Dietary supplements

Lowers blood pressure slightly, especially in hypertensive individuals; on cholesterol and the common cold, studies are contradictory or lacking.

Aronia: a black berry rich in polyphenols. An extract slightly lowers LDL cholesterol and softens arteries in a few trials; nothing clear on blood pressure or athletic performance.

Artichoke leaf extract: slightly less cholesterol and triglycerides, more comfortable digestion in case of dyspepsia, better fatty liver enzymes. Often small trials.

An adaptogenic herb from Ayurvedic medicine, studied for stress management, sleep, and recovery.

Red pigment from a microalgae: a few encouraging trials on cycling and skin, but the largest meta-analysis (24 trials) finds no performance gain, only slightly less creatine kinase after exercise.

An Ayurvedic herb sold as a memory booster. Unlike many "brain" supplements, its trials in healthy adults are numerous and point in the same direction.

Three amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) taken around exercise: they slightly reduce muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage, but alone, they stimulate muscle protein synthesis for less time than a real protein.

A plant extract extensively studied for blood sugar and cholesterol, often mistakenly presented as a "natural Ozempic".

Orange pigment from carrots, which the body converts into vitamin A. As a dietary supplement, large trials find no protection against cancer, heart disease or diabetes, and in smokers, 20 to 30 mg per day increased lung cancers.

Soluble oat fiber. From 3 g per day, it slightly lowers LDL cholesterol (5% to 9% in trials); added to a carbohydrate-rich meal, it slows the rise in blood sugar. Nothing on blood pressure.

Baking soda, used as a buffer against acidity that accumulates during short, very high-intensity efforts.

The resin of an Indian tree (Boswellia serrata): in knee osteoarthritis, slightly less pain and stiffness in small, low-quality trials; a few isolated results on the intestine and asthma, nothing on blood glucose.

One of the most studied stimulants in the world: alertness, endurance, and reduced perception of effort during training.

The bone mineral. Large trials have nuanced its promise: it slows bone loss after menopause, but its effect on fractures is much less clear-cut than claimed.

A small red fruit from North America (Vaccinium macrocarpon). In women prone to recurrent urinary tract infections, it reduces the risk by about a quarter; nothing in elderly people in nursing homes, and no solid evidence to treat an infection that is already there.

Spice studied primarily in type 2 diabetics: it lowers fasting blood glucose in several meta-analyses, with a less consistent effect on glycated hemoglobin. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin.

A plant from which silymarin is extracted, studied in liver disease patients and diabetics. It slightly lowers transaminases, but major reviews find no effect on mortality or liver condition.

Chlorella: slightly lower total and LDL cholesterol, and blood pressure, in several meta-analyses whose certainty is judged to be very low. Nothing in type 2 diabetics, and sports effects drawn from small trials.

The other half of the joint care duo: almost always studied alongside glucosamine, rarely on its own.

A trace element marketed as an appetite suppressant and fat burner. It is also one of the most extensively tested slimming supplements — and the total amount of it weighs less than a kilo.

A fatty acid found in dairy products and ruminant meat, sold in capsules as a fat burner. The entire subject of this profile is the gap between what it does to the mouse and what it does to the human.

A molecule involved in cellular energy production, studied for cardiovascular health and fatigue.

The structural protein of skin, tendons and joints, studied in the form of peptides for joint comfort.

The cow's first milk: slightly fewer colds in athletes (−44% of days with symptoms across 5 trials), but no extra strength or endurance in most trials.