Reading Supplement Trials Critically
Most supplement trials are small, short, industry-funded and use specific extracts at specific doses — all of which matter when a produ
6 May 2026Read →
Gymnema, berberine, cinnamon, green tea, grapefruit, licorice and proprietary-blend arithmetic against the research.
Most supplement trials are small, short, industry-funded and use specific extracts at specific doses — all of which matter when a produ
A blend total caps every ingredient inside it; 200 mg shared by 22 ingredients averages about 9 mg each, roughly a thousandth of most s
Glycyrrhizin from licorice raises blood pressure and lowers potassium with continued use, and appears in some supplement blends as glyc
Grapefruit inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme that clears many drugs — statins, calcium-channel blockers, some immunosuppressants and sedatives
Bitter melon and banaba leaf are traditional glucose botanicals with small, mixed trials, both studied at amounts far above what blends
Green tea extract supplies catechins studied at 250–500 mg EGCG, plus caffeine, and concentrated extracts carry a rare liver-injury cau
Alpha-lipoic acid is studied for diabetic nerve symptoms at 600 mg a day, with modest evidence — far above any amount found in a propri
Cinnamon trials use 1–6 g a day with inconsistent results, and cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which stresses the liver at high inta
Berberine at 1,000–1,500 mg a day shows glucose-lowering effects comparable to some drugs in small trials — and interacts widely and is
Gymnema blunts sweetness perception on contact and is studied for glucose lowering at 200–400 mg of standardised extract, mostly in peo