IO.GENIX

What is IO Genix Iso Clear?

IO Genix Iso Clear, also sold as IsoZero Clear, is a whey protein isolate formulated to give a clear, fruity drink rather than a creamy shake. That is the principle behind clear whey: the protein stays dissolved in an acidic medium, and the result drinks like a lemonade.

The raw material is Lacprodan® Clearshake, a whey isolate from the Danish supplier Arla, which accounts for 96.82 % of the formula in the Strawberry flavour. The rest fits into five lines: flavouring, citric acid as an acidity regulator, sucralose and acesulfame K as sweeteners, azorubine as a colour, and pyridoxine hydrochloride for the vitamin B6.

The flavours available: Blueberry, Iced Peach, Piña Colada, Strawberry Mojito, Watermelon and Raspberry. The register is that of a summer drink, not a milky dessert. The product also sits in our whey isolate and IO Genix ranges.

What does a 30 g serving contain?

* Column calculated from the values declared for 30 g, as the manufacturer does not publish a per-100 g column. The figures correspond to the Strawberry flavour and may vary slightly from one flavour to another. One inconsistency worth flagging: the manufacturer declares 0.5 mg of vitamin B6 per serving and states 118 % of the NRV. Yet the European nutrient reference value for vitamin B6 is 1.4 mg: 0.5 mg represents roughly 36 % of it. We reproduce the amount exactly as declared and flag the discrepancy rather than settling it on the brand's behalf. Dietary fibre is not declared.

The figure that matters is 26 g of protein for 105 kcal. Referred back to the powder, that gives 86.6 % protein, which is the top of the range for a clear whey — many stop at around 80 %. Put another way, a 30 g serving delivers as much protein as a 33 g serving of standard whey, without the fat or the lactose.

A word on a claim doing the rounds that needs correcting: this product is not "zero sugar, zero fat". It contains 0.06 g of sugars and 0.03 g of fat per serving. These are negligible amounts over the course of a day, and the product comfortably meets the regulatory thresholds allowing the "high protein" and "low fat" statements — but zero means zero, and that is not the case here. The claims authorised for protein are precise: it contributes to a growth in muscle mass, to the maintenance of muscle mass and to the maintenance of normal bones. Vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. There is no recovery claim for protein, contrary to what you read everywhere.

How do you prepare Iso Clear?

Serving: 30 g. Liquid: 250 ml of cold water. When: after training, or as a snack between meals. How often: 1 to 2 servings a day depending on your protein requirements. How long: no limit — it is a protein, and it can be used for as long as your diet needs it.

Method matters more here than with other products. Pour the water in first, then the powder, shake, then let the foam settle for about thirty seconds before drinking: whey proteins are surface-active and stabilise the bubbles. The more you shake, the longer the foam holds.

Two things you must never do with a clear whey. Never mix it with milk: the acidity destabilises the casein, and the mixture curdles and turns grainy. And never cook with it: a clear whey coagulates with heat and has no business in a pancake. For cooking, keep a whey concentrate. Served very cold, with crushed ice, it is noticeably better.

Who is Iso Clear for, and who is it not for?

The strongest use case is this one: you can no longer face milky shakes. Digestive heaviness, the taste of vanilla every single day, or simply a summer session after which nothing creamy will go down. A protein you do not drink is of no use to anyone, and that is exactly where this format earns its place. During a cutting phase, 105 kcal a serving is also hard to beat.

It is not suitable in several cases. The product contains MILK and may contain traces of NUTS, EGGS, FISH and SOYA. In the event of a diagnosed cow's milk protein allergy it is contraindicated: filtration removes the lactose, not the proteins. It is not recommended for children or pregnant women. The colour azorubine also carries the following mandatory statement: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

What you should not expect from it: anything more than any other protein. A clear isolate is neither better nor less well absorbed than a standard isolate, and the 26 g of protein do exactly the same job. The difference is one of comfort, not of performance. And it is not a slimming product: it helps you hold a deficit, and it is the deficit that does the work.

Iso Clear or a standard whey isolate?

Both start from the same raw material. What separates them is the formulation and the use you will make of it.

A standard whey isolate wins in three situations. You take two or three servings a day: the price per kilo of protein becomes decisive, and the standard isolate is almost always better placed. You cook with your powder: a clear whey coagulates, a standard whey does not. You want a creamy drink that keeps you going between two meals: a clear whey, by design, does not satisfy in the same way. On those three points, Iso Clear loses.

Iso Clear wins when the drink itself is the problem. Difficulty digesting milky shakes, weariness of the milky taste, the urge for a cold, tangy drink at the end of a session. It also wins on protein density: 86.6 % puts this product above the average for its category. The calculation that settles it is the same on both sides: price of the tub, divided by its weight in kilos, divided by the protein content per 100 g. Do it before you buy. All the families can be compared in the protein range.

Frequently asked questions

How many servings are there in a tub?

The net weight of the tub does not appear in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot calculate the exact number of servings. What we do know for certain: the reference serving weighs 30 g and provides 26 g of protein. Divide the weight shown on the packaging by 30 to get the count.

Can it be mixed with milk?

No. The acidity of the formula makes the casein in milk flocculate: the mixture curdles and turns grainy. Use cold water, 250 ml per 30 g serving. That is a constraint of every product in this category, not a fault of this one.

Does it contain lactose?

Very little. The filtration process removes most of the lactose and the fat, which explains the 0.36 g of carbohydrate per serving. Many people who struggle with a whey concentrate tolerate it without difficulty. Take care not to confuse this with milk protein allergy, which rules the product out.

Why does the stated vitamin B6 percentage not add up?

The manufacturer declares 0.5 mg per serving and states 118 % of the NRV, which is inconsistent with the European reference value of 1.4 mg. We flag the discrepancy rather than correcting it ourselves. In any case, vitamin B6 is not the reason to buy this product.

How do you avoid the foam?

Pour the water in before the powder, shake moderately, then let it stand for thirty seconds. Taking the metal whisk out of the shaker helps a great deal. Made in advance and left in the fridge for an hour, the drink is more pleasant and completely clear.

Can it be used in baking?

No. A clear whey coagulates when cooked and gives a rubbery texture. For pancakes, cookies or protein cakes, you need a whey concentrate or a casein from the casein range.

Does the composition change from one flavour to another?

Yes, slightly. The published values correspond to the Strawberry flavour, where the isolate accounts for 96.82 % of the formula and the protein concentration reaches 86.6 %. The manufacturer indicates a content of around 86 % depending on the flavour. The colour used also varies from one flavour to the next.

Where can you buy IO Genix Iso Clear?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship anywhere in France and Europe. With a tangy drink, flavour remains the one criterion no product page can replace: it is the kind of product you choose better by talking to someone who has drunk it.

Our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, keeps the full range in stock. If you are looking instead for an amino acid drink to sip during training, take a look at the EAA range.

What is IO Genix Isolate Professional?

IO Genix Isolate Professional is a powdered whey isolate, available in 1 kg and 2 kg, from intense chocolate to pistachio. It is produced by IO Genix, a Spanish brand.

Its raw material is a whey protein isolate obtained by cross-flow microfiltration, the process the acronym CFM refers to, sold under the ingredient brand PROMIKO®. This is a mechanical membrane filtration carried out cold, not an ion exchange. In the Chocolat intense flavour, this isolate accounts for 86.91% of the recipe according to the manufacturer's ingredient list.

One point deserves to be settled straight away, because the confusion appeared on this page and is found elsewhere in the sector: 86.91% is the share of the isolate ingredient in the formula, not the protein content of the powder. The latter is declared at 83.1%. Both figures are correct; they simply do not measure the same thing.

The formula is completed with milk proteins, fat-reduced cocoa powder in the chocolate flavours, yoghurt powder, flavourings, two sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame K), vitamin B6, soya lecithin as an emulsifier and a complex of five enzymes sold under the name DigeZyme®: amylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulase.

What does a 30 g serving of Isolate Professional contain?

The reference serving is 30 g. In the Chocolat intense flavour, it provides 25 g of protein for 114 kcal, 1.9 g of carbohydrate of which 0.6 g sugars, 0.6 g of fat of which 0.3 g saturates and 0.03 g of salt. To this are added 0.5 mg of vitamin B6, or 36% of the nutrient reference value, and 30 mg of DigeZyme® complex. The details appear in the nutritional values tab, which takes precedence over everything this page says.

The declared protein content is 83.1%, the level expected of a flavoured isolate: the cocoa, the yoghurt powder and the flavourings take up space in the powder and bring the percentage down. It is the 0.6 g of fat and the 0.6 g of sugars per serving that stand out, and that is precisely what you are buying when you pay for an isolate rather than a concentrate.

The 1 kg tub covers 33 servings and the 2 kg one 66 servings. These are divisions we make here: the manufacturer does not publish a number of servings.

What we cannot give you, for want of having it: the value in kilojoules, the regulatory "per 100 g" column, the fibre content, the residual lactose content and a detailed amino acid profile. None of these data are passed on to us, and we will not reconstruct them from literature averages: an estimate presented as a measurement remains an invention.

Two regulatory wordings can be used here, and they are the only ones. Proteins contribute to a growth in and the maintenance of muscle mass. And, as the vitamin B6 content exceeds 15% of the NRV per serving, vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism. The enzyme complex, for its part, can be described but nothing can be promised of it: no digestive claim is authorised in Europe for this type of ingredient, and you will read none here.

How do you prepare IO Genix Isolate Professional?

The manufacturer indicates 30 g of powder, that is one scoop, in 250 to 300 ml of cold water or plant-based drink, shaken for about fifteen seconds. Only one volume figure is given, and that is the one.

Allow one to three servings per day, depending on the gap between what your meals already cover and your protein target. No course duration is indicated by the manufacturer, and there is no reason to set one: a protein powder is a food, not an active ingredient to be cycled.

The timing is a matter of convenience: after the session, at breakfast or as a snack. There is no thirty-minute window to respect — it is the twenty-four-hour protein total that determines the result, not the timing of the shaker.

An isolate dissolves quickly and gives a more fluid drink than a concentrate. It can be cooked with, but withstands long cooking less well, where it tends to dry out: add it at the end of preparation. A wide-mouth shaker, in our accessories, limits lumps; for a more substantial snack, pair it with a carbohydrate source such as cream of rice.

Who is this isolate suitable for, and who is it not suitable for?

It is aimed at three profiles. Those who digest a whey concentrate poorly and are looking for a more filtered powder. Those counting carbohydrates and fat at the end of a cutting phase, where 1.9 g and 0.6 g per serving change the day's calculation. And those taking two to three servings daily, for whom the 2 kg format brings down the price per gram of protein.

The product contains MILK and SOYA. It may contain traces of EGGS, GLUTEN and NUTS owing to shared manufacturing methods. A diagnosed allergy to cow's milk proteins contraindicates it: filtration removes lactose, never the proteins. The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women. In the event of medical treatment or kidney or liver disorder, the question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist, not for a product page.

What should not be expected of it. It is not a lactose-free product: the residual content is not quantified by the manufacturer, and the presence of lactase in the enzyme complex does not change the composition of the powder. Nor is it a weight loss product: it provides a lot of protein for few calories, which helps to maintain a deficit, but it is the deficit that produces the result. Finally, it does not build muscle on its own, without training or sufficient calorie intake.

Isolate Professional or IO Genix Whey 80 Professional?

This is the trade-off that matters on this page, and it is settled in favour of the concentrate more often than one might think.

The Whey 80 Professional, from the same brand, contains 82% protein and provides 24.6 g per 30 g serving, against 25 g and 83.1% here. The gap comes down to four tenths of a gram of protein per serving. The concentrate, on the other hand, provides 7.2 g of BCAAs at an 8:1:1 ratio, obtained by directly adding L-leucine, which the isolate does not do. On the price per gram of protein, it wins almost every time.

The isolate retains three real advantages, and at least one of them must apply to you to justify the price difference. First, the fat: 0.6 g per serving against 1.0 g. Then a more thorough filtration, hence less residual lactose — the point that matters if shakers sit heavily with you. Finally the 2 kg format, which the Whey 80 does not offer. Note in passing that on carbohydrates the ranking is reversed: 1.9 g here against 1.3 g for the concentrate, because of the cocoa and the yoghurt powder.

If none of these three points speaks to you, take the concentrate. That is what our protein section already says, and we are not changing our minds because the isolate sells for more.

Frequently asked questions

Why 83.1% protein and not 86.91%?

Because the two figures do not measure the same thing. 86.91% is the proportion of the PROMIKO® isolate ingredient in the recipe for the Chocolat intense flavour, as it appears in the ingredient list. 83.1% is the protein content of the finished powder, that is 25 g for a 30 g serving. It is this second figure that is used to compare two proteins with one another.

Should you take the 1 kg or the 2 kg?

The 1 kg covers 33 servings of 30 g, the 2 kg covers 66. At one serving a day, the first lasts a month; at two servings daily, the second lasts barely longer. The 2 kg format lowers the price per gram of protein, provided you keep the same flavour to the end — which not everyone can put up with.

What is the DigeZyme® complex in the formula for?

It brings together five enzymes: amylase, protease, lactase, lipase and cellulase, at 30 mg per serving. We limit ourselves to this description. No digestive claim is authorised in Europe for an enzyme complex in a food, and we will therefore attribute no effect to it, whatever other product pages may say.

How much lactose is left in a serving?

We do not know: the manufacturer does not quantify the residual lactose content, and we will not put forward an invented value. What can be said is that the serving provides 1.9 g of carbohydrate in total, of which 0.6 g sugars. In case of severe intolerance, ask for the batch's technical data sheet before buying.

Which flavours are available?

Chocolat intense, Milkshake Vanille, Strawberry Cream, Original Black Cookies, Cookies & Cream, Bombon Rocher, Chocolate Amazonico, ChokoKrac, Peanut Butter & Cookies and Salted Caramel. The register is that of the milk dessert. Each exists in 1 kg and in 2 kg.

Are the nutritional values identical across all flavours?

No. The figures published here correspond to the Chocolat intense flavour, whose recipe contains fat-reduced cocoa. Flavours without cocoa show slightly different values, particularly on carbohydrates. The label on the tub you receive takes precedence over the one on this page.

Do you have an isolate without sweeteners?

Yes. This one contains sucralose and acesulfame K. If you are looking for an ingredient list without sweeteners or emulsifiers, look at the whey from Protéalpes, produced in France: three ingredients per flavour, a lower protein level for that very reason, and a smaller format. It is not the same product nor the same price per kilo.

Where to buy IO Genix Isolate Professional?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, in 1 kg as well as 2 kg, and we ship throughout France and Europe. The choice of format is rarely made well on a screen: in our shop in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we set the 1 kg and the 2 kg side by side and we work out the price per gram of protein in front of you, isolate against concentrate.

The rest of the section can be browsed from our sports nutrition.

What is IO Genix Isoluxe CFM?

IO Genix Isoluxe CFM is a whey isolate sold in 500 g and 1.5 kg tubs, with a 30 g serving size. Its base is not a single isolate but a pairing of two raw materials the manufacturer names explicitly: Isolac®, a microfiltered whey isolate, and Optipep®, a hydrolysed isolate. The manufacturer states that Isolac® comes from grass-fed cows' milk; we report that claim exactly as it publishes it, without verifying it ourselves.

Three ingredients round out the formula, and each deserves a sentence. A DigeZyme® enzyme complex combining amylase, protease, lactase, lipase and cellulase. A strain of Bacillus coagulans, marketed under the name LactoSpore®. And a natural sweetener, steviol glycosides from stevia — a rare choice in this category, where sucralose dominates.

The flavours listed in 500 g, including an unflavoured Natural version: Chocolate Hazelnut, Strawberry, Bourbon Vanilla, Greek Yoghurt and Blueberry, Dark Chocolate-Coconut, Banana-Pineapple, Peanut Butter, Intense Chocolate and Natural. The 1.5 kg format carries the same list. The rest of the range sits in the IO Genix section.

What does a 30 g serving contain?

* Column calculated from the per-100 g values, as the manufacturer publishes no per-serving column.

Let us be blunt: this table is not precise enough for a product positioned this way. The manufacturer publishes thresholds and a range — "more than 85 g", "less than 5 g", "370 to 380 kcal" — where the labelling on a premium isolate ought to give exact figures. It publishes no "of which saturates" line, no "of which sugars" line and no kilojoule equivalent. And it advertises a full amino acid profile without publishing a single figure from it, which is especially unfortunate on an isolate: that is precisely the data that would justify the price gap with a concentrate. We will not fill any of those boxes with an estimate.

That said, what the threshold guarantees remains solid. More than 85 g of protein per 100 g is squarely isolate territory: a concentrate tops out at around 75 to 80 g. Translated into a serving, that works out at more than 25.5 g of protein for roughly 112 kcal, with less than a gram and a half of carbohydrate and three tenths of a gram of fat. Protein here supplies more than 90% of the product's energy, which qualifies it for the "high protein" nutrition claim, and the applicable regulatory wording is this one: protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass.

On the two "bonus" ingredients, let us be clear. No digestive claim is authorised in Europe for an enzyme complex such as DigeZyme®, and no health claim is authorised for a culture such as Bacillus coagulans — the very term "probiotic" is regulated. So we describe their presence, not an effect. Factually: the lactase in the complex is the enzyme that breaks down lactose, which makes sense in a dairy protein. What difference that makes for you, only trying it will tell.

How do you prepare Isoluxe CFM?

Dose: 30 g, i.e. one scoop. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml, ideally very cold water. Timing: after training, on waking, between meals, or at bedtime in a reduced serving. Frequency: 1 to 3 servings a day depending on your needs. Duration: ongoing, no course is required.

Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds in a shaker. The tip that makes the biggest difference to the result: use very cold water, or add two ice cubes. An isolate dissolves better cold, and the fine texture that is its whole appeal disappears in a lukewarm liquid.

The powder also blends very well into pancakes, porridge or a smoothie bowl. The Natural flavour, with no flavouring or sweetener, is the one best suited to that: it imposes nothing on your recipes and leaves you in control of the sweetening. If you are cooking with heat, add the powder at the end — poured into a boiling liquid, protein coagulates.

On format: the 500 g tub covers roughly 16 servings, the 1.5 kg one covers 50. The small format is the right choice for trying a flavour; the large one becomes worthwhile once you have made up your mind, and it brings the cost per serving down. As for when to take it, do not overthink it: what counts is your protein total across the twenty-four hours, not the quarter of an hour after your last set.

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

It targets three specific situations. A strict cutting phase, where every gram of carbohydrate and fat counts. Difficulty digesting dairy proteins, an isolate containing markedly less lactose than a concentrate. And a demand for texture: an isolate gives a thin, fluid drink, where a concentrate stays thicker.

The product contains MILK proteins, and traces of SOYA are possible — the emulsifier is sunflower or soya lecithin depending on the batch. The manufacturer declares it gluten free, advises against it for anyone allergic to milk proteins, and asks pregnant or breastfeeding women to consult a healthcare professional.

It is not for you if your budget is tight: at comparable protein quality, a whey concentrate costs appreciably less per serving, and we set out that trade-off just below. Nor is it for you if you are allergic — rather than merely intolerant — to milk proteins: filtration removes the lactose, not the proteins. Finally, if you want to know precisely what your leucine or BCAA intake is, the absence of a published amino acid profile is a real obstacle.

What not to expect from it: this is neither a weight-loss product, nor a meal replacement, nor a performance product. It is a very clean protein source, and the word "luxury" in the trade name denotes a positioning, not a nutritional property.

Isoluxe CFM or a whey concentrate?

This is the central trade-off in the protein category, and it comes down to three grams.

Here, more than 25.5 g of protein per 30 g serving, less than 1.5 g of carbohydrate, less than 0.3 g of fat. On a decent whey concentrate, reckon on 22 to 23 g of protein, 4 to 5 g of carbohydrate and roughly 1 g of fat for the same serving. The real gap is therefore two to three grams of protein per shake — the equivalent of half an egg white — for an appreciably higher price per serving.

Whey concentrate is the better choice for most people: if your aim is to hit your daily protein total and you digest lactose without trouble, it does the same job for less. We say so plainly, even though it is not the product on this page.

Isoluxe is the better choice in three cases where the gap genuinely pays off. In a strict cutting phase, where 3 g of carbohydrate saved per shake, multiplied by three servings a day, eventually adds up. In cases of digestive discomfort with a concentrate, where the reduced lactose content makes a tangible difference. And if texture matters to you — an isolate is drunk, a concentrate is almost chewed. If you want to go further still on absorption speed, look at the hydrolysed wheys, of which the Optipep® present here is precisely an example.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Isolac® and Optipep®?

They are two distinct raw materials. Isolac® is a whey isolate obtained by microfiltration; Optipep® is a hydrolysed isolate, whose protein chains have been pre-cut. The manufacturer does not publish the proportion of each in the formula, which makes any numerical conclusion impossible. We report their presence, not a ranking.

How many servings in each format?

Roughly 16 servings of 30 g in the 500 g tub, and 50 in the 1.5 kg one. The small format is the right choice for trying a flavour without committing; the large one brings the cost per serving down once you know which one suits you. Note that the 1.5 kg is not available in every flavour.

Why are the nutritional values given as thresholds?

Because the manufacturer publishes "more than 85 g of protein", "less than 5 g of carbohydrate" rather than exact figures. It is a common practice but a poor one on a product of this standing, and we would rather flag it than gloss over it. The values printed on the tub you receive are the ones that apply.

Is the sweetener stevia?

Yes, these are steviol glycosides from stevia, not sucralose or acesulfame K. It is a rare choice in this category. Be aware that stevia leaves a liquorice note on the finish, very noticeable on mild flavours such as vanilla and much less so on chocolate ones.

Is this isolate suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

An isolate contains markedly less lactose than a concentrate, which is enough for most mild intolerances. The manufacturer does not, however, publish a figure for lactose content, and the lactase in the DigeZyme® complex allows no promises: no digestive claim is authorised for this type of ingredient. If you are allergic to milk proteins, the product should be ruled out.

What is the Natural flavour like?

It contains neither flavouring nor sweetener: it is raw isolate, with a faintly milky, neutral taste. It appeals to two profiles — those who cannot tolerate stevia, and those who cook with their protein and want to control the sweetening themselves. It is only available in the 500 g format.

What is the Bacillus coagulans in the formula for?

It is a spore-forming bacterial strain, added under the name LactoSpore®. As no health claim is authorised in Europe for this type of culture, we will not attribute one to it. If cultures interest you in their own right, our probiotic section offers dedicated products, dosed and presented for that purpose.

Where to buy IO Genix Isoluxe CFM?

Both formats and the full flavour line-up can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe.

A 1.5 kg tub of isolate is a real outlay, and it is exactly the kind of purchase where two minutes of conversation heads off a disappointment. At our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the question we ask is not "isolate or concentrate?" but "what brought you to isolate in the first place?". Depending on whether the answer is about digestion, about a cutting phase or about plain habit, the product we recommend is not the same. The full category can be compared in our proteins and in our sports nutrition sections.

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.

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 IO Genix LIV+PRO?

IO Genix LIV+PRO is a capsule complex bringing together twelve ingredients. A two-capsule serving delivers 280 mg of milk thistle extract standardised to 80% silymarin, 200 mg of artichoke, 75 mg of choline, 75 mg of N-acetylcysteine, 50 mg of methionine, 50 mg of inositol, 20 mg of glutathione, 20 mg of S-adenosylmethionine and three B-group vitamins. The 60-capsule bottle covers 30 days.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is the central ingredient. It is a common thistle from around the Mediterranean, whose seeds contain a group of compounds known as silymarin. Standardisation to 80% means that this concentration is guaranteed from one batch to the next, which is the best indicator of a serious plant extract.

Around it, the manufacturer has assembled artichoke in two forms — standardised extract and powder —, four sulphur-bearing or related compounds, and three B vitamins. The rest of the Spanish range appears in our IO Genix aisle, and N-acetylcysteine sold on its own in our NAC aisle.

What does a serving of LIV+PRO contain?

Twelve ingredients, twelve doses: the transparency of this formula is genuine and deserves credit. In an aisle where "liver complexes" often settle for a list with no figures, every line here is quantified, including the most modest ones. That allows an honest judgement — one that is not uniformly flattering, as what follows shows.

Milk thistle is the only ingredient genuinely dosed at the level you would expect: 280 mg of extract standardised to 80% silymarin is a substantial amount. Artichoke follows at 200 mg across both forms. The other eight actives, by contrast, are present in modest quantities: 20 mg of glutathione or 20 mg of S-adenosylmethionine are token doses compared with what you find in products that sell them on their own. That is not a flaw in itself — it is the principle behind a complex — but you should know that the formula rests on milk thistle, not on its twelve lines.

Only three ingredients carry claims authorised in Europe, and they are the B vitamins. At 40%, 50% and 39% of the reference value, the thresholds are comfortably met: thiamine contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, riboflavin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, vitamin B6 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Those are the exact wordings, and they are the only ones we will write.

One case deserves explaining in detail because it is instructive. Choline does have authorised claims, including one relating to the maintenance of normal liver function. But it is subject to a threshold of 82.5 mg of choline per serving. The 75 mg listed, however, refer to choline bitartrate, a salt in which choline accounts for only around 41% of the weight: that works out at roughly 31 mg of actual choline. The threshold is therefore not met and the claim does not apply to this product. This is precisely the kind of detail nobody checks, and that we do check.

For all the others — milk thistle, silymarin, artichoke, N-acetylcysteine, methionine, inositol, glutathione, S-adenosylmethionine — no health claim is authorised in Europe. The word "detox", moreover, has no regulatory definition: it means nothing in the eyes of the law, and we will not use it as a selling point. The liver needs no product in order to do its job.

Ingredients list

Milk thistle dry extract (Silybum marianum L., 80% silymarin), GELATINE, artichoke dry extract (Cynara scolymus L., 5% cynarin), artichoke powder, choline bitartrate, N-acetylcysteine, L-methionine, inositol, reduced glutathione, S-adenosylmethionine, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, colouring.

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

How do you take LIV+PRO?

Serving: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning, on an empty stomach. Frequency: one serving a day, never more. Duration: a 30-day course, repeatable after a one-week break.

Taking it on an empty stomach is the manufacturer's instruction, and it is unusual in this aisle — most plant extracts are taken with a meal. It is explained by the wish to avoid competition with the other components of a meal. If you feel any stomach discomfort in the first few days, take the two capsules with a light breakfast rather than abandoning the course.

Two capsules in a single morning serving: it is simple, and it is the reason this format holds up well over thirty days. One bottle equals one course, which spares you the arithmetic.

The manufacturer specifies a one-week break before any repeat course. This is not a product for permanent use, and that alternation is part of the instructions, not a token precaution.

One instruction from the manufacturer deserves highlighting: do not combine this product with another complex of the same type without medical advice. Formulas in this aisle often share the same plants, and stacking two milk thistle extracts adds nothing while unknowingly multiplying the doses.

It does, on the other hand, combine without overlap with an omega 3 or a magnesium. Simply check your multivitamins: vitamins B1, B2 and B6 are almost always in them.

Who is LIV+PRO for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult who wants to run a one-month course built around a properly standardised milk thistle extract. That is the only use case we will describe, and it is deliberately modest.

The most important contraindication is also the most counter-intuitive: the manufacturer asks you to consult a healthcare professional in the event of liver disorders. In other words, this product is not intended for people who have a liver problem — the exact opposite of what its positioning might suggest. A liver condition, even a mild one, is a matter for a doctor and proper monitoring, never for a supplement bought on your own.

The manufacturer also advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women, asks that it be kept out of the reach of children, and that it not be combined with another product of the same type without medical advice. The dose of two capsules a day must not be exceeded.

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

What you should not expect from it: it is not a treatment, it repairs nothing, and it makes up for no excess. "Detox" means nothing in regulatory terms: the liver and the kidneys handle elimination on their own, and no supplement improves that work in a healthy person. If your question concerns alcohol consumption, an abnormal liver panel or a treatment you are currently on, it belongs with your doctor — and no capsule will replace the answer he or she gives you.

Twelve-active complex or single active?

This is the most useful trade-off when faced with this type of product, and it has no single answer.

A complex like this one has a real advantage: one serving, one bottle, one action a day. For someone who does not want to juggle four tubs, that is decisive, and the milk thistle in it is properly dosed. The flip side is that eight of its twelve lines are present in low quantities: you are paying for a list, not for twelve doses.

A single active makes the opposite choice. Our dedicated aisle offers N-acetylcysteine at doses in a completely different league from the 75 mg in this complex, and our vitamin B aisle offers properly dosed B complexes. Standardised turmeric and coenzyme Q10 answer in the same way, each on its own terms. It is more precise, more comparable from one brand to another, and often more economical if you are only after one molecule.

Our position across the counter: if you know what you are looking for, take the single active. If you simply want to run a one-month course around milk thistle without multiplying bottles, this complex does the job — provided you do not believe its twelve lines are worth twelve products.

Frequently asked questions

What does "standardised to 80% silymarin" mean?

That 80% of the extract consists of silymarin, the group of compounds characteristic of milk thistle seeds, and that this concentration is guaranteed from one batch to the next. It is the best indicator of a serious plant extract, and 280 mg at that standardisation is a substantial amount.

Why take it on an empty stomach?

That is the manufacturer's instruction, intended to avoid competition with the components of a meal. If you feel any stomach discomfort in the first few days, take the two capsules with a light breakfast: better to shift the serving than to interrupt the course.

Does this product protect the liver?

We will not write that, because no claim of that kind is authorised in Europe for its ingredients. The manufacturer in fact asks you to consult a healthcare professional in the event of liver disorders: this supplement is not intended to answer a liver problem.

Does the choline allow a claim?

Not here. Choline does have authorised claims, but they require 82.5 mg of choline per serving. The 75 mg listed refer to choline bitartrate, of which choline accounts for only around 41%: the threshold is therefore not met, and the claim does not apply.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

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

How long does one bottle last?

Exactly thirty days: 60 capsules, two per serving, one serving a day. The manufacturer then specifies a one-week break before any repeat course. One bottle therefore corresponds to one complete course.

Can it be combined with another liver complex?

Not without medical advice, and the manufacturer asks this explicitly. Products in this aisle often share the same plants: stacking two milk thistle extracts adds nothing and multiplies the doses without your realising it.

Where can you buy IO Genix LIV+PRO?

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 in front of which we often correct a misconception: when a customer talks to us about a blood test, we point them towards their doctor rather than towards this bottle. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Luxury 3K Kre-Alkalyn?

It is creatine in capsules, with a daily dose of four capsules providing 3,000 mg. The bottle of 120 capsules covers 30 days.

The form chosen is Kre-Alkalyn®, a creatine monohydrate whose pH has been corrected — what is known as "buffered" creatine. This has to be said plainly, because the name may lead you to believe it is something else: the active ingredient is still creatine monohydrate, the same molecule as the one sold as a powder, with a pH adjustment supposed to improve its stability.

The rest of the composition comes down to two lines: the capsule shell, made of gelatine, coloured with calcium carbonate and starch sodium octenyl succinate, and magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent. As the capsule is made of gelatine, the product is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans — information rarely put forward and yet decisive. The product joins our Kre-Alkalyn creatine and IO Genix aisles.

What does a four-capsule dose contain?

* Column calculated from the value declared for four capsules. Other components: coating agents (gelatine, colours), anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate). Traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK and SOYA are possible. Pack size: 120 capsules, i.e. 30 daily doses.

The figure is pitched in exactly the right place, and that is no accident. Three grams a day is precisely the threshold that unlocks the only claim authorised in Europe for creatine: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. That is the exact wording, and it targets repeated explosive effort — strength sets, sprints, combat sports — not endurance.

It is also the only thing we are able to state about this product, and that deserves to be said frankly. The benefits announced for the buffered form — no water retention, better digestive tolerance, effects from the very first servings, no degradation into creatinine — are claims made by the manufacturer. We have no ANSES or EFSA source establishing that a buffered creatine does better than an ordinary creatine monohydrate, and we will therefore not write it. The European claim relates, moreover, to creatine, with no distinction of form.

Two useful benchmarks for comparison. At 750 mg per capsule, it takes four capsules for one dose, where a scoop of powder is enough. And at 3 g a day, this bottle covers the maintenance dose exactly: do not add a second source of creatine on top of it, it would serve no purpose.

How should you take Luxury 3K Kre-Alkalyn?

Dose: 4 capsules, i.e. 3 g. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: after training, preferably. Frequency: one serving a day, every day, including rest days. Duration: cycles of 8 to 12 weeks.

The most important point comes down to one sentence: creatine is taken every day, not only on training days. Its effect rests on the progressive saturation of the muscle, which takes several weeks of regular intake. Taking it three times a week will never saturate anything. It is the most frequent mistake on this product, and by a long way.

The manufacturer states that no loading phase is necessary. That is true, and it is true of creatine monohydrate powder as well: loading at 20 g a day for a week brings saturation forward by a few days, without changing the final result in any way. It is therefore not an advantage specific to this form.

One instruction not to be overlooked: maintain sufficient hydration throughout the period of use. Creatine draws water into the muscle cell, and an insufficient fluid intake is the leading cause of discomfort reported on this supplement.

The timing of the serving, for its part, is secondary. After the session according to the manufacturer, but what counts is consistency over several weeks, not the hour of the day. Take the four capsules at whatever moment you will remember systematically.

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

It suits adults doing intense, short efforts: weight training, sprinting, racket or combat sports. The capsule format appeals to those who hate the taste of creatine powder, those who travel often, and those who want an identical dose from one day to the next without a scoop.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant or breastfeeding women and rules it out in children and adolescents. In the event of a kidney disorder, it asks for medical advice before use: this precaution is standard on creatine and it must be taken seriously. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose.

It is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans, the capsule being made of gelatine — which is particularly unfortunate, as vegetarians are precisely the people whose dietary creatine intake is the lowest. In that case, a creatine powder is then the obvious choice.

What you should not expect from it. Creatine is not a weight-loss product, and it is not a fat burner. Nor does it act on endurance: the authorised claim targets very intense, short, repeated effort. Lastly, it replaces neither protein, nor calories, nor sleep — and it does nothing at all if your training is not progressing.

Kre-Alkalyn capsules or monohydrate powder?

It is the only comparison that counts in this aisle, and we are going to make it honestly, including where it does not play in favour of this page.

Creatine monohydrate powder is by far the best-documented form, and the European claim at 3 g a day applies to it in exactly the same way. It costs a fraction of the price per gram, is measured out with a scoop, and mixes into any drink. The Creapure aisle offers the lines whose raw material is traceable. If you have never taken creatine, start there: it is cheaper and just as well established.

This capsule version wins on three practical points, and they are real. The taste: creatine powder has a gritty texture that some people cannot stand. Transport: a bottle slips into a bag, a powder does not. And the consistency of the dose: four capsules is always 3 g, where a scoop is filled by eye. On a supplement whose effectiveness depends entirely on taking it daily for weeks on end, those three arguments are not details.

The other forms in this aisle — creatine HCL in particular — follow the same commercial logic as Kre-Alkalyn®: a variant offered as better tolerated, without the health authorities having validated any superiority. They have their place if monohydrate genuinely bothers you; otherwise, the price gap is not justified. For mass gain, creatine combines without any problem with the rest of your supplements.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kre-Alkalyn® better than creatine monohydrate?

It is creatine monohydrate with a corrected pH: the active molecule is the same. We have no ANSES or EFSA source establishing any superiority, and the European claim relates to creatine with no distinction of form. What this version brings that is verifiable is the capsule format.

Is a loading phase necessary?

No, and the manufacturer says so. It is true of creatine powder as well: loading at 20 g a day brings saturation forward by a few days without changing the final result. Three grams a day continuously is enough, and it is therefore not an advantage specific to this form.

Should it be taken on rest days?

Yes, every day, and it is the most important point. Creatine's effect rests on the progressive saturation of the muscle, which takes several weeks of regular intake. Taking it only on training days will never saturate anything: it is the most common mistake.

Why four capsules for a single dose?

Because each capsule contains 750 mg and the reference dose is 3 g. It is the constraint of the capsule format: you cannot fit 3 g of powder into a single swallowable capsule. A scoop of creatine powder settles the question in one movement, at the cost of the taste.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, the shell is made of gelatine of animal origin. That is all the more regrettable as vegetarians are precisely the people whose dietary creatine intake is the lowest, meat being the main source. A creatine powder is then the right choice.

How long does a bottle last?

Thirty days, at the rate of four capsules a day for 120 capsules. The manufacturer advises cycles of 8 to 12 weeks: allow two to three bottles for a full cycle. Nothing obliges you to cycle creatine, but that is the protocol it sets out.

Does creatine make you gain water?

The manufacturer announces the absence of excessive water retention for this buffered form. We have no official source that would allow us to confirm it, and we will not write it as a fact. What can be said: creatine draws water into the muscle cell, which is its mode of action, and sufficient hydration remains essential.

Where can you buy IO Genix Luxury 3K Kre-Alkalyn?

The bottle of 120 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. One month per bottle, four capsules a day: it is a format that is simple to fit into a routine.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the conversation in this aisle always turns on the same question: are you really going to take it every day? If the answer depends on the taste of the powder, the capsule is worth its extra cost. If you have no problem with a scoop in a glass of water, take the monohydrate and keep the difference. The rest of the aisle can be compared in our sports nutrition section.

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 Maca Plus?

IO Genix Maca Plus is a food supplement in vegetable capsules, sold in a tub of 60 capsules for a net weight of 48 g. One capsule a day, which works out at two months of use per tub.

The formula comes down to three active ingredients: 750 mg of dry maca extract (Lepidium meyenii), 10 mg of zinc and 1.4 mg of vitamin B6. The rest is the shell and the excipients: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule, magnesium stearate as an anti-caking agent, microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent.

Maca is a root plant grown at altitude in the Andes; the manufacturer states a Peruvian origin above 3,500 metres, and we report that information as it publishes it, without having verified it ourselves. The product joins our maca and IO Genix ranges. As the capsule is plant-based rather than gelatine, the formula is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

What does one capsule contain?

Packaging: 60 capsules, 48 g net, 60 servings. NRVs within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 10 mg for zinc, 1.4 mg for vitamin B6. The manufacturer publishes neither an energy value nor macronutrients per capsule — at this scale they are negligible in any case.

Let us take things in order, because this label mixes two very different registers. Zinc and vitamin B6 are the only ingredients about which anything can be claimed. At 100% of the NRV each, they comfortably exceed the 15% threshold that permits the use of the regulatory wordings. The ones that apply here: zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, to normal fertility and reproduction, to normal protein synthesis and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal energy-yielding metabolism.

One nuance about testosterone, because it is invariably glossed over in this category: the wording refers to the maintenance of a normal level. That concerns someone whose zinc intake is insufficient. In a man whose status is already adequate, adding zinc does not raise anything at all.

For maca, the answer is shorter: no health claim is authorised in Europe for this plant. You will therefore read no promise here about energy, libido or hormonal balance. What we can say is factual: a plant, an extract, a dose of 750 mg, a format. Note too that 750 mg refers to the weight of the extract, not of dried root — the two figures are not comparable, and that is pitfall no. 1 when comparing two maca products against each other.

Finally, one point the manufacturer does not highlight and which matters: zinc is provided here in the form of oxide. It is the least well absorbed form on the market, far behind a bisglycinate or a picolinate. If zinc is your main requirement, a dedicated product from the zinc range will serve you better.

How do you take Maca Plus?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning, with breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of 8 to 12 weeks, with a one-week break every three months.

The manufacturer expressly asks that you avoid taking it in the evening, maca being described as stimulating. That is a usage instruction, not a claim: we repeat it because it appears on the leaflet and because it saves a bad night for those who are sensitive to it.

The capsule can be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal, depending on your tolerance. In practice, 10 mg of zinc on an empty stomach causes nausea in some people: if that applies to you, swallow the capsule halfway through breakfast. You will lose a little on absorption and you will stick with the course, which counts for more over ten weeks.

Two combination precautions given by the manufacturer. Do not add a second source of zinc without advice: beyond 25 mg a day on a sustained basis, the surplus serves no purpose and hinders copper absorption. So check the label of your multivitamin or your ZMA before stacking them. And space out any iron supplement, as these two minerals compete for the same intestinal transporters.

A word on the timescale: the manufacturer mentions a gradual perception over two to six weeks. This is not a product with an immediate effect, and it should not be judged after three days.

Who is Maca Plus for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at adults, and suits in particular those who want to try maca without swallowing a spoonful of earthy-tasting powder — that is the main practical advantage of the capsule format. The composition contains no ingredient of animal origin, and the manufacturer declares the absence of gluten, lactose, added sugar, artificial colours and GMOs.

It is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or for the under-18s. In the event of hormone treatment, a thyroid disorder or a diagnosed hormonal disorder, the manufacturer asks for prior medical advice, and it flags a possible interaction with hormone replacement therapy. These are questions to settle with a doctor or a pharmacist, not with a product page. Traces of SOYA, NUTS and CELERY are possible.

It is not suitable if your real objective is to cover a zinc intake: oxide is not the right form for that. Nor is it suitable if you are already taking a zinc supplement, at the risk of doubling up without realising it.

What you should not expect from it, and this is the most useful point on this page: it is not a performance product and it is not a treatment. Maca has no authorised claim, zinc does not raise the testosterone of a man whose status is normal, and 750 mg of plant extract replaces neither sleep, nor diet, nor training. What you are buying is an intake of zinc and B6 at 100% of the NRV, alongside a traditional plant.

Maca Plus or a tribulus?

The two sit in the same category and answer the same question asked over the counter. It is worth establishing straight away: neither maca nor tribulus has an authorised health claim in Europe. Deciding on the basis of promises therefore makes no sense here, and what remains is to compare what is comparable — the composition, the format, the precautions.

Our tribulus terrestris products are generally standardised for saponins and combined with vitamin B6, with higher plant doses. Tribulus is the better choice if you are looking for a standardised extract, that is to say one whose compound content is guaranteed on the label: with a plant, that is the only serious benchmark for comparing two products.

Maca Plus wins on simplicity and on zinc. One capsule a day, two months per tub, and 100% of the NRV in zinc and B6 — the only two ingredients in the formula for which a regulatory wording exists. That is in fact what justifies the purchase, more so than the plant itself. If your concern is rather nervous fatigue or coping with stress, our ashwagandha range matches the need better, with its own contraindications — thyroid, pregnancy — to read before buying.

Frequently asked questions

Is 750 mg of maca a lot?

It is the daily dose chosen by the manufacturer, and the figure to compare from one product to another. Watch out for the pitfall: 750 mg here refers to a weight of dry extract, not of dried root. Some labels advertise several grams of root powder, which is not comparable. Always check which of the two is stated.

Why do you not talk about the effects of maca?

Because no health claim is authorised in Europe for this plant. Writing that it acts on energy, libido or hormonal balance would be an infringement, whatever the tradition surrounding it. The only wordings permitted on this page concern zinc and vitamin B6.

Is zinc as oxide a good choice?

It is the least well absorbed of the common zinc salts, far behind a bisglycinate or a picolinate. Here it provides 100% of the NRV per capsule, which remains adequate as a supporting intake. If zinc is your main objective rather than one component of the formula, choose a dedicated, better-formulated product.

How long does a tub last?

Two months, at one capsule a day for 60 capsules. That corresponds to the lower end of the 8 to 12 week course advised by the manufacturer: reckon on a tub and a half to see out the twelve weeks, then the one-week break it recommends.

Can it be taken in the evening?

The manufacturer advises against it and settles on the morning, with breakfast. It describes maca as stimulating and prefers to avoid any interference with sleep. It is a usage precaution rather than a demonstrated effect, but it costs nothing to observe and a night's sleep is worth more than a capsule.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a modified cellulose of plant origin, and not of bovine or porcine gelatine. No ingredient of animal origin goes into the composition. The manufacturer does, however, flag possible traces of soya, nuts and celery.

How long before you notice anything?

The manufacturer mentions a gradual perception between two and six weeks. We can neither confirm nor promise anything on that point, in the absence of an authorised claim. What we can say: this is not a product with an immediate effect, and a judgement passed after three days is worthless.

Where can you buy IO Genix Maca Plus?

The 60-capsule tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is a simple product, at one capsule a day, that requires no particular organisation.

At the counter in Vendargues, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product page we take the time to go through with the customer, because maca drags along a great many reputations that the regulations do not allow us to repeat. The conversation almost always ends on the same question: what are you already taking that contains zinc? The rest of the plants and minerals can be browsed in our vitamin B range and in our sports nutrition range.

What is IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate is a magnesium food supplement in vegetable capsules, pairing the mineral with vitamin B6. The magnesium is supplied as the bisglycinate — a salt in which each magnesium atom is chelated to two glycine molecules — produced under the Albion® brand, an American manufacturer of chelated minerals.

The formula is short, and on this type of product that is good news: Albion® magnesium bisglycinate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule shell, two anti-caking agents (magnesium salts of fatty acids and silicon dioxide), and vitamin B6 as pyridoxine hydrochloride. No flavouring, no sweetener, no colour.

One detail is worth explaining, because it changes everything when you compare two tubs: Albion® bisglycinate is 18 % magnesium by weight. In other words, the 375 mg of salt in a capsule yields only 67.5 mg of magnesium you can actually take up. That is the rule across all chelated forms, and it is the leading source of confusion in this category. The brand's full range can be found in the IO Genix section.

What does a capsule contain?

The number of capsules per bottle does not appear in the labelling data passed on to us, and we will not invent it: refer to the packaging to work out how long a bottle lasts, at one capsule a day.

The 67.5 mg of elemental magnesium represent 18 % of the nutrient reference value, set at 375 mg. Let us be straightforward about it: this is a top-up, not the correction of a deficiency. A capsule does not make up for a diet short on green vegetables, pulses or nuts. What it does is plug an 18 % gap — which is already useful when you sweat heavily and eat tightly.

That figure of 18 % has a concrete regulatory consequence: the threshold above which a claim becomes usable is 15 % of the NRV per portion. It is cleared, but only just. We can therefore state that magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal muscle function, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to electrolyte balance. These are the exact wordings from the European regulation, and there is no reason to write anything else.

The 1.4 mg of vitamin B6 cover 100 % of the NRV, which is generous for a product that does not present itself as a B complex. Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal protein and glycogen metabolism and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Its claims overlap with those of magnesium, which explains why the two are so often paired — you will find the same logic throughout our vitamin B section. The widespread notion that B6 “carries” magnesium into the cell, on the other hand, rests on no ANSES or EFSA source, and we will not repeat it.

How do you take IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

Serving: 1 capsule a day. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with a meal. Frequency: 1 serving a day. Duration: the manufacturer recommends a course of 30 to 90 days, which can be repeated.

Take it with a meal rather than on an empty stomach. It is not a question of absorption but of comfort: a mineral swallowed on an empty stomach sits less well, and bisglycinate is not entirely exempt, even though it is tolerated far better than the oxide or the chloride. The manufacturer imposes no constraint on timing: morning or evening, take it whenever you will not forget it.

Magnesium produces no immediately perceptible effect. Think in weeks rather than days, and judge it over the length of the course. One practical point to finish: leave at least two hours between a dose of magnesium and a dose of zinc or iron, as these minerals compete for the same intestinal transporters. The same goes for thyroid hormones and certain antibiotics, which we come back to below.

If your requirement is higher — long training sessions, heavy sweating, a poor diet — a 67.5 mg capsule will not be enough, and it is better to know that before buying. In that case, look at the more heavily dosed formats in the magnesium section, or add electrolytes around training, which answer a different question: that of the losses through sweat during the session.

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

It is intended for adults. As the shell is vegetable cellulose and the formula contains no ingredient of animal origin, it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The capsule format, with no taste and no preparation, suits anyone who hates powders.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and recommends seeking the advice of a healthcare professional if you are on any medication. Traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible, as production takes place in a shared environment: if you are allergic to any of them, do not take it.

It is not suitable in cases of kidney failure. It is the kidney that clears magnesium; when it works poorly the mineral builds up, and any supplementation must then be decided by a doctor, not by a product page. Magnesium also interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones, certain antibiotics and bisphosphonates taken at the same time.

What not to expect from it. It is not a sleeping aid. “Contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system” does not mean sending you to sleep, and no sleep claim is authorised for magnesium. If your problem is falling asleep, our melatonin section answers the question better — and a doctor better still if the problem persists. Nor is it a performance product: topping up an intake does not make an athlete who is already covered improve.

Magnesium bisglycinate or ZMA?

The question comes up often, because the two products share two active ingredients out of three. A ZMA combines zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 in a single evening dose; this one concentrates on magnesium and B6, without zinc.

ZMA is the better choice if you want to cover zinc and magnesium in one go, which is the classic case of an athlete in a prolonged calorie deficit: zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood, and that is a claim this product cannot carry since it contains none. Its weakness is structural: zinc and magnesium compete for absorption, and a single dose gives no way of separating them.

Bisglycinate on its own is the better choice in three situations. If you already take zinc elsewhere and do not want to double the dose. If you have digested another magnesium badly — bisglycinate is the best tolerated form in the category, far ahead of the oxide. And if you want fine control over your intake: at 67.5 mg per capsule, you adjust in steps rather than swallowing a 300 mg block. A final word on the citrate, the other common form: it is cheaper per milligram, but its osmotic effect makes it markedly more laxative at high doses. Bisglycinate costs more and sits better — that is the whole trade-off.

Frequently asked questions

Why do 375 mg of bisglycinate give only 67.5 mg of magnesium?

Because Albion® bisglycinate is 18 % magnesium by weight: the rest of the weight is the two glycine molecules the mineral is bound to. That is the figure to compare from one label to another. A capsule advertising “375 mg of magnesium bisglycinate” is not advertising 375 mg of magnesium, and plenty of buyers are caught out by that line.

Is one capsule a day enough?

It covers 18 % of the nutrient reference value, so it is a supporting top-up. That is enough to close a small gap, not enough to make up for a diet low in magnesium or for heavy losses through sweat. This product tops up the plate, it does not replace it.

Does bisglycinate cause loose stools?

Far less than other forms, and at 67.5 mg per capsule the risk is very low. Chelation to glycine limits the osmotic effect responsible for digestive discomfort, unlike the oxide, the hydroxide or the citrate. Taking the capsule with a meal settles the few remaining cases.

Is absorption genuinely better?

Bisglycinate is better tolerated digestively, and that is not in dispute. A quantified superiority in absorption, on the other hand, has not been established by any health authority, so you will read no multiplier here along the lines of “three times better absorbed”. What you are buying is digestive comfort and a clean form, not a figure.

Can it be taken alongside thyroid medication?

That question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist. What we can say safely: magnesium interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones taken at the same time, which usually leads to spacing the doses several hours apart. Never alter a course of medication on your own initiative.

Can it be combined with creatine or a whey?

Yes, with no difficulty at all: there is neither a shared ingredient nor any known interaction. The only stacking to watch is that of two magnesium sources — a multivitamin and this capsule, for instance. Add up the milligrams of elemental magnesium before drawing a conclusion, bearing in mind the limit of 250 mg a day set by EFSA for supplements.

Are the capsules suitable for vegans?

Yes. The shell is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a vegetable cellulose, not bovine or porcine gelatine. No ingredient in the formula is of animal origin. That leaves the possible traces of milk, eggs and fish linked to the production site, to be considered if your requirement also covers cross-contamination.

Where can you buy IO Genix Magnesium Bisglycinate?

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

Magnesium is the category where people go wrong most often, and almost always in the same way: by comparing a weight of salt with a weight of mineral. Our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, exists precisely for that — putting two bottles side by side and reading together the only line that matters, the one for elemental magnesium. The rest of the everyday supplements can be found in the sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix's Magnesium Citrate?

It is a magnesium supplement in tablet form, dosed at 375 mg of magnesium per two tablets, which is exactly 100% of the nutrient reference value. The bottle holds 60, covering 30 days at the recommended dose.

The composition fits in two lines: magnesium citrate and silicon dioxide as an anti-caking agent. No colouring, no preservative, no sweetener. It is a formula with no dressing up, and on a mineral that is rather good news: you are paying for the magnesium, not the coating.

Citrate is a salt of magnesium and citric acid. It stands apart from the other forms in this section on two counts, one good and one to be aware of: it is well absorbed, and it speeds up transit. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What is in a two-tablet dose?

* Column calculated from the value declared for two tablets. Other components: magnesium citrate, anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide). NRV for magnesium within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 375 mg. Packaging: 60 tablets, i.e. 30 doses.

Here is a case where the figure calls for a frank explanation, because it is higher than what you usually see. 375 mg of magnesium in a single dose is 100% of the European reference value — and it is also above the 250 mg a day that EFSA sets as the safety limit for magnesium supplied by supplements. These two benchmarks do not say the same thing and are often confused: the NRV is a labelling reference, the EFSA limit a threshold of digestive tolerance.

In practice that means two things. First, a single tablet, at 187.5 mg, stays within bounds and already covers half the reference value — a perfectly sensible option, and often the right one. Second, if you take both tablets and you are also taking a multivitamin or a ZMA containing magnesium, do the sum: stacking is the real trap with this mineral.

On what magnesium does, European regulation is precise and generous: magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal muscle function, to electrolyte balance, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal psychological function, to the maintenance of normal bones and to normal protein synthesis. Those are the exact wordings, and they are enough.

A final word on what you will not see here: the weight of the citrate salt is not published, only elemental magnesium. That is the right way to do it, and it deserves credit — plenty of labels display the big salt figure in the hope that it will be mistaken for the mineral.

How do you take Magnesium Citrate?

Dose: 2 tablets, or 1 to start with. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: 30 minutes before bed. Frequency: once a day. Duration: a 30-day course, repeatable as needed.

Our advice, and it differs slightly from the label: start with a single tablet for a week. Citrate speeds up transit, that is its signature, and 375 mg all at once causes loose stools in some people from day one. At 187.5 mg tolerance is much better, and you can then see whether you need the second.

If you do take both tablets, split them — one at midday, one in the evening. That improves digestive tolerance more reliably than any change of form, and absorption is slightly better for it.

Three combination instructions given by the manufacturer, and they are sound. Leave two hours between this and any calcium, iron or zinc you take: these minerals compete for the same transporters. Avoid very high-fibre meals at the same time, since phytates reduce absorption. And drink enough throughout the course.

On the time of day, the manufacturer settles on the evening. That is a convenient habit rather than a necessity: magnesium has no acute effect, and what counts over thirty days is not forgetting it. Take it whenever you will remember.

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

It suits those who want a straightforward dose and a simple product, with no additives and no capsule, and those whose transit is on the slow side — the accelerating effect of citrate then becomes an advantage rather than a drawback. It also suits people who sweat a lot or who are in a prolonged calorie deficit, two situations in which intake drops.

It is not recommended in cases of severe renal insufficiency: that is the contraindication carried by the manufacturer, and it is essential. The kidney is the route by which magnesium is eliminated; when it works poorly, magnesium accumulates. If you are on medical treatment, consult a healthcare professional — magnesium notably interferes with the absorption of thyroid hormones, of certain antibiotics and of bisphosphonates taken at the same time. Traces of gluten, egg, milk, fish and soya are possible.

It is not for you if you have a sensitive gut or an already rapid transit. That is the real limit of this form, and we would rather say so before purchase than after: at 375 mg of citrate, digestive discomfort is common. In that case a bisglycinate will suit you far better.

What not to expect from it. It is not a sleeping aid: the evening dose is a habit, not a demonstrated effect, and no claim about sleep is authorised. If your problem is falling asleep, our melatonin section answers the question better. Nor is it a treatment for exercise cramps: those come down first of all to hydration and sodium losses, which our electrolytes cover. And it is not a performance product: securing an intake is not the same as moving heavier loads.

Magnesium citrate or bisglycinate?

This is the only trade-off that really matters in this section, and it is not settled on absorption — both forms are properly absorbed — but on transit and on price.

Bisglycinate is magnesium chelated to two glycine molecules. It is the best-tolerated form in the magnesium section, the one that causes the fewest loose stools, and it is the better choice if your gut is sensitive, if you have tolerated a magnesium badly in the past, or if you are planning a long course. Its drawback: the salt weighs a lot for little mineral, which means multiplying the capsules, and it costs considerably more per milligram of elemental magnesium.

Citrate, the form on this page, does exactly the opposite. It reaches 375 mg in just two tablets and costs far less. Its accelerating effect on transit is a real drawback for some and an advantage for others — if you tend towards constipation, this is the form you want, and nobody is going to say so on your behalf.

The practical advice: start with citrate, at one tablet. It is cheaper, and within a week you will know whether you tolerate it. If the answer is no, move to bisglycinate without hesitating. And if your needs also cover zinc, a ZMA brings the two minerals together in one dose, at the cost of absorption competition between them. The vitamin D section usefully rounds the whole thing out in winter.

Frequently asked questions

375 mg a day, isn't that too much?

It is 100% of the nutrient reference value, but above the 250 mg a day that EFSA sets as the limit for magnesium supplied by supplements. A single tablet, at 187.5 mg, stays under that threshold and already covers half the reference. Start there, and only add the second if you tolerate it well.

Why does citrate cause loose stools?

Because it exerts an osmotic effect in the gut: it draws water into the intestinal lumen and speeds up transit. That is not a manufacturing fault, it is a property of the form, known and predictable. It eases off if you split the dose and take the tablets during a meal.

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

The manufacturer advises an empty stomach for absorption, and avoiding very high-fibre meals. In practice, if taking it on an empty stomach gives you loose stools, take the tablets in the middle of a light meal: you will lose a little on absorption, and you will get through the thirty-day course.

How long does a bottle last?

Thirty days at two tablets a day, sixty if you take only one. The manufacturer settles on a repeatable thirty-day course; with a mineral you have to think in weeks, since no effect shows up within a few days.

Does magnesium help you sleep?

No claim of that kind is authorised, and we are not going to make one. The permitted wordings speak of normal functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function, which is not a sedative effect. The evening dose recommended by the manufacturer is a matter of habit, not of demonstration.

Can it be combined with a multivitamin?

Yes, but do the sum first. Most multivitamins already contain 50 to 100 mg of magnesium, and many ZMAs provide 150 to 450 mg. Stacking two sources takes you easily beyond EFSA's 250 mg limit, with digestive discomfort as the only result.

Is the product suitable for vegetarians?

These are tablets, not capsules: there is therefore no gelatine shell. The composition consists only of magnesium citrate and silicon dioxide, two ingredients of non-animal origin. The manufacturer does, however, flag possible traces of egg, milk and fish linked to manufacturing.

Where to buy IO Genix Magnesium Citrate?

The 60-tablet bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship anywhere in France and Europe. One bottle covers a full month's course, which makes it one of the simplest ways to secure a magnesium intake.

At the Vendargues counter, about ten minutes from Montpellier, the question we always ask in this section is not remotely technical: how is your transit? That is what decides between a citrate and a bisglycinate, far more than any absorption argument. The rest of the minerals can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix MAP EAA?

This is a powdered essential amino acid drink mix, with a serving of 12.6 g, or three scoops. The flavours we stock: Lemon, Raspberry, Pomme Verte and Ice The Peach.

What sets it apart is the sourcing of three of its amino acids: the leucine, valine and isoleucine are Kyowa Quality®, a designation from the Japanese manufacturer Kyowa Hakko, which produces its amino acids by fermentation. Naming the raw-material supplier rather than simply writing “amino acids” is something few brands in the EAA aisle bother to do, and it at least lets you know what you are buying.

Added to this are 35 mg of AstraGin®, a blend of astragalus and Panax notoginseng extracts, and 2.8 mg of vitamin B6. The rest is citric acid, silicon dioxide, flavouring, sucralose and acesulfame K. The manufacturer declares the formula sugar-free, fat-free and lactose-free, and of plant origin. The full Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix aisle.

What is in a 12.6 g serving?

The manufacturer publishes neither an energy value, nor macronutrients, nor salt, nor the number of servings per tub — divide the weight printed on the packaging by 12.6 g to work it out.

One gap deserves to be flagged rather than glossed over: the lysine content is not quantified, even though it appears third in the ingredients list. Since descending order is mandatory, that means it weighs more than the isoleucine, so more than 1,334 mg — but we cannot give a precise figure. Adding up the eight quantified amino acids gives 8,468 mg; with the lysine, the total comfortably exceeds 9.8 g.

The headline figure remains 2,400 mg of leucine per serving, with a leucine-isoleucine-valine ratio close to 2:1:1.3. That is a sound dose, in the upper half of the category. Note that tryptophan is genuinely present at 134 mg and histidine at 466 mg: these are the two amino acids that budget formulas most often “forget”, because they are expensive.

As for what we can state, the framework is clear: no health claim is authorised in Europe for free amino acids, nor for astragalus, nor for notoginseng. The improved-absorption percentages that circulate about AstraGin® cannot be repeated, and we will not repeat them. The only usable wording comes from the vitamin B6, at 200% of the NRV: vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism, to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Our vitamin B aisle offers dedicated products if that is your main requirement.

How do you take MAP EAA?

Serving: 12.6 g, or three scoops. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of cold water. Timing: 30 minutes before the session, or sipped during training. Frequency: one serving a day, without exceeding 12.6 g. Duration: ongoing, as no fixed course is set.

Two hundred and fifty millilitres for 12.6 g makes for a tight dilution. A free-form amino acid powder is acidic and concentrated; if your first attempt tastes harsh, go up to 400 ml before drawing any conclusions about the flavour. Use cold water: it dissolves less well when warm.

The manufacturer gives one unusual and relevant instruction: avoid taking it at the same time as complete proteins. The reasoning is competition between amino acids for intestinal transport — a whey shake taken at the same moment puts everything on the same transporters. Leave an hour between them if you take both.

The most relevant use remains during the session, sip by sip: that is where a clear drink beats a milky shake, and it gets you drinking at the same time. Thirty minutes beforehand also works if you train fasted.

Close the tub carefully and store it somewhere cool and dry: these powders draw in moisture and clump.

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

It is aimed at people who train fasted or a long way from a meal, those who cannot handle a milky shake during exercise, and those who want an identified raw material rather than an anonymous “amino acid blend”. As the formula is of plant origin and lactose-free, it suits dairy-free diets.

The list of contraindications here is longer than on an ordinary EAA, and we reproduce it in full because it is surprising. The manufacturer rules the product out for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for under-18s, for women with a personal or family history of breast cancer, and for anyone on antidiabetic medication without medical advice. Those last two are unusual on an amino acid powder; if they apply to you, the question is one for your doctor, not for a product page.

Traces of NUTS, PEANUT, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible, as the product is made in a facility that handles these allergens. Do not exceed 12.6 g per day.

It is less suitable if you want to compare down to the gram: the missing lysine content makes it impossible to calculate the exact total. It also contains sucralose and acesulfame K.

What you should not expect from it: an EAA is not a replacement for a protein intake. Roughly 10 g of amino acids is not worth 25 g of complete protein, and the cost per gram is far higher. If your daily intake is already adequate, this product will add nothing measurable.

MAP EAA or a whey isolate?

This is the comparison that decides it, and it turns on use rather than quality.

A whey isolate delivers 25 to 27 g of complete protein per serving, of which roughly 2.5 to 3 g is leucine — as much as this EAA, if not more — at an incomparably lower cost per gram. It is the better choice in the vast majority of cases: a thin breakfast, a snack, after the session. If you are only going to buy one product, buy that one, and our protein aisle covers every variant.

MAP EAA wins on one specific front, and it is its own: the training drink. Clear, tart, free of lactose and fat, it goes down where no shake would. It also wins for those who train fasted early in the morning, when a complete protein sits heavily on the stomach.

One last option exists and costs less: our BCAA aisle delivers only three of the nine amino acids. The saving is real, and so is the trade-off — an incomplete profile stays incomplete, and that is precisely what a complete EAA like this one puts right.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kyowa Quality®?

It is the trade designation for amino acids produced by the Japanese manufacturer Kyowa Hakko, by fermentation. Here it applies to the leucine, valine and isoleucine. Mentioning it commits the brand to a specific origin rather than to an adjective: we report this information as the manufacturer publishes it.

How much lysine is in a serving?

The manufacturer does not quantify it, and we will not invent it. It appears third in the ingredients list, which is ordered by descending weight: it therefore weighs more than the isoleucine, so more than 1,334 mg. The label on the tub you receive is the authority.

Why avoid taking it with a protein?

This is a manufacturer's instruction, and it rests on competition between amino acids for intestinal transport: a whey shake taken at the same moment saturates the same pathways. In practice, leave an hour between them if you take both on the same day.

What is AstraGin® for?

It is a blend of astragalus and Panax notoginseng extracts, dosed at 35 mg. As no health claim is authorised in Europe for these plants, we cannot state anything about its effect. We mention it because it appears on the label, and because it partly explains this product's unusual contraindications.

Why so many contraindications on a simple EAA?

The manufacturer rules out, among others, women with a history of breast cancer and anyone on antidiabetic medication without medical advice. These do not appear on a conventional EAA and are probably linked to the plant extracts in the formula. We reproduce them as they stand: if they apply to you, seek advice before buying.

How many servings are in a tub?

The net weight of the packaging is not included in the labelling data supplied, so we cannot calculate it. Divide the weight printed on the packaging by 12.6 g, which is the reference serving behind every figure on this page.

Is the formula suitable for vegans?

The manufacturer states a plant origin for the amino acids and a lactose-free formula, which is consistent with production by fermentation. Do note, however, the possible traces of milk, eggs and fish declared on the label, as the facility handles these allergens.

Where can you buy IO Genix MAP EAA Kyowa?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. This is a product for the seasoned user: it assumes the rest of your diet is already in place.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a label we read line by line with the customer, because it is at once very detailed on eight amino acids and silent on the ninth. Knowing how to spot that sort of detail is what lets you genuinely compare two tubs. The rest of the amino acids can be compared in our sports nutrition aisle.

What is IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg?

IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg is a single-ingredient supplement: one tablet supplies 1 mg of melatonin, with no added plant extracts, no added vitamins, no complex. The bottle holds 100 tablets, which is more than three months at one intake a day.

Melatonin is a hormone the body produces itself, secreted by the pineal gland as light levels fall. It does not bring on sleep as such: it tells the body that night is beginning, and it is that signal which triggers falling asleep. The distinction matters, and it explains everything about how the product is used.

It is also the only ingredient in the whole sleep category that holds a health claim authorised in Europe, which makes it a case apart. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a Melatonin tablet contain?

1 mg is not a cut-price dose: it is precisely the dose that counts. The claim authorised in Europe is specific and worth quoting as it stands: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, and that effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg shortly before bedtime. A second claim exists for jet lag: melatonin contributes to the alleviation of subjective feelings of jet lag, with at least 0.5 mg taken on the first day of travel, close to bedtime, and on the following days after arrival.

In other words, this tablet delivers the exact amount on which the approved dossier rests. That matters because the customer's instinct is often to look for the highest dose: with melatonin, going up to 5 or 10 mg improves nothing and increases the risk of lingering drowsiness the next morning. In France, the ceiling permitted in a food supplement is in any case 2 mg a day.

The second thing this product has going for it is its short formula. Many references in the category pair melatonin with five or six plants, none of which holds a claim, which pads out the label without adding anything demonstrable. Here you have one active, three bulking agents, one anti-caking agent. You know exactly what you are taking, and you can combine it with something else without any risk of overlap.

The formula contains no artificial colouring, no preservative and no animal gelatine. The manufacturer does, however, flag possible traces of gluten depending on manufacturing conditions.

Ingredients list

Bulking agents: calcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose; melatonin 1 mg; bulking agent: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; anti-caking agent: magnesium salts of fatty acids. No artificial colouring, no preservative, no animal gelatine. May contain traces of GLUTEN depending on manufacturing conditions.

How should you take Melatonin 1 mg?

Dose: 1 tablet. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. Timing: 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. Frequency: one intake a day. Duration: occasional or short-term use; beyond four weeks, the manufacturer asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

The timing of the intake is the decisive parameter, far more than the dose. Melatonin acts as a time signal: taken too early, it brings your night forward and wakes you at four in the morning; taken in bed, it has no time to do its job. Thirty to sixty minutes before lights out is the right window.

Switch off the screens after taking it. This is not a comfort tip: blue light suppresses the natural secretion of melatonin, and looking at your phone during the hour that follows amounts to cancelling out part of what the tablet has just delivered. It is by far the most common mistake, and it explains the majority of disappointed reports.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening for the same reason. A coffee at 17:00 is still active at 23:00, and no tablet makes up for that. If you train late, look at your pre-workout first: that is often where the cause lies.

The manufacturer suggests pairing the intake with magnesium or a ZMA, magnesium contributing to the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is a coherent pairing, provided you do not start everything on the same evening: add one product at a time, a fortnight apart, otherwise you will never know which one is working.

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

It suits an adult whose problem is specifically falling asleep: difficulty dropping off, shifted hours, coming back from a trip, a change in work pattern. On that ground it is the only ingredient in the category with an approved dossier, and that is reason enough to start with it.

The list of situations in which it is not advised is a long one, and it is drawn from the French public health recommendations as much as from the manufacturer. Melatonin is not advised for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for children and adolescents, for people with epilepsy, asthma, an inflammatory or autoimmune disease, or for those with mood, behavioural or personality disorders. It is also not advised for people on medication, in which case a doctor's advice is essential before taking any.

One safety point the manufacturer does not spell out: do not drive and do not operate machinery in the hours after taking it. Melatonin can cause drowsiness, and that is precisely the intended effect. This recommendation appears in the French public health opinions and is worth repeating.

What you should not expect from it: this is not a sleeping pill. It reduces the time it takes to fall asleep; it does not increase how long you sleep, it does not improve sleep quality, and it does not treat established insomnia. Insomnia lasting more than three weeks calls for a medical consultation, not a bottle of tablets. That is the most useful thing we can write on this page.

Melatonin or magnesium in the evening?

Both are sold for the same moment of the day and yet they answer distinct needs.

Magnesium works on physiological ground: it contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to energy-yielding metabolism and to normal muscle function. It is taken every day, over several weeks, and its value lies in correcting an insufficient intake — something common among athletes who sweat a great deal. It is the better choice if you get night cramps, if your diet is low in magnesium, or if you are after an underlying effect.

Melatonin corrects no intake: it sends a time signal, on an occasional basis, that same evening. It is the better choice if your problem is how long it takes you to drop off, if you are crossing time zones, or if your rhythm has shifted after a run of late nights. It is of no use at all, on the other hand, if you fall asleep quickly but sleep badly.

Two other options exist, with no authorised claim but with different rationales: GABA, an amino acid taken in the evening, and ashwagandha, a plant extract used in courses lasting several months. Neither can lay claim to any effect, and that is worth knowing before you compare labels.

Frequently asked questions

Why only 1 mg?

Because that is the amount on which the claim authorised in Europe rests: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep, through the consumption of 1 mg shortly before bedtime. Going higher does not improve the effect and increases the risk of drowsiness the next day. In France, the ceiling in a food supplement is 2 mg a day.

How long before going to bed?

Thirty to sixty minutes. Taken in bed, melatonin has no time to act; taken two hours beforehand, it shifts the night and causes an early waking. This window is the most important parameter of the product, more so than the dose.

Can it be taken every evening?

The manufacturer intends it for occasional or short-term use, and asks that you seek the advice of a healthcare professional beyond four weeks. That is not an excessive precaution: beyond a month of sleep difficulties, the question is no longer about the supplement but about the cause, and it is one for a doctor.

Can you become dependent on it?

Melatonin does not create physical dependence in the way some sleep medicines do. The risk is more psychological: that of no longer going to bed without it. That is one more reason to use it over short periods and to work on your hours and your light exposure alongside it.

Can you drive after taking it?

No. Melatonin can cause drowsiness, which is the intended effect but remains incompatible with driving or operating machinery. Take it once you are home, when the evening is over.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

Yes. The formula contains no animal gelatine and is limited to melatonin and a few bulking agents of mineral or plant origin. The only thing to watch is the traces of gluten flagged by the manufacturer depending on manufacturing conditions.

How long does a bottle last?

More than three months at one tablet a day, the bottle containing 100. Given the recommended use — occasional, or over a few weeks — a bottle actually covers several separate episodes across the year.

Where can you buy IO Genix Melatonin 1 mg?

The bottle of 100 tablets 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 sleep product we recommend first, and often the only one: when one ingredient has an approved claim and the others have none, you may as well start with that one. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Milk Protein Isolate 100?

It is a powdered milk protein isolate, providing 23.64 g of protein per 30 g serving for 102 kcal. The sizes listed here: 1 kg, around 33 servings, and 2 kg, around 66 servings.

A milk protein isolate is neither a whey nor a casein: it is whole milk stripped of its fat and its lactose, with its two protein fractions kept in their natural proportions — around 80% casein and 20% whey. That is what really sets it apart from the rest of the aisle: you get both digestion speeds in the same shaker, without having to buy two tubs. The raw material chosen is Solmiko HD MPI, and naming the supplier rather than writing “milk proteins” is something few brands in the proteins aisle take the trouble to do.

Added to this are the DigeZyme® enzyme complex and vitamin B6, then the ingredients that make up the formulation: fat-reduced alkalised cocoa in the chocolate flavours, potassium carbonate as an acidity regulator, flavouring, sodium chloride, sucralose and acesulfame K. The full Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix aisle.

What does a 30 g serving contain?

This is one of the most complete tables in the aisle: two columns, the kilojoules, the saturates, the sugars and the salt are all there, which many brands do not publish. Missing are the full amino acid breakdown, the fibre and the DigeZyme® content, which is not quantified.

The figure that defines this product is 102 kcal for 23.64 g of protein. Per serving, that means 93% of the calories in the shaker come from protein. It is hard to get any cleaner: 0.21 g of fat and 0.57 g of sugars per serving are amounts that count for nothing in any food diary, however strict.

The second figure is the protein content: 78.8 g per 100 g. That is the level of a good premium concentrate, below a whey isolate at 85-90 g. It is not a shortcoming, it is the nature of a milk protein isolate — and a gap of two or three grams per serving does not weigh heavily against what you get in return: a complete casein-whey profile.

Third point, the one the manufacturer does not put forward: 0.5 mg of vitamin B6 per serving, that is 35% of the NRV. That is above the 15% threshold that permits a regulatory wording, and it is therefore the only micronutrient we can say anything about: vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism, as well as to normal energy-yielding metabolism. As for the protein itself: protein contributes to a growth in and the maintenance of muscle mass. On DigeZyme®, by contrast, nothing can be asserted — no digestive claim is authorised in Europe for an enzyme complex. We mention it because it appears on the label.

How do you prepare Milk Protein Isolate 100?

Dose: 30 g, roughly one scoop. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml of water, skimmed milk or plant drink. Timing: on waking, between meals, or in a recipe. Frequency: 1 to 2 servings a day depending on your needs. Duration: continuous, as the manufacturer sets no course length.

The detail that matters with this kind of protein: casein thickens. At 200 ml the texture is dense, almost creamy; at 250 ml it stays fluid. It is a personal preference, but if you are coming from a whey, expect something thicker — and do not read it as a failure to dissolve. Pour the liquid in before the powder and shake for twenty seconds.

The manufacturer settles on three moments, and they are well chosen. On waking, when the previous meal is a long way behind. Between two main meals, as a snack. And in a recipe that is low in protein — porridge, fromage frais, pancakes — where the thick texture becomes an advantage rather than a drawback.

On the timing of the serving, let us stay sober: the twenty-four-hour protein total weighs far more heavily than the hour at which you drink the shaker. This product simply lends itself better than others to the moments when the intake has to last, thanks to its casein share.

Keep the tub tightly closed, in a cool, dry place.

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

It suits anyone who wants a single protein for the whole day rather than a whey in the morning and a casein in the evening. It also suits anyone watching their calories closely: 102 kcal for 23.6 g of protein is one of the best ratios in the aisle. And the 2 kg size will interest those getting through two shakers a day.

The product contains MILK and SOYA — worth noting in passing that soya appears among the declared allergens without appearing in the ingredient list supplied to us; if you have an allergy, work on the most cautious assumption and check the packaging. Traces of NUTS, EGG, GLUTEN, FISH, SULPHITES and CELERY are possible. The manufacturer reserves it for healthy adults and asks that it not be given to children or to pregnant women.

It is not suitable if you are allergic to milk proteins: “isolate” does not mean “free from milk proteins”, quite the opposite — that is precisely what you are buying. Nor is it suitable for vegans. And if your digestive discomfort is pronounced, be aware that the residual lactose, though low — the carbohydrates top out at 1.26 g per serving — is not nil.

What not to expect from it: an effect tied to digestion speed. Casein's reputation as the “night-time protein” dies hard; no claim allows it to be stated, and we will not write it. What you are buying that can be verified is a complete protein profile, very little fat and very few sugars.

Milk protein isolate or casein?

This is the comparison that counts, and it is subtler than the one between a whey and a casein.

A pure casein, generally micellar, contains only the slow fraction of milk proteins. It is the better choice if you are specifically after a very thick texture that can be eaten with a spoon, or if you already round out your day with a fast whey around training. It is often denser in the mouth and more filling.

The milk protein isolate supplies both fractions in their natural proportions. It is the better choice if you want a single tub for the whole day, and that is a genuine economic argument: one product instead of two, with a profile that works on waking as well as for a snack. Its values are excellent besides — 0.7 g of fat per 100 g.

If your priority is the highest protein content per serving and fast digestion around training, a whey isolate is where you should go: 85 to 92 g per 100 g, against 78.8 here. And if your difficulty is purely digestive, the digestive enzymes aisle offers dedicated products you dose yourself, rather than an unquantified complex built into a powder.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference from a whey?

A whey contains only the fast fraction of milk proteins. A milk protein isolate keeps both fractions, casein and whey, in their natural proportions — around 80% and 20%. In practice, the texture is thicker and the intake lasts longer, for a slightly lower protein content.

How many servings per tub?

Around 33 for the 1 kg size and 66 for the 2 kg, at 30 g per serving. At one shaker a day, that comes to a month and a little over two months respectively. The 2 kg does not exist in the Meringue Milk flavour: check availability before ordering.

78.8 g of protein per 100 g, is that low?

It is the level of a good concentrate, below a whey isolate at 85-90 g. Look instead at how the calories break down: 93% of those in the shaker come from protein, with 0.21 g of fat and 0.57 g of sugars per serving. On that criterion, the formula is very clean.

Is it suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

The carbohydrates top out at 1.26 g per serving, of which 0.57 g are sugars: the residual lactose is therefore very low, but not nil, and the manufacturer does not publish the exact figure. Most intolerant people tolerate it well. If you are allergic to milk proteins, however, this product is ruled out.

Why is the shaker so thick?

Because casein accounts for around 80% of the protein, and casein gels on contact with liquid. It is not a failure to dissolve. If the texture bothers you, go up to 250 ml rather than 200; if you like it, stay at 200 ml and eat it with a spoon.

What is the vitamin B6 in the formula for?

At 0.5 mg per serving, that is 35% of the reference value, it goes beyond the regulatory threshold of 15% and allows an authorised wording to be used: vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism. That is consistent with a protein product, and rarely done in the aisle.

Can it be used in cooking?

Yes, and that is in fact one of its most interesting uses. The manufacturer suggests it in low-protein recipes: porridge, fromage frais, pancakes. The thick texture of casein, which can be a nuisance in a shaker, becomes an advantage here — it binds the mixture without adding any fat.

Where can you buy IO Genix Milk Protein Isolate 100?

Both sizes and the full range of flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship anywhere in France and in Europe. If this type of protein is new to you, start with the 1 kg: the texture is frankly different from a whey, and you either like it or you do not.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we bring out when a customer is torn between buying a whey and a casein. Nine times out of ten, a single tub is enough to cover both uses, and the saving is immediate. The rest of the aisle can be compared in our sports nutrition section, and the associated vitamins in vitamin B.

What is IO Genix Multivit?

It is a vitamin and mineral supplement in capsules, whose daily serving comes down to a single unit. That capsule brings together twelve vitamins and eight minerals, twenty micronutrients in all.

It is a classic multivitamin format: one serving in the morning, nothing to measure out, nothing to split. Its distinctive feature is that it contains iron at 100 % of the reference value, which not every formula does — and that point deserves reading before you buy, as we come back to below.

One point of composition to know straight away: the capsule coating is gelatine, coloured with calcium carbonate and starch sodium octenyl succinate. The product is therefore suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

What does a capsule contain?

NRV within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011. The exact number of capsules per box does not appear in the labelling data passed on to us; the manufacturer refers to a 60-day course corresponding to a full box, which suggests 60 capsules — check it on the packaging rather than taking our word for it.

An honest reading of this table yields three lessons. The first is good: five nutrients reach 100 % of the NRV (B2, B3, biotin, folate, vitamin D, plus iodine and iron), and zinc goes as far as 150 %. All of them are well above the 15 % threshold that permits the regulatory wordings to be used, which is not the case for every multivitamin on the market.

The second is more qualified. Vitamin D at 5 µg covers 100 % of a reference value that is itself very low: in winter, at our latitudes, that dose will not do much for your status. If that is your concern, a dedicated product from the vitamin D section will be far more useful. The same goes for vitamin B12 at 40 %, which is not enough on a vegan diet.

The third is the most important, and nobody writes it: this multivitamin contains 14 mg of iron, as ferrous fumarate. For a menstruating woman, that is relevant. For an adult man or a post-menopausal woman, diet generally covers the requirement, and iron is not easily cleared: it builds up. It is not a nutrient to be taken “just in case” all year round for no reason. If that is your situation, choose an iron-free multivitamin instead, and keep the iron section for cases where a blood test has justified it.

The regulatory wordings available here are numerous; the main ones are these: iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body, to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to the normal function of the immune system and increases iron absorption; iodine contributes to normal thyroid function; zinc contributes to normal protein synthesis and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress; vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

How do you take Multivit?

Serving: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning, with breakfast. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: a course of at least 60 days, with the option of a week off every three months.

The instruction to take it at breakfast is not a matter of convenience. Four of the nutrients in this formula — vitamins A, D and E and beta-carotene — are fat-soluble: they need fat in the stomach in order to be absorbed. A capsule swallowed on an empty stomach with a black coffee means part of what you paid for leaves again untouched. A breakfast containing a little fat — eggs, full-fat fromage frais, nuts — is more than enough.

Two points about combining. The iron and the zinc in this formula are present at a full dose: do not add a zinc or iron supplement on top without doing the sum first. And if you take magnesium or calcium as a supplement, leave two hours between them: these minerals compete for the same intestinal transporters.

On duration: do not judge it after a week. A multivitamin corrects intakes, it does not produce a sensation. That is in fact the best criterion for spotting a product that promises too much.

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

It suits adults whose diet is irregular, periods of heavy training load, and phases of prolonged calorie deficit — three situations in which micronutrient intakes drop as a matter of course. It suits menstruating women particularly well, for whom iron at 100 % of the NRV is a real advantage.

The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and in case of allergy to any of the ingredients. Traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, MILK, FISH and SOYA are possible. Store in a dry place, away from light, out of the reach of children.

It is not suitable for vegetarians and vegans, as the coating is gelatine. Nor is it suitable, and we will say so plainly, for an adult man who eats a balanced diet and has no reason to supplement with iron: in that particular case, an iron-free formula is more appropriate. Finally, two of the forms chosen here are not the best in their category — zinc oxide and calcium carbonate are among the least well absorbed salts.

What not to expect from it: a multivitamin does not replace vegetables, does not give energy to someone whose status is normal, and improves no performance. “Contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue” means filling a gap, not powering up an ordinary day. It is a safety net, not an engine.

A multivitamin or separate supplements?

That is the real trade-off in this category, and it depends on how precisely you know what you need.

The multivitamin wins on simplicity and on coverage. One capsule, twenty nutrients, a single bottle to reorder, and the assurance of not leaving any one micronutrient at absolute zero. If you do not know what you are short of — which is true of most people — it is the rational choice, and by far the cheapest.

Separate supplements win as soon as the need has been identified. A dedicated vitamin D goes up to 25 or 50 µg where this multivitamin stops at 5. A vitamin C dosed at 1,000 mg bears no comparison with the 60 mg here. And above all, they let you avoid taking what you do not need — iron, once again, being the textbook case.

The advice we give most often: start with the multivitamin for two months. If a deficiency is suspected, have it measured, then target it. It is less spectacular than buying eight bottles, but it is how you avoid stacking three sources of zinc without noticing.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a multivitamin if you eat a balanced diet?

No, not as a matter of course, and nobody in the category will tell you so. A multivitamin makes sense when the diet is irregular, in a calorie deficit, or on a restrictive diet. In someone who eats a varied diet and eats enough, the extra intake brings nothing that has been demonstrated.

Why does this product contain iron?

Because it is a nutrient that is frequently insufficient in menstruating women. In an adult man or a post-menopausal woman, on the other hand, dietary intake is generally enough and iron builds up. If that is your case, an iron-free formula is more suitable, and a blood test will settle the question better than any product page.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The coating agent is gelatine, of animal origin. It is a point rarely highlighted on this type of product, and yet it rules out a proportion of buyers: check it as a matter of habit before buying a multivitamin, whatever the brand.

Can it be combined with other supplements?

Yes, provided you add up the totals. Zinc here is at 150 % of the NRV and iron at 100 %: a second product containing either will push you over with no benefit. Leave two hours, too, between it and any calcium or magnesium serving, as those compete with these minerals for absorption.

Why take it at breakfast rather than in the evening?

For two reasons. Vitamins A, D and E are fat-soluble and are absorbed far better in the presence of fat, so with a meal. And the B vitamins are involved in energy metabolism: the manufacturer prefers to place them at the start of the day, which is a sensible habit.

How long does a box last?

The manufacturer refers to a 60-day course for a full box, at one capsule a day. The exact number of capsules does not appear in our labelling data: check it on the packaging. It recommends a week's break every three months.

Is zinc at 150 % of the NRV too much?

Not in itself: 15 mg remains well below the safety benchmark of 25 mg a day set by EFSA for zinc from supplements. The risk is not this product on its own, but stacking — an evening ZMA commonly adds 15 to 30 mg, and you go over without meaning to.

Where can you buy IO Genix Multivit?

The box can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. One capsule a day, two months of it: this is the easiest supplement to fit into a routine.

At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this category prompts a question we always ask first: is there iron in what you are already taking? It is the micronutrient where invisible stacking is most common, and the one it is best not to pile up. The rest of the micronutrients can be compared in our sports nutrition selection.

What is IO Genix NAC600?

IO Genix NAC600 is a single-ingredient supplement. Each capsule provides 600 mg of N-acetylcysteine, and the rest of the formula comes down to the shell and an anti-caking agent. The bottle holds 60 capsules, which is two months of daily use.

N-acetylcysteine, abbreviated to NAC, is an acetylated derivative of L-cysteine, a sulphur-containing amino acid. Food supplies cysteine through animal protein, eggs, garlic and pulses. The acetylated form is more stable, which is why it is the one favoured in supplements.

Its biochemical interest rests on one precise point: cysteine is the rate-limiting amino acid in glutathione synthesis, glutathione being a tripeptide the body makes itself and one that takes part in the cellular mechanisms handling oxidative stress. Put another way, the availability of cysteine determines what the cell is able to produce. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our NAC section.

What does one NAC600 capsule contain?

600 mg per capsule is the benchmark dose for this molecule, and it fits into a single serving. That is a practical detail which matters more than it seems: many products in this category require you to swallow two or three capsules to reach the same amount. Here, one capsule in the morning and the day is taken care of.

The formula is about as short as you could imagine: the active, the shell, the anti-caking agent. No colouring, no flavouring, no added sugar, no additional complex. That is a sound selection criterion, and it lets you know exactly what you are taking and at what dose.

On the regulatory side, we should be blunt: no health claim is authorised in Europe for N-acetylcysteine or for cysteine. Not on oxidative stress, not on the body's defences, not on the airways, not on the liver. Cysteine's role as a precursor of glutathione is an established and documented fact of biochemistry; what oral supplementation actually produces in a healthy adult is another question, and one with no validated dossier at European level. So we describe the molecule and its dose, and promise nothing.

A final word on a statement we have removed from the previous version of this page: the manufacturer referred to a pharmaceutical grade raw material. That is a phrase we cannot verify and one that has no precise definition in the food supplement framework. We are not passing it on.

Ingredients list

N-acetylcysteine (600 mg per capsule), GELATINE (capsule shell), magnesium stearate (anti-caking agent). GMO-free, no artificial colouring, no added preservative.

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

How do you take NAC600?

Serving: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast, or two hours after a meal. Frequency: one serving a day, not to be exceeded. Duration: a 2 to 3 month cycle, followed by a one-month break.

The instruction to avoid protein-rich meals around the time you take it is not a whim, and it deserves an explanation. N-acetylcysteine is an amino acid derivative: it uses the same intestinal transporters as the amino acids in a protein meal, and so ends up in direct competition with them. Taken with a protein shake or a plate of meat, it is absorbed far less efficiently. First thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the window that solves the problem.

If your mornings do not lend themselves to it, the two-hours-after-a-meal rule works just as well. What matters is not taking it right alongside a protein intake.

The manufacturer also recommends drinking at least two litres of water a day during the course. That is a standard instruction with sulphur compounds, and it costs nothing to follow.

Two to three months on, one month off: a bottle of 60 capsules covers two months, so one complete short cycle. This is not a product to take all year round without a break, and the manufacturer does not intend it that way.

It combines without redundancy with a vitamin C, a coenzyme Q10 or a standardised turmeric — three products from the same family of uses that do not act on the same pathways. Introduce them one at a time, a fortnight apart. A multivitamin complex can sit alongside it too, provided you check that it does not already supply cysteine.

Who is NAC600 right for, and who is it not right for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult, athletic or not, who wants a single active properly dosed rather than a twelve-line complex. That is the main appeal of this format: one ingredient, one dose, one capsule, no ambiguity.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans: the shell is gelatine. That is the most frequent limitation across this range, and for some customers it decides the purchase.

The product is for adults only and must be kept out of reach of children. The manufacturer asks you to consult a healthcare professional before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medical treatment. That last situation deserves to be taken seriously: N-acetylcysteine is a molecule also used in a medical setting, and adding it to ongoing treatment is not a decision to take on your own.

It logically fits into a routine where the diet is already solid: no single active makes up for a shaky plate, and our protein section answers a far more fundamental need. A note on tolerance: at 600 mg and on an empty stomach, mild digestive discomfort is possible in the first few days for some people. It usually settles; if it persists, the two-hours-after-a-meal rule is a comfortable alternative.

The product may contain traces of gluten, egg, milk, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: this is not a treatment, it is not a stimulant, and you will feel nothing when you take it — which is entirely normal for this type of molecule. Nor is it a performance or a weight-loss product. Any question relating to the airways, the liver or ongoing treatment is one for your doctor or your pharmacist, never for a capsule bought on its own.

NAC or glutathione as a supplement?

The question comes up constantly, and it has a clear answer that often comes as a surprise.

Glutathione sold directly as a supplement has a known problem: it is a tripeptide, and a swallowed tripeptide is largely cut apart by digestion before it reaches the circulation. It is a little like tipping an already-built brick into a wall: it will be knocked down at the door.

N-acetylcysteine takes the opposite route: it supplies the rate-limiting material the cell uses to make its own glutathione. That is what explains why it is widely preferred at doses which, for the same amount, cost less. That is the reasoning behind this product.

If what you need is instead a short-formula antioxidant from another family, three routes exist with us: vitamin C, the simplest and the best regulated; coenzyme Q10, which acts at mitochondrial level; and standardised turmeric. None is interchangeable with the others, and it is better to try one at a time than to stack three.

Frequently asked questions

Why take it on an empty stomach?

Because N-acetylcysteine uses the same intestinal transporters as the amino acids in a protein meal and ends up competing with them. Taken with a shake or a plate of meat, it is noticeably less well absorbed. First thing in the morning, or two hours after a meal, settles the matter.

How long does a bottle last?

Two months, at one capsule a day for 60 capsules. The manufacturer recommends cycles of two to three months followed by a one-month break: a bottle therefore covers one complete short cycle, which keeps the maths simple.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No. The shell is gelatine, of animal origin. It is the most common limitation across this range and there is no plant-based version of this particular product.

Do you need to take breaks?

The manufacturer explicitly builds them in: one month off after two to three months of use. This is not a product for permanent use, and that alternation is part of the instructions rather than an optional precaution.

Do you feel anything?

No, and you should not expect to. It is a precursor that acts at cellular level, with no associated sensation. A product in this category that delivered a noticeable effect within the hour should arouse suspicion rather than satisfaction.

Can it be taken alongside medication?

Not without medical advice. The manufacturer explicitly asks for it, and the reason is a serious one: N-acetylcysteine is also a molecule used in a medical setting. If you are on treatment, the question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist before you buy.

Is there a taste or a smell?

The capsule masks most of it, which is welcome: N-acetylcysteine is a sulphur compound with a pronounced smell in powder form. That is in fact one of the arguments for the capsule format over powder versions of the same active.

Where can you buy IO Genix NAC600?

The 60-capsule bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues store, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product we are happy to sell, on one condition: that the customer accepts they will feel nothing. It is a background active, and saying so upfront heads off a good deal of disappointment ten days later. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Omega 3?

It is a fish oil supplement in softgel capsules, with a daily serving of two capsules providing 2,000 mg of fish oil and 12 mg of vitamin E. The bottle covers 45 servings, that is a month and a half.

The formula is short: fish oil, vitamin E in the form of d-L-alpha-tocopherol acetate, and a shell made of gelatine, glycerine and water. Because the shell is gelatine, the product is suitable for neither vegetarians nor vegans — this is something few product pages mention, and it rules out a proportion of buyers straight away.

The vitamin E is not there by chance: polyunsaturated fatty acids oxidise, and adding a fat-soluble antioxidant to the oil is the usual way of slowing that process inside the capsule. At 12 mg per serving, it also reaches 100% of the nutrient reference value. The product sits in our omega 3 and IO Genix sections.

What does a two-capsule serving contain?

Pack size: 45 servings of 2 capsules. NRV for vitamin E within the meaning of Regulation 1169/2011: 12 mg.

The two “not disclosed” lines deserve a pause, because they are the single most important point on this page. The manufacturer declares 2,000 mg of fish oil but does not publish, in the labelling data available to us, the EPA and DHA contents. Yet those two figures, and those alone, are what makes it possible to compare one omega 3 with another. A fish oil can contain 18% EPA-DHA or 60%: the weight of oil tells you nothing.

The direct consequence, and we own it: we cannot use any of the authorised claims for omega 3. The wording “EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart” assumes an intake of at least 250 mg a day, and “DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision” assumes 250 mg of DHA. With no declared content, those thresholds cannot be verified. We would rather say so than repeat a figure found elsewhere: check the EPA/DHA statement printed on the bottle you receive, that is what counts.

What we can state without reservation concerns vitamin E: vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. At 100% of the NRV per serving, the regulatory threshold is comfortably cleared. On the published data as it stands, that is the only claim usable on this product.

One last safety marker: EFSA regards 5 g a day of combined EPA and DHA as an intake that raises no concern in adults. A serving of 2 g of total oil stays well below that, whatever the actual concentration.

How do you take IO Genix Omega 3?

Serving: 2 capsules. Liquid: a large glass of water. Timing: with a meal, morning or evening, it makes no difference. Frequency: one serving a day. Duration: ongoing, as the manufacturer sets no fixed course length.

The “with a meal” instruction is not optional here, unlike with many supplements. This is an oil and a fat-soluble vitamin: their absorption depends directly on fat being present in the stomach at the same time. Two capsules swallowed on an empty stomach with a glass of water means part of the product goes to waste.

The remedy for fishy repeats, which is the leading reason people give up on this type of product, comes down to two tricks. Take the capsules in the middle of the meal rather than at the start, and keep the bottle somewhere cool: oil that has been warmed goes rancid, and a rancid capsule announces itself the moment you wake up.

On the time of day, the manufacturer does not take a view, and rightly so: omega 3 has no acute effect, only regularity counts. Take it at whichever meal you will reliably remember, which is usually dinner.

One combination precaution to finish: the manufacturer asks you to avoid taking it alongside an anticoagulant without medical advice. That question is one for your doctor, never for a product page.

Who is this omega 3 right for, and who is it not right for?

It is aimed at people who eat little oily fish — sardine, mackerel, salmon, herring — which is to say most people. Two capsules a day at dinner, one bottle every six weeks: it is an undemanding supplement, and its simplicity is its main selling point.

The product contains FISH. Traces of GLUTEN, EGG, MILK and SOYA are possible. The manufacturer advises against it for pregnant and breastfeeding women and rules it out for under-18s. It asks you to consult a healthcare professional in case of a clotting disorder, anticoagulant treatment or cardiovascular disease. Store in a dry place, away from light and moisture.

It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, since the capsule is gelatine and the contents are of marine origin. Nor is it suitable if you want to compare EPA and DHA doses precisely: with no published contents, the comparison cannot honestly be made, and that is this product's real limitation.

What not to expect from it. It is neither a cardiovascular treatment nor a performance product. No claim can be made here beyond the vitamin E one, and an omega 3 supplement does not replace two portions of fish a week — it fills a gap, and does nothing more than that.

Marine omega 3 or plant-based omega 3?

This is the only real choice in the category, and it turns not on a matter of principle but on a difference between molecules.

A fish oil supplies EPA and DHA directly, the two fatty acids the European claims relate to. A flaxseed-based plant omega 3, such as the one in the TrainedByJP range, supplies alpha-linolenic acid, which the body has to convert into EPA and then DHA — a conversion known to be limited. The authorised wording is not the same either: ALA “contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels”, which is a different matter.

Plant omega 3 is the better choice, and the only possible one, if you are vegan, allergic to fish, or if the marine aftertaste has made you give up in the past. That is reason enough: a product taken every day beats a better-designed product that stays in the cupboard.

Fish oil keeps the advantage on direct EPA and DHA intake. That said, on this particular product those contents are not published: if your aim is to reach the 250 mg a day that unlocks the claims, choose a product in the category that states its figures. To round things off in winter, our vitamin D section answers a neighbouring and far better documented need; and if it is the antioxidant side that interests you, the vitamin E and CoQ-10 sections offer dedicated formulas.

Frequently asked questions

How much EPA and DHA are in one serving?

The manufacturer does not publish these contents in the labelling data available to us. We will not invent them: they are, however, the only figures that allow two omega 3 products to be compared, since the weight of fish oil carries no informative value on its own. Check the statement on the bottle you receive.

Why does it have to be taken with a meal?

Because this is an oil and a fat-soluble vitamin. Their absorption depends on fat being present in the digestive tract at the same time. Two capsules on an empty stomach with a glass of water means part of the product is lost — and it is a very common mistake.

How do you avoid fishy repeats?

Two habits are enough in most cases: swallow the capsules in the middle of the meal rather than at the start, and keep the bottle somewhere cool. Oil that has been warmed goes rancid, and a rancid capsule announces itself immediately. If the problem persists, a plant-based omega 3 will settle the matter.

How long does a bottle last?

Forty-five days, at two capsules a day, that is 45 servings. The manufacturer sets no fixed course length and recommends ongoing use: with this type of nutrient, it is regularity over several months that counts, not an intensive three-week stint.

Are the capsules suitable for vegetarians?

No, on two counts. The shell is gelatine of animal origin, and the contents are a fish oil. A vegetarian or vegan should turn to a plant-based omega 3, bearing in mind that it supplies ALA rather than EPA and DHA.

Can it be taken alongside anticoagulant treatment?

Not without medical advice: that is the precaution explicitly stated by the manufacturer, which also covers clotting disorders and cardiovascular disease. This question is one for your doctor or your pharmacist, the only people who know your medication.

What is the vitamin E doing in the formula?

It plays two roles. Inside the capsule, it is a fat-soluble antioxidant that slows the oxidation of the oil. In the body, at 12 mg per serving, that is 100% of the NRV, it allows the only regulatory wording usable on this product to be applied: vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Where can you buy IO Genix Omega 3?

The bottle can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. This is a supplement that works over the long run: better to order one in advance than to break off for three weeks.

At the Vendargues store, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a category where we systematically turn the bottle over before selling it, so we can read the EPA-DHA line together. It is the only figure that matters, and many customers discover on that occasion that until then they had been comparing weights of oil. The rest of the category can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.

What is IO Genix Original Pancake?

IO Genix Original Pancake is a powdered mix for protein pancakes. A 33 g serving provides 12.2 g of protein for 121 kcal, with just 1.5 g of sugars. The powder is mixed with 70 ml of water and cooked for two to three minutes on each side. Several versions exist, one plain vanilla, the other chocolate.

The base of the recipe is oat flour, to which the manufacturer has added three different protein sources: ovalbumin, in other words egg white protein, a whey protein concentrate and micellar casein. This trio is no accident: the three proteins are not digested at the same rate, and above all they do not behave in the same way when cooked.

That is precisely what sets a good pancake mix apart from whey simply stirred into a batter: ovalbumin coagulates and provides the structure, exactly as an egg would in a conventional recipe, whereas whey on its own produces a dry, rubbery disc. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix aisle, and the other products in the category in our protein pancakes aisle.

What does a serving of Original Pancake contain?

The per 100 g column is calculated from the per serving values published by the manufacturer.

37% protein in the powder is the figure that changes everything. A standard supermarket pancake mix sits at around 8 to 10 g of protein per 100 g. Here you are four times higher, and the protein content of the serving — 12.2 g — accounts for roughly 40% of its total energy. That level qualifies the product for the high protein claim under European regulation, and it permits the only valid wording on the subject: protein contributes to a growth in and the maintenance of muscle mass.

The sugar line is the other pleasant surprise. 1.5 g per serving, or 4.5 g per 100 g, which places the product below the European threshold for the low in sugars claim. The flavour comes from cocoa, flavouring and sucralose, not from a load of sugar. Compare that with a ready-made supermarket pancake batter: the difference runs to several tens of grams of sugars per 100 g.

A word on what the serving actually amounts to. 33 g of powder makes a modestly sized pancake: this is a snack, not a full breakfast. For a proper meal, count on two servings, that is 66 g of powder, 24.4 g of protein and 242 kcal — which remains reasonable.

Data missing from the manufacturer's file: the net weight of the pouch and the number of servings it contains are not disclosed. We will not infer them. They appear on the packaging you receive.

Ingredients list

Oat flour (GLUTEN), ovalbumin (EGG), Lactomin whey protein concentrate (MILK), micellar casein (MILK), fructose, cocoa powder, flavouring, maltodextrin, sweetener (sucralose).

Contains GLUTEN, EGG and MILK. May contain traces of WHEAT, FISH and SOYA. The composition varies by version: the cocoa applies only to the chocolate variant. Check the label on the pouch you receive.

How do you make Original Pancake?

Dose: 33 g of powder per serving. Liquid: 70 ml of water, or a plant-based drink for extra creaminess. Cooking: 2 to 3 minutes on each side, over a medium heat, in a non-stick pan. When: breakfast, post-workout snack, or dessert. Frequency: one serving a day according to the manufacturer.

The 33 g to 70 ml ratio is tighter than it looks, and that is deliberate. A batter that is too runny spreads out, burns at the edges and stays raw in the middle: that is mistake number one with this type of mix. First blend the powder and the liquid until you have a smooth, lump-free batter, then let it rest for a minute before pouring.

The medium heat is not negotiable. A protein batter browns far faster than a conventional pancake batter, because the proteins react with the sugars as it cooks. Over a high heat you end up with a pancake that is black outside and raw inside in less than a minute. Two to three minutes per side over a medium heat, and the result is consistent.

The pan should be non-stick and barely greased. A cooking spray is more than enough and avoids adding ten grams of fat to a recipe that contains only 1.2 g.

Eat the pancake within half an hour of cooking: it dries out faster than a conventional pancake as it cools. For a topping, a zero sauce, a zero jam or a spoonful of peanut butter transforms the snack without blowing up the totals.

Who is Original Pancake for, and who is it not for?

It suits anyone who wants a protein breakfast or snack that is eaten rather than drunk — and that matters, since shaker fatigue is the leading reason people abandon a nutrition plan. It also suits people in a calorie deficit who want to keep a moment of pleasure without compromising their day.

It is not suitable for people allergic to egg, to milk proteins or sensitive to gluten, and the manufacturer says so plainly. These three allergens are main ingredients, not traces: ovalbumin, whey and casein on one side, oat flour on the other. Nor, therefore, is it suitable for vegans.

The product may contain traces of wheat, fish and soya. The manufacturer points out that it must be eaten cooked — the raw batter contains ovalbumin and flour, and is not to be eaten as it is.

What not to expect from it: this is not a protein powder. 12.2 g per serving is half a standard shake, and this product does not replace one if your goal is a high protein intake. Nor is it a slimming product: 121 kcal a serving are still calories, simply better distributed than elsewhere.

Finally, a 33 g serving remains modest. If you are expecting a filling breakfast, you need two, and it is better to know that before ordering.

Pancake mix or whey in a homemade batter?

Plenty of lifters make their own batter: oat flour, whey, an egg. That is perfectly valid, and we should be honest about what the ready-made mix adds.

The homemade blend costs less per gram and lets you adjust everything. Its shortcoming is a constant one: whey on its own stands up poorly to cooking and gives a dry, elastic texture. Adding a whole egg fixes the problem but weighs the recipe down and makes the dosing hit-and-miss from one time to the next.

The ready-made mix solves exactly that point, and it is its only real argument: the ovalbumin plays the structuring role of the egg, the casein brings softness, and the result is identical every time you cook. You are paying for consistency and time saved, not for a miracle ingredient.

If you prefer the homemade version, our oat flour aisle offers the base and our protein aisle the protein part. And if all you need is a snack to take with you, protein snacks save you the frying pan.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein is in a serving?

12.2 g for 33 g of powder, that is 37% of the mix and roughly 40% of its energy content. That level qualifies the product for the “high protein” claim under European regulation, and it puts it well above an ordinary pancake mix.

Can water be replaced with milk?

Yes, and the manufacturer suggests it with a plant-based drink for extra creaminess. Do count the calories and protein of the liquid on top. Milk gives a richer batter and a softer pancake; water remains the lightest choice.

Why cook over a medium heat?

Because a protein batter browns far faster than a conventional one: the proteins react with the sugars as soon as the temperature rises. Over a high heat, the pancake blackens before it is cooked through. Two to three minutes per side over a medium heat give a consistent result.

Does this product contain gluten?

Yes, the product's oat flour is declared as containing gluten. It is therefore not suitable for coeliacs or strict intolerants. This is not a trace warning but a main ingredient.

Is it suitable for vegetarians?

Yes for vegetarians: the proteins come from egg and milk, with no meat-derived ingredient. It is not, however, suitable for vegans, for the same reason. A plant protein based mix would then be the right choice.

How many servings per pouch?

The manufacturer publishes neither the net weight nor the number of servings, and we will not invent them. The information appears on the packaging you receive. For your calculations, bear in mind that one serving is 33 g of powder.

Can the batter be made in advance?

It is not advisable. The proteins begin to alter the texture of the batter over a long rest, and the cooked result becomes inconsistent. A minute's rest is enough and improves the texture; a night in the fridge, no.

Where to buy IO Genix Original Pancake?

The versions can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, around ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we offer to those who tell us they can no longer face shakes: chewing your protein intake does more for sticking to a nutrition plan than any formula. The rest of the aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.