1,247 new studies reviewed in the last 72 hours Actively refining for accuracy
The fun side of the database

733 supplements.
27,000+ studies.
A few wild surprises.

The dense reviews live in the Index. This page is the highlight reel — the safest, the scariest, the most overhyped, and the facts that didn't fit anywhere else.

Wild Fact · 1 / 15
—
 
 

Loading the wildest facts in the database…

See entry

Top 10 safest supplements

These are the ones you can hand a stranger without a second thought. Wide therapeutic windows, clean tox profiles, and decades of human data.
Sorted by composite score
1
Oral rehydration salts (WHO formula)
Score 100/100 · the only perfect score in the database
UNICEF and WHO call it the most cost-effective intervention in modern medicine. Cents per serving, decades of trial data, and no meaningful toxicity at intended doses.
2
Electrolyte replacement (clinical)
Hospital-grade electrolyte mix. Same evidence base as ORS, formulated for adults instead of pediatric dehydration.
3
Creatine monohydrate
500+ trials. ISSN's 2017 position stand: safe in healthy adults at 3–5 g/day. New 2024–25 reviews extend the safety record to older adults and teen athletes.
4
Psyllium husk (soluble fibre)
Cochrane review of 28 RCTs and one of only ~12 supplements with an authorized FDA health claim — for coronary heart disease at 7 g/day.
5
Oat beta-glucan
Cochrane meta-analysis: 58 RCTs, N=3,974, LDL cholesterol down 5–10% at 3 g/day. Also FDA-approved cholesterol claim.
6
Protein supplementation (sarcopenia)
PROT-AGE consensus: older adults need 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day — roughly double the dietary RDA — to preserve muscle.
7
Lactase enzyme
Cochrane-confirmed for lactose intolerance. Acts only in the gut, doesn't enter the bloodstream — virtually no downside.
8
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine, clinical)
Life-saving in alcohol-use disorder and refeeding syndrome. Therapeutic doses are 100–500 mg/day with no documented chronic toxicity.
9
L-Leucine (standalone)
2.5–3 g triggers muscle protein synthesis via mTOR. The "leucine threshold" matters more than total protein at any single meal.
10
Melatonin (0.1–0.5 mg, physiological)
Matches natural nighttime peaks (50–200 pg/mL) without next-day grogginess. Most retail products are 10–30× higher than they need to be.

Top 10 most dangerous

These have documented liver failure, kidney damage, cancer, or deaths. Several are still legally sold in the U.S.
All scored ≤ 26/100
1
Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Score 22/100 — the lowest in the entire database
More than 50 documented hepatitis cases including transplants. Germany's BfArM withdrew authorization in 2008 after a formal benefit–risk review.
2
Aristolochic acid
IARC Group 1 human carcinogen. Causes "Chinese herb nephropathy" — irreversible kidney failure and upper urinary-tract cancer at low cumulative doses.
3
Usnic acid
Acute liver failure, multiple transplants, at least one death traced to the LipoKinetix recall. FDA warning since 2001 — still appears in fat burners.
4
Calomel (mercurous chloride)
A mercury compound, banned from OTC drugs by the FDA. Irreversible kidney and central nervous system damage. Still surfaces in "detox" products online.
5
Comfrey (oral)
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids cause hepatic veno-occlusive disease. FDA, EMA, and the Australian TGA advise against any oral use. Topical only.
6
Cesium chloride
Marketed as an alkaline "cancer cure." Multiple deaths from torsades de pointes (fatal arrhythmia). FDA issued a formal compounding warning in 2018.
7
Germander
Banned in France since 1992 after at least 26 reported cases of liver injury, including one death linked to a popular slimming product.
8
Chaparral (Larrea tridentata)
FDA's Special Nutritional Adverse Event Monitoring System has logged hepatitis, fulminant liver failure, and at least one death tied to chaparral teas.
9
Pennyroyal oil
Pulegone is a potent hepatotoxin. Fatalities documented from as little as 10 mL ingested as a "natural abortifacient." It is neither.
10
Amanita muscaria
Sold as TikTok "microdose" gummies. Muscimol and ibotenic acid produce delirium, seizures, and coma at higher doses — outcomes are unpredictable batch-to-batch.

The most-studied supplements on Earth

If a supplement has hundreds of human trials, you can stop guessing. These are the ones we know the most about — for better or worse.
Top 10 by research score
1
Creatine monohydrate
500+ studies and counting. Safe across age groups; effective for strength, recovery, and (per new meta-analyses) cognition.
2
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
Meta-analyses pool 40,000+ people. REDUCE-IT showed 25% drop in cardiac events at high-dose EPA.
3
Vitamin D3
Hundreds of trials. The most-tested fat-soluble vitamin in modern medicine.
4
Caffeine (standardised)
The most-studied ergogenic aid in sports science, period.
5
Psyllium husk
Article #92 on this site is literally called "Psyllium Husk, 420 Clinical Trials, an FDA Health Claim."
6
Oat beta-glucan
Cochrane meta-analysis of 58 RCTs (N=3,974). LDL drops 5–10%.
7
Zinc
2024 Cochrane review pooled 34 trials and 8,500+ people for cold/immune outcomes.
8
Melatonin
Hundreds of trials across sleep, jet lag, ICU delirium, even chemo-supportive care.
9
Oral rehydration salts
Decades of WHO data. Possibly the most-studied formulation in any pharmacy.
10
Whey protein
The most-trialled protein source in sports nutrition, with strong sarcopenia evidence too.

Most overhyped of 2026

Marketing-driven supplements with efficacy scores of 1 or 2 out of 5. Some have zero human trials. The TikTok-to-evidence ratio is wild.
Efficacy ≤ 2/5
1
Sea moss (Irish moss)
Efficacy 1/5 — the lowest possible
Zero clinical trials in humans for any of the wellness claims. Independent testing has found iodine content as high as 47 mg per gram — over 300× the adult RDA — plus regular heavy-metal contamination.
2
Turkesterone / Ecdysteroids
Two RCTs in 2024–25 (Smith and Wilborn groups) found no effect on muscle mass, strength, or body fat at typical doses. The TikTok "natural anabolic" doesn't anabolize.
3
Fadogia agrestis
Zero human trials. Animal studies actually flagged testicular toxicity at the doses being recommended online.
4
Shilajit (Mumie)
A 2023 Indian government test of 73 retail samples found ~40% exceeded permissible limits for lead, arsenic, or mercury.
5
Tongkat ali
2024 RCT in healthy adult men (n=109): no measurable change in testosterone, libido, or strength versus placebo.
6
NMN / NAD+ precursors
NMN reliably raises blood NAD+ 2–4×. But the 2025 Prokopidis meta-analysis (J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle) found no functional gains — strength, walking speed, body comp — in older adults.
7
Spermidine
The entire human longevity evidence base is a single 60-person pilot. Marketed as autophagy insurance anyway.
8
Urolithin A
One published 2024 trial. ~$60/month for proprietary "Mitopure." Premium pricing on preliminary evidence.
9
Lion's mane mushroom
2025 acute crossover RCT in young adults: no cognitive or mood benefit on standardised tests despite plausible animal data.
10
Apigenin
Popularised by longevity influencers at 50–100 mg/day. Most human trials use far lower flavonoid intakes — the dose-response isn't characterised.

Hidden gems no one markets

High-evidence supplements that almost nobody Instagrams about. Most cost less than your morning coffee per month.
Strong evidence, low buzz
1
Oral rehydration salts
100/100 · cents per serving
If a pharma company invented this today they'd charge $40 a bottle. Nobody markets it because nobody owns it.
2
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) — 400 mg/day
Cochrane: prevents about 2 migraine days per month. Costs pennies. Most migraine sufferers have never heard of it.
3
Melatonin (0.1–0.5 mg)
The micro-dose. Quietly outperforms the 5–10 mg "knockout" gummies most retailers sell.
4
Sodium bicarbonate (sports)
Possibly the cheapest legal ergogenic in existence. Lifters and rowers who use it gain real anaerobic capacity.
5
L-Carnitine
40 years of cardiac and fertility data. Almost never advertised because it's off-patent.
6
Glycine (3 g pre-bed)
Improves measurable sleep quality. Tastes mildly sweet. Costs almost nothing.
7
Niacinamide (3,000 mg/day)
Matches NSAIDs for knee osteoarthritis pain — and beats glucosamine head-to-head.
8
Lactoferrin
Raises haemoglobin similarly to ferrous sulphate, with virtually none of the GI upset.
9
Boswellia serrata
Topped a 2025 network meta-analysis of supplements for knee OA — beating glucosamine and chondroitin.
10
Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (Ca-AKG)
Serum AKG drops 10× from age 30 to 80. Quietly one of the most interesting longevity compounds.

By goal: what to actually take

Cherry-picked top picks for six common goals. Tier 1 / 2 only — no trending wishful thinking.
Evidence-led shortlists
Sleep
  • Magnesium glycinate200–400 mg
  • Glycine3 g pre-bed
  • Melatonin0.1–0.5 mg
  • L-Theanine200 mg
Focus
  • Caffeine + L-Theanine100/200 mg
  • Creatine monohydrate3–5 g
  • Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)1–2 g
  • Rhodiola rosea200–600 mg
Strength
  • Creatine monohydrate3–5 g daily
  • Whey + L-Leucine20–40 g + 2.5 g
  • Beta-Alanine3.2–6.4 g
  • Sodium bicarbonate0.3 g/kg pre-event
Heart
  • EPA (high-dose)2–4 g
  • Psyllium husk7 g (FDA claim)
  • Oat beta-glucan3 g
  • CoQ10 / K2 (MK-7)100–300 mg / 90–180 µg
Immunity
  • Zinc lozenges13–24 mg at onset
  • Vitamin D31,000–4,000 IU
  • Cranberry (UTI)500 mg PAC
  • L. rhamnosus GG10 billion CFU
Healthy aging
  • Protein (sarcopenia)1.2–1.6 g/kg
  • Creatine3–5 g
  • Vitamin D31,000–2,000 IU
  • Riboflavin (migraines)400 mg

Things you should literally never do

Dangerous combinations, mega-doses, and the pediatric ER's greatest hits. Print this and put it on the fridge.
Kids' supplements are not low-stakes
Pediatric melatonin ER visits rose 530% from 2012–2021 (CDC/AAP). Iron remains the #1 cause of pediatric supplement-related death — a single adult-strength tablet can kill a toddler. Lock every bottle.
Iron + a curious toddler
A single adult-strength iron tablet can kill a child under 6. Iron is the leading cause of pediatric supplement death. Always child-proof.
Pediatric melatonin gummies, casually
Pediatric melatonin ER visits are up 530% (2012–21). The candy form is the problem; gummy doses vary 30–80% from label.
St. John's Wort + an SSRI / SNRI
Risk of fatal serotonin syndrome. Same goes for 5-HTP + an MAOI.
St. John's Wort + warfarin / OCP / chemo / HIV meds
It's a powerful CYP3A4 inducer. It can wipe drug levels low enough to fail therapy.
Kava extract + alcohol or acetaminophen
The solvent-extracted form is already hepatotoxic. Stacking is asking for a transplant.
Vitamin K2 + warfarin
Direct antagonism. Never combine without anticoagulation-clinic supervision.
Vitamin E ≥ 400 IU/day, chronically
Cochrane meta-analyses linked chronic high-dose E to increased all-cause mortality.
Vitamin A > 10,000 IU/day
Liver damage and severe birth defects (NIH). Especially dangerous in pregnancy.
Berberine on top of metformin / insulin
Additive hypoglycemia. Berberine + statins also raises statin toxicity risk.
DMAA / DMHA "shred" pre-workouts
Heart attacks, seizures, BP spikes. They keep getting rebranded.
Yohimbe at fat-burner doses
ER admissions for arrhythmia and panic attacks. Wide variability between products.
Anything labelled "research chemical"
SARMs, tianeptine, phenibut. They're unapproved drugs in supplement clothing.

Pregnancy: take vs avoid

An at-a-glance reference. Always confirm with your obstetrician — but these are the consistent ACOG / NIH / WHO positions on what's worth taking and what to skip.
Educational, not a prescription
TakeEssentials (with clinician sign-off)
AvoidHard nos
Folate (5-MTHF)600–800 µg
Choline450 mg/day (AI)
DHA (algal or fish)200–300 mg
Vitamin D31,000–2,000 IU
Iron (if deficient)27 mg (RDA)
Iodine (in prenatal)150 µg
Prenatal multi (ACOG)once daily
Vitamin A retinol> 10,000 IU/day
Kava (any form)liver risk
St. John's WortCYP3A4 induction
Green tea extract (high)folate antagonist
Ashwagandhaabortifacient (theoretical)
Saw palmetto / Pygeumhormonal
Comfrey / coltsfootPA toxicity
Kratom, phenibut, tianeptineunapproved
Takeaway Take five, avoid eight. Folate, choline, DHA, D3 and iodine cover almost every "what should I take" question prenatally. The avoid list is mostly liver toxicity, CYP-enzyme induction, and fetal hormone interference — not a "natural ≠ safe" lecture.

Most expensive vs cheapest effective

The supplements with the worst ROI in your medicine cabinet — and the dirt-cheap ones with Tier 1 evidence.
Cost score 1 vs 5
CheapTier 1 evidence for ~$5 / month
Pricey$60–1,500 / month, preliminary
Creatine monohydrate~$5
Psyllium husk~$6
Glycine~$5
Niacinamide~$4
Riboflavin (B2)~$4
Sodium bicarbonate<$2
Oral rehydration saltscents/serving
Melatonin 0.3 mg~$5
NAD+ IV (clinic)$500–1,500/session
Ketone esters$200+
NMN$80–120
Nicotinamide riboside$60–90
Akkermansia muciniphila$60+
Urolithin A$60+
Cycloastragenol (TA-65)$200+
MOTS-c peptide$200+
Takeaway $5/month of creatine has more clinical evidence behind it than every product on the right side of this chart combined. Price ≠ evidence.

Supplements that interact with the most prescription drugs

Mined from the interactions matrix in our database. If you take any prescription, check this list first.
By drug-class count
1
St. John's Wort
Interacts with at least 5 drug categories
Warfarin, SSRIs, MAOIs, oral contraceptives, chemotherapy. The poster child for "natural ≠ inert."
2
Berberine
Statins, metformin, BP meds, diabetes drugs, antifungals. "Nature's Ozempic" picks fights with a lot of pharmacy.
3
Magnesium
Thyroid hormone, PPIs, antibiotics, benzos, sleep meds. The world's most widely used mineral is also a quiet absorption-blocker.
4
Omega-3 (high dose)
Bleeding risk on top of warfarin / DOACs / antiplatelets. Generally manageable but not zero.
5
Ginkgo biloba
Antiplatelet, anticoagulant, and seizure-threshold concerns.
6
5-HTP
SSRIs, MAOIs, triptans — serotonin syndrome risk.
7
Saffron
Antidepressants, blood thinners, blood-pressure meds.
8
Melatonin
Seizure meds, sedatives, benzos. Effects amplify rather than just stack.
9
Vitamin K2
Warfarin antagonism — even modest K2 (MK-7) doses can drop INR meaningfully. Coordinate with the prescribing clinician before adding.
10
Calcium / Iron / Zinc
Chelate fluoroquinolone and tetracycline antibiotics, levothyroxine, and bisphosphonates — separate doses by 2–4 hours to keep the drug working.

Top 10 supplements people are deficient in

Ranked by share of U.S. adults below the EAR / AI. Most "supplements that work" are correcting an actual gap in the diet — long before exotic longevity stacks come into the picture. Numbers from NHANES, IOM, and AHA position statements.
Source: NHANES & IOM
1
Potassium
~97% below the AI of 4,700 mg/day
The single largest dietary gap in NHANES. Adequate potassium intake is associated with lower blood pressure, fewer strokes, and reduced kidney-stone risk — and almost no one hits the AI without deliberately eating fruit, beans, or potatoes daily.
2
Fibre
~95% of U.S. adults fall short of the 25–38 g/day target. The single biggest lever for cholesterol, glycemic control, and colorectal-cancer risk reduction.
3
Choline
~90% below the AI (425 mg women / 550 mg men). Critical for liver, brain, and pregnancy — added to the Nutrition Facts label in 2016 precisely because the gap is so wide.
4
Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)
~90% of U.S. adults intake less than the AHA's 250 mg/day from seafood. Supplementation is one of the few cases where pills genuinely fill a population-wide dietary hole.
5
Vitamin K2
No formal RDA, but dietary survey work suggests ~75% of adults consume well below intakes associated with cardiovascular and bone benefits in observational cohorts (Rotterdam, PROSPECT).
6
Magnesium
~50% of U.S. adults below the EAR (320 mg women / 420 mg men). Implicated in blood pressure, sleep quality, and migraine prophylaxis.
7
Vitamin D
~42% of U.S. adults have serum 25(OH)D below 30 ng/mL — the threshold most clinical groups use for "insufficient." Higher in darker-skinned and northern-latitude populations.
8
Calcium
~40% of U.S. adults below the EAR (800–1,000 mg). Inadequacy is highest in adolescent girls and adults over 50 — both groups with the most to lose from low bone density.
9
Iron (women 19–50)
~25% of menstruating women have low iron stores; ~10% meet criteria for iron-deficiency anemia. The most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.
10
Vitamin B12 (adults 50+)
~20% of older adults have low or borderline B12 — primarily from age-related decline in stomach acid (atrophic gastritis), not low intake. Why most clinical groups recommend B12-fortified foods or a supplement after age 50.

Wild fun facts

The stuff that doesn't fit any other list but is too good to leave out.
420
Clinical trials on psyllium husk
PubMed indexes over 420 human trials of psyllium for cholesterol, glycemic control, IBS, and constipation — plus its FDA-authorized coronary-heart-disease claim at 7 g/day.
57%
Fewer cardiac deaths with dietary K2
The Rotterdam Study (Geleijnse 2004, n=4,807): high vs low menaquinone intake associated with a 57% lower cardiovascular mortality. Observational — but the effect size is striking.
43%
CoQ10 cut cardiac deaths in heart failure
Q-SYMBIO trial (Mortensen 2014, n=420): 300 mg/day ubiquinone reduced major adverse cardiac events 43% over two years. Rare to see effects this large from any supplement.
25%
High-dose EPA cut major cardiac events
REDUCE-IT (NEJM 2019, n=8,179): 4 g/day icosapent ethyl reduced major adverse cardiovascular events 25% in statin-treated, high-risk patients. The fish-oil headline that actually replicated.
2
Migraine days/month prevented by riboflavin
Cochrane evidence at 400 mg/day: roughly 2 fewer migraine days per month. A B-vitamin most migraine sufferers have never been told about.
10×
AKG drops between age 30 and 80
Serum alpha-ketoglutarate falls roughly 10-fold across the lifespan. That decline underwrites every "Ca-AKG" longevity product on the market.
19
Supplements with documented hepatotoxicity
In our database: kava, green tea extract, usnic acid, Fo-Ti, greater celandine, comfrey, germander, chaparral, pennyroyal, coltsfoot, skullcap, ashwagandha (rare), high-dose A and E, SAMe, sea moss, CLA, black cohosh, and schisandra.
100
The only perfect score in the database
Oral rehydration salts (WHO formula). The next-highest scorer is 4 points behind. By any reasonable measure, the highest-evidence "supplement" in the world.
22
The lowest score in the database
Greater celandine — withdrawn by Germany's BfArM in 2008 after a benefit–risk review of liver-injury cases. 78 points below the top of the chart.
∞
Argyria is forever
Colloidal silver permanently turns skin blue-grey. The colour is silver granules deposited in the dermis. There is no treatment, only avoidance.

Recent recalls & FDA warnings

A roll-call of products the FDA, EFSA, WHO, or national regulators have flagged. Several are still legally on shelves through loopholes.
FDA2004
Ephedra deaths before the ban
FDA pulled ephedra after documented deaths. Bitter-orange synephrine and its analogues moved into the space within months.
155documented deaths
FDAongoing
Kratom-linked deaths in FDA review
Mitragyna speciosa still sold in head shops and gas stations. Multiple federal ban attempts have stalled. Activates opioid receptors.
36deaths in FDA review
EFSA2018
Green-tea extract hepatotoxic threshold
EFSA flagged doses ≥ 800 mg EGCG/day as liver-toxic. Now the leading herbal cause of drug-induced liver injury in the U.S. registry.
800 mgEGCG/day threshold
FDA2020
Vinpocetine — ruled a drug, not a supplement
FDA's 2020 final guidance: vinpocetine is a drug — not safe in pregnancy. Still sold openly under "nootropic" labels.
2020final FDA guidance
Case reports2023–24
Melanoma cases linked to Melanotan II
Rapid-growth melanomas documented in users of injected "tanning peptides." Sold through gym black markets and online.
3published melanoma cases
FDA2013
DMAA banned from pre-workouts
Banned after deaths and cardiac events. Analogues like DMHA, octodrine, and 2-aminoisoheptane keep reappearing under new names.
2013ban enacted
FDAenforcement
Colloidal silver — permanent disfigurement
No safe or effective use. Argyria — permanent blue-grey skin discolouration — has no treatment. Silver granules deposited in the dermis.
∞irreversible
Clinicalongoing
Phenibut: dependence in days, not weeks
Daily use causes physical dependence in as few as 3–5 days. Withdrawal includes anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. Not approved in the U.S. or EU.
3–5 daysdependence window
State actionsongoing
Tianeptine — "Gas station heroin"
An atypical antidepressant sold in supplement packaging. Banned in 11 states by 2024 after overdose clusters. Opioid-like withdrawal.
11U.S. states banned it
BfArM2008
Greater celandine pulled in Germany
Authorization withdrawn after benefit–risk review of liver-injury cases. Still legal in many other markets — including the U.S.
2008authorization withdrawn
End of the highlight reel
New Now go deeper

From the highlight reel to a real protocol

Discover lists what works. The condition deep-dives stack the right supplements together — with dosing, timing, and drug interactions — for 15 specific conditions.

PCOS Migraine IBS Insomnia Anxiety Pre-diabetes +9 more
Browse all 15 protocols→
15 conditions · evidence-graded