Whole Truth Light Cocoa 24 g Protein Powder - Pack of 6 sachets

I post this, in a way, to poke fun at myself. The first pic is my full stack, the others just closeups so you can see it better if you want to. About 2 years ago, my health had taken a pretty bad turn. 54 at the time. 18 years of barely managed Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, even higher triglycerides. Throw in a little bit of adult ADHD and neck and back pain and you've kind of got a recipe for disaster! I had a bit of a cardiovascular scare, which thrust me into working with a health coach that I could get through my workplace. Dove into Function Health and got a zillion biomarkers tested. Started wearables. Had been on a GLP-1 for my diabetes, but tried to get smarter about my diet too. And, as you can see, I went deep down the supplement hole. The good news, I'm much healthier today. Could I have just gone to Planet Fitness for $10 a month and eaten less pizza and more salad? Yeah, probably. The challenge with trying so many things at once is it's difficult to know what actually moves the needle and what is irrelevant. So now I'm trying to peel it back, be more thoughtful about slimming down my stack and discern what's working and what isn't by more thoughtful experimentation. At any rate, just thought I'd share this photo. Feel free to ignore the post, roast me, or comment on anything. I'll throw the same picture up over in the stack subreddit to get people's thoughts there, but I've really valued this Reddit community. Much of what I've learned has been through here, supp.co, ConsumerLab, Examine.com, and a few great YouTube channels. I'd love to hear from anyone else on this journey and how you've figured things out. Happy Sunday!

Not here to shill anything — just something worth pointing out. The FDA health claim system is genuinely hard to qualify for. You need consistent, replicated, well-designed RCT evidence over decades before FDA will let you say a food/supplement "helps reduce cholesterol." Psyllium husk qualifies. **Evidence summary:** - 5–10g/day of soluble psyllium fibre reduces LDL cholesterol by approximately 5–10% across multiple meta-analyses - Slows postprandial glucose absorption — mechanically useful for blood sugar management - Well-documented prebiotic effects on gut microbiome diversity **Practical notes:** - Takes ~4–8 weeks to see meaningful lipid changes - Take with a full glass of water (this matters — dry intake is unpleasant at best) - Start with 3–5g and build up if you're sensitive to fibre - Unflavoured psyllium husk powder is typically much cheaper per dose than Metamucil It's not exciting. It doesn't have a good origin story. But if you're optimising a supplement stack and you haven't included something with FDA-qualified evidence for LDL reduction, that's a gap worth filling. *Note: I'm not affiliated with any supplement company (nor, dear skeptics, am I ChatGPT). Posted this because we made a video about it and the evidence holds up.*

21M here. Had bad social anxiety, shyness, low self-esteem. Someone said Ashwagandha (Carbamide Forte 500 mg) would help with stress & confidence. Started 500 mg daily, sometimes 1000 mg. Took it straight for ~4 months. Then disaster. Severe fatigue → constant heartburn → whole-body itching so bad I scratched feet, scalp, hands until I had open wounds & scars. Skin underneath was yellow. Jaundice hit hard. Bilirubin went to ~50 mg/dL (normal <1.2). SGOT/SGPT 400–600+. Liver basically stopped working. Hospitalized, IV fluids, strict diet, 4+ months of hell. Couldn’t sleep, felt disgusting about myself, thought I was dying. Everyone blamed “hot food” or “contaminated stuff”. I believed it too. Stopped Ashwagandha, got partial recovery (enzymes dropped, liver size came down from 17.7 cm → ~14 cm). Then I stupidly started again thinking “maybe it was something else”. Symptoms came back worse. Finally searched Reddit and saw dozens of similar stories — liver injury, high bilirubin (10–50+), itching scars, same brands. I hate myself for not searching earlier. Questions for anyone who’s been through this: Did high-dose Ashwagandha (500 mg+) cause liver damage/jaundice for you too? How long did it take for your bilirubin & enzymes to go normal? Did you get permanent scars from scratching during the itching phase? What actually helped recovery (diet, supplements, time, stopping completely)? Anyone restart after recovery and regret it? Posting this so no one else makes my mistake. If you’re taking high doses for anxiety/confidence — please get LFT done first. Sorry for the long vent. Just needed to get it out. Take care of your liver, guys. 😔

TL;DR: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now and am now thinking to increase the per day dosage. After digging into 1000+ studies, I found some wild stuff about high-dose creatine for cognitive function. Single doses of \~20g can increase processing speed by 24.5% and the effects last 9 hours. Also, vegetarians respond \~2x better than meat-eaters. Full breakdown below with sources. Why I did this: I have been taking 5g/day creatine for 3 years now. Like most people, I took the standard "5g per day" advice and never questioned it. It worked fine for my training, but I kept seeing conflicting claims about creatine for brain function. So I started reading actual papers to figure out if I should increase my dosage. 3 months and 1000+ studies later, here are the findings that genuinely surprised me: 1. The "5g for everyone" dose is based on old muscle research, not brain optimization Most dosing recommendations come from 1990s studies measuring muscle saturation. But your brain is different. A 2024 study (Gordji-Nejad et al., Nature Scientific Reports) found that a single high dose of \~0.35g/kg (\~24.5g for a 70kg person) during 21-hour sleep deprivation: • Improved processing speed by 24.5% • Increased brain creatine by 4.2% • Effects peaked at 4 hours and lasted up to 9 hours • Prevented the brain pH drop that normally happens during fatigue Even more interesting: A 2025 review (Fabiano & Candow) analyzed dose-response data and found: • 2-5g/day = 4-6% brain creatine increase • 8-10g/day = 7-8% increase • 15-20g/day = 9-11% increase For cognitive purposes, higher doses appear significantly more effective. This is exactly why I am now thinking to increase my per day dosage. 2. Vegetarians get nearly 2x the cognitive benefit Multiple studies (Rae 2003, Benton 2011) show vegetarians have much lower baseline brain creatine and see dramatic improvements in working memory and reasoning after supplementation. One study found p < 0.0001 for intelligence improvements in vegetarians, basically unheard of in nutrition research. Meat-eaters already get \~1-2g/day from food, so their brains are partially saturated. 3. Creatine does NOT cause kidney damage, dehydration, or cramping, but the myths persist This one genuinely angered me. I found the original studies that started these myths and they're either: • Misinterpreted (one case study of someone with pre-existing kidney disease) • Actually showed the opposite (Greenwood 2003 found LESS cramping in NCAA football players taking creatine vs placebo The ISSN Position Stand (2017) reviewed 1000+ studies and concluded: zero evidence of adverse effects in healthy individuals at recommended doses. Long-term studies go up to 21 months with no kidney function changes. After 3 years at 5g/day, my bloodwork is perfect. The safety data is rock solid. 4. Women have been underserved by creatine research, but that is changing For decades, most creatine studies excluded women or had tiny female sample sizes. Recent research (Smith-Ryan 2021) confirms creatine works for women without the "bloating" fears, benefits across the lifespan without marked body weightchanges. New 2025 studies are specifically examining menstrual cycle effects and menopause benefits. 5. The mechanism for brain benefits is fascinating Your brain is 2% of your body weight but uses 20% of your energy. During high cognitive demand or sleep deprivation, ATP in your prefrontal cortex gets depleted. Creatine acts as a rapid-response energy buffer, literally regenerating ATP in milliseconds. A 2015 study found 20g/day for 7 days increased corticomotor excitability by 70% during hypoxia (low oxygen). 6. Meta-analysis data is stronger than most people realize I compiled the major meta-analyses: • Chilibeck et al. (2017): +1.37kg lean mass in older adults, n=721 • Zhang et al. (2025): SMD 0.43 for strength gains across populations • Xu et al. (2024): SMD 0.31 for memory improvement, more beneficial for females Effect sizes this consistent are rare in nutrition science. 7. Most "advanced" creatine forms are marketing Creatine monohydrate has the most research, is the cheapest, and has 95%+ bioavailability. Buffered creatine, creatine HCL, liquid creatine, none show superior absorption in head-to-head studies. The "better absorption" claims are mostly unproven. What I am doing differently now: After 3 years at 5g/day, I am now experimenting with: • For training: 5g/day consistently (works fine for muscle) • For cognitive demands: 15-20g single dose before intense mental work or when sleep-deprived • Timing: Post-workout with carbs when possible, but consistency matters most I am planning to try a month at 10g/day split into two doses to see if I notice cognitive differences, then potentially experiment with 15-20g on heavy work days. Sources and Interactive Database: I organized all the major studies into a searchable database because I got tired of PDF hunting: [https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app](https://creatine-sandy.vercel.app/) Includes: • 50+ major studies with effect sizes, sample sizes, and direct links to papers • Interactive myth-busting (click myths to reveal the actual research) • Dose-response visualizations for both muscle and brain benefits • Safety timeline from 1832 to 2025 • Filterable by category: muscle, cognitive, safety, high-dose protocols Everything is cited with PubMed links if you want to read the full papers. Questions I still have: 1. Why has not the high-dose cognitive research filtered into mainstream recommendations yet? The 2024 Nature study se groundbreaking. 2. Are there long-term (5+ year) studies on 10g+ daily dosing for cognitive purposes? 3. What is the optimal cycling protocol for high-dose cognitive use vs continuous low-dose? 4. For those who have increased from 5g to 10g+ long-term, what subjective differences did you notice? Would love to hear if anyone else has gone deep on this research or experimented with higher doses. What did I miss? Has anyone here gone from 5g to 10-20g daily? What was your experience?

The worst part is this was just due to bad math, someone made a mistake crunching numbers and they came up with 400IU per day as the recommended daily dose for vit D and turns out it should have been correctly stated at 8,000IU (or maybe more) per day. That's 20 times higher!! And no one caught it for years and so many sources are incorrectly still quoting 400IU. Ug. So all those people 'megadosing' vitamin D turned out to be right on this one. [The Big Vitamin D Mistake - PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5541280/)

Hey r/supplements, wanted to share my experience after spending way too much money experimenting with sleep and recovery supplements over the past 2 years. I'm a shift worker (nurse) so my sleep schedule is completely screwed, and I was looking for anything to help me actually recover between shifts. **Magnesium - The Foundation** Started with the basics everyone recommends. Tried multiple forms: * **Magnesium Oxide** (cheap CVS brand) - Did absolutely nothing. Learned later the bioavailability is trash * **Magnesium Glycinate** (Doctor's Best, \~$15) - This is the one. Within a week, I noticed deeper sleep, less muscle tension, and I stopped waking up at 3am. Take 400mg about an hour before bed * **Magnesium Threonate** (Life Extension, \~$40) - Expensive but some say it crosses the blood-brain barrier better. Honestly couldn't tell much difference from glycinate for sleep **Winner: Magnesium Glycinate.** Cheap, effective, and most people are deficient anyway. This is the foundation I build everything else on. **L-Theanine - The Calm Focus** Got the Suntheanine brand (\~$20 for 60 capsules). Take 200mg in the evening or when I'm wired but need to wind down. What it does: Takes the edge off without making you drowsy. Like your brain stops racing but you're still functional. Pairs incredibly well with magnesium. Some people stack it with caffeine during the day for focused energy without jitters - I tried this and it works, but I'm sensitive to caffeine after noon. If you have racing thoughts at night, this is a game-changer. Not sedating, just calming. **Glycine - The Underrated One** Pure bulk powder from BulkSupplements (\~$20 for 500g). Take 3g dissolved in water before bed. This one surprised me. Studies show it lowers core body temperature slightly which helps sleep onset, and subjectively I noticed: * Falling asleep faster * Feeling more refreshed in the morning * Weirdly vivid dreams It's dirt cheap, tastes slightly sweet, and there's actual research backing it for sleep quality. Highly underrated in the supplement world. **Apigenin - The Chamomile Extract** Got Swanson Apigenin 50mg capsules (\~$8). This is the active compound in chamomile tea but way more concentrated. Take 50mg before bed. It's a mild GABA-A receptor agonist (similar mechanism to benzos but way gentler). Helps with sleep onset without grogginess. Andrew Huberman talks about this one a lot in his sleep cocktail. Not as strong as magnesium or glycine for me, but adds to the stack nicely. Cheap enough to be worth it. **Tart Cherry Extract - The Natural Melatonin Boost** Tried both juice and capsules. Went with capsules (Bronson, \~$15) because the juice has too much sugar and was brutal for my gut. Tart cherry naturally contains melatonin and has anti-inflammatory properties. I noticed better recovery after workouts and slightly better sleep. Not a massive difference, but combined with everything else, it helped. Also: if you deal with any acid reflux or digestive issues, tart cherry is way gentler than taking straight melatonin tablets. Speaking of digestion, I keep a running list of gut-friendly foods and recipes at [gentlegourmet.app/newsletter](http://gentlegourmet.app/newsletter) since my stomach's sensitive - helps me avoid stuff that disrupts sleep. **What I Tried But Didn't Work For Me:** **Melatonin** \- Made me groggy the next day even at 0.5mg. Plus your body downregulates natural production if you take it regularly. Pass. **Valerian Root** \- Smells like dirty socks, gave me weird vivid nightmares, and I woke up feeling hungover. Some people love it but not for me. **GABA supplements** \- Doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier well. Didn't notice anything. L-theanine works better for GABA effects. **Ashwagandha** \- Helped with stress during the day but made me feel emotionally flat after a few weeks. Also gave me mild stomach issues. Took a break and might try cycling it. **5-HTP** \- Helped initially but after 3 weeks I felt depressed and irritable. Did some research and apparently it can deplete dopamine if taken long-term without balance. Stopped immediately. **The Expensive Stuff I Tested:** **Athletic Greens (AG1)** \- $99/month. Honestly tastes fine, has adaptogens and probiotics, but couldn't justify the cost. Felt slightly better energy-wise but nothing I couldn't get from separate, cheaper supplements and a decent diet. **Momentous Sleep Pack** \- $60/month for pre-made sleep supplement stack. Good quality (NSF certified) but you're paying for convenience. The ingredients are just mag threonate, L-theanine, and apigenin - stuff I already buy separately for less. **My Current Stack (Under $40/month total):** **Nightly:** * 400mg Magnesium Glycinate * 200mg L-Theanine * 3g Glycine powder * 50mg Apigenin * 500mg Tart Cherry Extract **As Needed:** * Glycine during the day if I'm stressed (3g in water) * Extra magnesium after hard workouts **Total cost:** \~$35-40/month buying in bulk **The Real Talk:** Supplements helped me maybe 40% of the way. The other 60% was: * Blackout curtains and mouth tape (yes, really - nose breathing changed my sleep) * No screens 1 hour before bed * Keeping the room cold (65-67°F) * Consistent sleep schedule even on days off (this is the hardest one) If you're just starting out, don't do what I did and buy everything at once. Start with: 1. **Magnesium Glycinate** \- biggest bang for buck 2. Add **Glycine** after 2 weeks if mag alone isn't enough 3. Add **L-Theanine** if you have racing thoughts/anxiety Skip the expensive proprietary blends and personalized stuff until you've tried the basics. **Questions I'll probably get:** *"Do you take these every night?"* \- Yes, for the past 6 months consistently. *"Any tolerance buildup?"* \- Not with this stack. That's why I avoid melatonin and things that directly bind to receptors strongly. *"What about cycling off?"* \- I take a week off every 2-3 months just to reset, but haven't noticed dependence. *"Blood work?"* \- Yep, get it done annually. Magnesium RBC levels are good, nothing concerning. Anyone else have success with this stack or something similar? Always looking to optimize.

Did *not* expect this, but here we are. It’s been a week since I started taking berberine and I’m already down 2 lbs but honestly, the weight loss isn’t even the biggest deal. What’s blowing my mind is how quiet my brain is after I eat. Usually, food is all-consuming. I’ll finish a meal and immediately start thinking about seconds, snacks, dessert — you name it. The craving loop never shuts up. Now? I eat, I take the berberine, and then… nothing. Like, actually *nothing*. No urge to graze, no obsessive thoughts about what’s next. Just a weirdly normal feeling of “okay, I’m good.” I can stop after a normal portion, and I *want* to. That hasn't happened since before my binge eating started. This stuff has somehow flipped the switch that’s been stuck in the “hungry goblin mode” position for years. I know it’s early days and I don’t want to jinx it, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a shot at being a normal eater. I’m sticking with it for now and just hoping the magic doesn’t wear off. **UPDATE for those asking I’m taking one capsule (600mg) at each meal with food. It also contains Ceylon cinnamon and bitter melon. The brand I use is ancient bliss and i got it off amazon

If you know what they are for, I'd appreciate some insight on things to add or take out.

I’ve been in the supplement space for a few years now, but like a lot of people, I wasn’t always consistent with my own health routine. So, earlier this year, I decided to fix my basics (diet, sleep, exercise & water intake) along with getting consistent with supplements. I committed to taking Astaxanthin daily (4 mg). I’d read plenty of studies on its antioxidant strength, but there’s a big difference between knowing it on paper and living it A[ peer-reviewed journa](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327916169_Antioxidant_effects_of_astaxanthin_in_various_diseases-a_review)l notes that astaxanthin can be up to 6,000X more powerful than vitamin C as an antioxidant. That instantly made me think of recovery, since heavy workouts create oxidative stress, and stronger antioxidant support could mean less soreness and faster bounce-back. After 3 months of consistent use, the changes were hard to ignore: No sore muscles after heavy leg days, noticeably better skin, and for the first winter ever, I didn’t catch a cold. That blew my mind. I see a lot of people here using Astaxanthin, so I wanted to share my journey and learn from yours. For those of you who’ve been on it longer: What long-term effects have you noticed?

My brain without saffron: Ugh work. Ugh so many weeds left to pull. *complain complain complain* My brain with saffron: Not too many weeds left to pull, and it's part of the job so just get it done. Shouldn't take you too long or too much effort. I actually caught myself mid thought and was like wait what? Since when do I think like this. I'm mind boggled how this isn't a more widely used and known suppliment. 30 years it took for me to find this. So glad I did. (EDITED) So so glad so many people found this post. My intentions were to hopefully help others. Many of you have asked what dose and what brand, and I'm including here in main post. Brand: Life Extention - Optimized Saffron 88.25mg capsules. Dosing: 1 capsule in morning with breakfast. 1 capsule with dinner. I'm male, 195lbs.