EVIDENCE RANKING

Overall Evidence Ranking

Browse stronger evidence verdicts and repeated no-effect findings by grade.

Grade Criteria

Grades summarize the evidence hierarchy from A to F. Within the same grade, higher scores appear first; verdicts without a score stay at the end of that grade.

Grade A · 5 verdicts

The evidence is relatively strong.

A 92 Creatine (creatine monohydrate) x Strength and exercise performance
Across many double-blind human RCTs and meta-analyses, creatine monohydrate consistently improves direct measures such as 1RM and repeated-performa... · View verdict →
A 88 Oat beta-glucan x Blood cholesterol improvement (LDL-C and total cholesterol)
Whether enough oat beta-glucan with preserved viscosity and molecular weight is consumed, usually at least 3 g/day, largely determines the effect;... · View verdict →
A 88 Caffeine x Alertness and exercise performance
Acute alertness/attention and exercise-performance effects of standalone caffeine are repeatedly positive in human RCTs and meta-analyses, but the... · View verdict →
A 84 Psyllium husk (psyllium husk; dietary fiber from Plantago ovata/Plantago spp. seed husk) x Smooth bowel movements and improvement of blood cholesterol
For bowel movements, there are RCT meta-analyses of direct markers such as bowel movement frequency and stool condition, and for cholesterol, singl... · View verdict →
A 82 St. John's wort (St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum) x depression
Short-term monotherapy evidence for mild-to-moderate depression is sufficient in RCTs and meta-analyses to view as A, but expansion to severe depre... · View verdict →

Grade B · 16 verdicts

Human evidence exists, but important limits remain.

B 78 Whey protein (WPI/WPC) x Muscle and dieting
Whey protein provides a small, consistent contribution to muscle/lean mass when resistance training and insufficient total protein are addressed, b... · View verdict →
B 76 Saffron (Crocus sativus) x depression and mood
In clinical depression groups, short-term RCTs and meta-analyses are repeatedly positive, but small size, regional concentration, publication bias,... · View verdict →
B 74 Cranberry (proanthocyanidins, PAC) x Urinary tract and bladder health: inhibition of harmful bacterial adhesion in the urinary tract and reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection
There is clinical RCT and meta-analysis evidence for prevention of recurrent UTI, but broadening this to treatment of current cystitis or improveme... · View verdict →
B 74 Potassium x Blood pressure
Increased potassium intake has repeated RCT evidence for blood pressure reduction, but the reduction in clinical events in salt-substitution studie... · View verdict →
B 72 Beet (red beet, beetroot juice/powder; inorganic nitrate NO3-) x Blood pressure and exercise performance
Beet nitrate has real RCT/meta-analytic evidence for systolic blood pressure and some exercise-performance measures, but the effect is small and de... · View verdict →
B 72 Fructooligosaccharides (FOS; prebiotics) x Gut health and smoother bowel movements
Bowel frequency is a positive direct endpoint in RCTs/meta-analyses, but effects are modest and heterogeneous; beneficial-bacteria growth is a surr... · View verdict →
B 68 L-carnitine x Body fat and dieting
Human meta-analyses repeatedly show a small mean weight-loss signal of about 1 kg, but body-fat percentage, waist circumference, and large dieting... · View verdict →
B 68 Ginger (gingerol) x digestion, anti-inflammatory effects, and nausea
The nausea evidence is genuinely strong, but digestion is centered on surrogate markers and specific ingredients/combinations, while anti-inflammat... · View verdict →
B 68 Tart cherry (Montmorency, Prunus cerasus) x improving sleep quality/sleep duration and post-exercise muscle recovery
There are repeated signals for objective sleep indicators and post-exercise MVC recovery, but studies are small, heterogeneous, and often industry-... · View verdict →
B 66 Cinnamon (cinnamon; mainly cassia cinnamon/Ceylon cinnamon and cinnamon extract) x blood glucose
Fasting glucose repeatedly shows a small decrease in short-term RCTs and meta-analyses, but HbA1c, diabetes prevention, and long-term clinical outc... · View verdict →
B 66 Riboflavin (vitamin B2) x Migraine prevention
When narrowed to adult 400 mg/day migraine prevention, it corresponds to B because there are direct symptom RCT and guideline evidence. · View verdict →
B 63 Complex extract including Cynanchum wilfordii (EstroG-100: Cynanchum wilfordii/Cynanchum, Phlomis umbrosa, and Angelica gigas complex) and pomegranate extract/pomegranate concentrate x Relief of menopausal symptoms in women
Because there are multiple human symptom RCTs, the grade is B, but it is the lower end of B because Cynanchum wilfordii is a complex extract rather... · View verdict →
B 61 Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) x stress and anxiety relief
Human evidence exists but has limitations · View verdict →
B 60 Vitamin A (retinol/beta-carotene) x Eye health, night blindness, skin, and immunity
Evidence for correcting deficiency and for night blindness and xerophthalmia corresponds to B, but claims of general eye, skin, and immune improvem... · View verdict →
B 58 Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) x PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and morning sickness
Morning sickness is B based on direct symptom RCTs and ACOG recommendations, while PMS is a combined claim closer to C because of small studies and... · View verdict →
B score not listed Low-molecular-weight collagen (collagen peptides) x Skin hydration and elasticity
There are many human studies, but most were funded by companies that sell collagen · View verdict →

Grade C · 87 verdicts

The evidence is mixed or limited.

C 59 Red yeast rice (monacolin K, red yeast rice) x Cholesterol improvement
Standardized red yeast rice with sufficient monacolin K lowers LDL-C, but the evidence is centered on blood-lipid surrogate markers and product/saf... · View verdict →
C 58 Folate/folic acid (vitamin B9) x Compound claims for anemia, pregnancy, and cardiovascular health
Periconceptional neural-tube-defect prevention is A-grade, but advertising that bundles general anemia and cardiovascular prevention extends beyond... · View verdict →
C 56 Citrulline (L-citrulline, citrulline malate/malate) x Exercise performance and blood-flow/nitric-oxide-related support
There is a small positive signal for high-intensity repetitions, but effects are small and aerobic/blood-flow evidence is inconsistent and surrogat... · View verdict →
C 56 Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum/Reishi; beta-1,3/1,6-D-glucan and polysaccharides) x Immune function
Human RCTs moved immune-cell surrogate markers, but direct clinical endpoints such as infection reduction or cancer survival have not been proven,... · View verdict →
C 56 Colostrum (mainly bovine colostrum) x immunity and gut
Reduction of upper-respiratory-infection symptoms is positive in small RCT meta-analyses, but broad general 'immune and gut health' claims broadly... · View verdict →
C 56 NAC (N-acetylcysteine) x liver, respiratory health, and antioxidant effects
Evidence for NAC reducing COPD/chronic-bronchitis exacerbations is acknowledged, but the core evidence for liver detox, antioxidant, and general lu... · View verdict →
C 56 Inositol (myo-inositol/D-chiro-inositol) x PCOS, mood, and blood glucose
There are PCOS metabolic-marker signals, but clinical efficacy, mood, and general glucose claims are low-certainty and surrogate-marker centered, s... · View verdict →
C 56 Grape seed extract (proanthocyanidins/OPC) x Antioxidant, vascular, and edema effects
Blood pressure shows a small positive signal, but the core antioxidant, vascular, and edema claims rely on surrogate markers and small/industry-fun... · View verdict →
C 55 Lactium (milk protein hydrolysate, alpha-s1-casein-derived) x sleep and stress relief
For sleep, there are standalone RCT signals, but they are centered on subjective diaries, with core questionnaires and PSG mixed; for stress, the e... · View verdict →
C 55 Octacosanol x fatigue and endurance
Endurance has small exercise-time signals, but fatigue is mainly inferred from surrogate indicators and exercise performance, and most studies are... · View verdict →
C 55 Zinc x immunity and common cold
Evidence for deficiency correction and high-dose lozenges shortening cold duration cannot be extended to cold prevention or immune strengthening by... · View verdict →
C 55 Vitamin K2 (MK-7, menaquinone-7) x Bone health and vascular calcification/calcium metabolism
Mechanism and some RCT signals exist, but bone findings for MK-7 alone are not robustly reproduced and vascular evidence is centered on CAC/valve i... · View verdict →
C 55 Garlic (including allicin and aged garlic extract) x Blood pressure and cholesterol
Blood pressure shows repeated small reductions in RCTs and meta-analyses of hypertensive groups, but cholesterol has a negative large independent R... · View verdict →
C 55 Lion's mane mushroom (Lion's mane, Hericium erinaceus) x cognition, memory, and nerves
Human RCT signals exist, but most studies are small, use inconsistent formulations, have conflicts of interest or insufficient independent replicat... · View verdict →
C 55 Astaxanthin (astaxanthin, Haematococcus extract) x eye fatigue, skin health, and antioxidant effects
Human RCTs and a skin meta-analysis exist, but most are small, short-term, industry-funded, and centered on surrogate markers, so C is the limit fo... · View verdict →
C 55 Lactoferrin x Immune function, iron, and gut health
Iron-anemia studies are relatively strong, but the bundled immune-iron-gut consumer claim lacks adult clinical consistency, standalone evidence, an... · View verdict →
C 55 Hovenia dulcis fruit extract (HDE; hovenic acid) x Liver health and hangover
Hangover has small human RCT signals, but liver health is centered on surrogate markers and animal evidence rather than human clinical outcomes, so... · View verdict →
C 54 Flaxseed (lignans, flaxseed) x menopausal symptoms (hot flashes/night sweats), gut health (constipation/bowel movements), cholesterol (LDL/total cholesterol)
Flaxseed has human evidence for LDL/total cholesterol and constipation, but 'lignan relief of menopausal hot flashes' repeatedly failed to hold in... · View verdict →
C 52 Propolis x immunity/oral: general immune-function/cold-prevention claims and oral antibacterial/gum/plaque claims evaluated separately
The core gap is whether short-term oral-indicator signals from formulations directly contacting the mouth can be expanded to immune strengthening o... · View verdict →
C 52 GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid, oral) x Stress and sleep
There is a signal for shortened sleep onset, but it is centered on small manufacturer-supported RCTs, and stress evidence is mainly HRV, hormone, a... · View verdict →
C 52 BCAA (branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, valine) x Muscle and exercise (muscle mass/strength/exercise performance, post-exercise recovery and muscle soreness)
BCAA has some meta-analytic signals for short-term recovery markers such as muscle soreness and CK, but improved muscle mass, strength, and exercis... · View verdict →
C 52 Kimchi-derived probiotics (plant-derived lactic acid bacteria) x gut health
Gut-health signals are confined to specific strains or small kimchi-food studies, and independent replication, non-kimchi controls, and strain gene... · View verdict →
C 52 Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract) x Antioxidant, vascular, and skin effects
Human RCTs and meta-analyses exist, but antioxidant, vascular, and skin claims are all centered on short-term surrogate markers, with limits in ind... · View verdict →
C 52 Iodine x Thyroid function
Evidence for correcting deficiency is established, but general thyroid-function-improvement supplementation claims in iodine-sufficient regions are... · View verdict →
C 50 B-complex vitamins x Fatigue
In general fatigue without deficiency, the key limitation is that the evidence is not independently replicated proof of a B-vitamin-specific effect... · View verdict →
C 50 Fucoidan (sulfated polysaccharides from brown algae such as sea mustard and kelp) x immune and anticancer claims
Human RCTs exist, but positive signals are centered on surrogate or auxiliary endpoints such as NK activity, DCR, QOL, and fatigue, and there is no... · View verdict →
C 50 Choline: choline bitartrate, phosphatidylcholine/lecithin, citicoline/CDP-choline, and alpha-GPC/choline alfoscerate x Liver health/fatty liver and cognition/memory
Choline is essential for preventing deficiency, but advertised 'liver health plus memory' supplementation effects rely on small, surrogate, formula... · View verdict →
C 50 Gelatin x Joints, skin, and hair
Standalone gelatin clinical evidence is at a surrogate-marker level, while positive joint, skin, and hair RCTs mostly involve specific hydrolyzed c... · View verdict →
C 49 L-theanine x sleep and tension relief
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C 49 Ecklonia cava extract (phlorotannins) x sleep
The core is not perceived sleep improvement but a WASO reduction signal in a 1-week small PSG study, with insufficient total PSQI and independent r... · View verdict →
C 49 Glutamine (L-glutamine) x Gut, exercise recovery, and immunity
There are RCT signals for narrow gut symptoms such as IBS-D, but supplement claims bundling general gut health, exercise recovery, and immunity are... · View verdict →
C 48 Undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) x Joint pain, function, and flexibility
Clinical symptom and function markers improve in several small RCTs and a limited meta-analysis, but key UC-II evidence is short-term, heavily indu... · View verdict →
C 48 Curcumin (turmeric, curcumin/turmeric) x Anti-inflammatory and joint health
Short-term relief of pain and functional impairment in knee osteoarthritis is supported at a B level by multiple RCTs and meta-analyses, but genera... · View verdict →
C 48 Taurine x Fatigue and vitality
For everyday fatigue, direct RCT evidence is insufficient and the representative direct fatigue RCT was negative; the small signal for exercise dur... · View verdict →
C 48 Aloe (aloe vera; aloe gel/whole leaf/latex must be distinguished) x gut health, bowel movements, and skin health
There are short-term RCT signals in disease groups for aloe gel and laxative action for aloe whole leaf/latex, but the evidence is small for speaki... · View verdict →
C 48 Resveratrol x anti-aging and cardiovascular
Anti-aging lacks human clinical endpoints for lifespan or delayed aging, and the SIRT1 meta-analysis was negative overall. Cardiovascular evidence... · View verdict →
C 48 Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, alpha-lipoic acid, thioctic acid) x antioxidant, blood glucose, and nerves
There are signals for short-term improvement in diabetic nerve symptoms, but long-term neuroprotection and blood-glucose/antioxidant health effects... · View verdict →
C 48 Melatonin x sleep
There is relatively consistent clinical evidence for sleep rhythm and jet-lag adaptation, but universal sleep-improvement effects in general adult... · View verdict →
C 48 Green coffee (chlorogenic acids; green coffee bean extract/chlorogenic acid) x Weight loss and body weight/body fat reduction
Small short-term RCTs show a roughly 1 kg signal, but broader meta-analyses find unstable weight effects and the key large-loss advertising trial w... · View verdict →
C 48 Quercetin x Allergy, antioxidant, and immune effects
Allergy-symptom RCT signals exist, but they are small and formulation-specific; antioxidant evidence is surrogate-marker based and a large immune/c... · View verdict →
C 48 Cocoa flavanols (cocoa polyphenols) x Cognitive function and vascular/blood-flow health
Vascular outcomes show modest consistent signals in surrogate markers such as FMD and blood pressure, but clinical CVD primary endpoints were not m... · View verdict →
C 47 Ingredients claimed to express aquaporin (AQP3). Representative: glyceryl glucoside. Ingredients that are claimed together but whose cited evidence does not confirm AQP3/skin-moisture matching (such as resurrection plant, aloe, trimethylglycine, etc.) are separated as “claimed but evidence not matched.” x Skin moisture
Evidence is conflicting or limited · based on topical (cosmetic) use · oral use lacks evidence · View verdict →
C 47 Schisandra chinensis (schisandra) x Fatigue, liver, and antioxidant effects
For fatigue, liver, and antioxidant claims, human RCT signals exist, but they center on surrogate markers such as strength, lactate, ALT/AST, and o... · View verdict →
C 46 Low-molecular-weight collagen (hydrolyzed collagen peptides) x claims of superior absorption rate and molecular weight
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C 46 Maca (maca; Lepidium meyenii, including gelatinized maca powder/black maca) x Vitality and male function (sexual desire, erectile function, late-onset hypogonadism symptoms, sperm parameters)
There are small RCT signals for sexual desire, erection, and late-onset hypogonadism symptoms, but sperm, testosterone, and exercise vitality are u... · View verdict →
C 46 Soy isoflavones (soy isoflavones; genistein, daidzein, glycitein, etc.) x Menopausal symptoms in women, especially vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes/night sweats
There are small and heterogeneous RCT signals for hot flashes, but when broadened to menopausal symptoms overall, independent RCTs and recent meta-... · View verdict →
C 46 Selenium x Antioxidant and immune function
Selenium supplementation can move some antioxidant and immune surrogate markers in people with low selenium status, but consistent independent RCT... · View verdict →
C 46 Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) x Fatigue and stress
Positive RCTs exist, but most are small, tied to specific standardized extracts and products, and a rigorous independent RCT was negative, so indep... · View verdict →
C 46 Cordyceps (including C. militaris, C. sinensis/Cs-4, and Cordyceps mycelium culture extract) x Vitality, immunity, and exercise
For immunity, NK/IgA surrogate markers are positive but URI reduction failed; exercise/vitality evidence is small, combination-product, and mixed,... · View verdict →
C 46 Bilberry extract (anthocyanins/anthocyanosides) x eye fatigue, eye health, vision/night vision, and dry-eye-related claims
Eye fatigue has surrogate-marker signals from industry-funded small RCTs, but improvement of vision and night vision is not supported by more direc... · View verdict →
C 46 Chromium (mainly chromium picolinate) x blood-glucose management and dieting/weight loss
Glycemic markers show some improvement signals but weak consistency and clinical meaning, and dieting effects are limited to low-certainty signals... · View verdict →
C 46 Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) x Fatigue and anemia
There is evidence for B12-deficiency anemia, but fatigue-recovery claims in normal B12 status are negative or insufficient. · View verdict →
C 45 Heat-killed lactic acid bacteria (postbiotics, paraprobiotics, heat-treated cultured bacterial cells) x Superiority claim that they are clinically better than live probiotics
Delivery to the intestine, high counts, and storage stability are only surrogate logic for clinical efficacy superiority, and the effects of heat-k... · View verdict →
C 45 Noni (noni, Morinda citrifolia) x Anti-inflammatory and cure-all-style claims
The core leap is extending ingredient/animal mechanisms and smoker surrogate markers into perceived or disease effects described as 'removing infla... · View verdict →
C 45 Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (Ginkgo biloba; flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids/terpene lactones) x Memory, cognition, and blood circulation
Large independent RCTs are negative for healthy people, MCI, and dementia prevention, and only limited signals for short-term symptoms in diagnosed... · View verdict →
C 45 Phosphatidylserine (PS) x Cognition, memory, and concentration
There is a small positive meta signal in the memory domain, but current plant-based PS alone has negative independent RCTs, and positive evidence i... · View verdict →
C 45 Calcium (supplement) x Bone health, maintenance of bone mineral density, and fracture prevention
Bone mineral density rises slightly, but it is a surrogate marker; for fracture prevention, independent large RCTs and recent meta-analyses do not... · View verdict →
C 45 Bromelain (pineapple enzyme) x Digestive support and relief of inflammation/edema
Digestive efficacy lacks standalone human proof, and inflammation evidence is small, heterogeneous, and surrogate-marker centered, so broad adverti... · View verdict →
C 44 Elastin (hydrolyzed elastin peptides) x skin elasticity and wrinkles
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C 44 Manuka honey (MGO/UMF) x Stomach health, Helicobacter pylori, GERD symptoms, and immunity
There is test-tube antibacterial activity and a small positive GERD pilot, but the H. pylori human trial failed and there is no human immune eviden... · View verdict →
C 44 Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) x sleep and anxiety
For sleep, there is a subjective improvement signal, but objective/quantitative indicators and independent large RCTs are inconsistent; for anxiety... · View verdict →
C 43 Multivitamin/multimineral x General health, fatigue, and disease prevention
Deficiency correction is a separate issue; consistent clinical evidence does not support healthy adults' general health, fatigue, and disease-preve... · View verdict →
C 42 Arginine (L-arginine) x fatigue and vitality
The core assumption is that blood-flow, ammonia, and exercise-performance surrogate indicators lead to perceived fatigue and everyday vitality, but... · View verdict →
C 42 Spirulina and chlorella x Detoxification and immunity
For detoxification, the evidence relies on specific toxic exposures and body-concentration surrogate markers; for immunity, it relies on NK/cytokin... · View verdict →
C 42 Barley sprout (young barley shoot; Hordeum vulgare L. young barley leaf/sprout) x Diet and liver
The liver RCTs are centered on oxidative-stress surrogate markers and show no difference versus placebo in liver fat or liver enzymes, while diet l... · View verdict →
C 42 Iron (for non-deficient ordinary people) x Fatigue
The positive evidence comes from correcting deficiency or low ferritin, and cannot be directly extrapolated to fatigue improvement in non-deficient... · View verdict →
C 42 Chaga mushroom (Chaga, Inonotus obliquus/Fuscoporia obliqua) x Immune-function enhancement and anticancer/cancer-prevention or adjunct claims
For anticancer claims there is no human cancer clinical evidence, and immune evidence is mainly small, surrogate-marker, and manufacturer-report ba... · View verdict →
C 42 Balloon flower root (Platycodon grandiflorus, platycodin/platycodin D-series saponins) x bronchial health, cough, and phlegm
There is no RCT showing that balloon flower root/platycodin alone reduces cough or phlegm in humans; evidence remains preclinical, surrogate-marker... · View verdict →
C 42 Chitosan, including chitosan derivatives/polyglucosamine x Fat absorption inhibition and body fat/body weight reduction
Overall meta-analyses show a small weight difference of about 1 kg, but higher-quality/larger RCTs and human fecal fat excretion studies weaken bot... · View verdict →
C 40 ABC juice (apple, beet, carrot) and cabbage juice x Stomach health and detoxification
The key issue is whether classic ulcer healing, surrogate markers such as liver enzymes, and mechanistic plausibility can be directly connected to... · View verdict →
C score not listed Glutathione (oral) x Whitening and skin tone
There are small studies, but they conflict with one another, and no study has ever shown the full path through to "it becomes brighter because you... · View verdict →
C score not listed Probiotics (lactic acid bacteria, specific strains) x Body-fat reduction and dieting
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C score not listed Red ginseng (ginsenosides) x immune enhancement
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Milk thistle (silymarin) x liver health and fatigue improvement
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Lutein and zeaxanthin x macular health and eye health
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) x cardiovascular and blood-flow improvement
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Probiotics (lactic acid bacteria) x gut health and improved bowel movements
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Vitamin D x immunity and prevention of acute respiratory infections
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Green-lipped mussel oil (New Zealand green-lipped mussel) x joint pain relief
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Boswellia serrata (frankincense) x joint inflammation and pain relief
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone/ubiquinol) x antioxidant and blood-pressure improvement
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Banaba leaf extract (corosolic acid) x postprandial blood-glucose improvement
The evidence is conflicting or limited. · View verdict →
C score not listed Spinach extract (thylakoids) x appetite suppression and weight management
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C score not listed Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) x skin and hair-loss improvement
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C score not listed Oral hyaluronic acid x skin moisturization
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C score not listed Oral ceramides (rice- and wheat-derived) x skin moisturization and barrier
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →
C score not listed Collagen (hydrolyzed/UC-II) x joint and bone health
The evidence is conflicting or limited · View verdict →

Grade D · 17 verdicts

Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials.

D 36 Niacin (vitamin B3) x Cholesterol and lipids
Niacin changes lipid surrogate markers, but the primary endpoint of major cardiovascular events was null in large RCTs on a statin background, and... · View verdict →
D 35 Chondroitin (chondroitin, mainly chondroitin sulfate) x Claims for joint and cartilage health, improvement of osteoarthritis pain and function, and maintenance of joint space
The mechanism that the ingredient is a cartilage component, absorption rate, and surrogate markers such as joint space width do not directly transl... · View verdict →
D 34 Nattokinase (nattokinase, fibrinolytic enzyme derived from Bacillus subtilis natto) x Blood clots and blood circulation
There are coagulation and peripheral-blood-flow surrogate-marker signals from small short-term studies, but clinical effects on thrombosis and bloo... · View verdict →
D 34 Glucomannan (konjac) x Weight loss and satiety
Weight-loss signals are small in short-term, small adult studies, but meta-analyses are inconsistent and an independent adult RCT found null primar... · View verdict →
D score not listed Policosanol (sugarcane-derived) x LDL cholesterol improvement
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Garcinia cambogia (HCA) x body fat and body weight reduction
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Biotin (vitamin B7) x hair-loss improvement and hair growth
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Magnesium x sleep improvement and eye-twitching relief
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Glucosamine x joint (knee) pain and function improvement
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) x joint pain and function improvement
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Krill oil (phospholipid omega-3) x superior absorption and blood markers versus omega-3
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Bitter melon / Jerusalem artichoke (inulin) x blood-glucose control
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Cissus quadrangularis x body weight and body fat reduction
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) x body fat reduction
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials. · View verdict →
D score not listed Green tea catechins (EGCG) x body-fat reduction
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials · View verdict →
D score not listed Brewer’s yeast x hair-loss relief and hair
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials · View verdict →
D score not listed NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) x anti-aging and NAD+ increase
Human evidence is insufficient or was not confirmed in key trials · View verdict →

Grade F · 4 verdicts

No effect has been repeatedly confirmed.

F 15 Evening primrose oil (gamma-linolenic acid, GLA; in the domestic market often advertised together with GLA-containing oils such as borage oil and blackcurrant oil) x PMS (discomfort due to premenstrual changes) and skin (immune hypersensitivity/atopic dermatitis, dryness, itching)
For skin/atopy, 27 Cochrane RCTs were null versus placebo; for PMS, EPO-alone RCTs were generally null, and positive PMS evidence is from a GLA com... · View verdict →
F 12 High-dose vitamin C (megadose; ascorbic acid, oral/IV separated) x cold prevention and anticancer claims (cold occurrence prevention, cold treatment/duration shortening, cancer prevention, cancer treatment/adjuvant therapy separated by efficacy)
When oral megadose, high-dose IV, cell experiments, and special cold/exercise subgroups are separated, the core clinical endpoints for general cold... · View verdict →
F 10 Vitamin E (high-dose alpha-tocopherol; mainly d-alpha or dl-alpha-tocopherol/acetate, including products of 400 IU or higher) x Antioxidant and cardiovascular health/cardiovascular disease prevention
High-dose alpha-tocopherol has a plausible antioxidant mechanism, but large RCTs and meta-analyses repeatedly show no benefit on primary cardiovasc... · View verdict →
F score not listed Saw palmetto x prostate health (urination) and hair-loss relief
No effect has been repeatedly confirmed · View verdict →