Supplements & Nootropics
This is the site’s signature skepticism beat: the supplement and nootropic industry runs on marketing claims that outpace the trial data by years, sometimes decades. Expect a specific verdict on a specific compound, not a blanket "supplements are a scam" take — some of them hold up.
Do Multivitamins Actually Work?
A daily multivitamin is one of the most common supplements on earth. The trial evidence for what it actually does is much smaller than the market for it.
Do Nootropics Actually Work?
Some compounds marketed as nootropics have real trial support. Most of the 'stack' culture around them doesn't. Here's the difference.
Related from elsewhere on the site
What a Creatine and Cognition Review Actually Found
A systematic review of RCTs found creatine supplementation gave modest cognitive benefits, most consistently under cognitive stress like sleep deprivation, or in people with lower baseline creatine stores, such as vegetarians.
Collagen Supplements
Hydrolysed collagen powder or capsules, marketed for skin elasticity, joint comfort, and 'anti-aging' benefits, usually sourced from bovine or marine collagen and broken down into peptides for absorption.
Mushroom Coffee
Instant coffee blended with extracts of functional mushrooms — most commonly lion's mane and chaga — marketed as a lower-caffeine, calmer alternative to regular coffee that supposedly adds cognitive and immune benefits on top.