Sports Nutrition

What is Nutriting nuSpiruline?

Nutriting nuSpiruline is organic spirulina in tablet form, with no excipients whatsoever. Each tablet weighs 500 mg and contains nothing but spirulina powder; a six-tablet dose therefore delivers 3 g of spirulina, including 1.8 g of protein and 420 mg of phycocyanins. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at that dose.

Spirulina, Spirulina platensis, is not strictly speaking an alga but a filamentous cyanobacterium grown in ponds. It has long been eaten as a powder or as tablets, and its appeal lies in its density: a great deal of protein, pigments, minerals and vitamins for very little material.

What sets this product apart is what it does not contain. A conventional spirulina tablet usually includes a binder, a bulking agent, sometimes an anti-caking agent: the powder on its own compresses poorly. Here the ingredient list runs to a single line, and that means the 500 mg on the label really are 500 mg of spirulina. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Nutriting section, and the other formats in our spirulina section.

What does a dose of nuSpiruline contain?

420 mg of phycocyanins per dose: this is the line that lets you compare two spirulinas, and it is precisely the one most sellers leave off. Phycocyanin is the blue pigment characteristic of spirulina, and its content varies widely from one producer to another depending on growing conditions and, above all, on the drying temperature. The manufacturer states a minimum of 14% here and a yearly average of 17%. When a label gives no phycocyanin content at all, it is generally not because that content is high.

On protein, let us keep things in proportion. 1.8 g per dose is accurate, but it is a marginal contribution to a daily requirement counted in tens of grams. Spirulina is not a protein source in any practical sense: at 60% protein, you would have to swallow 40 g a day to come close to what a serving of protein powder provides. If your goal is protein intake, look instead at our plant proteins section — that is more honest than selling spirulina for something it is not.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for spirulina. Not for energy, not for immunity, not for tiredness, not for sports performance. The dossiers came to nothing. What we can describe is a composition, an origin and a process — and that is already far more than most listings in this category offer.

The manufacturer states cultivation in southern India and low-temperature drying, below 50 °C, followed by packaging in France. Drying temperature is the decisive parameter for this product: it governs how well the pigments are preserved, and therefore the phycocyanin content just discussed. The manufacturer also states a protein digestibility of 85.2%, a figure we report while attributing it to them, as we are not in a position to verify it ourselves.

Ingredients list

Spirulina powder (Spirulina platensis) from organic farming. Single ingredient.

No declared allergens. Gluten-free, lactose-free, soya-free, GMO-free, non-irradiated, free from excipients and bulking agents, free from titanium dioxide, free from colourings, free from gelatine. The formula is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Worth noting for those concerned: spirulina naturally contains phenylalanine.

How should you take nuSpiruline?

Dose: 4 to 6 tablets a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with meals. Frequency: two intakes, morning and midday or morning and evening. Duration: 2 to 3 months minimum; can be taken all year round.

Start low and build up gradually. Two or three tablets for the first few days, then four, then six if you wish. In some people spirulina causes short-lived digestive discomfort at the start of a course, and that is not a sign of intolerance: it is simply too abrupt a start. Six tablets straight away is the classic mistake.

Split the dose rather than swallowing it all at once. Three tablets in the morning and three at midday go down considerably better than six in one go, and it makes no difference to the daily intake. Take them during a meal, with a large glass of water.

One practical point that matters: leave a gap between spirulina and any iron supplement. The two interfere with each other, and there is no reason to swallow them together. If you are taking a course of iron, take it in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with later meals. The same logic applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements.

Two to three months: that is the duration the manufacturer recommends. The 500-tablet bottle covers 83 days at six a day, so roughly one full course, and more than four months if you stay at four tablets. This is one of the rare products in this category where you do not have to reorder every thirty days.

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

It is aimed at adults who want to add a nutrient-dense food to their diet, particularly on a vegetarian or vegan diet where nutrient sources are narrower. The excipient-free tablet format also appeals to those who have never managed to swallow the powder, whose taste is decidedly pronounced.

The precautions to know before buying. The product is not recommended in cases of phenylketonuria, as spirulina naturally provides phenylalanine. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should seek advice from a healthcare professional before use. In cases of hepatitis B or C, the manufacturer recommends a liver function test beforehand. If you are on thyroid medication or have a thyroid disorder, ask your doctor for advice. For adults only.

One point few sellers mention: the vitamin B12 in spirulina is not a reliable source. It occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary B12. If you follow a vegan diet, do not count on spirulina to cover that requirement: this is one where you are better off turning to our vitamin B section and to a blood test.

What you should not expect from it. No claim exists for spirulina in Europe. It does not make you lose weight, does not improve performance, does not replace any treatment and does not make up for an unbalanced diet. Persistent tiredness should be investigated by a doctor, not by a course of green tablets. It is a concentrated food, taken with full knowledge of the facts.

Spirulina or a multivitamin?

The question comes up often, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a plea for all things natural.

On paper, the multivitamin wins the regulatory comparison, and by some margin. Every vitamin and every mineral in it is dosed to the milligram, with nutrient reference values shown as percentages and, above all, with authorised claims: vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, vitamin D to the maintenance of normal bones, zinc to the normal function of the immune system. These are official wordings, and spirulina has none. Our multivitamins section follows that logic.

Spirulina belongs to a different approach: it is a food, not a formula. It provides a complex whole — pigments, protein, minerals — whose individual effects cannot be cleanly isolated, and that is exactly what those who take it are after. If you would rather add a concentrated food than a synthetic tablet, that is a coherent choice, provided you do not credit it with the virtues of a medicine.

The two are not mutually exclusive, and they overlap less than people think. A common pairing is to keep spirulina for dietary density and to deal separately with the points genuinely identified — a lack of iron, low vitamin D in winter. That works better than hoping a single product will cover everything.

Frequently asked questions

How much phycocyanin is there per tablet?

70 mg per 500 mg tablet, i.e. 420 mg for a six-tablet dose. The manufacturer states a minimum titre of 14% and a yearly average of 17%. It is the only line that allows a serious comparison between two spirulinas: when it is not shown, you do not know what you are buying.

Four or six tablets a day?

The manufacturer provides for both. Start at two or three for the first few days, move up to four, then to six if you wish. At six tablets the bottle covers 83 days; at four, more than four months. Always split the dose into two intakes with meals.

Does spirulina cover a vegan's B12 requirements?

No. The B12 in spirulina occurs in a form the human body does not use in the way it uses dietary vitamin B12. If you follow a vegan diet, that requirement must be met another way and monitored with a blood test. Do not rely on this product for it.

Is there a binder or an excipient in the tablets?

No, and that is what makes this product distinctive: there is a single ingredient, nothing but compressed organic spirulina powder. A 500 mg tablet therefore corresponds to 500 mg of spirulina, which is not the case with every brand in this category.

Can it be taken alongside a course of iron?

Better to space them out. Take the iron in the morning on an empty stomach and the spirulina with meals through the day. The same precaution applies to calcium-rich foods and supplements. This is not a contraindication, merely a question of when you take them.

Why does the drying temperature matter?

Because pigments, phycocyanin among them, cope poorly with heat. The manufacturer states drying below 50 °C, which is consistent with the contents declared. Fast industrial drying at high temperature yields a powder poorer in pigments, for an identical weight of spirulina on the label.

Is there a risk of heavy metal contamination?

That is the legitimate question in this category, since spirulina concentrates whatever is in its growing medium. The manufacturer declares an absence of heavy metals for this product. We do not have an analysis report in hand and therefore cannot assert anything beyond what they themselves state.

Where can you buy Nutriting nuSpiruline?

The 500-tablet 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 recommend to anyone who gave up on spirulina powder because of the taste — the tablet settles the question in three seconds. What we always warn about, though, is the same thing: build up gradually, as six tablets straight away often has to be paid for the next day. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is Himalaya Liv.52?

Himalaya Liv.52 is a food supplement in tablet form, sold in bottles of 100. Its formula combines six plants from the Ayurvedic tradition with a traditional mineral preparation. Himalaya states that the formula has been on the market since 1955.

One point has to be made at the outset, because it governs everything else on this page. In India, Liv.52 is registered as an Ayurvedic medicine and carries the corresponding indications. In France and in the European Union, it is placed on the market as a food supplement. These are two different regulatory statuses, with two different levels of evidence and two different communication regimes. The Indian indications do not transfer here, and we will not be repeating them. So you will find on this page no promise of any effect on the liver, on digestion or on elimination: we describe a composition, a method of use and a set of precautions.

The rest of the brand's range is gathered in the Himalaya collection, alongside our other plant-based supplements such as turmeric and ashwagandha.

What does one Liv.52 tablet contain?

Here is the list of declared active components, with their botanical name and, where one exists, their traditional Ayurvedic name.

The last column is the most important thing on this page. No amount per tablet is disclosed to us, for any of the seven components. We therefore cannot give you a dosage in milligrams, a standardisation percentage or a degree of standardisation, and we refuse to write those words while the figures are not on the table. A formula whose dosages are not published cannot be compared with another on any serious basis: that is a fact, and you need to know it before buying.

The declared excipients are microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate and talc. The tablet may contain traces of gluten depending on manufacturing conditions. This product provides no vitamin or mineral declared with a nutrient reference value: that is why this page carries no conventional nutrition table.

How do you take Liv.52?

• Dose: 2 tablets per intake, for an adult.
• Volume of liquid: a large glass of water.
• Timing: with meals, morning and evening.
• Frequency: 2 intakes a day, so 4 tablets a day.
• Duration: the stated duration is a period of 6 to 8 weeks, repeatable.

At 4 tablets a day, a bottle of 100 tablets covers 25 days. So allow two bottles to see out a six-week period, and a little more for eight. Do not exceed the stated dose: with a product whose unit dosages are not published, increasing your intake on your own initiative makes no sense at all.

Who is Liv.52 not suitable for, and why refer you to a doctor?

It is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and it must not be used in case of a known allergy to any of its components. It is not intended for children. Given the possible traces of gluten, the formula is not suitable for people with coeliac disease.

The decisive point lies elsewhere. If you are looking for this product because a blood test has worried you, because a doctor has picked something up about your liver, or because you have symptoms, this food supplement is not the answer and this page cannot help you. A liver disorder is diagnosed and monitored medically. Taking a supplement instead of seeing a doctor means delaying a diagnosis — and that is the only real risk we have to tell you about here. Go and see your doctor.

The same instruction applies if you are on any medication whatsoever, or if you have a known condition: ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before you start. Interactions between plant extracts and medicines do exist, they are poorly documented for this formula, and that is one more reason to put the question to a professional rather than to an online shop.

Finally, what you should not expect from it: this product does not offset alcohol consumption, does not “cleanse” anything, and is no substitute for a varied and balanced diet, for a healthy lifestyle, or for medical advice.

Liv.52 or a supplement whose effect is authorised in Europe?

Here is the honest comparison, and it deserves to be read before you order.

In Europe, health claims relating to plants are, for the vast majority of them, awaiting evaluation by EFSA: none is authorised for the plants in this formula. That does not mean they have no effect; it means that nobody has the right to assert an effect, in the absence of an evaluated dossier. So we stick to the description.

If you want a supplement whose effect is established and whose formulation is authorised, choose instead a product whose label carries quantified nutrients with their percentage of the nutrient reference value. A multivitamin, a magnesium, a vitamin D or an omega 3 falls within that framework: their authorised wordings are set by Regulation 432/2012, and you know exactly what you are taking and in what amount.

If it is precisely this Ayurvedic formula you are after, because you know it from elsewhere or by personal choice, here it is, described as it stands, with no promises added. That is a trade-off that belongs to you, and it is better made knowingly.

Frequently asked questions

Do Liv52, Liv 52 and Liv.52 refer to the same product?

Yes. All three spellings point to the same Himalaya reference. The difference is purely a matter of punctuation in the way the name is typed.

What is the dosage in milligrams of each plant?

It is not disclosed to us, and we will not invent it. No unit amount appears in the manufacturer data we hold. If that figure is decisive for you, ask Himalaya directly before buying.

How long does one bottle last?

Twenty-five days at the stated dosage of 4 tablets a day. A period of 6 to 8 weeks therefore calls for two bottles, or slightly more.

Is Liv.52 a medicine?

No, not in France. Here it is sold as a food supplement. Its status as an Ayurvedic medicine in India confers no equivalent status in the European Union, and the indications attached to that Indian status do not apply here.

What is the Mandur bhasma in the formula?

It is a mineral preparation from the Ayurvedic tradition, not a plant extract. Its exact nature and its amount are not disclosed to us. That is a further reason to seek the advice of a healthcare professional if you are on any treatment.

Can it be taken at the same time as a medicine?

That question is not settled on a product page. Put it to your doctor or your pharmacist, who know your treatment. The manufacturer itself asks for professional advice if you are taking medication.

Does it contain gluten or allergens?

The manufacturer flags possible traces of gluten depending on manufacturing conditions. No other allergen is declared in the data available to us. Check the labelling on the bottle you receive, which is what counts.

Can it be taken continuously all year round?

The stated duration is 6 to 8 weeks, repeatable — which is not the same thing as permanent use. If you are considering prolonged use, discuss it with your doctor.

Where can you buy Himalaya Liv.52?

Liv.52 is available on this page in bottles of 100 tablets, and in our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier. It is a product we would rather talk about before selling: the first question we ask across the counter is whether a doctor has been consulted, and depending on the answer, we sometimes advise against buying it.

We ship throughout France and Europe.

What is IO Genix Luxury GH Night Recovery?

IO Genix Luxury GH Night Recovery is an evening complex in vegetable capsules. A five-capsule serving brings together fourteen active ingredients, including 1.9 mg of melatonin, 1,000 mg of arginine, 500 mg of ornithine, 500 mg of lysine, 300 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, 250 mg of GABA, 250 mg of tryptophan and 250 mg of valerian. The 150-capsule bottle covers exactly 30 days.

This is the densest formula in the whole range, and it deserves to be read before it is bought. It combines three distinct families: amino acids, plant extracts, and three micronutrients — vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and zinc — dosed above the reference value.

Only one of these fourteen ingredients is genuinely covered by an authorised claim, and that is melatonin. We come to it in detail below. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix department, and the other products in this category in our melatonin department.

What does a serving of Luxury GH Night Recovery contain?

The only figure that genuinely counts in regulatory terms is the 1.9 mg of melatonin. It is the only ingredient in this formula that has an authorised claim in Europe, and the threshold is met: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, the beneficial effect being obtained with 1 mg shortly before bedtime. That is the exact wording, and it is the only one we will write about it.

Three other ingredients allow claims, and they are the micronutrients. Zinc contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism and to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood; vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. All three exceed the reference value, so the thresholds are comfortably cleared.

For the other ten, we have to be plain: no health claim is authorised in Europe. Not for arginine, not for ornithine, not for lysine, not for GABA, not for tryptophan, not for valerian, not for ashwagandha, not for mucuna, not for phosphatidylserine, not for AstraGin. The product's name evokes growth hormone: no claim of that kind exists and we will not be making one. The arginine-ornithine-lysine trio is a classic sports nutrition combination; its presence is a fact of composition, not a promise.

A final word on mucuna, which is often passed over in silence: it is a plant whose seeds naturally contain L-dopa. That explains part of the precautions listed further down, particularly with regard to treatments acting on the nervous system.

Ingredients list

L-arginine HCl, L-ornithine HCl, L-lysine HCl, L-tryptophan, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), common valerian extract (Valeriana officinalis), melatonin, phosphatidylserine, KSM-66 Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), AstraGin (Astragalus membranaceus, Panax notoginseng), Mucuna pruriens extract, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), zinc (picolinate), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate), vegetable capsule (HPMC).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOYA and NUTS. The capsules are plant-based: the product is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

How do you take Luxury GH Night Recovery?

Dose: 5 capsules. Liquid: 200 ml of water. Timing: 30 minutes before bedtime, and only then. Frequency: one serving a day, never more. Duration: 4 weeks minimum, a continuous course of 8 to 12 weeks, with a 2-week break possible.

The most important instruction on this page is not a dose, it is a prohibition: do not drive and do not operate machinery in the four to six hours following the serving. The manufacturer states it in black and white, and it follows directly from the presence of melatonin, which can cause drowsiness. In practical terms that means: never before a journey, never before an on-call shift, never "just to test" in the early evening.

Five capsules in one go is no small thing. Take them one at a time with the 200 ml of water if you find them hard to swallow. The manufacturer recommends avoiding the serving with a heavy meal or a stimulant drink — an evening coffee would in any case cancel out part of the product.

Consistency comes first: four weeks minimum before judging, eight to twelve weeks for a full course. A 150-capsule bottle covers thirty days, so you need three of them for a complete course.

The manufacturer's supporting advice is in fact the soundest part of its leaflet: a bedroom at 18-20 °C, no screens in the hour beforehand, a quiet and dimly lit environment. These are not filler — where sleep is concerned, those levers do at least as much as the contents of the bottle, and they cost nothing.

This product does not combine with anything: it already contains ashwagandha, GABA, zinc and L-arginine. Check your other supplements before adding it to an existing routine: here, duplication is the rule rather than the exception.

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

It is aimed at a healthy adult who wants a complete evening formula in a single serving, rather than stacking four different products. That is its main selling point, and it is a real one: fourteen active ingredients in a single bottle.

The list of exclusions here is the longest in the whole range, and it needs to be read in full. The manufacturer advises against the product in cases of inflammatory or autoimmune disease, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and for the under-18s. It requires medical advice in cases of treatment with antidepressants or anticoagulants, and recommends blood glucose monitoring in people with diabetes.

These warnings largely overlap with those issued by ANSES regarding supplements containing melatonin. The agency called for vigilance and advised against their consumption in particular for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, people with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, people with epilepsy, people with asthma, and people undergoing treatment. It also recommends avoiding them before any activity requiring sustained alertness. That is not a reason to give up if you are in good health, it is a reason to read this list rather than skip it.

The presence of Mucuna pruriens, a natural source of L-dopa, justifies additional caution for anyone following a neurological or psychiatric treatment. Ashwagandha likewise calls for vigilance from people with a liver or thyroid condition.

The capsules are plant-based, which makes the product compatible with vegetarian and vegan diets. It may contain traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and nuts.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a sleeping pill, and it is not a treatment for insomnia. It does not increase growth hormone, whatever its name may suggest. Established insomnia, unrefreshing sleep over a period of months or repeated night-time waking are matters for a doctor, who will look for a cause — sleep apnoea, anxiety, medication, lifestyle — where a capsule will do nothing.

Complete complex or melatonin on its own?

This is the question that decides it, and it is simpler than it looks.

Melatonin on its own provides the one ingredient in this formula that has an authorised claim, at a price that bears no comparison. If your problem is the time taken to fall asleep, that is the most rational choice, the clearest and the cheapest. It is also the one with the fewest ingredients to watch out for if you are on medication.

This complex has a different appeal: it brings together in one serving ingredients you would otherwise have to buy separately, and it supplies correctly dosed micronutrients along the way. It is the right choice if you wanted several of these products anyway, and if you would rather have one bottle than four.

Two other options exist, simpler still. Magnesium has authorised claims on fatigue and the nervous system, costs little and carries very few contraindications: that is often where you ought to start. And ZMA formulas offer a middle ground, with no melatonin and no plant extracts.

Frequently asked questions

How much melatonin is there per serving?

1.9 mg for the five capsules. That is above the 1 mg threshold from which the European claim applies: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, the effect being obtained by a serving taken shortly before bedtime.

Can you drive after taking it?

No, and that is the most important instruction on this page. The manufacturer asks you not to drive or operate machinery in the four to six hours following the serving, because of the possible drowsiness. Take the product once you are settled at home, never before going anywhere.

Does this product increase growth hormone?

No claim of that kind is authorised in Europe for its ingredients, and we will not be writing one. The arginine, ornithine and lysine trio is a classic sports nutrition combination: its presence is a fact of composition, with no promise of an effect attached.

Why five capsules?

Because the formula brings together fourteen active ingredients, several of them dosed in hundreds of milligrams: that volume is needed to fit them all in. Take them one at a time with the 200 ml of water if necessary. The 150-capsule bottle corresponds exactly to thirty servings.

Are these capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The capsules are plant-based, made from HPMC, and no active ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. It is one of the few products in this range in that position. Traces of milk and eggs remain possible because of the production facility.

What does ANSES say about melatonin?

The agency called for vigilance over supplements containing it and advised against their consumption for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, people with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, people with epilepsy, people with asthma and people undergoing treatment. It also recommends avoiding them before any activity demanding alertness.

Can it be combined with another evening supplement?

It is rarely a good idea. This formula already contains ashwagandha, GABA, zinc, vitamin B6 and arginine: most evening products would duplicate at least one of these ingredients. Check your labels before stacking.

Where can you buy IO Genix Luxury GH Night Recovery?

The 150-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 in front of which we read the list of contraindications out loud: it is long, it is precise, and it is better for a customer to decide against it at the counter than to discover the problem at home. The rest of the department can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Pure Tyrosine?

IO Genix Pure Tyrosine is a single-ingredient L-tyrosine powder. A 1 g serving delivers 1,000 mg of L-tyrosine at a purity above 99%, with no flavouring, no sweetener and no bulking agent. The tub holds 240 servings, which is more than six months at one serving a day.

Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid: the body can make it itself, from another amino acid, phenylalanine. Diet supplies it in abundance, through dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, soya and nuts. Cheese is in fact its most emblematic source — the name comes from the Greek tyros, meaning cheese.

Its biochemical role is well established: tyrosine is the starting point for the synthesis of catecholamines, a family of nervous-system messengers. That is a point of biochemistry, documented and uncontested; what supplementation actually produces in an adult is another question, and we come back to it below. The powder is produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a serving of Pure Tyrosine contain?

A purity above 99% and 240 servings in a tub: these are the two figures that define this product. The first means there is practically nothing in there but the amino acid — no bulking agent, no sweetener, no colouring. The second is remarkable: at one serving a day, a tub lasts more than six months; at the maximum dose of 2 g, it still lasts four months.

The powder is produced by biofermentation from plant-based substrates, which makes it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. That is a welcome exception in a category largely dominated by gelatine capsules. Its taste is neutral and it dissolves easily in cold water.

On the regulatory side, let us be clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for L-tyrosine. Not for concentration, not for alertness, not for mood, not for performance, not for the thyroid. Tyrosine's role as a precursor of catecholamines is a point of biochemistry; what oral supplementation produces in a healthy adult has no dossier approved at European level. So we describe the molecule, its dosage and its precautions, and promise nothing.

One statement from the old product page has also been removed: it announced a quantified improvement in bioavailability when taken on an empty stomach. That percentage could not be sourced and it has no place here. The principle of taking it away from protein-rich meals still holds, and we explain it below — without any invented figure.

Ingredients list

Pure L-tyrosine (100%, levorotatory form), produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates. Purity above 99%. No bulking agent, no sweetener, no colouring, no preservative. Suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

May contain traces of GLUTEN (wheat, oats), EGGS, MILK and SOYA.

How do you take Pure Tyrosine?

Serving: 1 g, that is one measuring scoop. Liquid: 200 ml of cold water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast. Frequency: one to two servings a day, at least six hours apart, without exceeding 2 g. Duration: cycles of 8 to 12 weeks, with a 2 to 4 week break.

Taking it away from protein-rich meals is not a whim, and the mechanism is well understood. To cross the blood-brain barrier, tyrosine uses a transporter it shares with several other amino acids — the same ones found in a steak or a shake. Taken at the same time as a protein intake, it therefore ends up in direct competition with them. The morning, on an empty stomach, is the slot that solves the problem.

The second instruction is more imperative still: do not take the product after 16:00. The manufacturer states this explicitly, and for a common-sense reason: tyrosine can cause restlessness or insomnia in sensitive individuals. An ingredient from the wakefulness-precursor family is taken in the morning, not in the evening.

If you want to add a second serving, leave at least six hours between them and stay under 2 g a day in total. Start with 1 g for a week before going higher: that is the only way to assess your tolerance without ending up with an unexplained headache.

The powder dissolves easily in 200 ml of cold water and its taste is neutral. The manufacturer recommends cycles of 8 to 12 weeks with a 2 to 4 week break — so a 240-serving tub comfortably covers several full cycles.

It combines without overlap with a taurine, citrulline or beta-alanine powder. Do watch out, however, for stacking it with caffeinated boosters: many already contain tyrosine, often without making a point of it.

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

It appeals to the adult who builds their own routine, ingredient by ingredient, and who prefers a single active at a known dose to an opaque blend. The 240-serving format also makes it one of the longest-lasting products in the catalogue.

One contraindication here is absolute, and it must be read before any other: phenylketonuria. People with this metabolic disorder, along with those allergic to phenylalanine, must not consume this product. This is not a routine precaution, it is a formal exclusion stated by the manufacturer.

The product is also not recommended in cases of hyperthyroidism or cardiovascular disorders. The manufacturer requires medical advice for anyone treated with MAOI or tricyclic antidepressants, and asks that you avoid combining it with dopaminergic medication without medical advice. It further notes that tyrosine may potentiate the effects of thyroid treatments and stimulants. These warnings are serious and specific: if you are on any medication at all, the question goes to your doctor or your pharmacist before you buy.

It is not recommended for children under 12, and pregnant and breastfeeding women should consult a doctor. The manufacturer lists headaches, nausea, restlessness and insomnia if taken late in the day as possible effects, and recommends starting with low doses.

What not to expect from it: this is neither a stimulant, nor a treatment, nor a sports performance product. You will not find the effect of a coffee here. Nor is it a solution to persistent fatigue, to a lack of motivation or to entrenched difficulties with concentration: those situations have causes — sleep, workload, state of health — that are a matter for a doctor and not for a powder.

Tyrosine or a caffeine-free booster?

The two overlap among people looking for something other than a classic stimulant, and they do not work in the same way.

A caffeine-free booster is a complete formula, generally built around citrulline and ingredients acting on blood flow, sometimes with tyrosine among them. It is the simplest choice if you want a ready-to-use product for the session, with nothing to put together yourself.

Tyrosine on its own answers a different logic: a single amino acid, at a known dose, that you place wherever you like in the day — and in the morning in particular, entirely outside any training context. It costs far less per gram and gives you total control over what you take.

Watch out for doubling up, which is the real practical question here: many pre-workouts already contain tyrosine, sometimes at comparable doses. If you use a full pre-workout, read its label again before adding this tub, or you may exceed the 2 g daily limit without realising it.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are there in a tub?

240 servings of 1 g, with a measuring scoop included. At one serving a day that comes to more than six months; at the maximum dose of 2 g a day, around four months. It is by far the longest-lasting pack size in this range.

Why take it on an empty stomach?

Because tyrosine shares its transporter with other amino acids: taken at the same time as a protein-rich meal or a shake, it competes directly with them. The morning, on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast, avoids the problem.

Why not take it in the evening?

The manufacturer asks that you avoid taking it after 16:00, because of the risk of restlessness or insomnia in sensitive individuals. That instruction is consistent with the nature of this amino acid: its place is the morning.

Who must absolutely not take it?

People with phenylketonuria and those allergic to phenylalanine: that is a formal exclusion. The product is also not recommended in cases of hyperthyroidism or cardiovascular disorders, and requires medical advice alongside MAOI or tricyclic antidepressants.

Is it suitable for vegans?

Yes. The tyrosine is produced by fermentation from plant-based substrates, the powder has no animal casing and the manufacturer declares it suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. Traces of milk and eggs remain possible because of the production facility.

Does it have a taste?

The manufacturer describes it as neutral, and the powder dissolves easily in 200 ml of cold water. That is a real advantage over many powdered amino acids, whose bitterness forces you to mask the taste in a juice.

Can it be stacked with a pre-workout?

Check your pre-workout's label first: many already contain tyrosine, sometimes at several hundred milligrams. Stacking them can take you over the 2 g daily limit without your noticing. Adjust the powder dose accordingly.

Where can you buy IO Genix Pure Tyrosine?

The 240-serving tub 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 ask two questions about before selling it: “are you on any medication?” and “does your pre-workout already contain some?”. The two answers often decide for the customer. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Charbon Actif?

IO Genix Charbon Actif is a soft-capsule supplement combining three ingredients: activated plant charcoal, aniseed essential oil and peppermint essential oil. The daily dose of four capsules supplies 500 mg of activated charcoal, 280 mg of aniseed essential oil and 280 mg of peppermint essential oil.

Activated charcoal is not barbecue charcoal. It is a plant-based charcoal heat-treated at high temperature to develop an extreme porosity: a few grams develop an internal surface area measured in hundreds of square metres. It is that porosity which allows it to bind molecules to its surface, a physical phenomenon known as adsorption.

The two essential oils, for their part, are traditional ingredients of the digestive sphere. Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) and peppermint (Mentha piperita) are present here at a proper dose, 280 mg each, which is far from always the case with this type of formula. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a dose of Charbon Actif contain?

It needs to be said plainly what these 500 mg allow and what they do not. Activated charcoal is one of the few ingredients in this category to have an authorised claim in Europe, covering the reduction of excessive flatulence after eating. But that claim comes with a precise dosage condition, expressed in grams: it assumes 1 g taken before the meal and 1 g taken shortly afterwards. With 500 mg spread across the whole day, this product sits well below that threshold, and we will therefore not repeat that claim in connection with it. This is a piece of information you will find nowhere else on this type of product page, and it changes how you choose.

The dose of the two essential oils, on the other hand, is markedly more generous than what you usually come across. 280 mg each is a genuine amount, and it is probably what gives the product its character. No health claim is authorised in Europe for aniseed or for peppermint: so we describe what the formula contains, without attributing any effect to it.

A final word on the 1.2 g of fat per dose: it comes from the sunflower oil that acts as a carrier in the soft capsules, and not from any intended nutritional contribution. At 8 kcal for the daily dose, this product weighs on no one's intake.

Ingredients list

Bulking agent (refined sunflower oil), coating agent (gelatine, humectant: glycerine), activated charcoal, aniseed essential oil (Pimpinella anisum L.), peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita L.), emulsifier (SOYA lecithin), stabiliser (partially hydrogenated soya fat), thickeners (colloidal silica, beeswax, hydrogenated soya fat).

Contains SOYA. May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS and FISH. The capsules are made from bovine gelatine.

How do you take Charbon Actif?

Dose: 2 capsules per serving. Liquid: at least 250 ml of water. Timing: before a main meal, or at the moment of discomfort. Frequency: two servings a day, without exceeding 4 capsules. Duration: a two to four week course.

A clarification is needed, because the manufacturer's documentation contradicts itself on this point and we would rather flag it than copy out both instructions. On one hand it states two capsules before each main meal, on the other a daily dose not to be exceeded of four capsules. Both cannot be true at once if you eat three meals. We are keeping the lower limit, which is also the one in the nutrition declaration: four capsules a day at most, that is two servings. Spread them across the two meals that give you the most trouble.

The glass of water is not decorative. Activated charcoal needs a sufficient volume of liquid to move properly through the digestive tract, and 250 ml is a minimum, not a suggestion. Taking it with three mouthfuls of water is the surest way to create further discomfort for yourself.

Swallow the capsules whole, without crunching them: they are soft capsules and their contents are not meant to be chewed. A two to four week course gives you an honest basis for judging, and the product is then taken again in spells as needed rather than continuously all year round.

The most important instruction on this page: leave at least two hours between taking activated charcoal and taking any medicine or any other supplement. We come back to it just below.

Who is Charbon Actif for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who gets bloating after meals and is looking for a comfort solution, either occasionally or over a few weeks. It can have its place before a heavy or unusual meal, rather than as routine use.

The central point to watch is the interaction with medicines. Activated charcoal binds molecules by adsorption, and it does not tell the difference between an intestinal gas and an active substance: it can reduce the absorption of a medicine taken at the same time. That applies to all treatments, including oral contraception. The manufacturer requires a minimum gap of two hours, and that instruction must be followed to the letter. If you are on long-term medication, speak to your doctor or your pharmacist before starting.

The manufacturer does not recommend it for children under 12 and asks pregnant and breastfeeding women to seek the advice of a healthcare professional. The product contains soya and the capsules are made from gelatine: it is therefore suitable neither for people allergic to soya, nor for vegetarians, nor for vegans.

One practical remark that the manufacturer mentions and that always comes as a surprise: stools turn black during the course. This is normal, harmless, and it disappears once you stop. Better to know beforehand than to start worrying on day three.

What not to expect from it: this is not a treatment, it is not a detox product — a term that means nothing in regulatory terms — and it is not a solution to persistent digestive problems. Entrenched bloating, pain or a lastingly disturbed transit are a matter for a doctor, not for a capsule.

Activated charcoal, enzymes or probiotics, which should you choose?

Three families of product compete for the same shelf, and they do not work in remotely the same way.

Activated charcoal acts physically, there and then, on whatever is in the digestive tract at the moment you take it. It is an occasional comfort product, to be taken at the moment of the problem. It changes nothing over time, and it is not designed to.

Digestive enzymes supply molecules that help break down certain nutrients. It is the more logical choice if your discomfort is linked to a particular meal or an identified food — a very rich meal, a large portion of pulses, an excess of dairy products.

Probiotics work on a different timescale: they are a long-term matter, over several weeks, and they target the balance of the microbiota rather than an immediate symptom. They are of no use for settling bloating within the hour.

One particular case is worth flagging, because we come across it often: if your bloating appears mainly after a protein shake, none of the three will address the cause. It is most often the lactose in a concentrate whey, and switching to a whey isolate or a clear whey is a more direct and less expensive answer.

Frequently asked questions

How many capsules a day at most?

Four, and that is the limit set by the manufacturer's nutrition declaration. Take them as two servings of two capsules, before the meals that trouble you most. The documentation also mentions two capsules before each main meal, but that pattern would exceed the daily dose if you eat three meals.

Why do you have to wait two hours before a medicine?

Because activated charcoal binds molecules by adsorption without distinguishing what they are. It can therefore reduce the absorption of a medicine taken at the same time, including oral contraception. The two-hour gap is a minimum, to be observed in both directions.

Do stools turn black?

Yes, in fact invariably, and it is harmless. The colour comes from the charcoal itself, which is not absorbed and ends up in the stools in its entirety. Everything returns to normal once the course is over.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The soft capsules are made from gelatine, which is of animal origin. The product also contains soya in several forms, which likewise rules it out for people allergic to that allergen.

Is 500 mg enough against bloating?

It is a modest dose against the threshold adopted at European level for this type of effect, which is counted in grams and not in milligrams. The product draws its character more from its two essential oils, dosed at 280 mg each. We would rather say so than let you believe in a dose it does not have.

Can you take it every day all year round?

The manufacturer positions the product as a two to four week course, to be taken again as the periods require. Permanent use serves no purpose and complicates managing the two-hour gap with everything else you take. In spells, it is more logical and easier to stick to.

Can it be combined with other supplements?

Yes, provided you leave at least two hours between them — a supplement is a molecule like any other from the point of view of activated charcoal. In practice, take your multivitamin or your magnesium at another time of day.

Where can you buy IO Genix Charbon Actif?

The 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 a product we always start with one simple question about: “are you on any medication?”. The answer does not rule it out, but it decides how the servings have to be organised across the day. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is Olimp Taurine Mega Caps?

Olimp Taurine Mega Caps is taurine in capsules, at a deliberately high dose. One capsule provides 1,500 mg of taurine, for 6 kcal, with no carbohydrate, no fat and no salt. The 120-capsule tub covers 60 to 120 days depending on the dose you settle on.

Taurine is a sulphur-containing amino acid, naturally present in the body and supplied by food — above all by fish, seafood and meat. It is widely used by athletes, it is found in most energy drinks, and it is one of those ingredients everyone talks about without ever saying what they do.

The Mega Caps format is the central argument: a single capsule covers the usual dose, where a powder calls for a set of scales and a glass of water. Olimp Sport Nutrition is a Polish brand, established in France for a long time. The rest of the range can be browsed in our Olimp Sport Nutrition section, and the other products in the category in our taurine section.

What is in one Taurine Mega Caps capsule?

** Nutrient reference value not established for taurine.

1,500 mg in a single capsule is the real point of this product. The usual dose among athletes sits between 1 and 2 g a day: one capsule is therefore enough, two at most. For comparison, a standard can of energy drink contains around 1,000 mg, buried in sugar and caffeine. Here you get the molecule on its own, without the rest.

Taurine makes up 88.7% of the capsule's contents; the remainder consists of the agents needed for manufacturing — a bulking agent and an anti-caking agent. That is an honest proportion for a capsule of this size, and the manufacturer deserves credit for publishing it, which few do.

Now for the point this category carefully avoids raising: no health claim is authorised in Europe for taurine. Not for performance, not for recovery, not for concentration, not for creatine transport. Nothing. The applications submitted did not succeed, and everything you will read elsewhere about its “anti-catabolic effects” is commercial extrapolation. What we are selling here is a nutritional intake documented as to its composition, not a promised effect. For any health question, speak to your doctor.

One practical point that matters: the capsule shell is made of gelatine. This product is therefore not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets, unlike taurine powder, which is of synthetic origin and contains no animal ingredient. It is the kind of detail that decides a purchase and that almost no product page mentions.

Ingredients list

Taurine (88.7%, that is 1,500 mg per capsule), bulking agent: microcrystalline cellulose, anti-caking agent: magnesium salts of fatty acids. Capsule shell: gelatine.

No allergen in the recipe. The manufacturer states that production takes place in a facility handling GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS and SOYA: traces are possible. The detailed composition of the shell appears on the label of the tub you receive. Stated shelf life: 36 months in the unopened original packaging.

How should Taurine Mega Caps be taken?

Dose: 1 to 2 capsules a day. Liquid: 300 to 400 ml of water. Timing: 30 to 45 minutes before intense sessions. Frequency: once a day; a dose on rest days is possible. Duration: at least 4 to 6 weeks, without a break.

The volume of water is not decorative: 300 to 400 ml is a lot for one capsule, and it is deliberate. A Mega Caps capsule is an imposing size, and it goes down far better with a large glass than with a mouthful. If you struggle to swallow capsules, let us know: taurine also comes as a powder, and the problem disappears.

One capsule or two? A single one already covers the usual dose. The second is justified during weeks of heavy training load, or if you want to get closer to the 2 g a day used in the literature. There is no point going higher, and the manufacturer sets the limit at two capsules in any case.

As for duration, allow four to six weeks minimum, without a break. This is not a product with an immediate effect that you take on competition day. If you are going to take it, take it regularly, including on days without training — that is what the manufacturer recommends.

Finally, taurine combines without difficulty with the other training products: a creatine, some BCAAs or an electrolyte can be taken alongside without overlap. None of these combinations creates any demonstrated additional effect, though: they are separate intakes, not a synergy.

Who is Taurine Mega Caps for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who trains and wants an isolated taurine intake, without going through a sugary energy drink or a caffeinated pre-workout. It is a simple product, frankly dosed, and the capsule format makes it easy to carry.

It is not suitable for under-18s. Pregnant and breastfeeding women must not use it — that is the manufacturer's wording, with no qualification. If you are on any medical treatment, ask a healthcare professional for advice before use.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, since the capsule shell is made of gelatine. If that applies to you, go for a taurine powder. And if you are sensitive to a major allergen, be aware that the product is made in a facility handling gluten, milk, eggs and soya.

What you should not expect from it, and it needs saying plainly. No claim exists for taurine in Europe: this product does not improve performance, does not protect muscle, does not speed up recovery and has no demonstrated effect on alertness. If you are after a stimulant, what you need is a booster, not taurine — and the effect felt after a can of energy drink comes from the caffeine, not from the taurine it contains.

Taurine in capsules or as a powder?

This is the only real choice to make on this product, and it comes down to three concrete criteria.

Powder costs distinctly less per gram. That is mechanical: you pay for neither the encapsulation, nor the gelatine, nor the bulking agents. Over a daily 1.5 g dose for several months, the gap becomes significant. It also suits vegetarian and vegan diets, which the gelatine capsule does not.

The capsule wins on simplicity and on taste — or rather on the absence of it. Taurine powder has a bitter, slightly sulphurous taste that few people enjoy in a glass of water; you have to bury it in a flavoured drink. A capsule settles the question in three seconds, with no scales and no scoop. For long-term daily use, that is often what makes the difference between a tub you finish and a tub you forget.

A third case comes up regularly: if you already take a pre-workout or an intra-workout drink, check what is in them before adding this one. Taurine appears in most formulas in that category, often between 500 mg and 1 g per serving. Our EAAs and our session drinks frequently contain it: there is no point stacking.

Frequently asked questions

How much taurine per capsule?

1,500 mg, that is the usual dose among athletes in a single serving. Taurine makes up 88.7% of the capsule's contents, the rest being a bulking agent and an anti-caking agent. The 120-capsule tub covers 60 to 120 days depending on whether you take one or two a day.

Does taurine improve performance?

We cannot state that and nobody legally can: no health claim is authorised in Europe for taurine. Not for performance, not for recovery, not for concentration. It is a nutritional intake, and it should be bought in full awareness of that.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, go for taurine powder, which does not pose that problem. It is a point rarely mentioned on product pages in this category.

One or two capsules a day?

A single one covers the usual 1.5 g dose. The second is justified during heavy training weeks, to get closer to the 2 g a day. The manufacturer sets the limit at two capsules a day: there is no point going beyond that.

Should it be taken on rest days?

The manufacturer allows and suggests it, the course being designed to run without a break over four to six weeks minimum. This is not a product with an immediate effect that you would take only on the day of an important session. If you take it, take it regularly.

Can it be combined with an energy drink?

It is possible, but often pointless: most energy drinks and pre-workouts already contain taurine, between 500 mg and 1 g per serving. Check the label of what you already take before adding a 1,500 mg capsule.

Are the capsules easy to swallow?

They are an imposing size, which is the whole principle of the Mega Caps format that allows 1,500 mg to be packed in. Take them with 300 to 400 ml of water, not a mouthful. If you struggle with large capsules, the powder version is a better choice.

Where can you buy Olimp Taurine Mega Caps?

You can order the tub on this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we sell without making a fuss about it: taurine has no authorised claim, and we would rather say so before the purchase than let anyone believe in an effect. We also check what the customer already takes, since taurine is in almost every session drink. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Stay Clean?

IO Genix Stay Clean is an antioxidant complex in gastro-resistant capsules. A two-capsule serving brings together ten active ingredients, including 500 mg of Setria L-glutathione, 300 mg of N-acetylcysteine, 200 mg of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, 150 mg of microencapsulated turmeric extract, 150 mg of milk thistle extract and 50 mg of coenzyme Q10. The 60-capsule bottle covers 30 days.

Three vitamins round out the formula — vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin B2 — all three dosed at 50% of the nutrient reference value. As we shall see, they are the only ingredients in this product about which anything can be claimed.

Glutathione, the main ingredient, is a tripeptide the body makes from three amino acids, cysteine among them. The formula therefore works on two fronts at once: it supplies glutathione directly, and it also supplies N-acetylcysteine, the precursor of its synthesis. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix section, and N-acetylcysteine sold on its own in our NAC section.

What does a serving of Stay Clean contain?

Only three ingredients allow a claim to be made, and they are the three vitamins. At 50% of the reference value each, the thresholds are comfortably cleared: vitamin C, vitamin E and riboflavin contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin C and riboflavin also contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are the exact wordings, and they are the only ones we shall write.

For the other seven, no health claim is authorised in Europe: not for glutathione, not for N-acetylcysteine, not for S-adenosylmethionine, not for curcumin, not for milk thistle, not for coenzyme Q10. These are real ingredients, properly dosed, but their effect as supplements has no dossier approved at European level.

Two points of composition are worth spelling out, because they correct hasty readings. First, the turmeric: the 150 mg stated are of the microencapsulated extract, standardised to 26% curcumin. The amount of curcumin actually delivered is therefore in the region of 40 mg, not 150 mg. The distinction matters when comparing two products, and it deserves to be written down rather than left in the shade.

Second, the choline. It does have authorised claims, including one relating to the maintenance of normal liver function, but subject to a threshold of 82.5 mg of choline per portion. The 100 mg stated, however, refer to choline bitartrate, of which choline accounts for only about 41% by weight: that works out at roughly 41 mg of actual choline. The threshold is therefore not reached and the claim does not apply.

One technical point to finish with, and it is to the manufacturer's credit: the capsules are gastro-resistant. In a formula containing glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine, two molecules sensitive to stomach acid, that choice is not decorative.

Ingredients list

Setria L-glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, coating agent (GELATINE), S-adenosyl-L-methionine, Curcushine (Curcuma longa extract at 26% curcumin, maltodextrin, antioxidant: ascorbic acid, rosemary extract), milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), choline bitartrate, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), coenzyme Q10, vitamin E (D,L-alpha-tocopheryl acetate), anti-caking agents (magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide), vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK, EGGS, SOYA and FISH. Made in a facility that handles these allergens.

How should you take Stay Clean?

Dose: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water, 300 ml. Timing: one capsule at breakfast, one at lunch, with meals. Frequency: two capsules a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: continuous use for 8 to 12 weeks.

Swallow the capsules whole, without opening or chewing them. This is not a comfort measure: the gastro-resistant coating is what allows the most fragile molecules in the formula to get past the stomach. An opened capsule loses part of its point.

Taking it with a meal follows a clear logic: the formula contains vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, two compounds that need fat to be properly absorbed. A meal containing a minimum of fat does the job.

The manufacturer puts the course at between 8 and 12 weeks. One bottle covers thirty days, so you need to allow for two or three to see it through. With this kind of active ingredient, nothing can be judged in two weeks, and it is better to know that before buying.

The product combines without overlap with an omega 3 or a B vitamin complex, as the manufacturer suggests. On the other hand, it does duplicate several products in this category: if you already take N-acetylcysteine on its own, coenzyme Q10 or a standardised turmeric, you will find them here. Check your labels before stacking.

Who is Stay Clean for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at healthy adults who want to bring several actives from the antioxidant family into a single serving, rather than lining up four bottles on a shelf. That is its main selling point, and it is a genuine one: ten ingredients, all quantified, in two capsules.

The exclusions here are worded unusually firmly, and they need to be read. The product is not recommended for under-18s, and the manufacturer states in black and white that pregnant and breastfeeding women must not use this product — a more categorical wording than the usual “seek advice”. People on medical treatment or with liver disorders must consult a healthcare professional before use.

That last mention deserves to be understood: the formula contains milk thistle and S-adenosylmethionine, two ingredients whose place in someone with a liver condition is not something to improvise. This is not a product intended to address a liver problem — quite the opposite.

The capsules are made of gelatine: this product is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. It may contain traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and fish.

What you should not expect from it: you will feel nothing when you take it, and that is normal for an antioxidant formula. It is not a treatment, not a performance product, and not an answer to entrenched tiredness. The word “detox”, which products of this kind attract, has no regulatory definition: the liver and kidneys do that work on their own, and no capsule improves on it in a healthy person.

Antioxidant complex or single active?

That is the only trade-off that matters with this kind of product, and it depends on exactly what you are looking for.

This complex has one obvious advantage: ten actives, one serving, one bottle. For someone who wanted glutathione, N-acetylcysteine and coenzyme Q10 anyway, it saves three purchases and three separate intakes. The three vitamins alongside them are, moreover, the only ingredients genuinely covered by regulation, and they are properly dosed.

A single active makes the opposite choice: markedly higher doses of one molecule. Our dedicated section offers N-acetylcysteine at twice what this formula contains; our coenzyme Q10 and turmeric sections do the same in their own registers. That is more precise, easier to compare, and often cheaper if you are after a single ingredient.

Our position across the counter: if you know which of these ten actives interests you, take it on its own and properly dosed. If you want broad coverage in one serving, this complex does the job. And if your need is simply for the best-regulated antioxidants, a vitamin C and a vitamin E cost a fraction of the price and do have authorised claims.

Frequently asked questions

How much curcumin is there really?

The 150 mg stated correspond to the microencapsulated extract, standardised to 26% curcumin: that represents about 40 mg of curcumin. The distinction is essential when comparing with another product, where the 150 mg might refer to the curcumin itself.

Why gastro-resistant capsules?

Because glutathione and S-adenosylmethionine are sensitive to stomach acid. The coating delays release. It is a genuine formulation choice, and it is also why you should never open or chew the capsules.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The capsule shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. It is a common limitation in this range, and there is no plant-based version of this product.

Does the choline allow a claim?

Not here. Choline does have authorised claims, but they require 82.5 mg of choline per portion. The 100 mg stated refer to choline bitartrate, of which choline accounts for only about 41%: the threshold is not reached.

How long does a bottle last?

Thirty days: 60 capsules, two a day. As the manufacturer recommends a course of 8 to 12 weeks, allow two to three bottles to see a full course through.

Can it be taken if you have a liver problem?

Not without medical advice, and the manufacturer asks for it explicitly. The formula contains milk thistle and S-adenosylmethionine: their place in someone with a liver condition is a matter for a doctor, not a personal choice.

Does it duplicate other supplements?

Very probably, if you already have a routine. N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10, turmeric, milk thistle and vitamins C and E are among the most common supplements around. Read your labels again: stacking adds nothing and can push you over intake levels without your knowing.

Where can you buy IO Genix Stay Clean?

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, we always ask to see what the customer is already taking before recommending this bottle: with a ten-ingredient complex, the risk is not a shortfall, it is repetition. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Liquid Squeezer?

IO Genix Liquid Squeezer is a plant complex in vegetable capsules. A serving of three capsules provides 300 mg of Cactinea, 200 mg of artichoke extract, 150 mg of horsetail, 150 mg of dandelion, 100 mg of bilberry, 50 mg of bromelain and 1.4 mg of vitamin B6, which is 100% of the nutrient reference value. The bottle contains 60 capsules for a net weight of 52 g, which works out at 20 servings.

Cactinea is an extract of prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica), a cactus grown around the Mediterranean and in the Americas. It is the central ingredient in the formula, the one that sets it apart from more conventional plant complexes, and it is dosed to the milligram — which is not all that common in this section.

The five other extracts are plants traditionally associated with the urinary and digestive systems: artichoke, field horsetail, dandelion and bilberry, plus bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapple. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section.

What does a serving of Liquid Squeezer contain?

The strong point of this formula is its transparency: seven ingredients, seven doses, no “proprietary blend” hiding the quantities. You can compare this product with another line by line, which most plant complexes do not allow.

Only one ingredient in this formula holds claims authorised in Europe, and that is vitamin B6. At 1.4 mg, which is exactly 100% of the reference value, the thresholds are comfortably met: vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to the regulation of hormonal activity. Those are the exact wordings, and they are the only ones we will write.

For the six plant extracts, no health claim is authorised. Not for prickly pear, not for artichoke, not for horsetail, not for dandelion, not for bilberry, not for bromelain. The dossiers submitted at European level for botanicals have remained on hold, which rules out any statement of effect. The word “drainer” here is a commercial category label, not a promise: we describe what the formula contains, at what dose, and nothing more.

One point of consistency worth flagging rather than glossing over: the bottle covers 20 servings, a little under three weeks, whereas the manufacturer recommends a course of three to four weeks. So you need to plan for a second bottle to see a full course through — better to know that before ordering.

Ingredients list

Cactinea (dry extract of prickly pear fruit, Opuntia ficus-indica), dry artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus), dry horsetail extract (Equisetum arvense), dry dandelion extract (Taraxacum officinale), dry bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus), bromelain (pineapple enzyme), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vegetable capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate).

May contain traces of GLUTEN, MILK and EGG. The capsule is plant-based: the product is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

How do you take Liquid Squeezer?

Serving: 3 capsules. Liquid: at least 250 ml of water. Timing: in the morning on waking, before breakfast. Frequency: one serving per day. Duration: a course of 3 to 4 weeks, repeatable after a week's break.

Hydration is not an incidental piece of advice with this product, it is the condition of using it. The manufacturer explicitly asks you to keep up an intake of at least two litres of water a day during the course. Taking a complex of this type while drinking little is counterproductive and uncomfortable. If you are not prepared to drink more, this product is of no use to you.

Taking it in the morning on waking, before breakfast, is what the manufacturer settles on. It has an obvious practical advantage: it puts most of the effect into the day rather than the night, which avoids waking up in the small hours.

Three capsules at once with a large glass of water: take them one at a time if you find capsules hard to swallow. The manufacturer also recommends going easy on salt during the course and keeping up regular physical activity — two levers that genuinely do something, and a good deal more than a capsule does.

A course of three to four weeks, a week's break, then start again if needed. This is not a product to take continuously all year round, and the manufacturer does not envisage it that way either.

The product combines without overlap with a magnesium or an electrolyte powder if you sweat a lot. Do check your other supplements though: vitamin B6 is in almost every multivitamin, and this serving already provides 100% of the daily reference.

Who is Liquid Squeezer for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult who wants to support a specific period — a phase of dietary restriction, a return to activity, a spell of hot weather — with a plant complex, over three to four weeks. It is a product for an occasional course, not for permanent use.

The contraindications here are specific and you need to read them before buying. The manufacturer advises against the product for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and for people with kidney disorders, kidney stones or prostate problems without prior medical advice. It also asks you to consult a healthcare professional if you are taking diuretics or medication for high blood pressure.

That last point is the most important on this page. Several of the plants in the formula are traditionally associated with urinary elimination; combined with a treatment that works in the same direction, they may amplify its effects, particularly on mineral balance. If you take a diuretic or an antihypertensive, the question is one for your doctor or pharmacist before you open the bottle.

The presence of bromelain adds two points to watch: interactions are described with anticoagulant treatments, and people allergic to pineapple or latex may react to it. The product may also contain traces of gluten, milk and egg. The capsules are plant-based, which makes it compatible with vegetarian and vegan diets.

What you should not expect from it: this product does not make you lose weight. It is not a fat burner, it creates no calorie deficit, and a change on the scales linked to fluid is not a loss of body fat. It replaces neither diet nor physical activity — those are the only two levers that count, as our weight loss section points out. And it treats nothing: heavy legs that settle in, oedema or unexplained weight gain are matters for a doctor.

Plant complex or fat burner, what is the difference?

The two sit side by side in the same section and are often confused, wrongly.

A fat burner in capsules relies mainly on stimulants, caffeine first among them. Its effect is noticeable — alertness, energy — and it concerns energy expenditure and tolerance to training. It disrupts sleep if taken too late and does not suit every level of sensitivity.

This complex contains no stimulant at all. That is a structural difference: you do not feel it, it does not disrupt sleep and it can be taken by someone who cannot tolerate caffeine. It is also a short-course product, whereas a fat burner is used across a whole phase. If you are looking for stimulant-free support, our caffeine-free fat burners section offers other approaches.

What the two families have in common is worth saying plainly: neither one makes you lose weight in itself. No weight-loss claim is authorised for their ingredients. What produces the result is the calorie deficit and physical activity; the rest is support.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are there in a bottle?

20 servings: 60 capsules at three a day, for a net weight of 52 g. Since the manufacturer recommends a course of three to four weeks, one bottle does not quite cover a full course. Plan on two if you want to see it through.

Do you need to drink more during the course?

Yes, and it is a firm instruction from the manufacturer: at least two litres of water a day, on top of the 250 ml that goes with the serving. That is the condition for using this type of complex comfortably. Without it, most of the point of the product disappears.

Does this product make you lose weight?

No, and no weight-loss claim is authorised in Europe for its ingredients. A change linked to body fluids is not a loss of body fat. Only a calorie deficit and physical activity produce that result.

Can you take it alongside blood pressure medication?

Not without medical advice. The manufacturer explicitly asks you to consult a healthcare professional if you are taking diuretics or medication for high blood pressure. Several of the plants in the formula work in a neighbouring register, and combining them is not a trivial matter.

Are these capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The capsule is plant-based, made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and all the actives are of plant or synthetic origin. It is one of the few products in this range that is, as most use gelatine.

What is Cactinea?

It is an extract of prickly pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica), dosed here at 300 mg per serving. It is the main and most distinctive ingredient in the formula. No health claim is authorised for this plant in Europe: we state its presence and its dose, without attributing any effect to it.

Is there any caffeine in it?

None. The formula contains no caffeine, no guarana, no green tea and no stimulant of any kind. It can therefore be taken by someone sensitive to stimulants, and in the morning as intended with no consequences for sleep.

Where can you buy IO Genix Liquid Squeezer?

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 a product we always ask the same question about before selling it: how much do you drink a day? When the answer is somewhere around a litre, we suggest starting there — it costs nothing and changes a great deal more. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.

What is the IO Genix 1.9 L water bottle?

The IO Genix water bottle is a 1.9-litre sports bottle in matt black food-grade plastic, fitted with a handle and a metal screw cap. It belongs to our accessories section and is not a foodstuff: there are therefore no nutritional values or ingredients to declare.

The size is what defines it. At 1.9 litres, it does not slip into a bag pocket: this is a bottle you set down beside the bench and fill once for the whole session, or even for half the day. It is the format that has replaced repeated trips to the water fountain, and it is also the simplest way to know how much you have actually drunk.

The wide opening is the second technical point. It lets you add a powder by hand without a funnel and, above all, pass a brush inside to clean the bottom — something no narrow-necked bottle really allows. The rest of the brand's accessories can be found in our IO Genix section.

How do the technical specifications measure up?

Two points deserve comment, because they make the difference in day-to-day use.

The metal screw cap is the choice that sets this bottle apart from flip-top models. A flip-top always ends up leaking: the spring loosens, the seal warps, and the bottle empties into your gym bag. A screw cap with a gasket holds up over time, at the cost of one extra movement every time you drink. On a bottle of almost two litres carried full, that is the right trade-off.

The BPA- and DEHP-free claim refers to two compounds whose use in food-contact materials is regulated in Europe. The manufacturer also states compliance with EC Regulation 1935/2004, the reference text on materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. This is regulatory compliance, not a quality label: it is expected of any product sold legally, and it is good that it is stated.

A word about the hydration figures you come across everywhere on this type of page. The former description on this page claimed that you should drink “1 litre per hour of exercise” and that “performance declines from 1% dehydration onwards”. We have removed those statements, which are not universal rules: requirements vary enormously with temperature, intensity and the individual. The benchmark we can honestly quote is the EFSA one: around 2 litres of water a day for a woman and 2.5 litres for a man, from all sources combined, to be increased in hot weather or with physical activity. A 1.9-litre bottle therefore covers most of that baseline on its own.

How should you use and look after the bottle?

Before first use: wash in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Filling: through the wide opening, with cold or room-temperature water. Closing: screw the cap on firmly before carrying it anywhere. After each use: rinse, wash in warm soapy water, and leave to air-dry, open.

Drying it open is the only real maintenance rule. A bottle closed while still damp develops a smell within three days, and once it has set in it is irreversible. Stand it upside down with the cap off to one side and the problem never arises.

Never pour boiling liquid into it: the plastic warps and the bottle loses its seal. Cold or room-temperature water only. Nor should you use it for anything other than drinks, which seems obvious but is set out explicitly in the manufacturer's instructions.

If you mix protein in it, rinse it immediately after drinking rather than once you are home: milk and whey dried at the bottom of a warm bottle are far harder to shift, and that is where the wide opening really comes into its own.

Finally, avoid leaving it in the sun in a car. Prolonged heat tires the plastic and the cap gasket, and lukewarm water has never made anyone want to drink.

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

It suits anyone who trains for a long time, who wants to keep track of what they drink over a session or a day, and who has had enough of interrupting their work to go and refill a 700 ml shaker. It suits particularly well those who dilute their BCAAs or their electrolytes for the whole session: two litres is the volume that lets you sip from start to finish.

It also works as a desk bottle, which is a more frequent use than people think: filled in the morning, it makes visible what has been drunk by 16:00.

It is not for you if you are looking for a container to carry on a bike or slip into a compact rucksack: 1.9 litres weighs almost two kilos once full, and the format is bulky. For that use, a classic 600 to 700 ml shaker remains far better suited.

Nor is it for you if you want to put hot drinks in it: this is not an insulated flask, and the plastic is not designed for that.

What not to expect from it: a bottle does not magically make you drink more. What it really changes is visibility — seeing that a litre is left at 15:00 is a far more effective reminder than good intentions. That is also why large formats work better than small ones for people who forget to drink.

Large bottle or classic shaker?

The two complement each other more than they replace each other, and many of our customers have both.

A 600 to 700 ml shaker, with its mesh or ball, is made for mixing a thick powder and drinking it straight away. It is the tool for whey after the session and for creatine in the morning: small, portable, quick to wash. Its weakness is volume: it forces three refills over a long session, and nobody really does that.

The 1.9-litre bottle does not mix as well — no mesh, and the volume is too large to shake a thick powder effectively. It does, on the other hand, settle the question of hydration over a session or a day once and for all, and it suits powders that dissolve on their own very well: electrolytes, amino acids, flavourings.

The most effective combination is therefore both together: the shaker for protein, the bottle for everything else. The full range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

Frequently asked questions

What is the exact capacity?

1.9 litres. It is a format designed to cover a whole session, or even half a working day, without having to refill it. Full, it weighs almost two kilos: that is worth bearing in mind if you have to carry it for a long time.

Can you put hot drinks in it?

No. The plastic is not designed for that and warps on contact with a boiling liquid, which compromises the seal of the cap. Cold or room-temperature water only, and it is not an insulated flask.

Is the cap really leak-proof?

It is a metal screw cap with a gasket, which holds up far better over time than a flip-top system. You simply need to screw it on firmly before laying the bottle down in a bag. A dry or damaged gasket always ends up leaking: check it from time to time.

How do you clean it properly?

In warm soapy water after each use, then air-dry it open and standing upside down. The wide opening lets you get a brush right to the bottom, which is essential if you regularly mix protein in it. A bottle closed while damp takes on a smell within a few days.

Can you mix a protein shake in it?

Yes, the wide opening makes it easy to add the powder. The result will be less smooth than with a mesh shaker, however: the volume is too large to shake effectively. It does suit powders that dissolve on their own very well, though, such as electrolytes or amino acids.

Is it dishwasher-safe?

The manufacturer does not say so in the information available to us, and we will not claim it. The heat of an intensive cycle tires plastics and matt coatings. Washing by hand in warm water remains the safe option, and it takes a minute.

What material is the bottle made from?

From a food-grade plastic declared free from BPA and DEHP, with a stainless metal cap and a reinforced plastic handle. The manufacturer states compliance with EC Regulation 1935/2004 on materials in contact with foodstuffs. It does not specify the exact type of polymer.

Where can you buy the IO Genix bottle?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is the accessory we sell most between May and September: in a gym where it is twenty-eight degrees, the large bottle is no longer a gadget, and it is often the best buy of the season for a minimal outlay.

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 Sinob Melato9?

Sinob Melato9 is a powdered evening drink, to be mixed with water. A 14 g serving provides 1 mg of melatonin, 1 g of taurine, 500 mg of L-tryptophan, 500 mg of glycine, 150 mg of magnesium and seven other active ingredients, for 35 kcal. It is taken 45 minutes before bed.

The format is the first thing that sets this product apart. Supplements aimed at sleep are almost always sold as capsules or tablets; here it is a drink. That changes two things: the quantity of active ingredients you can fit into one serving, and the ritual — making up a glass and drinking it calmly is part of what prepares you for bed.

The only active ingredient whose effect is recognised at European level is melatonin, at 1 mg. That is exactly the threshold that opens the door to the authorised claim, and the whole of the rest of the formula is built around it. The rest of the German range can be browsed in our Sinob section, and taurine, the formula's second active ingredient by weight, in our taurine section.

What does one serving of Melato9 contain?

The milligram of melatonin is not a figure picked at random: it is very precisely the condition attached to the claim authorised in Europe. Below it, the claim cannot be used; at 1 mg per serving, it can. The official wording is as follows: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep. A second claim exists, also met at this dose: melatonin contributes to the alleviation of subjective feelings of jet lag.

Magnesium provides the formula's second regulatory foundation. At 150 mg, i.e. 40% of the reference value, it opens the door to its claims: magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal psychological function, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal muscle function. The form used is the citrate, better absorbed than the oxide found in many cheap formulas.

For all the other ingredients, we should be clear: no claim is authorised in Europe. Not for taurine, not for tryptophan, not for glycine, not for hops, lemon balm, passionflower or ginkgo. They are ingredients authorised for sale, and evening plant extracts are part of a tradition of use — but nothing can be promised for them. The 75 mg of choline, in particular, stays below the threshold that would allow a claim to be stated.

One line deserves your attention before you buy: 3.28 g of sugars per serving, coming from the dextrose that serves as the carrier for the powder. That is little in absolute terms, but it is not zero, and it is worth flagging if you are watching your intake at the end of the day.

Data missing from the manufacturer's dossier: the quantities of ginseng root extract, inositol and black pepper extract are not disclosed even though these ingredients appear in the list. We will not estimate them.

Ingredients list

Dextrose, acidity regulator (citric acid), taurine, magnesium citrate, L-glycine, L-tryptophan, hop extract, lemon balm extract, choline bitartrate, inositol, flavouring (contains TARTRAZINE), passionflower extract, inulin, ginkgo biloba extract, flavouring (contains SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND SULPHITES), colour (vegetable carbon), sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K), ginseng root extract, black pepper extract, melatonin.

Contains SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND SULPHITES. Contains TARTRAZINE (E102): may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

How do you take Melato9?

Dose: 2 scoops, i.e. 14 g; 3 scoops, i.e. 21 g, during periods of intense stress. Liquid: 250 ml of cold water, 350 ml for the stronger dose. Timing: 45 minutes before bed. Frequency: one serving a day, in the evening only. Duration: 21 consecutive days at most.

The 21-day limit is the most important instruction on this page, and it is not decorative. The manufacturer sets it down in black and white: beyond three weeks, if the sleep difficulties persist, a medical consultation is called for. A sleep disorder lasting more than a month is not a food supplement problem, and carrying on indefinitely amounts to masking a question that ought to be put to a doctor.

The 45 minutes before bed correspond to the time needed for the melatonin to be absorbed. Taken as you get into bed, it acts that much later. Shake vigorously for twenty seconds or so in nice cold water: it dissolves better cold.

Do not drive and do not use machinery after drinking this preparation. The manufacturer says so, and it makes sense: melatonin causes drowsiness, which is exactly what it is there for. Plan on staying at home after taking it.

Two free pieces of advice that often count for more than the product itself: no caffeine in the six hours beforehand, and a cool, dark bedroom. If you already take a ZMA in the evening, check that it does not also contain melatonin — doses add up and should not be stacked. For a higher magnesium intake, a dedicated product complements this formula better than a duplicate does.

Who is Melato9 for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who takes a while to fall asleep, occasionally: a busy stretch, jet lag, a change in training times. The manufacturer restricts it to adults.

Three warnings appear explicitly on the packaging and deserve reading before you buy. The product contains sulphur dioxide and sulphites — an allergen subject to mandatory labelling — as well as tartrazine, a colour that requires the regulatory statement about possible effects on activity and attention in children. Finally, drug interactions are possible with anticoagulants and hypnotics, which is explained in particular by the presence of ginkgo biloba.

It is not advised for pregnant and breastfeeding women without medical advice, or for children. The national food safety agency also calls for caution over melatonin for people with inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, epilepsy or asthma, and for those on treatment. In all these cases, the question is one for a doctor, not for the shop floor.

What not to expect from it. Melatonin reduces the time taken to fall asleep; it does not lengthen the night, does not stop night-time waking and treats no insomnia. The plant extracts in the formula have no demonstrated effect and nothing can be promised for them. And an evening supplement makes up neither for a coffee at 18:00, nor for two hours of screen time in bed, nor for a shifted lifestyle.

An evening drink or melatonin on its own?

A frequent question in the shop, and the answer depends above all on your budget and your routine.

Melatonin on its own, as a tablet or as drops, costs little, is taken in three seconds and does the one job that is recognised in regulation: reducing the time taken to fall asleep. If that is your only need, it is the most direct and most economical choice, and our melatonin section answers it perfectly.

Melato9 is selling something else: a ritual and a broad formula. Eleven active ingredients, a drink to make up, a marked moment in the evening. For some people that ritual counts as much as the molecule — sitting down with a glass forty-five minutes before going to bed is in itself a signal that the day is over. And 150 mg of magnesium citrate come as a bonus.

When is neither one the answer? If your problem is not falling asleep but waking in the middle of the night, or feeling tired on waking despite eight hours of sleep. There, no supplement will answer, and it is a doctor you need to see. For a different approach, our GABA section rests on another molecule, and our L-glycine section lets you dose that amino acid far higher than the 500 mg present here.

Frequently asked questions

How much melatonin per serving?

1 mg for two scoops, i.e. 14 g of powder. That is exactly the threshold that authorises the European claim on reducing the time taken to fall asleep. The stronger three-scoop serving brings the intake to 1.5 mg, which remains below the ceiling applicable to food supplements in France.

How long can you take it for?

21 consecutive days at most; the manufacturer is explicit. Beyond that, if the difficulties persist, it asks for a medical consultation. It is an instruction to respect: a sleep disorder that drags on is not sorted out with a food supplement.

Can you drive after drinking it?

No. The manufacturer formally advises against it, and it makes sense since melatonin causes drowsiness. Plan on taking it once you are home, forty-five minutes before going to bed, and not before travelling anywhere.

Is there sugar in this drink?

3.28 g of sugars per serving, coming from the dextrose that serves as the carrier for the powder, for a total of 35 kcal. That is little, but it is not zero. The rest of the sweetening comes from sucralose and acesulfame K.

Does it contain allergens?

Yes, two mandatory statements. The product contains sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and it contains tartrazine, a colour for which regulation requires possible effects on activity and attention in children to be flagged. Read those two lines before you buy.

Can it be combined with another evening product?

Not if that product already contains melatonin or tryptophan: doses add up and should not be stacked. Check the composition of your ZMA or your sleep complex first. If you are on anticoagulant or hypnotic treatment, ask your doctor's advice, since the ginkgo biloba in the formula may interact.

Do the plant extracts serve any purpose?

No claim is authorised in Europe for hops, lemon balm, passionflower or ginkgo. They are plants of traditional evening use, present here at honest doses, but we will not credit them with any demonstrated effect. Melatonin and magnesium are the only two active ingredients in the formula about which anything can be asserted.

Where can you buy Sinob Melato9?

The tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we sell this product while stressing two things: the 21 days maximum, and the fact that it acts on falling asleep, not on the quality of the night. A customer looking to sleep better in general often leaves with a magnesium and a word of advice about their afternoon coffee. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition selection.

What is IO Genix Life Hair?

IO Genix Life Hair is a capsule supplement aimed at hair, skin and nails. A four-capsule serving delivers 2,500 mg of VERISOL collagen, combined with vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, biotin, zinc, selenium and a saw palmetto extract. The 120-capsule box covers 30 days.

The mention VERISOL denotes a collagen hydrolysed into bioactive peptides, produced by a specialist German manufacturer. Hydrolysis consists of cutting the collagen protein into much shorter fragments, which makes it soluble and absorbable. It is the standard process behind every collagen sold as a food supplement.

What sets this product apart from a plain collagen is the assembly: eight ingredients accompany the collagen, several of them nutrients with a precise regulatory framework. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section, and the other forms of collagen in our collagen section.

What does a serving of Life Hair contain?

This table has a lot of blank cells, and that is the main reservation to raise about this product. Only the collagen carries a figure: 2,500 mg per serving, a value consistent with what is expected of a collagen in capsule form. The other eight ingredients are named but their dosages are not published by the manufacturer, who refers you to the labelling. We are not going to invent them.

That absence is not trivial, because it bears precisely on the most tightly regulated ingredients in the formula. Zinc, selenium and biotin all three have claims authorised in Europe relating to the maintenance of normal hair, and vitamin C to normal collagen formation. But those claims can only be made above a threshold of 15% of the nutrient reference value per daily serving. Without the dosages, we cannot verify that this threshold is reached, and we will therefore not be taking on any of those claims ourselves. The label on the box you receive carries them if they apply: that is what to read.

For the collagen itself, the situation is simpler: no health claim is authorised in Europe for collagen, in any form whatsoever. Not for skin, not for hair, not for nails, not for joints. Collagen is indeed the main structural protein of those tissues — that is a fact of biology — but the effect of oral supplementation has no validated dossier at European level.

Finally, the saw palmetto extract deserves a mention. It is a plant traditionally associated with men's health, and its presence partly explains the product's positioning. No claim is authorised for it either, and its dosage is not published.

Ingredients list

VERISOL collagen, coating agent (GELATINE), dry saw palmetto extract (Serenoa repens), bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), zinc picolinate, anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide), vitamin B3 (nicotinamide), vitamin A (retinyl acetate), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), D-biotin, sodium selenite.

May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take Life Hair?

Serving: 4 capsules a day. Liquid: a glass of water with each serving. Timing: 2 capsules at breakfast, 2 capsules at lunch. Frequency: two servings a day. Duration: a course of 30 days minimum, repeatable.

Splitting it into two servings is not an affectation. Four capsules at once is a lot for a stomach, and spreading them across two meals makes the course markedly easier to keep up over thirty days. It is also the split the manufacturer settles on.

Taking it with a meal has a concrete justification: the formula contains vitamin A, which needs fat to be properly absorbed. A breakfast and a lunch containing a minimum of fat are more than enough.

Thirty days is the minimum, and that is exactly what one box covers. On hair and nails, one simple biological reality has to be borne in mind: a nail takes several months to renew itself completely, and hair grows about one centimetre a month. No supplement can therefore produce a visible effect in two weeks, whatever its composition. It is a course to be judged over several months, or not at all.

The product combines without redundancy with an omega 3 or a B vitamin complex. Do check your other supplements before stacking, though: zinc and biotin already feature in most multivitamins, and the addition easily goes unnoticed.

Who is Life Hair for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at an adult who wants to support a hair or skin routine with a nutritional intake, over a course of several weeks. It is a support product, not a treatment product, and that distinction changes everything about the expectations.

It suits neither vegetarians nor vegans, on two counts: collagen is a protein of animal origin, and the capsule shell is made of gelatine. There is no such thing as plant collagen, whatever some brands' marketing may say — what those are is plant complexes intended to support endogenous synthesis, which is something else.

The manufacturer advises against it for children and pregnant women and asks that it not be used in case of allergy to any of the components. The presence of a saw palmetto extract also justifies medical advice if you are on any treatment, particularly urinary or hormonal.

Additional caution is called for because of the vitamin A: it is a nutrient whose intake should not accumulate unmonitored, particularly in women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy. As the dosage is not published, that caution is all the more justified. The product may contain traces of gluten, eggs, milk, fish and soya.

What you should not expect from it: it is not a treatment for hair loss, and there is no point hoping it will be one. Sudden, diffuse or localised hair loss is a matter for a doctor or a dermatologist, who will look for a cause — iron deficiency, thyroid disorder, stress, ongoing treatment. A supplement diagnoses nothing.

Collagen capsules or collagen powder?

Both exist in our range and they do not serve the same use.

Collagen powder allows far higher doses, typically 10 g a day, against 2,500 mg here. It is simply a matter of volume: it would take sixteen capsules to reach 10 g. If your objective is the collagen itself and the quantity of it, powder is the more rational choice and often cheaper per gram.

The capsule format has other advantages: it travels, it needs neither shaker nor measuring, it has no taste — which counts, since collagen powder has a flavour not everyone appreciates. And above all, this particular product is not a collagen on its own: it is a complex, in which the collagen sits alongside eight other ingredients.

If your priority is vitamin and mineral coverage rather than collagen, a complete and well-dosed multivitamin will be more economical and more transparent about its quantities. And if you are after the intake of one specific nutrient, better to take it on its own: our zinc and vitamin C sections state their dosages in figures.

Frequently asked questions

How much collagen per day?

2,500 mg for the full four-capsule serving. That is a consistent amount for a capsule format, but markedly lower than the 10 g common to collagen powders. The choice of format therefore comes down to convenience as much as to quantity.

Why are the vitamin dosages not stated?

The manufacturer does not publish them in its documentation and refers you to the product labelling. We are not going to invent them. It is the main reservation on this page, because those dosages determine which nutrition claims apply: read the label on the box you receive.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, on two counts: collagen is a protein of animal origin, and the capsule shell is made of gelatine. No true collagen is plant-based, whatever commercial formulations you may come across.

How long before you see anything?

Not in a few weeks. Hair grows about one centimetre a month and a nail takes several months to renew itself completely: it is those rhythms that govern things, not the composition of the product. A thirty-day course is a start, not an assessment.

Why two servings a day?

Because four capsules at one go are hard to swallow and sit heavily on the stomach. The manufacturer therefore splits them into two capsules at breakfast and two at lunch. Taking them with a meal also makes it easier to absorb the vitamin A, which needs fat.

Can it be combined with a multivitamin?

It can, but do the sums. Zinc, selenium, biotin and B vitamins feature in most complete multivitamins, and stacking two sources adds nothing. As this product's dosages are not published, caution rather suggests choosing one or the other.

Does this product treat hair loss?

No, and no claim of that kind is authorised. Unusual hair loss has a cause that needs to be looked for — iron deficiency, thyroid disorder, treatment, significant stress — and that search belongs to a doctor. A food supplement supports, it does not cure.

Where can you buy IO Genix Life Hair?

The 120-capsule box can be ordered from this page, and we ship all over France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product in front of which we systematically temper expectations: when a customer describes recent and significant hair loss, we advise them to see a doctor first, and the box can wait. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.