranes — not nails. You will read the opposite just about everywhere; that is nonetheless how it stands. A second distinction, just as important: “contributing to the maintenance of normal hair” means avoiding the consequences of a shortfall, not growing the hair of someone whose status is already fine. Biotin deficiency is rare on an ordinary diet.

How should you take biotin?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water. When: with a meal, preferably breakfast or lunch. Frequency: one intake a day. Duration: at least 3 months without a break; the manufacturer indicates that the effects generally show after 6 to 8 weeks.

The timescale is the most important thing to take on board here, and it is in no way a sales argument: hair grows about one centimetre a month. Whatever you take, no visible change is possible before several weeks, and judging after a fortnight makes no sense. That is precisely why the 120-capsule format makes more sense than the 60.

Taking it with a meal is advised for digestive comfort more than for absorption, biotin being water-soluble. The real challenge is consistency: pair the capsule with a fixed daily habit, it is the only way to keep going for three months without forgetting.

One pairing that makes sense: zinc also has an authorised wording on the maintenance of normal hair, and vitamin C one on normal collagen formation. If your concern is hair, those three complement one another better than biotin alone pushed to a hundred times the NRV.

Who is this product for, and who is it not for?

It is for adults only and suitable for vegetarians, the capsule being plant-based and the excipients of vegetable origin. Its “free from” list is one of the shortest in the aisle, which makes it a simple option for allergy-prone profiles.

One warning deserves reading twice, because it can have real consequences. High-dose biotin interferes with certain blood tests — thyroid and troponin assays are the most affected — and can skew a result in either direction. Always tell your doctor or the laboratory that you are taking biotin before any blood test. This is not a token precaution: it is the no. 1 reason why this dose has to be flagged.

The manufacturer also asks you to consult a healthcare professional in case of pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical treatment or a health problem. The product is made in a facility that handles other allergenic ingredients.

It is less suitable if you already take a multivitamin or a hair complex: most already contain some, and stacking achieves nothing while making the blood test problem worse.

What you should not expect of it, and we will be direct: biotin does not regrow hair. If your hair loss is recent, heavy or localised, it is a matter for a doctor — iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or androgenetic alopecia are not treated with a vitamin. Nor is there any claim concerning nails.

Biotin or collagen?

These are the two products most often compared in this aisle, and they do not play the same role at all.

A collagen supplies peptides in bulk quantities — 5 to 20 g per dose — and is taken as a powder. It should be said that, just like biotin on nails, collagen has no authorised health claim in Europe. What can be said about it rests on its composition, not on an effect. It is the choice of those who prefer a massive protein intake to a dosed vitamin, and who accept a powder to mix rather than a capsule.

Biotin wins on a point that is not a small one: it, for its part, does have an authorised wording on the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin. It is the only one of the two whose role the regulations recognise. It is also simpler: one capsule a day, no taste, no preparation, and a bottle of 120 lasts four months.

The advice we give most often: if you are to take only one thing, take the biotin — provided you expect no miracle from it — and add zinc if your diet is short of it. If you want broad cover without multiplying bottles, a multivitamin already contains both, at more moderate and amply sufficient doses.

Frequently asked questions

5,000 µg, isn't that excessive?

It is one hundred times the reference value of 50 µg. Biotin being water-soluble, the excess is eliminated in the urine, and EFSA has set no upper limit. So it is not dangerous, but nothing shows that such a dose does better than a moderate intake in a person whose status is normal.

Does biotin act on the nails?

No claim concerning nails is authorised in Europe for biotin. The permitted wordings cover hair, skin and mucous membranes. You will read the opposite on many packs and websites: that changes nothing about the regulatory framework, and we will not write what is not authorised.

Should you tell your doctor before a blood test?

Yes, every time, and it is the most important point on this page. High-dose biotin interferes with certain blood assays, particularly those for thyroid and troponin, and can skew a result. Always report this supplementation to the laboratory or to your doctor.

How long before you see anything?

The manufacturer speaks of 6 to 8 weeks and advises at least three months without a break. That fits the biology: hair grows about one centimetre a month, and nothing visible can appear sooner. A judgement made after a fortnight is worth nothing.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

The shell is hypromellose, of vegetable origin, and the stearic acid is likewise vegetable. The manufacturer describes the product as vegetarian; the biotin in supplements being generally produced synthetically, the formula contains no animal ingredient identified in the data supplied.

Can it be combined with a multivitamin?

Technically yes, but there is little point: most multivitamins already contain 50 to 200 µg of biotin, and stacking adds nothing more. It does, however, make the interference with blood tests worse. Check the label of what you already take before adding this bottle.

How long does a bottle last?

Two months for the 60-capsule format, four months for the 120, at one capsule a day. As the manufacturer recommends at least three months without a break, the 120 format is the most coherent: it covers the advised duration without a gap.

Where to buy Now Foods Biotin 5000 mcg?

The formats can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. If you are starting out, go straight for the 120 capsules: three months is the minimum for judging anything at all.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the aisle where we most often put a product back on its shelf. When hair loss is recent or marked, our answer has always been the same: go and see a doctor before buying a vitamin. And if you are taking biotin, remember to say so at the laboratory before your next blood test.

What is Now Foods' Boron 3 mg?

Now Foods Boron 3 mg is a boron food supplement in vegetable capsules, dosed at 3 mg per serving and sold in a bottle of 100 capsules. The boron is supplied as Bororganic Glycine from Albion™, in other words chelated to glycine — the same family of forms as the magnesium or zinc bisglycinates.

The formula is short, and that is its main merit: chelated boron, rice flour as an excipient, a hypromellose capsule, stearic acid of plant origin and a little non-GMO maltodextrin. No flavouring, no colouring, no preservative. The manufacturer states production in Canada and a vegan, gluten-free composition.

Boron is a trace element found in fruit, vegetables and nuts. It is not a common nutrient in the sports aisle, and there is one thing to know from the outset that shapes this entire page: boron has neither a nutrient reference value nor an authorised health claim in Europe. We will therefore attribute none to it. The American manufacturer's full range can be found in the Now Foods aisle.

What does one capsule contain?

One line in this table deserves an explanation, because it often causes confusion: the 3 mg refer to elemental boron, and not to the weight of the salt. The manufacturer does in fact state the equivalent, 30 mg of sodium borate. That is the first reflex to have with any chelated form — compare elements, never salts.

On the amount itself: 3 mg a day is a cautious dose. By way of a benchmark, EFSA sets 10 mg a day as the tolerable upper safety limit for adults, from all sources combined. You are therefore at less than a third of that ceiling, which leaves room for the boron supplied by food. It is a formulation choice we find sensible: many products on the market go up to 6 or 10 mg with no justification.

And now the point you will read almost nowhere else. No health claim is authorised in Europe for boron, and no nutrient reference value has been established. In practice, that means we have no right — and no basis — to assert anything at all about bones, joints, hormones or testosterone. You will find those assertions all over the internet; they rest on no opinion from any European health authority. What we can describe is factual: a trace element, a chelated form, a dose, a format.

How should Boron 3 mg be taken?

Dose: 1 capsule a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with a meal, breakfast or lunch. Frequency: 1 serving a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: the manufacturer advises continuous use of at least 3 months, with a one-week break every six months if you wish.

Take the capsule with a meal rather than on an empty stomach: it is a matter of digestive comfort, as some people tolerate trace elements poorly on an empty stomach. A glass of water is enough, and the capsule goes down without difficulty.

The bottle of 100 capsules covers more than three months at one serving a day — it is a format that lasts, and the arithmetic is easy to do. Do not exceed one capsule a day: that is the recommended daily dose given on the label, and there is nothing to suggest that going beyond it is of any use.

Do not count on feeling anything. A trace element at 3 mg produces no sensation, and that is normal. If you are after an effect you can feel session after session, this bottle is not where you will find it — look instead towards the pre-workouts, which operate in a completely different register.

Who is boron for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults. As the capsule is made of hypromellose, a plant cellulose, and the composition contains no ingredient of animal origin, it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The manufacturer also declares it gluten-free and GMO-free.

The manufacturer advises against it for under-18s and asks pregnant and breastfeeding women to consult a healthcare professional before use. Two warnings deserve careful reading. First, in the case of kidney disorders: boron is eliminated by the kidney, and it can accumulate when the kidney is not working properly — medical supervision is then necessary. Second, in the case of hormonal or anticoagulant treatment, the manufacturer recommends prior medical advice. It also advises against taking sulphur or selenium supplements at high doses at the same time.

The product contains no major allergen, but it is manufactured in a facility that also handles WHEAT, MILK, EGGS, SOYA, FISH, CRUSTACEANS, NUTS and SESAME, with possible traces.

What not to expect from it, and we should be direct: it is not a testosterone booster. You will read that promise more or less everywhere about boron; it rests on no claim authorised in Europe, and we will not repeat it. Nor is it a joint product, nor a performance product, nor a substitute for a diet rich in fruit and vegetables — which remains the primary source of boron.

Boron or zinc?

This is the comparison that makes the most sense, because these two minerals are bought for the same reason by a good share of customers, and because the answer is clear-cut.

Zinc is the better choice, and by a long way, if your motivation is hormonal. The reason is simple and verifiable: zinc has an authorised health claim in Europe — it contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood — where boron has none. It is not a matter of taste or brand, it is a difference in regulatory status, based on EFSA's examination of the scientific data. For an equivalent budget, a well-dosed zinc answers that expectation better. Zinc also benefits from other solid claims, on immunity and protein synthesis.

Boron keeps two situations for itself, and they are honest ones. The first: you already cover your zinc — through a multivitamin or a ZMA — and you certainly do not want to add more, the safety limit being quickly reached. Boron competes with nothing and stacks with no risk of exceeding a limit. The second: your diet is very low in fruit, vegetables and nuts, which are its main sources. In those two cases, 3 mg a day in a short, clean formula is defensible. Outside them, start with zinc and vitamin D.

Frequently asked questions

Does boron increase testosterone?

No health claim is authorised in Europe for boron, on this point as on any other, and we will therefore make none. It is the most widespread assertion about it on the internet, and that is precisely why we prefer to be explicit. If that is your objective, zinc is the only mineral in the aisle to carry an authorised claim on testosterone.

Is 3 mg a day a lot?

No, it is a cautious dose. EFSA sets 10 mg a day as the tolerable upper safety limit in adults, from all sources combined. At 3 mg, there is still room for the boron supplied by your diet. Do not exceed the daily capsule: there is nothing to suggest that taking more is of any use.

Why is there no % NRV on the label?

Because no nutrient reference value has been established for boron at European level. Without an NRV, no percentage can be calculated, and the label therefore carries a statement of absence rather than a figure. It is not an oversight by the manufacturer, it is the rule.

How long does the bottle of 100 capsules last?

A little over three months at one capsule a day. That corresponds exactly to the period of continuous use advised by the manufacturer. Keep it tightly closed, cool, dry and away from light.

Can it be combined with other minerals?

Yes with most of them: boron does not compete for absorption with zinc, magnesium or calcium, unlike those minerals do among themselves. The manufacturer does, however, recommend avoiding sulphur or selenium supplements at high doses at the same time.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hypromellose, a plant cellulose, and the stearic acid used is of plant origin. No ingredient of animal origin goes into the composition. What remains are the possible traces linked to the production facility, to be considered if your requirement also covers cross-contamination.

Is medical advice needed before taking it?

In three cases, yes, and the manufacturer says so: in the case of a kidney disorder, of hormonal treatment, or of anticoagulant treatment. As boron is eliminated by the kidney, impaired kidney function can lead to its accumulation. Outside those situations, and in adults, one daily capsule with a meal raises no particular question.

Where can you buy Now Foods Boron 3 mg?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship anywhere in France and Europe.

Boron is one of the few products for which we often begin with an awkward question at the counter of our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier: who told you about it, and what for? Nine times out of ten the answer points back to a hormonal promise with no regulatory basis whatsoever, and nine times out of ten we steer people towards something else. It sells less, it helps more. The full aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition selection.

What is Now Foods C-1000?

It is a vitamin C supplement in vegetable capsules, dosed at 1,000 mg per capsule, to which are added 100 mg of citrus bioflavonoids. One capsule a day is the whole of the dosage.

The vitamin C here is in the form of ascorbic acid, obtained by fermentation according to the manufacturer. The rest of the composition fits in four lines: microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent, hypromellose for the capsule, magnesium stearate of vegetable origin and silicon dioxide as anti-caking agents.

Because the capsule is made of hypromellose rather than gelatine, the formula is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The manufacturer also declares it free from gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, nuts, artificial colouring and preservatives. The rest of the American range is in our Now Foods section, and the whole category in vitamin C.

What does one capsule contain?

NRV for vitamin C within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 80 mg. The number of capsules per bottle does not appear in the labelling data supplied to us: check it on the packaging to work out how long your course will last.

A thousand milligrams is twelve and a half times the European reference value, and that gap needs explaining. The 80 mg NRV corresponds to what prevents deficiency, not to an optimum: it is a regulatory floor, reached by two kiwis. Formats at 1 g follow a different logic, that of occasional use over winter or during a heavy training block.

Is more better? No, and the manufacturer says as much in its own way: at high doses, mild digestive upset is common — nausea, loose stools — and the instruction is then to cut back. Vitamin C is water-soluble: beyond a certain threshold, the excess leaves in the urine. A gram a day is a defensible choice, two grams is not.

The regulatory wordings available are numerous and solid, the dose being well above the threshold of 15% of the NRV. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, to the normal function of the nervous system, to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, bones, cartilage, teeth and gums, and increases iron absorption. Those are the exact formulations, and they are more than enough.

On the 100 mg of bioflavonoids, by contrast, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for these compounds, and nothing allows anyone to state that they improve the absorption of vitamin C. We mention them because they appear on the label, without attributing any effect to them.

How should C-1000 be taken?

Dose: 1 capsule, that is 1,000 mg. Fluid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning, with breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 1 to 3 months, particularly in winter.

The “with food” instruction is no trifle at this dose. A gram of ascorbic acid on an empty stomach is acid in an empty stomach, and some people definitely feel it go down. Taking the capsule in the middle of breakfast settles the matter at no cost. The manufacturer also asks that you do not chew the capsule, for the same reason.

One tip that has a regulatory basis, not merely an empirical one: take it at the same time as a meal rich in plant iron — lentils, spinach, tofu. “Vitamin C increases iron absorption” is an authorised claim, and it is one of the few established synergies in this section. If you are also taking a supplement from our iron section, the same logic applies.

The manufacturer finally advises leaving two hours between it and any medicine. Over a three-month course, do not look for an immediate effect: vitamin C corrects a status, it does not produce a sensation.

Who is C-1000 for, and who is it not for?

It is for adults only and is particularly suitable over winter, during a heavy training block, or when the diet supplies few fresh fruits and vegetables. It also suits vegetarians and vegans, the capsule being plant-based and the formula free from animal ingredients.

Two precautions really matter. In case of kidney disease, medical advice is required: at high doses, vitamin C increases oxalate excretion, which is not a neutral matter in someone prone to stones. And in case of anticoagulant treatment, the manufacturer flags possible interactions to raise with your doctor. In case of pregnancy or breastfeeding, consult before starting.

It suits you less well if your stomach is sensitive: a thousand milligrams of acid in one serving is harder to tolerate than a split dose. In that case, a 500 mg vitamin C taken twice, or a more moderate multivitamin, will be more comfortable.

What not to expect from it, and this is the most useful sentence on this page: vitamin C does not prevent the common cold. No claim of that kind is authorised, and “contributing to the normal function of the immune system” does not mean stopping an infection. Nor is it a performance product: in someone whose status is normal, an extra gram improves nothing that has been demonstrated.

High-dose vitamin C or a multivitamin?

That is the real choice in this section, and it depends on how precise your need is.

A multivitamin generally supplies 60 to 120 mg of vitamin C, alongside twenty or so other nutrients. It is the better choice if your diet is patchy across micronutrients as a whole and you are after a general safety net. One bottle, one serving, and you leave nothing at zero.

C-1000 does the opposite: a single nutrient, dosed ten times higher. It is the right choice if you are targeting vitamin C precisely — winter, a diet low in fresh fruit, or pairing with an iron intake. It also pairs sensibly with our collagen section, vitamin C being the only nutrient with an authorised wording mentioning normal collagen formation.

The trap to avoid is blind stacking: adding up a multivitamin, a high-dose vitamin C and a fortified drink easily takes you beyond 1.5 g a day, with loose stools as the only result. In winter, if you are to add just one targeted supplement, our vitamin D section often answers a better-documented need at our latitudes.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't 1,000 mg far too much?

It is twelve and a half times the reference value of 80 mg, which is an anti-deficiency floor and not an optimum. A gram a day is a defensible choice over winter. Beyond that, the excess leaves in the urine and digestive upset becomes common — the manufacturer itself advises cutting back in that case.

What are the bioflavonoids for?

They are compounds extracted from citrus fruit, added at 100 mg. No health claim is authorised for them in Europe, and nothing allows anyone to state that they improve the absorption of vitamin C. We mention them because they appear on the label, not as a selling point.

Does vitamin C protect against colds?

No, and no claim of that kind is authorised. The permitted wording is “contributes to the normal function of the immune system”, which is not the same thing as stopping an infection. It is the most persistent belief in this section, and it rests on nothing recognised.

Should it be taken on an empty stomach or with food?

With food. A gram of ascorbic acid in an empty stomach causes nausea in some people, and the manufacturer also asks that you do not chew the capsule. Taking it at breakfast has a further advantage: it improves the absorption of the iron in the meal.

Can it be taken in case of kidney stones?

Not without medical advice: that is the manufacturer's explicit precaution. At high doses, vitamin C increases urinary oxalate excretion, which counts in someone prone to oxalate stones. This question is one for your doctor.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hypromellose, a modified cellulose of vegetable origin, and the magnesium stearate is likewise plant-based. The manufacturer declares the formula free from gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish and nuts.

How long does a course last?

The manufacturer settles on a course of 1 to 3 months, particularly over winter. The number of capsules per bottle does not appear in our labelling data, so check it on the packaging to know how many bottles to order.

Where to buy Now Foods C-1000?

The bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. For most of our customers it is a winter product: one capsule a day from October to March, then the bottle goes back in the cupboard.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the question we ask in front of this section is the one about stacking: what are you already taking? Between a multivitamin, a fortified drink and this capsule, you go past a gram and a half without noticing, and the only consequence is a trip to the toilet. The rest of the micronutrients can be compared in our sports nutrition section.

What is Now Foods Fenugreek 500 mg?

Now Foods Fenugreek 500 mg is a food supplement based on fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum), supplied in vegetable capsules. Each capsule provides 500 mg of seed; the reference serving is two capsules, or 1,000 mg.

The formula runs to four lines and that is its chief merit: fenugreek seed, hypromellose for the capsule shell, plant-derived stearic acid and silicon dioxide as anti-caking agents. Nothing else. This is not a standardised extract but the whole seed reduced to a powder — a distinction that matters, and one we return to below.

Fenugreek is a legume that has been grown since antiquity in the Middle East and India, where the seed is as much a spice as a plant of traditional use. The product is non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, kosher and halal. You will find it in our fenugreek range.

What does a two-capsule serving contain?

The table is short because the product is too, and that counts in its favour: there is nothing in this capsule beyond what is declared. Two pieces of information are missing, however, and we will not invent them: the number of capsules per bottle is not disclosed in the information available to us, and there is no standardisation to an active compound — no saponin percentage, no 4-hydroxyisoleucine content. Check the capsule count on the label of the bottle you receive.

That last point is the most important thing to understand before buying. A whole seed product delivers the plant as it is, in its natural proportions; a standardised extract concentrates a specific fraction and states a percentage. Both approaches have their merits, but they are not comparable: 1,000 mg of seed is not the equivalent of 1,000 mg of extract, and nobody can tell you what they correspond to. Now Foods has opted for the simplicity and traceability of the seed; that is consistent with the brand's positioning.

On the regulatory side, it needs saying plainly: no health claim is authorised in Europe for fenugreek. Not for hormones, not for blood sugar, not for appetite, not for anything else. The applications submitted did not result in approved wordings. So we describe a plant of traditional use and its dosage, without attributing any effect to it. Any product page promising you otherwise is stepping outside the legal framework.

How do you take Fenugreek 500 mg?

Dose: 2 capsules, or 1,000 mg of seed. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with meals, for digestive tolerance. Frequency: 1 to 3 times a day depending on your needs, so 2 to 6 capsules daily. Duration: the manufacturer does not state a course length or a mandatory break — we flag that rather than invent one.

Start at the lowest dose, two capsules once a day, and only increase afterwards if you wish. Fenugreek is known for two well-recognised and harmless effects: digestive discomfort in some people, and a change in the smell of sweat and urine, which take on a maple syrup note. That is not a product quality issue, it is the plant.

Increase your water intake while supplementing. And if the idea appeals to you, the manufacturer states that you can open the capsules and infuse the powder for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water — this is the traditional use of the seed, and the taste is very distinctive. Close the bottle tightly after each use and keep it cool and dry.

Who is this fenugreek for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults who want to bring fenugreek into their routine in a simple, measured form, rather than buying loose seed of unknown quantity and origin. The vegan formula, free from major allergens, makes it an easy product to fit in.

The restrictions are clear. Adults only. Not recommended for pregnant women — fenugreek is traditionally associated with an effect on the uterus, and caution is called for. If you are breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor before use. Stop immediately if any adverse effect occurs.

On allergens, the formula is particularly clean: free from yeast, wheat, gluten, soya, maize, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and sesame. It is, however, made in a facility that handles other ingredients containing these allergens. One thing to be aware of: fenugreek belongs to the legume family, like peanut and chickpea, and cross-reactions have been described in people allergic to peanut. If you have a legume allergy, ask your doctor for advice.

What you should not expect from it: nothing specific, and that is the honest answer. With no authorised claim and no standardisation, this product cannot promise any measurable effect. It will not make you lose weight, gain weight, or raise anything at all. Natural colour variation from one batch to the next is normal: this is plant material, not a synthetic molecule.

Fenugreek or ashwagandha?

These are the two plants we are most often asked to compare side by side, and the choice deserves to be set out calmly.

Ashwagandha has one genuine practical advantage: it is almost always sold as a standardised extract, with a stated withanolide percentage and a standardised daily dose. You can therefore compare two brands against each other, which is impossible with a non-standardised whole seed. That is the one to favour if reproducibility matters to you and you want to be able to check what you are taking from one bottle to the next. We should add, though, that it too has no authorised health claim in Europe.

Now Foods Fenugreek keeps two advantages. The first is price: it is one of the cheapest supplements in the range, and at 1,000 mg per serving a bottle lasts a long time. The second is the simplicity of the list — four ingredients, seed and capsule shell among them. If you are looking for the raw plant rather than a concentrate, this is precisely the product. The rest of the American range can be browsed in Now Foods, and the other plants in this category in maca and tribulus terrestris.

Frequently asked questions

How many capsules should you take a day?

Two capsules make up one serving, or 1,000 mg of seed, and the manufacturer allows one to three servings a day. Start with one serving a day, with a meal, and only increase if you wish to and if digestive tolerance allows.

How many capsules does the bottle contain?

This information does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer, and we will not estimate it. The count is printed on the bottle label: at two capsules a day, divide it by two to work out how many days it covers.

Why does sweat smell of maple syrup?

This is a well-documented effect of fenugreek, caused by sotolon, an aromatic molecule present in the seed and eliminated through sweat and urine. It is harmless and entirely reversible on stopping. Some people notice it in the first week, others never do.

Is this a standardised extract?

No. It is whole seed reduced to a powder, with no standardisation to an active compound. It is a formulation choice Now Foods stands behind, but it does mean you cannot compare this product with a concentrated extract on milligrams alone.

Can it be used as an infusion?

Yes, the manufacturer states so explicitly: open the capsules and leave the powder to infuse for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water. This is the traditional use of the seed. The taste is pronounced, bitter and slightly sweet — many people prefer to swallow the capsule.

Is it suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is hypromellose, a plant cellulose, and the stearic acid used is plant-derived. The product is declared non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, kosher and halal by the manufacturer.

Can it be taken with a peanut allergy?

Ask your doctor for advice. Fenugreek is a legume, like peanut, and cross-reactions have been described. The formula itself contains none of the major allergens, but this botanical kinship warrants caution.

Where can you buy Now Foods Fenugreek 500 mg?

The bottle can be ordered on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. Now Foods is an American brand we have stocked for a long time for one simple reason: its ingredient lists are short and readable, which has become rare.

In Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we mainly recommend to those who already know why they have come looking for it. If you are after a micronutrient foundation instead, the multivitamins range is a better starting point.

What is Now Foods Glutathione 500 mg?

Now Foods Glutathione 500 mg is a supplement in vegetable capsules that brings together three ingredients. One capsule provides 500 mg of glutathione in its reduced form, 100 mg of milk thistle extract standardised to 80 mg of silymarin, and 50 mg of alpha-lipoic acid. The 120-capsule bottle covers four months.

Glutathione is a tripeptide, meaning a small molecule made up of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. The body produces it itself, in all of its cells, and it plays a central role there in oxidation-reduction reactions. The so-called “reduced” form is the active form of the molecule, as opposed to its oxidised form.

The formula is built around a simple idea: rather than supplying glutathione on its own, it is paired with two ingredients that act in the same biochemical environment. Milk thistle is a plant traditionally associated with the liver; alpha-lipoic acid is a compound involved in cellular oxidation-reduction reactions. The rest of the American range can be browsed in our Now Foods aisle, and alpha-lipoic acid, like glutathione, overlaps with the logic behind our coenzyme Q10 aisle.

What does one capsule of Glutathione 500 mg contain?

We have to start with the point that decides everything, and it is almost never written down: glutathione taken orally is very poorly absorbed. It is a tripeptide, and the digestive tract handles peptides the way it handles proteins: it breaks them apart. A significant share of the 500 mg swallowed is therefore split into amino acids before reaching the bloodstream. This is not a criticism of this product in particular, it is the problem faced by the entire category, and you deserve to know it before you buy.

That is also why another route exists and is favoured by many: supplying the body with the raw material it lacks so that it can make its own glutathione. That raw material is cysteine, and the supplement that provides it is called N-acetylcysteine. Our NAC aisle covers this approach, often for a smaller budget.

From a regulatory standpoint the situation is clear-cut: no health claim is authorised in Europe for glutathione, nor for alpha-lipoic acid, nor for milk thistle. Not for the liver, not for detoxification, not for oxidative stress, not for the skin. The dossiers submitted came to nothing. So we describe three molecules, their doses and how to use them, without announcing any outcome — and the word “detox”, which you will come across everywhere in this aisle, means nothing at all in regulatory terms.

The milk thistle strength is worth highlighting: 80 mg of silymarin per 100 mg of extract, i.e. 80%. That is a high strength, and it is the only line that allows two extracts of this plant to be compared. A product advertising “500 mg of milk thistle” without stating its silymarin content may contain ten times less.

Ingredients list

Glutathione (reduced form), milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum, fruit and seeds) standardised to 80 mg of silymarin flavonoids, alpha-lipoic acid, hypromellose (vegetable capsule), microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate of vegetable origin, silicon dioxide.

Free from wheat, gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and sesame. Produced in a facility that handles other ingredients containing these allergens.

How should Glutathione 500 mg be taken?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast or 2 hours after a meal. Frequency: one intake per day. Duration: a course of 3 to 6 months, with periodic breaks.

Taking it on an empty stomach is the essential instruction on this page, and it follows directly from what we have just explained. The less dietary protein there is in the stomach at the time of the intake, the less the digestive machinery is busy breaking peptides apart, and the better the chances of glutathione getting through intact. Thirty minutes before breakfast is the easiest slot to keep to day after day.

It is also the most demanding instruction: if you already take several supplements with meals, this one calls for a slot of its own. A routine you can sustain is worth more than a perfect routine abandoned after three weeks.

The manufacturer suggests pairing it with 250 to 500 mg of vitamin C. That is a biochemically coherent recommendation, since vitamin C and glutathione are involved in the same cellular cycles. Our vitamin C aisle offers doses suited to this pairing.

Keep up a decent level of hydration through the day. The three-to-six-month course with periodic breaks is the schedule chosen by the manufacturer; the 120-capsule bottle covers four months in one go, which corresponds to a complete course with no need to reorder along the way. The product combines without any overlap with a turmeric or an omega 3, those being taken with meals.

Who is Glutathione 500 mg for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who is looking for this molecule specifically and who knows its absorption limits. It is a niche product, not a general-purpose supplement, and it should not be a first purchase.

Two contraindications appear explicitly on the packaging. The first: allergy to Asteraceae, the botanical family of milk thistle, which also includes mugwort, chamomile and ragweed. The second: chemotherapy treatment, for which medical advice is essential before taking anything — high-dose antioxidants may interfere with certain protocols, and that question is not one to settle over the counter.

It is reserved for adults, and a healthcare professional must be consulted in the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding, medical treatment or a health problem.

What you should not expect from it, and this is the heart of the matter. It does not “detoxify” anything: the liver and kidneys do that work constantly, without outside help, and the word has no medical definition. It does not lighten the skin — that is a widespread use elsewhere in the world, with no authorised claim in Europe and no solid data by the oral route. It does not improve sporting performance. You will not feel anything when you take it, and that is normal. Any question concerning your liver is a matter for a blood test and a doctor.

Glutathione or N-acetylcysteine?

This is the comparison that genuinely matters in this aisle, and it deserves a straight answer even if it does not favour the sale.

Glutathione taken orally runs into an obstacle: it is a tripeptide, and the digestive tract breaks most of it apart before it reaches the bloodstream. You are supplying the finished molecule, but only a fraction arrives intact. That is the structural limit of this category.

N-acetylcysteine tackles the problem from the other end: it supplies cysteine, the amino acid that limits the body's own production of glutathione. It is well absorbed, it costs less, and the logic is more solid. For most situations, that is the choice we recommend first, and our NAC aisle covers it.

In which case does this product remain relevant? When it is this precise formula you are after, with the milk thistle and alpha-lipoic acid pairing, and the absorption question does not put you off. If your goal is more general, our multivitamins aisle covers a broad need, and our vitamin E aisle offers the only antioxidant approach in this catalogue to have an authorised claim.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does one capsule contain?

500 mg of reduced glutathione, 100 mg of milk thistle extract standardised to 80 mg of silymarin, and 50 mg of alpha-lipoic acid. The shell is a vegetable capsule made of hypromellose. The bottle holds 120 of them, i.e. four months at one a day.

Is glutathione well absorbed by the oral route?

No, and that is the major limit of this category. It is a tripeptide, which the digestive tract breaks apart in large part before it reaches the bloodstream. That is why many people prefer N-acetylcysteine, which supplies the raw material for the body to make it itself.

Why take it on an empty stomach?

To limit competition with dietary proteins: the fewer peptides the stomach has to handle, the better the chances of glutathione getting through intact. Thirty minutes before breakfast, or two hours after a meal, are the two slots chosen by the manufacturer.

Does this product detoxify the body?

No, and the word has no medical definition. The liver and kidneys deal with the elimination of waste constantly, without outside help. No claim of this kind is authorised in Europe for glutathione, milk thistle or alpha-lipoic acid.

What is the milk thistle for in the formula?

It is a plant traditionally associated with the liver, standardised here to 80 mg of silymarin per 100 mg of extract, i.e. 80%. That is a high strength and it is the only line that allows two extracts to be compared. No claim is authorised in Europe for this plant, however.

Are there any contraindications?

Two appear on the packaging: allergy to Asteraceae, the family of milk thistle, and chemotherapy treatment, for which medical advice is essential. Also consult a healthcare professional in the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding or ongoing treatment.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

The shell is a vegetable capsule made of hypromellose and the magnesium stearate is of vegetable origin. The manufacturer declares the absence of wheat, gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and sesame, but points out that manufacturing takes place in a facility handling these allergens.

Where can you buy Now Foods Glutathione 500 mg?

The 120-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always start by explaining the absorption question before selling this product. Many customers leave with N-acetylcysteine, which costs less and rests on more solid logic; those who stick with glutathione then know why. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition selection.

What is Now Foods Iron 18 mg?

Now Foods Iron 18 mg is an iron supplement in vegetable capsules, sold in a bottle of 120. The mineral is supplied as Ferrochel™ bisglycinate, a raw material from Albion Labs in which the iron is chelated to two glycine molecules.

That form is not a marketing detail. A conventional ferrous sulphate has to be taken on an empty stomach to be properly absorbed, which brings on the nausea, cramps and constipation that make one course in two get abandoned after a fortnight. A bisglycinate is taken with a meal and goes down far better. With iron, tolerance is not a luxury: it is what decides whether the course will be seen through.

The formula is short: the chelated iron, rice flour as an excipient, a vegetable cellulose capsule, stearic acid of plant origin and silica. The manufacturer declares it free from wheat, gluten, soya, milk, egg, fish, shellfish and nuts. The full range is in the Now Foods section.

What does one capsule contain?

The bottle holds 120 capsules, which is four months at one a day. It is the longest-lasting format in the range, and on a mineral that calls for a course of several months, that saves two or three repeat purchases.

The 18 mg cover 128% of the nutrient reference value, set at 14 mg. This is a corrective dose, designed to rebuild low stores. In someone whose ferritin is normal it brings nothing: surplus iron has no active route of elimination, the body stores it, and that is precisely what should be avoided.

The manufacturer itself writes the following, and that is rare enough to be worth highlighting: “iron supplementation should only be undertaken in cases of proven deficiency or of increased needs identified by a healthcare professional”. We will say nothing different. It is the one everyday supplement in the range where excess causes a genuine problem, and the first step is not to open this bottle but to have your ferritin measured.

That said, the claims for iron are solid and numerous. We can write, using the exact wordings of the European regulation, that iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, to normal oxygen transport in the body, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal function of the immune system and to normal cognitive function. That is why a deficiency shows up first as breathlessness and a drop in tolerance to effort.

How should you take Iron 18 mg?

Dose: 1 capsule a day. Liquid: a glass of water, or better still, a citrus juice. Timing: during a meal. Frequency: 1 intake a day. Duration: 3 to 6 months depending on needs, with a serum ferritin check to fine-tune it.

Two habits genuinely change how much you get out of each capsule, and they cost nothing. The first: pair it with a source of vitamin C — a citrus juice, a kiwi, green vegetables. Vitamin C markedly improves the absorption of non-haem iron. The second, conversely: avoid coffee, tea, dairy products and calcium at the time you take it. Tannins and calcium block absorption, sometimes by half. A cup of tea after breakfast can cancel out a good part of the capsule you have just swallowed.

Also leave at least two hours between it and any other mineral supplement — zinc, calcium, magnesium — since these minerals compete for the same intestinal transporters. The simplest pattern: iron at breakfast with an orange juice, the other minerals at dinner.

On duration, think in months. Rebuilding ferritin stores takes time, and the fatigue linked to a deficiency is not corrected in a week. The manufacturer talks of 3 to 6 months with a blood check: have your ferritin measured again to know when to stop, rather than carrying on out of habit.

Who is this iron for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults whose iron status is low: women with heavy periods, people following a vegetarian or vegan diet, high-volume endurance athletes, and anyone whose blood work has shown low ferritin. With a cellulose capsule and stearic acid of plant origin, it suits vegetarian and vegan diets — which is just as well, since those are the people most often short of iron, plant iron being less well absorbed than iron from meat.

The manufacturer restricts it to adults and asks that you consult a healthcare professional if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication or dealing with a health problem. None of the major allergens goes into the formula, but the product is made in a facility that handles others.

Keep this bottle out of the reach of children. Accidental ingestion of iron capsules is one of the most serious forms of paediatric poisoning, and a bottle of 120 is not a quantity to leave lying about. It is the most important warning on this page.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a product for tiredness in general. Iron reduces fatigue only when that fatigue is caused by an iron deficiency. Otherwise you are accumulating it with no benefit. Nor is it a performance product: in an athlete whose ferritin is normal, adding 18 mg a day improves nothing. And if you are affected by haemochromatosis or another iron overload disorder, this product is to be avoided entirely.

18 mg or 20 mg: which iron dose should you choose?

We offer two bisglycinate irons, one at 18 mg and the other at 20 mg, and the question of which to choose comes up regularly. It is settled less by the two milligrams between them — negligible — than by three practical criteria.

The format. That is this one's main argument: 120 capsules, or four months of use without a repeat purchase. The iron section also offers bottles of 60 capsules, which cover two months. Over a course of 3 to 6 months, the large format avoids running out — and an interrupted course is of no use at all.

The composition. Here the manufacturer explicitly lists the eight major allergens absent from the formula and names its raw material, Albion's Ferrochel™. That is a useful level of detail if you have multiple sensitivities.

Dosing flexibility. This is the only point where the other product comes out ahead: at 20 mg per capsule with the option of taking two, it allows you to go up to 40 mg in an established deficiency, which this one does not — the dosage is one capsule, full stop. If your doctor has steered you towards a high dose, go for that option; for an ordinary correction and a long course, this bottle is the more practical. One last marker: if your need is general rather than targeted, a multivitamin containing iron provides a more modest maintenance dose, often enough when ferritin is simply low-normal.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a blood test before starting?

Yes, and the manufacturer writes as much itself: iron supplementation should only be undertaken in cases of proven deficiency or of increased needs identified by a healthcare professional. A ferritin and serum iron test answers the question with a single blood draw. Supplementing without a deficiency brings no benefit and makes you accumulate.

What is Ferrochel™?

It is the trade name of the iron bisglycinate produced by Albion Labs. Naming its raw material commits the manufacturer to a specific origin rather than to an adjective. In practice, what matters to you is the chelated form: it can be taken with a meal, which a ferrous sulphate cannot, and it is markedly better tolerated.

Why avoid tea and coffee when taking it?

Because their tannins sharply reduce the absorption of non-haem iron, the kind found in supplements and plants. Calcium and dairy products have the same effect. Leave two hours between them. Conversely, a glass of citrus juice taken with the capsule improves absorption: it is the single most rewarding habit on this page.

How long does the bottle of 120 capsules last?

Four months at one capsule a day, which covers most of a 3 to 6 month course. That is the main practical appeal of this product: you do not have to reorder part-way through, and an interrupted iron course loses much of its point.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is vegetable cellulose and the stearic acid used is of plant origin; no ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. That fits the people concerned, since diets without animal products are among those where the question of iron comes up most often.

Does this iron cause constipation?

Far less than a ferrous sulphate. Chelation to glycine limits the digestive irritation and constipation associated with conventional ferrous salts, and allows the capsule to be taken during a meal. Some discomfort remains possible, but this is precisely the difference that makes it possible to keep going for several months.

Can it be taken with whey or creatine?

No problem, there is no known interaction. Do watch one detail, though: if you take your whey with milk, do not pair it with the iron at the same moment — the calcium in milk reduces absorption. Simply leave an hour or two between them.

Where can you buy Now Foods Iron 18 mg?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

Iron is one of the few products we sell more slowly than the rest, and deliberately so. At our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the conversation starts with a simple question — do you know your ferritin level? — and sometimes ends with advice to buy nothing until you have the answer. The other minerals and the plant proteins are in our sports nutrition section.

What is Now Foods Methyl B-12 5000 mcg?

Now Foods Methyl B-12 5000 mcg is a vitamin B12 supplement in tablets that dissolve under the tongue, providing 5,000 µg per tablet. The sizes listed here: 60 and 120 tablets, that is two or four months at one dose a day.

Two things set this product apart in the vitamin B aisle. The first is the form chosen: methylcobalamin, one of the coenzyme forms of B12, where most supplements on the market use cyanocobalamin, which is cheaper and more stable. The second is the addition of folate in the Quatrefolic® form, namely (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate — the directly active form of folate, rather than synthetic folic acid.

The rest of the tablet is what gives it its texture and its taste: fructose, sorbitol, hydroxypropylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, citric acid, stearic acid and magnesium stearate of plant origin, natural flavourings. The manufacturer states a composition with no artificial preservatives, no synthetic colourings and no sweeteners. Now Foods is an American brand whose range we stock in our Now Foods aisle.

What does one tablet contain?

NRVs within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 2.5 µg for vitamin B12, 200 µg for folate. One labelling discrepancy deserves to be flagged rather than glossed over: the manufacturer, being American, expresses folate as 680 µg of dietary folate equivalents (DFE), a calculation convention specific to United States regulations, for an actual quantity of 400 µg of 5-MTHF. We show the actual quantity. Depending on which value is used, the European percentage would come out at 200% or at 340%: we prefer to give the more conservative figure and explain why.

Now for the number that leaps off the page. 5,000 µg is two thousand times the European reference value. That looks absurd, and it is not quite: B12 is absorbed only in very small amounts at each dose, and massive doses are the usual way of getting round that limit in people who absorb it poorly. What matters here is that this product is not a maintenance dose. For a simple top-up, a multivitamin providing 2.5 or 25 µg does the job.

On safety, two markers. EFSA has set no upper limit for vitamin B12, which is water-soluble and cleared in the urine. It does, however, set 1,000 µg a day as the limit for folic acid in adults: the 400 µg in this tablet stay below that, but if you are already taking a multivitamin or a pregnancy supplement, add it all up.

The applicable regulatory wordings are precise, and they are broad. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal red blood cell formation, to normal homocysteine metabolism, to normal psychological function and to the normal function of the immune system. Folate contributes to normal blood formation, to normal amino acid synthesis, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to the growth of maternal tissue during pregnancy.

How do you take Methyl B-12?

Dose: 1 tablet. Liquid: none, the tablet dissolves under the tongue. Timing: in the morning, with a meal. Frequency: one dose a day. Duration: the manufacturer sets no course length; where status is deficient, supplementation is generally long-term and is managed with a doctor.

The instructions come down to a single sentence: place the tablet under the tongue and let it dissolve for two to three minutes rather than swallowing it straight away. The manufacturer also advises keeping it away from hot drinks. One honest clarification: we have no ANSES or EFSA source establishing that the sublingual route does better than a swallowed tablet, so we will not write that it is superior. What we can say is that the format is pleasant, naturally flavoured, and calls for no glass of water — which, on a daily dose taken over the long term, counts for more than you might think.

The morning dose is the one the manufacturer settles on. The taste is slightly sweet, the fructose and the sorbitol serving as the base: this is not an unpleasant tablet to let dissolve, unlike a good many vitamins.

One point of common sense to finish with: B12 is measured by a blood test. If you are supplementing at 5,000 µg, a blood test taken afterwards no longer means very much. Have your status checked before you start, not after.

Who is this product for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at three specific situations, and the manufacturer names them itself. Vegetarians and vegans first: vitamin B12 is almost exclusively of animal origin, and supplementing it is not a convenience but a necessity on a vegan diet. Then older people, whose digestive absorption declines. And diagnosed deficiencies, under medical supervision.

The manufacturer asks you to consult a healthcare professional if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication, and recommends medical supervision for a high dose taken over a prolonged period. That instruction should be taken seriously: this is not a product to take “just in case” for two years without ever having a check-up. The product is declared free from gluten, wheat, soya, milk, egg, fish and nuts, but made in a facility that handles other allergens.

It suits you less well if you eat meat, fish and eggs regularly: in that case there is no reason at all to take 5,000 µg, and a multivitamin already covers the requirement comfortably. It also contains sorbitol, a polyol that can upset a sensitive gut at repeated doses.

What not to expect from it. This is not an energy product. “Contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue” means correcting a shortfall, not giving a lift to someone whose status is normal — the distinction is crucial, and it is the one the aisle glosses over most often. Nor is it a performance product: no sports claim exists for B12.

Methyl B-12 on its own or a multivitamin?

That is the real choice, and it depends entirely on your diet.

A multivitamin generally provides 2.5 to 25 µg of B12, among some twenty other nutrients. It is the better choice if you eat a bit of everything in an irregular way and are looking for a general safety net: one dose, one bottle, everything covered. Its drawback is that it covers nothing in depth, and its B12 content bears no comparison with this one.

Methyl B-12 does the opposite: a single nutrient, dosed very high, plus folate. It is the right choice on a vegan diet or where absorption is impaired — two situations in which a multivitamin will not be enough. If that applies to you, take the problem as a whole: a diet without animal products also calls for keeping an eye on iron and on protein intake, which our plant proteins aisle covers. And avoid the most widespread shortcut: spirulina has many merits, but it is not accepted as a reliable source of vitamin B12. Do not count on it for that.

Frequently asked questions

5,000 µg, isn't that far too much?

It is two thousand times the European reference value, and it is deliberate: B12 is absorbed only in a small proportion at each dose, which high doses make up for. EFSA has set no upper limit for this vitamin, which is water-soluble and cleared in the urine. It remains a corrective dose, not a maintenance dose.

Methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin?

Methylcobalamin is a coenzyme form, directly usable; cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form, more stable and cheaper, which the body has to convert. The authorised regulatory wordings are identical for both, and we have no official source establishing that one is superior to the other.

What is the difference between 400 and 680 µg of folate?

None in quantity: these are two ways of describing the same thing. The tablet provides 400 µg of (6S)-5-MTHF; the figure of 680 µg corresponds to the conversion into dietary folate equivalents, an American convention. On a European label, it is the 400 µg value that should be compared.

Does it really have to dissolve under the tongue?

That is what the manufacturer asks for, two to three minutes, avoiding hot drinks just afterwards. We have no official source proving that this route does better than a swallowed tablet. The tablet is flavoured, though, and needs no water, which makes a daily dose easier to keep up.

How long does one bottle last?

Two months for the 60-tablet size, four months for the 120, at one tablet a day. The manufacturer sets no time limit: on a vegan diet, supplementation is generally permanent, and that is a point to settle with a doctor.

Can it be taken during pregnancy?

Not without medical advice: that is the manufacturer's explicit statement. Folate has a particular role during pregnancy, but pregnancy supplements already contain it, and the combined total must stay below the limit of 1,000 µg a day set by EFSA for folic acid. This question is one to settle with your doctor or your midwife.

Is the product suitable for vegans?

Yes. No ingredient of animal origin goes into the composition, the stearic acid and the magnesium stearate both being of plant origin. That is logical: vegans are precisely the primary audience for this product, vitamin B12 being almost absent from the plant kingdom.

Where can you buy Now Foods Methyl B-12 5000 mcg?

Both sizes can be ordered from this page, and we ship anywhere in France and in Europe. The 120-tablet bottle makes sense if you are settled into a vegan diet for the long term; the 60-tablet one is enough to start with.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is one of the few products where we begin by asking a medical question: have you had your B12 measured? The advice changes entirely depending on the answer, and a measurement taken after supplementation has begun is worth nothing. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is Now Foods' Probiotic-10 100 Billion?

Now Foods Probiotic-10 100 Billion is a live culture supplement in vegetable capsules. One capsule provides 100 billion colony-forming units, spread across ten strains each named and referenced individually. The product comes in 30 and 60 capsules, and it must be kept refrigerated.

Colony-forming units, abbreviated to CFU, count the micro-organisms viable at the time of manufacture. It is the unit of measurement in this category, and 100 billion per capsule places this product at the top end of the market — the usual formulas sit rather between 1 and 30 billion.

But the most interesting figure on this label is not the CFU count: it is the fact that every strain is identified by its exact reference. Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14, Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04, Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lr-32… These codes designate precise strains, not a vague bacterial genus. The rest of the American range can be browsed in our Now Foods section, and the other products in the category in our probiotic section.

What does one Probiotic-10 capsule contain?

Naming the strains is not a bureaucratic detail, it is what separates a serious product from a display product. Two strains from the same bacterial genus can behave very differently, and research is always carried out on identified strains, never on a genus. A product that announces “lactobacilli and bifidobacteria” with no further precision tells you nothing about what you are buying. Here, ten strains, ten references, and the manufacturer states that they are identified by genetic fingerprinting.

The formula also contains fructo-oligosaccharides, fibres that serve as a substrate for the bacteria — this is what is called a prebiotic, as opposed to the probiotic, which refers to the micro-organisms themselves.

On the regulatory side we need to be precise, because this category is saturated with promises: no health claim is authorised in Europe for these strains. Not on digestion, not on immunity, not on transit, not on the microbiota. The dossiers submitted in this category came to nothing. So we describe strains, their number and their directions for use, without announcing any effect. That is as frustrating to write as it is to read, but it is the state of the law.

The manufacturer states production in the United States, non-GMO, kosher and halal, along with the absence of gluten, dairy, soya, egg, fish and tree nuts in the formula.

List of ingredients

Blend of ten lactic acid bacteria strains (100 billion CFU), hypromellose (vegetable capsule), microcrystalline cellulose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), ascorbyl palmitate, silicon dioxide.

Gluten-free, dairy-free, soya-free, egg-free, fish-free and tree-nut-free. Made in a facility that handles other allergens. Do not consume the desiccant sachet inside the bottle.

How should you take Probiotic-10?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast, or between two meals. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 3 months minimum according to the manufacturer.

Let us start with the constraint that decides everything about this product: refrigeration is compulsory, between 2 and 8 °C. This is not a comfort tip, it is what keeps the bacteria alive until the use-by date. Take the bottle out only for as long as it takes to swallow the capsule and close it again straight away. A bottle left for a day on the worktop in high summer loses part of its value, and nobody can tell you which part.

That constraint has a practical consequence you have to accept: this product travels badly. In hot weather, plan to be there for the delivery and to put it in the fridge without waiting. It is the kind of detail that does not show up on a product page, and that nonetheless makes the difference between a bottle that works and a useless one.

Taking it on an empty stomach has a precise reason: stomach acidity. The bacteria have to pass through that very acidic environment to reach the intestine, and an empty stomach is less acidic than a stomach in the middle of digestion. Thirty minutes before breakfast, or two hours after a meal, are the two windows the manufacturer settles on.

If you are on antibiotics, leave at least two hours between them. An antibiotic does not sort between bacteria: taking the two together amounts to destroying what you have just swallowed. This product combines without overlap with digestive enzymes, which act through an entirely different mechanism, or with a glutamine.

Who is Probiotic-10 for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult looking for a formula with identified strains and a high dose, and who accepts the fridge constraint. The 30-capsule size lets you try one month before moving to the 60.

It is not recommended for people whose immune system is weakened, nor for those taking immunosuppressive medication without medical advice. This is the most important contraindication on this page and the manufacturer is explicit about it: giving live micro-organisms to someone whose defences are diminished is not a trivial matter. If you are in that situation, the question goes to your doctor, without exception.

Medical advice is also required in the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding or ongoing medication. The product is for adults only, and the desiccant sachet inside the bottle obviously must not be consumed.

What you should not expect from it. No health claim exists for these strains in Europe: not digestion, not immunity, not transit. A digestive disorder that persists, pain or an established change in transit are matters for a doctor, not for a supplement. And a higher CFU figure does not automatically mean a better product: it is the strains and their documentation that count, not the race to the billion.

100 billion CFU or a more modest dose?

This is the question everyone asks in front of this category, and the answer is not the one people expect.

A high dose is not in itself a guarantee of superiority. Published protocols use very variable quantities depending on the strains, and much of the work concerns doses well below 100 billion. What counts more is the precise identification of the strains — which this product does very well — and regularity in taking it.

Where, then, does the value of such a high dose lie? In the margin: bacteria suffer losses in storage and on the way through the stomach, and starting from 100 billion leaves more survivors than starting from 5 billion. That is safety-margin reasoning, not a promise of proportional efficacy.

In which cases is a more modest product enough? Often, and that is what we say readily in the shop. A lower dose costs less, is sometimes stable at room temperature — a serious advantage — and suits maintenance use. Our spirulina section and our other everyday supplements do in fact offer options that simply go in a cupboard. And if your subject is digestive comfort after meals rather than the microbiota, our oat flour section and dietary fibre sources answer a different logic, through the plate.

Frequently asked questions

How many live cultures per capsule?

100 billion colony-forming units, spread across ten strains. That is a dose at the top end of the market, the usual formulas sitting rather between 1 and 30 billion. The formula also contains fructo-oligosaccharides, fibres that serve as a substrate for the bacteria.

Does it really have to be kept in the fridge?

Yes, between 2 and 8 °C, and it is imperative. It is the condition for the bacteria to stay alive until the use-by date. Take the bottle out only for as long as it takes to swallow the capsule and close it again immediately. In hot weather, put it somewhere cold as soon as your order arrives.

Why take it on an empty stomach?

Because the bacteria have to pass through the stomach to reach the intestine, and an empty stomach is less acidic than a stomach in the middle of digestion. The manufacturer settles on thirty minutes before breakfast, or two hours after a meal.

Can it be taken with antibiotics?

Not at the same time: leave at least two hours between them. An antibiotic does not distinguish useful bacteria from the rest, and taking both together would destroy what you have just swallowed. If you are on medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Why are the strains numbered?

Because two strains from the same bacterial genus can behave very differently, and because research is always carried out on identified strains. The codes La-14, Bl-04 or Lr-32 designate precise strains. A product that writes only “lactobacilli” tells you nothing about what you are buying.

What is the difference between the pack sizes?

Only the number of capsules: 30 or 60, with the same formula. At one capsule a day, that represents one or two months. Since the manufacturer recommends a course of three months minimum, the 60 size is more consistent if you have already made up your mind.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

The shell is a vegetable capsule made of hypromellose, and the manufacturer declares the absence of gluten, dairy, soya, egg, fish and tree nuts. It also states that the product is non-GMO, kosher and halal, and made in the United States.

Where can you buy Now Foods' Probiotic-10?

The pack sizes can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always warn about the fridge constraint: it is the leading cause of disappointment with this product, and the local summer does not forgive a bottle left in a car. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section, and micronutrient intakes in our multivitamins.

What is Now Foods Vitamin D3 Liquid?

Now Foods Vitamin D3 Liquid is vitamin D3 in liquid form, in a dropper bottle. Four drops provide 400 IU of cholecalciferol, that is 10 µg and 200% of the nutrient reference value. The 59 ml bottle contains around 590 drops, which amounts to 147 servings.

Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the form the skin makes for itself under the effect of ultraviolet rays. It is also the one found in oily fish and egg yolks. It differs from vitamin D2, of plant origin, which the body uses less efficiently.

The liquid form is not a presentational whim: it is what lets you adjust the dose drop by drop. Where a tablet imposes a fixed dose, a dropper lets you take anything from 400 to 2,000 IU according to your needs, without changing product. The rest of the American range can be browsed in our Now Foods section, and the other products in the category in our vitamin D section.

What is in one serving of Vitamin D3 Liquid?

Vitamin D is the best-justified supplement in this entire catalogue for a French population, and that is not a sales argument. Between October and March, at our latitudes, the sun sits too low on the horizon for the skin to make it in useful quantities. Even in Montpellier, where sunshine is generous the rest of the year, the winter window is very real.

The authorised claims for this vitamin are numerous and solid, and there is no reason to stray from them: vitamin D contributes to normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to the maintenance of normal bones, to the maintenance of normal teeth, to the maintenance of normal muscle function, to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal blood calcium concentrations and it has a role in the process of cell division. These are the official wordings of the European framework.

The choice of MCT oil as the base is worth pausing on. These are medium-chain triglycerides, derived from coconut and palm kernel. Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it needs a fatty carrier to be absorbed: here, that carrier is already in the bottle. It is a genuine advantage over a dry capsule, which relies on the meal to supply the fat.

The 147-serving bottle is an unusually long-lasting pack. At four drops a day, it covers close to five months — that is, the whole season in which supplementing makes the most sense.

Missing from the manufacturer's file: the origin of the cholecalciferol is not specified. Most vitamin D3 on the market is extracted from sheep lanolin, but we will not assert that here for lack of information. This product therefore cannot be presented as suitable for vegan diets.

Ingredients list

MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides from coconut and palm kernel oil), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

Free from yeast, wheat, gluten, soya, corn, milk, egg, fish and shellfish. Made in a facility that handles other ingredients containing these allergens.

How should Vitamin D3 Liquid be taken?

Dose: 4 drops, up to 20 drops a day according to your needs, that is 400 to 2,000 IU. Carrier: straight into the mouth or in a drink. Timing: during a meal containing fat, preferably breakfast or lunch. Frequency: once a day is enough, even for the full dose. Duration: from October to March at least, all year round depending on your sun exposure.

Shake the bottle before each use: the vitamin D is suspended in the oil and needs to be distributed evenly. This is a manufacturer's instruction, and it takes two seconds.

The manufacturer suggests four drops one to five times a day. In practice, nothing obliges you to split it up: vitamin D is stored in the body, and taking all twenty drops at once with the same meal comes to the same thing while being infinitely easier to keep up. That is the advice we give in the shop, and it beats a five-a-day routine abandoned within a week.

Taking it with a fatty meal counts, even with an MCT oil base. The bottle already supplies the fatty carrier, which is a real plus, but a meal containing fat remains the best context for absorption. Breakfast or lunch work well.

A small hygiene instruction that the manufacturer specifies and that is often overlooked: if the dropper touches your lips, clean it before putting it back in the bottle. On a product that lasts five months, this avoids contaminating the oil. Vitamin D combines without overlap with an omega 3, a magnesium — a mineral involved in its metabolism — or a zinc.

Who is Vitamin D3 Liquid for, and who is it not for?

It suits an adult with little sun exposure, working indoors, or going through the autumn-winter period. The liquid format is particularly well suited to those who dislike swallowing capsules, and dosing by the drop allows fine adjustment, which no tablet permits.

A healthcare professional must be consulted in the event of pregnancy, breastfeeding, drug treatment or a health problem. That is the manufacturer's instruction, and it is justified: vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is stored, and an accumulation from other sources shows up less quickly than with a water-soluble vitamin.

Check precisely what your other supplements contain. A multivitamin, a joint complex or a bone product almost always supply vitamin D, and the intakes add up. The upper safety limit set at European level for adults is 100 µg a day, that is 4,000 IU: this product's maximum dose, 2,000 IU, stays well clear of it, but the sum can change the picture quickly.

What you should not expect from it. You will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal: no vitamin produces a sensation. It does not improve sporting performance and it makes you neither lose weight nor gain muscle. And above all, it does not replace a blood test: if you are wondering about your status, a test prescribed by your doctor will tell you what no product page can guess.

Liquid vitamin D or capsules?

The two forms are equivalent in substance — it is the same molecule — and the choice comes down entirely to practical criteria.

The liquid format has two advantages that genuinely count. The first is flexibility of dosing: four drops or twenty, you decide, whereas a tablet imposes its figure. The second is that there is no capsule to swallow, which settles the matter for anyone put off by capsules. Add to that the MCT oil base, which supplies the fatty carrier needed for absorption.

The capsule, for its part, wins on simplicity: no bottle to shake, no dropper to clean, no risk of spilling. It slips into a weekly pill organiser, which a liquid does not. And some formulas pair it with other fat-soluble vitamins, such as K2.

When is the capsule the better choice? If you already have a supplement routine in capsule form and simply want to add one line to it. If your goal is broader, a multivitamin already supplies some, in a more modest amount. And for an intake of vitamin C during the same season, a dedicated product rounds out this winter routine nicely.

Frequently asked questions

How much vitamin D per drop?

100 IU per drop, that is 400 IU for four drops, which represents 200% of the nutrient reference value. The manufacturer provides for up to 2,000 IU a day, that is twenty drops, according to individual needs.

Should the doses be split up?

That is not necessary. The manufacturer suggests four drops one to five times a day, but vitamin D is stored in the body: taking the full dose at once with the same meal comes to the same thing and is far easier to keep up over time.

Why an MCT oil base?

Because vitamin D is fat-soluble and needs a fatty carrier to be absorbed. Here, that carrier is already in the bottle, which is a genuine advantage over a dry capsule that relies solely on the meal.

How long does one bottle last?

59 ml, that is around 590 drops and 147 servings of 400 IU. At four drops a day, that comes to close to five months: enough to cover the whole October to March period without reordering. At twenty drops a day, allow one month.

Is this product suitable for vegans?

The manufacturer does not specify the origin of the cholecalciferol, and we will not invent it. Most vitamin D3 on the market comes from sheep lanolin. In the absence of information, this product cannot be presented as suitable for a vegan diet.

Is there a risk of overdose?

The upper safety limit set at European level for adults is 100 µg a day, that is 4,000 IU. The maximum dose provided for here, 2,000 IU, stays well clear of it. Do check your other supplements, though: vitamin D intakes add up and are stored.

Should it be taken all year round?

The period in which supplementing is most justified runs from October to March, the sun being too low then to allow useful production in the skin. The rest of the year depends on your actual exposure. A blood test prescribed by your doctor settles it far better than guesswork.

Where can you buy Now Foods Vitamin D3 Liquid?

You can order the 59 ml bottle on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend most readily at the start of autumn, with one simple piece of advice: all the drops at once, at breakfast, and the bottle will see you through to spring. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Now Foods Zinc Glycinate?

Now Foods Zinc Glycinate is a zinc supplement in softgel form, sold in a bottle of 120 softgels. The mineral is supplied as glycinate — a salt in which zinc is chelated to glycine, an amino acid. It is the best-tolerated form where digestion is concerned, far ahead of the oxide or the sulphate, and it is the whole point of this product.

Its second distinguishing feature is the carrier. The zinc is not dry-compressed into a capsule but suspended in 250 mg of pumpkin seed oil, inside a softgel. This oil is not an active ingredient in the regulatory sense — we will come back to that — but it explains the product's texture and the way it should be taken.

The formula runs to just a few lines: zinc glycinate, pumpkin seed oil, bovine gelatine for the shell, glycerine, water, carob, beeswax and soya lecithin. The American manufacturer states that production is non-GMO. The rest of the range can be found in the Now Foods section.

What does one softgel contain?

The bottle holds 120 softgels, which is four months at one softgel a day.

30 mg of zinc is a high dose, and that should be stated plainly rather than sold as a benefit. The nutrient reference value is 10 mg: you are at 300%. More to the point, EFSA sets 25 mg a day as the upper safe limit for adults, from all sources combined. A single softgel of this product therefore exceeds that limit on its own, before you even count the zinc in your diet. This is a formula designed for the American market, where the ceilings are not the same as in Europe. It is not a dangerous product, it is a product that should not be taken blindly or long-term without a reason — and certainly not on top of a multivitamin that already contains some.

That said, zinc is a mineral with numerous and firmly established claims. We can state, using the exact wording of the European regulation, that zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to normal protein synthesis, to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, to the maintenance of normal hair, nails and skin, to the protection of cells from oxidative stress and to normal fertility and reproduction. Few minerals cover as much ground.

The 250 mg of pumpkin seed oil, on the other hand, carries no health claim authorised in Europe. You will therefore read no promises about it here. Its documented role is that of a fat-soluble excipient: it acts as the carrier inside the softgel.

How should Zinc Glycinate be taken?

Dose: 1 softgel a day. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with a meal, preferably dinner. Frequency: 1 serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer advises a course of 2 to 3 months, which may be repeated.

Never take it on an empty stomach. Zinc is the mineral most likely to cause nausea when the stomach is empty, and 30 mg in one go is a good illustration of this: the sensation comes on within half an hour and it is decidedly unpleasant. A meal, even a light one, solves the problem.

Dinner is the most practical slot, for a simple reason of organisation rather than physiology: it is the meal at which people take the fewest other supplements. That matters because zinc competes for absorption with several minerals. Leave at least two hours between it and any iron, calcium or magnesium. That is the rule that counts most in this paragraph, and the one most often forgotten.

On duration: a two to three month course, then a break. Zinc has no perceptible day-to-day effect, and the idea of taking 30 mg continuously all year round is far from trivial — prolonged high-dose supplementation can interfere with copper absorption. If your situation warrants a permanent intake, that is a question for a doctor, backed up by a blood test.

Who is this zinc for, and who is it not for?

It is intended for adults, and its dosage points it towards specific situations: a documented deficiency, a diet low in animal products, or a period of prolonged calorie deficit in an athlete. Outside those cases, a more modest dose is amply sufficient.

The softgel shell is made of bovine gelatine. This product is therefore suitable neither for vegetarians nor for vegans — which is a genuine irony, since diets without animal products are precisely the ones most often short of zinc. The beeswax rules it out of a strict vegan diet as well.

It contains SOYA in the form of lecithin, and traces of WHEAT, GLUTEN, MILK, EGG, FISH and CRUSTACEANS are possible. The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice and recommends consulting a healthcare professional if you are on any treatment or have a health condition.

It is not suitable if you are already taking a multivitamin, a ZMA or any other supplement containing zinc: the combined total would take you well beyond anything useful. Nor is it suitable if you have no particular reason to supplement — 30 mg a day in someone whose diet already meets their needs brings nothing and is not without consequences in the long run.

What not to expect from it: this is not a testosterone booster. The authorised claim says that zinc “contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood” — maintaining a normal level is not raising it, and the distinction is not merely rhetorical. Nor is it an acne treatment or a performance product.

Zinc on its own or a multivitamin?

The question is worth asking in that order, because most zinc buyers already have a multivitamin in the cupboard without giving it a thought.

A multivitamin is the better choice if your concern is a general one: an irregular diet, skipped meals, uncertainty about your overall micronutrient coverage. It generally supplies 10 to 15 mg of zinc, a sensible baseline dose, alongside the vitamins and the other minerals. In that case you have no reason to add this product: you would double the zinc without gaining anything else.

Zinc on its own is the better choice in the opposite situation: you know why you are taking it, you want to control that one line precisely, and you do not want to swallow anything else. That covers a vegan diet, a deficiency confirmed by a blood test, or a short period of increased need. The glycinate then has a real argument in its favour: it goes down better than the other forms, and with a mineral known for causing nausea, that is no small detail. One last pointer: if zinc interests you for evening sports use, look instead at ZMA products, which combine it with magnesium and vitamin B6 at more measured doses.

Frequently asked questions

Is 30 mg of zinc a day too much?

It is above the safe limit of 25 mg a day set by EFSA for adults, from all sources combined. One softgel a day taken on an occasional basis, during a two to three month course, remains common practice; a permanent intake at that level, on top of other supplements, does not. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Is the product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The softgel shell is made of bovine gelatine, and the formula also contains beeswax. That is all the more unfortunate given that vegetarian and vegan diets are among those most often short of zinc. Check this point before ordering.

What is the pumpkin seed oil for?

It serves as a fat-soluble carrier inside the softgel: it is the medium in which the zinc glycinate is suspended. As no health claim is authorised in Europe for this oil, we will not attribute any to it, whatever assertions you may read elsewhere.

Why should it not be taken with iron or calcium?

Because those minerals use the same intestinal transporters and get in each other's way. The manufacturer recommends leaving two hours between servings. In practice: iron at breakfast, zinc at dinner. It is the simplest rule, and it is enough.

How long does the bottle of 120 softgels last?

Four months at one softgel a day, which is longer than the two to three month course advised by the manufacturer. In other words, one bottle covers a full course and you will have some left over. Store it out of the reach of children, in a dry place away from light.

Is glycinate better absorbed than zinc oxide?

Above all it is better tolerated: chelation to glycine limits gastric irritation, and that is a real benefit you can verify day to day. On absorption itself, we will not repeat any numerical multiplier: those comparisons circulate widely and are validated by no health authority.

Can it be taken at the same time as a whey protein or a creatine?

Yes, there is no known interaction between zinc and a protein powder or creatine. The only thing to watch is other sources of zinc: multivitamins, ZMA, immunity complexes. Add up the milligrams before drawing any conclusion, keeping the limit of 25 mg a day in mind.

Where can you buy Now Foods Zinc Glycinate?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

Zinc is one of the few supplements for which we sometimes advise against buying over the counter at our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier. Not because the product is poor — it is well formulated — but because at 30 mg the question “are you already taking some elsewhere?” needs to be asked beforehand, not afterwards. The rest of our everyday supplements can be found in the sports nutrition section.

What is Nutrend Pump Pre Workout?

Nutrend Pump Pre Workout is a caffeine-free pre-workout powder, sold in a 225 g tub covering 15 servings of 15 g. Nutrend is a Czech brand, present in Europe since the early 1990s, and this formula is one of its rare products aimed at late-in-the-day sessions.

The composition reads in three blocks. The pump first, with 5 g of citrulline malate and 3 g of beta-alanine. Then the cognitive side: 1 g of L-tyrosine, 200 mg of choline, 300 mg of Bacopa monnieri extract and 500 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha standardised to 5% withanolides. And finally a base of B-group vitamins, with sodium and taurine.

The flavours on offer: Rainbow, Berry Splash and Tropical Blend. The product joins our caffeine-free booster and Nutrend sections.

What does a 15 g serving contain?

Almost everything is quantified, which is not all that common. The one grey area is taurine, whose content varies from 256 to 818 mg depending on the flavour — that is how the manufacturer declares it, and we will not decide in its place. The “of which sugars” line is not published.

Three figures to remember. The 3 g of beta-alanine first: that is a straightforward dose, above what is usually found, and you should know that at that level the tingling is all but guaranteed. Then the 5 g of citrulline malate: a decent dose without being a record, sitting within the useful range. And the 500 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, a patented extract standardised to 5% withanolides — stating the standardisation is what sets a serious extract apart from any old plant powder.

On the claims, here is what European regulation authorises and what we can therefore write: vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B12 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, vitamins B3 and B12 contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, choline contributes to normal lipid metabolism and to the maintenance of normal liver function from 82.5 mg per portion — the 200 mg in this formula clear the threshold. By contrast, no claim is authorised for citrulline, beta-alanine, tyrosine, taurine, ashwagandha or bacopa.

How should Nutrend Pump be dosed?

Dose: 15 g, that is half a scoop, never more than 15 g a day. Fluid: 250 ml of cold water. Timing: 30 minutes before the session. Frequency: on training days only. Duration: continuous use is possible, with a 1 to 2 week break after 8 to 12 weeks of use.

Mind the dose: the scoop supplied holds 30 g, the serving is 15 g, that is half of it. This is the kind of detail that doubles your consumption without your noticing.

Two practical points. The formation of small lumps in the powder is normal: amino acids are hygroscopic and pick up moisture from the air, and nothing is affected by it. And expect tingling on the face and extremities in the minutes after taking it: that is the paraesthesia linked to the 3 g of beta-alanine, it lasts 15 to 30 minutes and has no consequences.

Once the tub is open, use it within 3 months. Keep it closed, dry, at a temperature not exceeding 25 °C. The shelf life before opening is 36 months.

Who is this pre-workout for, and who is it not for?

It targets three profiles. Those who train in the evening and refuse to sacrifice their sleep. Those who are sensitive to caffeine — palpitations, anxiety, shaking — and have given up on conventional pre-workouts. And those already taking caffeine elsewhere in the day who do not want to stack it.

The restrictions are brief but real. The product is not recommended for children, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women. People on medical treatment should consult a healthcare professional before use — the presence of ashwagandha and bacopa warrants that caution, and piperine alters the metabolism of many medicines. The product may contain traces of SOYA and MILK.

What not to expect from it: energy. Without caffeine there is no kick, and that is the most frequent misunderstanding in this category. Nor should you count on ashwagandha or bacopa for any noticeable effect during the session: these plants are judged over weeks, not over thirty minutes, and no European claim is recognised for them. What the formula delivers is pump and preparation for the effort — nothing more, nothing less.

Nutrend Pump or a pre-workout with caffeine?

The two answer different problems, and the question to ask yourself is a simple one: what is it you are missing before the session?

A pre-workout with caffeine, like those in our boosters section, is the right choice if what you are missing is the will to go. A session at 6:00, a heavy week, motivation at rock bottom: nothing other than caffeine fixes that, not citrulline, not beta-alanine. Those formulas typically supply 200 to 400 mg of caffeine, and often doses of citrulline equal to or higher than the ones here.

Nutrend Pump wins on ground that caffeine cannot occupy: the clock. At 20:00 before a 20:45 session, it is the only type of product that will not cost you your night — and sleep weighs more heavily on progress than any pre-workout. It also wins on the 3 g of beta-alanine, a dose higher than in many stimulant formulas, and on the presence of a standardised ashwagandha extract rarely found in a pre-workout. Many of our customers end up with both tubs and alternate according to the time of the session.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are in the 225 g tub?

Fifteen servings of 15 g. At three sessions a week, one tub covers five weeks. Once opened, it should be used within three months as the manufacturer recommends.

Does the scoop correspond to one serving?

No, and that is the trap with this product. The scoop supplied holds 30 g; the serving is 15 g, that is half a scoop. Taking a full scoop would amount to doubling every dose, including the 3 g of beta-alanine.

Why is the tingling so pronounced?

Because the formula contains 3 g of beta-alanine, a high dose. The paraesthesia appears within 15 minutes, affects mainly the face and extremities, lasts half an hour and has no known consequences. It eases with regular use; if it bothers you, cut back temporarily to 10 g.

Can it be taken just before sleeping?

The formula contains no stimulant, so nothing stands in the way as far as sleep goes. That said, the product is only of interest taken 30 minutes before a session: taking it without training serves no purpose.

Why does the taurine vary by flavour?

The manufacturer declares a range of 256 to 818 mg depending on the flavour, without explaining why. We repeat that information as it stands and flag the imprecision rather than putting forward a single figure.

Are the lumps in the powder normal?

Yes. Amino acids are hygroscopic: they pick up moisture from the air and form small clumps. The manufacturer states this explicitly, and it affects neither the composition nor the effectiveness. Close the tub properly after each use.

Can it be combined with a fat burner or a coffee?

Technically yes, since it supplies no caffeine. But that cancels out the point of the product: if you are after stimulation, you may as well take a conventional pre-workout and pay only once. The manufacturer recommends avoiding it alongside caffeinated products.

Where to buy Nutrend Pump Pre Workout 225 g?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is a product we systematically suggest to customers who tell us they have given up pre-workouts because of their sleep: many have no idea the caffeine-free category exists.

Our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, keeps the flavours on the shelf, and it is also the place where someone will show you where half a scoop stops. The rest of the pre-session range can be browsed from sports nutrition.

What is Nutrex Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate?

Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate is a food supplement supplied as liquid capsules, which Nutrex Research calls Liqui-Caps: the plant-based shell holds a glycerine solution rather than a compacted powder. There are 60 in the bottle. This is the most concentrated version in the Lipo-6 range, and the words "ultra concentrate" are not there for decoration.

The formula rests on five actives: anhydrous caffeine, anhydrous theobromine, AdipoSyn™ (Citrus aurantium extract standardised to 50 % p-synephrine), GBBGO® (gamma-butyrobetaine hydrochloride) and a Rauwolfia vomitoria root extract standardised to 90 % rauwolscine. The rest comes down to the capsule itself: glycerine, purified water, chlorophyllin, and a plant-based shell with no animal gelatine.

One detail matters here, and the brand does not draw attention to it: caffeine is the only active with a figure on the label, at 200 mg per capsule. The other four are declared without individual dosages. This is a proprietary blend, and you will not know how much synephrine or rauwolscine you are swallowing. We are not going to invent those numbers on the manufacturer's behalf. If that opacity bothers you — and it is a defensible position — a good share of the capsule fat burners aisle carries fully itemised formulas.

What does one Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate capsule contain?

The only usable figure is therefore the caffeine: 200 mg per capsule, 400 mg if you take both of the day's servings. For context, EFSA considers that a caffeine intake of 400 mg spread across the day raises no safety concern for healthy adults, and that a single 200 mg serving raises none either. At the full dose, this product places you exactly on that ceiling — before you count your morning coffee. That is the point to take away ahead of everything else.

No health claim is authorised in Europe for synephrine, rauwolscine, theobromine or gamma-butyrobetaine. "Fat burner" is the commercial name of the category, not a promise of results, and we will leave it at that.

How should you take Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate?

The manufacturer's protocol is precise, so follow it to the letter. One capsule in the morning, one capsule in the afternoon, between meals and on an empty stomach, leaving at least 6 hours between the two servings. Two capsules per day maximum. Never within the 6 hours before bedtime: at 200 mg a serving, your sleep picks up the bill.

If you are sensitive to stimulants, or if this is your first fat burner at this dosage level, start with a single capsule in the morning for the first week and only add the second one afterwards. This is not token caution: at 400 mg, palpitations and headaches give no warning.

The first serving goes 30 minutes before breakfast, the second in the middle of the afternoon, or 30 to 45 minutes before training if you train early in the day. As for the length of a course, the manufacturer states 4 to 8 weeks of use, followed by a break of at least 4 weeks. A 60-capsule bottle covers one month at the full dose.

During the course, do not stack other caffeine sources — coffee, tea, energy drinks, and certainly not a stimulant pre-workout from the pre-workouts aisle. Drink plenty of water. And bear in mind that the calorie deficit does all the work: this product replaces neither what is on your plate nor your training sessions.

Who is this fat burner for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults already accustomed to stimulants, in a properly structured cutting phase, looking for a kick from unapologetic dosages. As a first purchase in the category it is too much: start lower down the range.

The list of contraindications is long and serious. Not for anyone under 18, nor for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Avoid it in cases of caffeine sensitivity, heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders or psychiatric disorders. Do not combine it with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, antidepressants, or medicines containing phenylephrine, ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. The manufacturer asks that you stop taking the product 2 weeks before any surgical procedure. Stop immediately in the event of rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headaches or shortness of breath, and speak to a doctor.

The product may contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOYA, FISH, CRUSTACEANS and NUTS. The capsules are plant-based, with no animal gelatine.

What you should not expect from it: any weight loss in its own right. A thermogenic fat burner acts on alertness and the feeling of having energy, which helps you stick to a diet — the diet itself still has to be done. If you want support without the nervous-system trade-off, look instead at caffeine-free fat burners, compared in the next section.

Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate or a caffeine-free fat burner?

This is the real decision, and it turns not on potency but on your tolerance to stimulants and on the time of day you train.

A caffeine-free fat burner is the better choice in three clear-cut situations: you train in the evening and you value your sleep; you already drink three coffees a day and you do not want to stack more on top; you have high blood pressure, palpitations or simply an anxious disposition. In those cases the dosage question does not even arise, and a product built on L-carnitine, chromium or non-stimulant plant extracts will be the smarter call.

Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate keeps the advantage on one point: the convenience and the transparency of its caffeine dosage. Two capsules swallowed, nothing to mix, 200 mg per serving that you can work out exactly. The powders in the powder fat burners aisle often provide more actives with stated amounts, but they require a shaker. The category as a whole can be compared in fat burners, and the wider context — protein, satiety, activity — in weight loss.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a 60-capsule bottle last?

Exactly one month, at two capsules a day. Two months if you stay on one capsule daily, which is the pace advised for the first week and often enough for people who are sensitive to stimulants.

How much caffeine is there really per day?

400 mg at the full dose, that is 200 mg per capsule. That is the equivalent of roughly four strong espressos split across two servings. Any other caffeine source during the day adds to that total: this is precisely why the manufacturer asks you to cut them out for the duration of the course.

Why are the dosages of the other actives not stated?

Because Nutrex groups them into a proprietary blend, a common practice in the United States. Caffeine is the only one with a figure. We flag that gap rather than fill it in: no figure for synephrine, rauwolscine, theobromine or GBBGO® appears on the packaging.

Can it be taken before training instead of a pre-workout?

The second serving can indeed be placed 30 to 45 minutes before the session. What you must not do is stack the two products: a standard pre-workout often adds 200 to 350 mg of caffeine, and you would go well beyond the 400 mg per day benchmark.

Does the liquid capsule make any difference?

In terms of comfort, yes: a Liqui-Cap goes down easily and leaves no aftertaste. In terms of effects, the manufacturer publishes no comparative data against a powder capsule, and we are not going to invent any. Treat it as a question of format, not of performance.

Should you take breaks?

Yes. The manufacturer states 4 to 8 weeks of use followed by a break of at least 4 weeks. Sensitivity to caffeine dulls with continuous use, and the break serves as much to restore the effect as to give your system a rest.

Is it compatible with medical treatment?

Not without medical advice. The interactions listed by the manufacturer involve monoamine oxidase inhibitors, antidepressants and decongestants in particular. If you are on any form of treatment, the answer belongs to your doctor or your pharmacist, not to a product page.

Where can you buy Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. This is a product we would rather talk through before selling: in our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the first question we ask is always how much coffee you have already drunk that day and what time you train. Two answers are usually enough to tell whether this is the right product or whether you should be looking elsewhere.

The rest of the range can be found in the Nutrex collection.

What is Nutrimuscle Egg Protein Powder?

Nutrimuscle Egg Protein is an egg white powder meant to be drunk from a shaker like a whey. A 40 g serving — roughly three scoops — provides 34.4 g of protein, or 86% of the powder, with less than 1 g of carbohydrate and less than 1 g of fat. It contains no lactose.

This is an animal protein, but not a dairy one: it is made from egg whites, which the manufacturer states come from free-range hens and French production. The powder is desalted, meaning its sodium content has been reduced — a point that matters, since raw egg white is naturally salty.

The versions in the range: vanilla and chocolate. The rest of the brand can be browsed in our Nutrimuscle section, and the other products in the category in our egg protein section.

What does a serving of egg protein contain?

86% protein is whey isolate territory, and it is very high for an egg protein. A 40 g serving provides 34.4 g of protein — more than a standard serving of concentrated whey, which often tops out at around 24 g. If you count your intake precisely, this is worth knowing: the recommended serving is larger than for a whey, and the protein figure follows.

Less than 1 g of carbohydrate and less than 1 g of fat per serving: on that score, it is hard to beat. Egg white contains neither sugar nor fat; all of the fat in an egg sits in the yolk. That is what makes this powder useful during a calorie-restricted phase, when every superfluous gram counts.

The real argument, however, is neither the protein content nor the macros: it is the absence of lactose. For someone who digests milk protein poorly — and plenty of people come to us with that problem — egg is one of the few animal alternatives that stands comparison on amino acid profile. Plant proteins are another route, but they often require combining two sources.

On the regulatory side, one authorised claim applies fully here: protein contributes to a growth in and the maintenance of muscle mass, as well as to the maintenance of normal bones. That is the official European wording. No claim exists, on the other hand, for the inulin or the Bacillus coagulans found in the flavoured versions: we list them as ingredients, without attributing any effect to them. The manufacturer does not disclose the energy value or the pack weight in the data available to us; refer to the packaging.

Ingredients list

Flavoured versions: EGG white protein from free-range hens, non-instantised, reduced salt content; natural flavouring; Frutafit® HD inulin; sweetener: sucralose; Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086.

Allergen: EGGS. Lactose-free, soy lecithin-free, aspartame-free, GMO-free. This product is suitable neither for people with an egg allergy nor for vegan diets.

How do you prepare Nutrimuscle Egg Protein?

Serving: 40 g, i.e. about 3 scoops. Liquid: 250 ml of milk or room-temperature water. Preparation: shake vigorously, the powder is not instantised. Timing: after training, as a snack, before bed or before a fasting period. Frequency: one to two servings a day depending on your needs.

The words “non-instantised” appear in black and white on the label, and they should be taken seriously. This powder does not dissolve like a whey: it needs to be shaken vigorously, several times, and it stays slightly more textured. That is not a manufacturing fault, it is the nature of dried egg white. A shaker with a ball, or a blender, helps a great deal.

Use a room-temperature liquid, neither ice-cold nor hot. Extreme cold makes it dissolve even less readily; heat, for its part, would coagulate the protein — an egg white remains an egg white. Tap water at room temperature, or milk taken out of the fridge a few minutes beforehand, give the best result.

One precaution the manufacturer flags and nobody else mentions: avoid heavily chlorinated tap water if the probiotic matters to you. Chlorine destroys the Bacillus coagulans found in the flavoured versions. Bottled water or milk settles the question. The manufacturer also advises against taking it at the same time as potassium bicarbonate, because of a risk of bloating.

As for combinations, it mixes easily with a carbohydrate base — maltodextrin, oat flakes, rice cream — or with a serving of creatine, which is tasteless.

Who is this egg protein for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed first at those who digest milk protein poorly: bloating, intestinal discomfort, diagnosed lactose intolerance. That is the number one reason people buy this product, and it is a perfectly sound one. It also appeals to those who want to vary their protein sources rather than putting everything on whey.

It is obviously not suitable for people with an egg allergy — that is a major allergen, and it makes up the entire product. Nor is it suitable for vegan diets. The flavoured versions contain sucralose: if you avoid artificial sweeteners, that is worth taking into account.

A word on taste, because it deserves honesty. An egg white protein has neither the texture nor the roundness of a whey. It is drier in the mouth, less creamy, and the unflavoured version has a pronounced taste that few people enjoy. The vanilla and chocolate versions correct that to a large extent, but if you are coming from a heavily flavoured whey, expect a change.

What you should not expect from it. It does not build muscle on its own, it does not replace a meal, and it has no magic effect linked to its “amino acid profile close to that of humans” — a phrase you read everywhere that does not mean very much. What it does provide is 34.4 g of animal protein with no lactose and no fat, which is already a very good reason to buy it.

Egg protein or whey isolate?

That is the useful comparison, and it comes down to a single criterion: your digestion.

A whey isolate is more pleasant to drink, dissolves instantly and often costs less per gram of protein. It contains very little lactose — filtration removes most of it — and suits the majority of people, including many who are mildly intolerant. Our whey isolate section covers those products, and it is where we point people first.

Egg protein becomes the right choice when even an isolate causes problems, or when you want to get away from milk altogether. It digests more slowly than a whey, which makes it useful in the evening or as a long-lasting snack — a use also covered by casein, except that casein, too, is a milk protein.

A third option if your constraint is ethical rather than digestive: our plant proteins section offers pea-rice blends that achieve a complete profile. They are less protein-dense and rougher in taste, but they settle the milk question as well as the egg one.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein per serving?

34.4 g for a 40 g serving, i.e. 86% protein. That is isolate territory, with less than 1 g of carbohydrate and less than 1 g of fat. The serving is larger than for a classic whey, which explains the higher protein figure.

Does the product contain lactose?

No. It is an egg white protein and contains no dairy ingredient whatsoever. That is precisely its purpose for people who digest milk protein poorly or who are lactose intolerant.

Why does the powder dissolve poorly?

Because it is not instantised, and the manufacturer says so. Dried egg white needs to be shaken vigorously in a room-temperature liquid. A shaker with a ball, or a blender, clearly improves the result. Avoid ice-cold liquid, and never use hot liquid.

Can it be mixed with tap water?

Yes, but if your water is heavily chlorinated, the chlorine destroys the Bacillus coagulans contained in the flavoured versions. Bottled water or milk avoids that problem. The manufacturer also advises against combining it with potassium bicarbonate, which can cause bloating.

Which versions are available?

In the range: vanilla and chocolate. Both contain, besides the egg white protein, a natural flavouring, inulin, sucralose and a probiotic. The protein itself is identical from one version to the other.

What is the energy value per 100 g?

The manufacturer does not disclose it in the data available to us, any more than the pack weight. We are not going to invent it. The macronutrients, on the other hand, are known: 86 g of protein, less than 2.5 g of carbohydrate and less than 2.5 g of fat per 100 g.

Is it suitable for taking before bed?

Yes, and that is one of its classic uses: egg protein digests more slowly than a whey. The manufacturer also suggests it before a fasting period. That said, what matters most is your total protein for the day, rather than the exact timing of servings.

Where can you buy Nutrimuscle Egg Protein?

The versions can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we reach for when a customer explains that whey has been bloating them for months: nine times out of ten, switching to egg sorts the problem out within a week. We simply warn them about the texture, which is not that of a whey. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the protein section.

What is Nutriting's nuADK?

Nutriting nuADK brings together three fat-soluble vitamins in a single softgel capsule. One capsule provides 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, i.e. 50 µg and 1,000% of the reference value, 600 µg of vitamin A as palmitate, and 125 µg of vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7. The 60-capsule bottle covers two months.

These three vitamins share one characteristic that explains why they are brought together: they do not dissolve in water but in fat. That is why the capsule contains an organic olive oil base — the fatty carrier is already in the product, it does not have to come from your meal.

The three doses are shown separately, which is not that common on this type of formula. You know exactly how much of each vitamin you are taking, and you can compare it with what your other supplements already provide. The rest of the French range can be browsed in our Nutriting aisle, and the other products in the category in our vitamin D aisle.

What does one nuADK capsule contain?

The 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 is the most common dose in winter supplementation protocols, and it is a sound choice. It stays well below the upper safety limit set at European level, at 100 µg per day, i.e. 4,000 IU. The claims attached to it are wide-ranging: vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to the maintenance of normal bones, to the maintenance of normal muscle function and to the normal function of the immune system.

Vitamin K2 in the MK-7 form is the form that stays in the blood longest, the one that makes a single daily dose enough. Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting and to the maintenance of normal bones. It logically complements vitamin D on the bone front: one promotes calcium absorption, the other is involved in the proteins that take part in fixing it.

Vitamin A, at 600 µg, covers 75% of the reference value. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision, normal skin and normal mucous membranes, to normal iron metabolism and to the normal function of the immune system. The dose is deliberately measured: vitamin A is stored in the liver and an excess of it is not harmless, which is why it is kept below the reference value here rather than above it.

There is one point of composition that rules out a proportion of buyers and therefore has to be said straight away: the shell is made of marine gelatine. This capsule therefore contains a fish-derived product, which makes it an allergen subject to mandatory declaration, and it is suitable neither for vegetarians nor for vegans. The manufacturer does, on the other hand, declare it free from gluten, lactose, soya, nanoparticles and GMOs, with an olive oil base from organic farming.

Ingredients list

Shell: MARINE GELATINE, glycerol (thickener), water (carrier). Contents: organic olive oil, vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), vitamin A palmitate.

Contains a FISH-derived product. Free from gluten, lactose, soya, nanoparticles and GMOs.

How do you take nuADK?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: no restriction — the capsule already contains its own oily base. Frequency: one dose a day. Duration: from October to April, extendable to the whole year if you get little sun exposure.

This is one of the few products in this aisle where the time of day makes no difference at all, and that is a genuine practical advantage. Most fat-soluble vitamins need a fatty meal to be absorbed; here, the olive oil in the capsule already supplies that carrier. You can therefore take it on an empty stomach, at the office, at any hour, without losing any benefit. On a product to be taken every day for six months, that freedom is the difference between a course you stick to and a course you abandon.

The October-to-April window matches the period when sunlight in France is no longer enough for the skin to make sufficient vitamin D. That is when supplementation makes the most sense, and the 60-capsule bottle covers two months of it: so allow three bottles for the full season. If you work indoors or rarely go out, taking it all year round is justified.

The manufacturer gives a piece of advice that few brands dare to give, and it deserves to be followed: have your blood level measured. A 25(OH)D test, four to six weeks after starting supplementation, lets you adjust the dose rather than guess it. The manufacturer mentions a target of between 30 and 40 ng/ml. It is your doctor who prescribes and who interprets, but the idea is an excellent one: it turns an assumption into a figure.

This product combines without any overlap with a magnesium, a mineral involved in vitamin D metabolism, or with an omega 3. Do take care, on the other hand, not to stack it with a multivitamin that already contains these three vitamins.

Who is nuADK suitable for, and who is it not suitable for?

It is aimed at an adult who gets little sun exposure, particularly between October and April, and who would rather have a single capsule than three separate bottles. The freedom over when to take it makes it an easy product to fit into any routine.

It is not recommended for people on anticoagulant treatment, warfarin or equivalent, without prior medical advice. The manufacturer says so clearly, and it is the main warning on this page: vitamin K2 can interact with these treatments and reduce their effectiveness. If you have a heart condition, a doctor's advice is likewise required before taking it.

It contains a fish-derived product, the gelatine in the shell being of marine origin. People with a fish allergy must rule it out, and it is suitable neither for vegetarians nor for vegans.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should seek the advice of a healthcare professional before use. The presence of vitamin A as palmitate makes this precaution particularly important during pregnancy, a period when retinol intakes are subject to specific recommendations. This is not a formula to take as a matter of course: ask the question beforehand, not afterwards.

What not to expect from it. No sensation when you take it: these three vitamins have no perceptible effect. No effect on sporting performance, muscle mass or body fat. And above all, no dose replaces a blood test: if you want to know where you stand, what you need is a test, not an assumption.

An A, D3 and K2 complex or vitamin D on its own?

This is the question that decides the purchase in this aisle, and the answer is not the same for everyone.

Vitamin D on its own does most of the work: making up for the lack of sunshine in the cold season. It is inexpensive, available as capsules, drops or tablets, and its regulatory framework is excellent. If that is your only goal, it is more than enough, and you run no risk of an interaction with vitamin K.

This complex adds two things. Vitamin K2 complements vitamin D on the bone front, which makes sense if your concern is specifically about bone capital. Vitamin A widens the spectrum further — vision, skin, mucous membranes, immunity — at a dose deliberately kept measured at 75% of the reference value.

When is vitamin D on its own the better choice? If you take an anticoagulant, the question is settled: K2 is to be avoided without medical advice, and an isolated D3 product is the one to go for. The same applies if you are vegetarian or allergic to fish, since the marine gelatine rules this capsule out. For broader bone support, our collagen aisle and our zinc aisle provide other building blocks, and our vitamin C aisle the cofactor for collagen synthesis.

Frequently asked questions

How much vitamin D per capsule?

50 µg, i.e. 2,000 IU and 1,000% of the nutrient reference value. It is the most common dose in winter supplementation protocols, and it stays well below the European upper safety limit, set at 4,000 IU per day in adults.

Does it have to be taken with a meal?

It does not, and that is the practical strength of this formula. The capsule contains an organic olive oil base that already supplies the fatty carrier these three vitamins need. You can therefore take it at any time of day, with or without food.

Is this capsule suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is made of marine gelatine, so the product contains a fish derivative, an allergen subject to mandatory declaration. It is suitable neither for vegetarians, nor for vegans, nor for people with a fish allergy.

Can it be taken while on anticoagulants?

Not without prior medical advice, and that is the product's main warning. Vitamin K2 can interact with warfarin and equivalent treatments and reduce their effectiveness. If you have a heart condition, medical advice is likewise required.

Why is vitamin A dosed at only 75%?

Because vitamin A is stored in the liver and an excess of it is not harmless. Staying below the reference value rather than going above it is a cautious choice, and it is also what makes it all the more important to check your other supplements before stacking them.

Should you have a blood test?

The manufacturer recommends it, and it is good advice: a 25(OH)D test four to six weeks after starting the course lets you adjust the dose instead of guessing it. The target mentioned is between 30 and 40 ng/ml. Prescribing and interpreting are your doctor's business.

How long does one bottle last?

60 capsules at one a day: exactly two months. As the recommended period runs from October to April, allow three bottles to cover the whole season. Taking it all year round is justified if you get very little sun exposure.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuADK?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we bring out for customers who were taking three separate bottles, with two questions always asked first: anticoagulants, and fish allergy. The two answers decide the advice. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition aisle.

What is Nutriting nuADK Drops?

Nutriting nuADK Drops is a liquid food supplement combining three fat-soluble vitamins — A, D3 and K2 — in a 20 ml dropper bottle, roughly 500 drops. It comes from Nutriting, a French brand, and the manufacturer states French production.

The ingredients list runs to four lines: organic olive oil, vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7), vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol, and vitamin A palmitate. Nothing else — no colouring, no titanium dioxide, no tablet excipient. The manufacturer declares a formula free from gluten, free from allergens subject to mandatory labelling, free from nanoparticles, free from heavy metals, free from GMOs and not irradiated.

The olive oil is not a presentational detail: these three vitamins are fat-soluble, they dissolve in a fatty medium and not in water. The drop format also lets you adjust the dose one unit at a time, which a tablet does not. One point of origin worth knowing: vitamin D3 is extracted from lanolin, the grease from sheep's wool. The formula is therefore suitable for vegetarians, but not for vegans. The whole section is presented in our vitamin D collection, which sets out the French intake benchmarks and the difference between D2 and D3.

What does one dose of nuADK contain?

The label is written for 8 drops, i.e. 0.32 ml, which is the adult dose. That dose provides 50 µg of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU), 600 µg of vitamin A (2,000 IU) and 125 µg of vitamin K2 MK-7. One drop therefore provides 6.25 µg of vitamin D3, i.e. 250 IU.

The conversion to remember when reading any label: 1 µg of vitamin D is worth 40 IU. The 2,000 IU stated therefore does indeed correspond to 50 µg.

* The 4-drop column is calculated: the manufacturer publishes only the 2-drop and 8-drop columns. The nutrient reference values used are those of the European regulation: 800 µg for vitamin A, 5 µg for vitamin D, 75 µg for vitamin K. The high percentage on vitamin D comes from that NRV of 5 µg, well below the nutritional reference of 15 µg a day adopted by ANSES for adults — it is an artefact of how the label is read, not a sign of overdosing.

All these levels exceed the 15% NRV threshold that governs the use of European claims. The authorised wordings, to the word, are as follows. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to normal blood calcium levels, to the maintenance of normal bones, to the maintenance of normal muscle function, to the maintenance of normal teeth, to the normal function of the immune system, and has a role in the process of cell division. Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and to normal blood clotting. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision, to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes, to the maintenance of normal skin, to normal iron metabolism, and has a role in the process of cell specialisation.

These formulations speak of maintenance and of normal function: they do not say that the product treats anything at all. And the widespread idea that K2 "directs" calcium towards the bones rather than the arteries remains a research hypothesis, not an authorised claim.

How do you take nuADK Drops?

The manufacturer gives a dose by age bracket, as a single daily serving: 2 drops a day from 3 to 10 years, 4 drops a day from 10 to 18 years, 8 drops a day from 18 years. The frequency is therefore one serving a day, and the volume of liquid does not come into it: the drops go onto a spoon, into a food or straight into the mouth.

On duration, the manufacturer recommends daily use at the very least from October to April, the period when skin synthesis is low at our latitudes. Continuous use all year round is open to discussion depending on lifestyle, and that decision is taken with a healthcare professional.

One practical tip the label does not give: take the drops during a meal containing fat. The olive oil in the bottle already supplies a lipid context, but the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins is still better when the stomach holds a proper meal. Finally, add up your sources: many multivitamins already contain vitamin D and vitamin A.

Who is nuADK for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults, and the manufacturer allows it from 3 years at the reduced doses given above. Any supplementation of a child or an adolescent is nonetheless decided with the doctor who follows them.

Three situations call for caution, and the first is firm. The product is not advised for people on anticoagulant treatment: vitamin K interferes directly with vitamin K antagonists. If this applies to you, set this formula aside and talk to your doctor about it. Next, pregnant and breastfeeding women must seek the advice of a healthcare professional before any supplementation — preformed vitamin A intake is subject to particular monitoring during pregnancy. Finally, medical advice is essential in cases of kidney failure, kidney stones, known hypercalcaemia or sarcoidosis, or while taking thiazide diuretics, corticosteroids or digitalis drugs.

One safety figure to keep in mind, because it is useful: the European upper limit for vitamin D is 100 µg a day (4,000 IU) in adults, from all sources combined. The 8 drops provide 50 µg of it, half that ceiling. There is room to spare, then, provided you count what your other products already contribute.

What you should not expect from this page: a list of deficiency signs. The symptoms mentioned all over the place are too commonplace and too widely shared with other situations to let anyone at all draw a conclusion. Deciding on a blood test, interpreting it and choosing a corrective dose are medical acts. A supplement secures an intake in a healthy person; it diagnoses nothing.

nuADK or vitamin D on its own?

There is a case for both, and the choice depends on what you already take.

Vitamin D on its own is the better choice in three clear cases. On vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants, it is the only possible option, since K2 has to be ruled out. If you already take a multivitamin containing vitamin A, it avoids stacking two retinol intakes without meaning to. And if you want to fine-tune the vitamin D dose without moving the other two, a single-nutrient formula is simpler to adjust. Our vitamin D section brings these products together.

There is a case for nuADK when you are starting from scratch and looking for a single daily serving covering all three vitamins at once, when several age groups are supplementing in the same household at different doses — the drop format handles that, a tablet does not — or when you prefer an oil base to a dry excipient. Let us note what it does not do: it provides no magnesium, the cofactor of the enzymes that convert vitamin D, no omega 3, no vitamin C and no vitamin E, the fourth fat-soluble vitamin missing from this formula.

Frequently asked questions

How many drops of nuADK a day by age?

Two drops from 3 to 10 years, four from 10 to 18 years, eight from 18 years, as a single daily serving. These three doses come from the manufacturer. For a child or an adolescent, have the decision and the dose confirmed by the doctor who follows them before starting.

How long does a 20 ml bottle last?

The bottle holds roughly 500 drops. At the adult dose of 8 drops a day, that comes to about sixty days; at 4 drops, around 125 days; at 2 drops, around 250 days. A course from October to April at the adult dose therefore takes about three bottles.

What do 8 drops represent in international units?

2,000 IU of vitamin D3 and 2,000 IU of vitamin A. The conversion is 1 µg to 40 IU for vitamin D, which does indeed give 50 µg. For vitamin A the conversion differs, since it is retinol: 600 µg corresponds to 2,000 IU. One drop provides 250 IU of vitamin D3.

Why is there vitamin A in a D3 and K2 formula?

Because all three are fat-soluble and lend themselves to the same oil base, and because vitamin A has authorised claims of its own, notably on vision and the immune system. Take care, though, if you already take a multivitamin: retinol intakes add up, and it is the only one of the three for which that addition deserves real vigilance.

Can nuADK be taken while on anticoagulants?

No. The manufacturer explicitly advises against it, and the reason is well documented: vitamin K interferes with vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants and upsets the balance of the treatment. That holds for every formula containing K2, not only this one. If you are on treatment, talk to your doctor before considering any supplementation.

What is vitamin K2 for and where is it found in food?

Menaquinone-7 activates vitamin K-dependent proteins, among them osteocalcin, which is involved in bone mineralisation. The claims adopted are normal bones and normal blood clotting. On the plate, K2 comes mainly from fermented foods — Japanese natto is the richest source — and from certain matured cheeses and animal products.

Is nuADK suitable for vegans?

No. Vitamin D3 is extracted from lanolin, the wool grease recovered at shearing: the animal is not slaughtered, but the product remains of animal origin. The manufacturer states that the formula is suitable for a vegetarian diet. If you follow a vegan diet, look for a D3 derived from lichen, chemically identical but of plant origin.

Should it be taken during a meal?

Yes, preferably, and preferably a meal containing fat. The olive oil in the bottle already provides a lipid base, which is a real advantage over a dry tablet, but absorption is still better when the serving accompanies a proper meal. The time of day, morning or evening, makes no demonstrated difference.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuADK Drops?

This page lets you order the 20 ml bottle, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we take the time to do the sums with you: if you already take a multivitamin, you need to know how much vitamin D and how much retinol it contains before adding this bottle. We will gladly tell you what a product contains and how to take it; we will not tell you whether you are short of it, that question belonging to your doctor. The rest of our micronutrition is listed in the sports nutrition section.

Sources: ANSES for the French nutritional references, EFSA for the opinions underpinning the authorised claims and the upper safety limit.

What is Nutriting's nuAshwagandha KSM-66?

Nutriting nuAshwagandha is an organic ashwagandha root extract in vegetable capsules. One capsule provides 300 mg of KSM-66® extract, standardised to 5% withanolides, i.e. 15 mg per capsule. The 60-capsule bottle covers one to two months depending on the dose you settle on.

Ashwagandha, Withania somnifera, is a plant from the Ayurvedic tradition, grown mainly in India. It is its withanolides, a family of molecules specific to the plant, that supplement manufacturers are interested in — and it is their content, never the gross weight of the extract, that lets you compare two products.

Two features set this product apart in a very crowded category: it uses the root only, and extraction is done with water, without any chemical solvent. Many extracts on the market blend root and leaves, which is not equivalent. The rest of the French range can be browsed in our Nutriting section, and the other products in the category in our ashwagandha section.

What does one nuAshwagandha capsule contain?

The figure to remember is not 300 mg but 15 mg: that is the amount of withanolides, and it is the only line that can be compared from one product to another. An extract standardised to 1.5% — common on the market — would have to weigh 1,000 mg to provide as much. So when you compare two ashwagandhas, set the milligrams of withanolides side by side, never the weight of the extract.

Second point, and it determines the dose to go for: the published work on this patented extract most often uses 600 mg a day. That corresponds to two capsules, not one. If you want to place yourself under the conditions of those protocols, two capsules are what you need to take, and the bottle then covers one month. The manufacturer leaves the choice between one and two, which is honest, but you may as well know what each option represents.

On the regulatory side, we should be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for ashwagandha. Not on stress, not on sleep, not on fatigue, not on performance. The dossiers submitted came to nothing. So we describe a plant, a standardised extract and directions for use, without announcing any result — which is very different from what you will read on most sites in this category.

The process deserves to be spelled out because it is genuinely distinctive. Extraction is entirely water-based: water, and nothing else. Many plant extracts go through organic solvents, traces of which can remain. The root, moreover, comes from organic farming, hand-harvested in Rajasthan, naturally dried, then extracted and packed in France. The bulking agent is an organic acacia fibre, and the capsule is vegetable: the formula is therefore suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

List of ingredients

Organic KSM-66® ashwagandha root extract (Withania somnifera L.) standardised to 5% withanolides, vegetable capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), bulking agent: organic acacia fibre.

No declared allergens. GMO-free, gluten-free, free from artificial additives. Traces are possible depending on manufacturing conditions.

How should you take nuAshwagandha?

Dose: 1 capsule in the first week, then 1 to 2 depending on your tolerance. Liquid: a glass of water. Timing: with a meal; morning or evening depending on the use you have in mind. Frequency: one to two servings a day. Duration: one to two months minimum, repeatable.

Start with one capsule for a week before moving to two. The manufacturer recommends it, and it is good advice: it lets you gauge your digestive tolerance, as ashwagandha causes passing discomfort in some people during the first few days. Taking it with a meal, incidentally, settles most of those inconveniences.

The time of day depends on what you are looking for. The morning, if you are after support across the day; the evening, if your concern is rather the end of the day. There is no absolute rule, and many users split one capsule in the morning and one in the evening when they are on two a day.

Duration matters more than timing. One to two months minimum: that is the period the manufacturer settles on, and it is consistent with this type of plant. Judging after a week makes no sense, and yet it is the most common mistake in this category. The 60-capsule bottle covers exactly one month at two capsules, or two months at just one.

Nothing replaces, alongside this, regular sleep and moderate physical activity — the manufacturer points it out himself, and that is more honest than most of the talk in this category. This plant combines without overlap with a maca or a spirulina, which rest on other foundations.

Who is nuAshwagandha for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who wants to try this plant with a standardised, organic and traceable extract, rather than a root powder whose active content nobody knows. It is a clean product, and the transparency about origin and process is real.

The contraindications are serious and you need to read them before buying, not after. The product is not recommended for people suffering from hyperthyroidism or with a family history of thyroid disease. It is not recommended if you are on antidepressant or thyroid medication without the advice of a healthcare professional. It is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, and is for adults only.

The French national food safety agency has, moreover, published an opinion calling for vigilance over ashwagandha, flagging in particular cases of liver damage and thyroid interactions. It recommends caution for pregnant and breastfeeding women, minors, and people with a liver or thyroid condition. That is not a reason not to sell the product, it is a reason to sell it while saying so.

What you should not expect from it. No claim exists in Europe for this plant, neither on stress nor on sleep. It does not build muscle, does not make you lose weight and does not improve performance. Above all, it replaces no treatment: anxiety that persists, established insomnia or lasting exhaustion are matters for a doctor, and a food supplement will not answer them.

Ashwagandha or magnesium?

This is the most useful comparison in the category, and it goes in favour of the second more often than people think.

Magnesium has a decisive advantage: it has authorised claims. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are the official wordings, and no plant in this category has any. It costs less, it is taken without major contraindications, and shortfalls in intake are common in everyday diets. Our magnesium section is therefore the place to start.

Ashwagandha follows a different logic: it is a plant of traditional use, with a patented and standardised extract, taken in full awareness of that. Its appeal lies in the quality of the raw material — here, root only, water extraction, organic, 5% withanolides — not in efficacy demonstrated in the regulatory sense.

In which case is neither the answer? If your problem is falling asleep, melatonin is the only molecule in this catalogue with a claim on the time it takes to fall asleep, which puts it in a class of its own. And if you are already taking a ZMA in the evening, check its composition before stacking: these products often overlap, and our GABA section offers yet another route.

Frequently asked questions

How many withanolides per capsule?

15 mg, for 300 mg of extract standardised to 5%. It is the only line that can be compared from one product to another: an extract standardised to 1.5% would have to weigh 1,000 mg to provide as much. Never compare the gross weight of the extract, compare the withanolides.

One or two capsules a day?

The published work on this patented extract most often uses 600 mg a day, which corresponds to two capsules. Even so, start with one for a week, as the manufacturer recommends, to gauge your tolerance before increasing.

Morning or evening?

Both are possible and the manufacturer leaves the choice open. The morning for support across the day, the evening for the end of the day. On two capsules, many users take one in the morning and one in the evening. In every case, take it with a meal.

Are there any contraindications?

Yes, and they are serious. The product is not recommended in cases of hyperthyroidism or a family history of thyroid disease, on antidepressant or thyroid medication, and for pregnant or breastfeeding women without medical advice. The national food safety agency also calls for vigilance where the liver is concerned.

What does water extraction bring?

It avoids any chemical solvent, traces of which can remain in some plant extracts. It is a more costly choice of process, combined here with an organic root hand-harvested in Rajasthan and naturally dried, with extraction and packing taking place in France.

Root only, or root and leaves?

This extract is obtained from the root alone. Many products on the market blend root and leaves, which gives a different composition profile for a sometimes identical stated standardisation. It is a point of comparison that few product pages mention.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is a vegetable capsule made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and the bulking agent is an organic acacia fibre. The manufacturer declares the absence of GMOs, gluten and artificial additives, as well as no allergens in the composition.

Where can you buy Nutriting's nuAshwagandha?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is a product we are glad to sell for the quality of its raw material, but never without asking one question: do you have a thyroid problem, in your family or yourself? With this plant, the answer changes everything. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Nutriting nuCollagen?

It is a hydrolysed bovine collagen powder with a single ingredient, providing 90 g of protein per 100 g. No flavourings, no sweeteners, no preservatives, no additives: the tub contains nothing but collagen peptides.

That simplicity is the product's main selling point, and it has a direct consequence: the powder is neutral in taste, which makes it undetectable in a coffee, a juice or a smoothie. The manufacturer states a composition free from gluten, lactose, soya, nanoparticles, GMOs and preservatives.

On sourcing, the French brand states pasture-raised cattle in Brazil, with testing and packing carried out in France. We report that information exactly as it was passed to us, without adding any verification we have not carried out. The rest of the range can be found in our Nutriting section.

What does a daily serving contain?

* Columns calculated from the values declared per 100 g. The net weight of the tub does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer: divide the weight printed on the packaging by your daily serving to work out how long it will last you.

Here is what genuinely sets this product apart from the rest of the category: the manufacturer publishes an amino acid profile. Few brands do so for a collagen, and yet it is the only way to compare two powders seriously.

* Column calculated from the ranges declared by the manufacturer per 100 g.

This table tells you exactly what collagen is, and why it does not replace a conventional protein. Glycine, proline and hydroxyproline alone account for close to half the weight: these are the amino acids characteristic of connective tissue, and they are very different from those in a whey. The flip side is that collagen is low in tryptophan and its profile does not support muscle building in the same way. Those 13.5 g of protein are not 13.5 g of whey.

One regulatory point needs stating plainly: no health claim is authorised in Europe for collagen peptides. You will therefore read no promises here about joints, tendons or skin. We describe a composition, an amino acid profile and a way of using it — that is all the framework allows, and it is already more than most competitors publish.

How should you take nuCollagen?

Dose: 10 to 15 g, or 2 to 3 teaspoons. Liquid: 200 ml. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, or after training. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of at least 2 to 3 months, repeatable all year round without a break.

The flexibility in preparation is real: water, juice, smoothie, coffee or tea, hot or cold. A collagen hydrolysate does not coagulate with heat, unlike a whey, which forms lumps and froth in a scalding liquid. The morning coffee remains the most convenient vehicle, and since the powder is neutral it does not change the taste.

One tip from the manufacturer that is worth knowing: in a plant-based milk, leave it to stand for ten minutes if lumps appear. The powder finishes dissolving on its own, with no need to blend it.

On duration, let us be blunt: two to three months minimum is the real commitment. This kind of product cannot be judged in a fortnight, and there is nothing to feel straight away. If you are not prepared to keep it up for three months, buying it does not make much sense.

Finally, vitamin C is the logical companion to this powder — not as a marketing argument, but because it is the only nutrient in the category to carry an authorised claim in this area: vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage, bones and skin. This product contains none; if you are not taking any elsewhere, that is the addition to consider.

Who is this collagen right for, and who is it not right for?

It suits anyone who wants a powder with nothing in it: no flavouring, no sweetener, no filler. That is the best profile for anyone mixing it into a coffee or into something already sweetened. It also suits anyone who wants to be able to compare what they are buying — the published amino acid profile makes that possible, which is rare.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans: the hydrolysate is of bovine origin, and there is no such thing as plant collagen, whatever you may read elsewhere. The manufacturer states the absence of gluten, lactose and soya, which makes it an option for anyone intolerant to those three.

Nor is it suitable if you are looking for a powder that tastes pleasant drunk on its own in water: neutral does not mean nice, and a plain collagen powder has a faintly meaty aftertaste that only disappears once you mix it into something else.

The manufacturer states that it is not aware of any specific contraindication in pregnancy, while still advising that medical advice be sought first; it asks that the product be kept out of the reach of young children and that the recommended daily dose not be exceeded.

What you should not expect from it: nothing immediate, and nothing promised. No effect is felt with this kind of product, and nobody can guarantee you a result without stepping outside the regulatory framework — and we will not do that. What we can honestly say is this: the composition is clean, the amino acid profile is published, the dose is clear, and that is what separates this product from an anonymous collagen. If your joint discomfort is persistent or painful, it is a matter for your doctor, not for a tub of powder.

nuCollagen or a joint complex?

That is the real trade-off for anyone buying collagen with their knees or shoulders in mind.

A product from the glucosamine category generally combines glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM in capsules, at fixed, known doses, taken two or three times a day. It is the better choice if you would rather swallow a capsule than prepare a drink, and if you want to target that particular family of compounds precisely — capsules need neither a shaker nor preparation time, and they slip into a bag.

nuCollagen takes the other route: a powder, a 10 to 15 g serving, a published amino acid profile, and a flexibility of use that a capsule does not have — in a coffee, it asks nothing extra of you. At 90 g of protein per 100 g, it also delivers a quantity of material on a completely different scale from a few hundred milligrams of actives in a capsule.

The honest thing to say is that neither of these two categories has an authorised health claim in Europe where joints are concerned. Deciding on the basis of promises therefore makes no sense: decide on the basis of format, dose, and your ability to keep it up for three months. Some of our customers add a turmeric to one or the other; there again, with no authorised claim, that is a personal choice, not a prescription.

Frequently asked questions

What dose should you take each day?

From 10 to 15 g, or 2 to 3 teaspoons, in 200 ml of liquid. That works out at 9 to 13.5 g of protein. The manufacturer does not impose a single dose within that range: start at 10 g and go up to 15 g if you want, bearing in mind that the tub will last you less time.

Can it go in a hot coffee?

Yes, without reservation. That is one of the practical advantages of hydrolysed collagen: it does not coagulate with heat, whereas a whey poured into a scalding liquid forms lumps and froth. The taste of the coffee is unchanged, as the powder is neutral.

How long does a tub last?

The net weight of the pack does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot calculate it without risking an error. Divide the weight shown on the packaging by 10 or 15 g depending on your serving. Over a two to three-month course, reckon on between 600 g and 1.35 kg in total.

Why is the amino acid profile given as ranges?

Because this is a product of natural origin, whose composition varies slightly from batch to batch. Publishing a range rather than a single value is more honest than a round number, and it is already far more than the majority of brands in this category publish, as they give no amino acid profile at all.

Can collagen count towards my daily protein?

No, or only very marginally. Collagen is low in tryptophan and its amino acid profile does not support muscle protein synthesis the way a dairy or egg protein does. Count it as a targeted intake for connective tissue, not as part of your 1.6 to 2 g of protein per kilo of body weight.

Should it be combined with vitamin C?

It makes sense, and for a specific reason: vitamin C is the only nutrient to carry an authorised claim on normal collagen formation. This product contains none, unlike some competitors. An orange, a kiwi or a supplement will do — there is no need to buy a collagen that is already fortified if you are taking some elsewhere.

Should you take breaks between courses?

The manufacturer states that the product is compatible with year-round use without a break, and recommends a course of at least two to three months. It therefore imposes no break. That is consistent with the nature of the product: these are amino acids, not an active molecule that needs cycling.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuCollagen?

The tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. This is a product to be judged on its label rather than on its taste, and its label is among the most complete in the category.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is in fact the demonstration we give most often in this category: turn two tubs of collagen round side by side and look for the amino acid profile. On one it is printed; on the other it does not exist. Then you will know which one you are paying for. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.