Category
Functional ingredients
Ingredients added for a job other than taste, from caffeine to texture and stability systems.
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CaffeineCaffeine is the bitter stimulant in coffee, tea, cola, cocoa and energy drinks. It is safe at the amounts regulators advise, around 400 mg a day for an adult, but it is a stimulant rather than a neutral ingredient: it delays sleep and can raise blood pressure.Use in moderationCreatineCreatine is the best studied sports supplement there is, and for short hard efforts and lifting it earns its place. It is safe for healthy people at 3 to 5 g a day, and the thing to raise with a doctor is your kidneys.Use in moderationGinseng extractGinseng extract is sold on the promise of energy and focus, and the research behind those claims is mixed. It is safe at supplement doses for most people, but it can spoil sleep and interacts with blood thinners and some antidepressants, so ask a pharmacist.Use in moderationGlucosamineGlucosamine is sold to relieve joint pain, and the evidence for it is mixed though most people tolerate it well. It is out for anyone with a shellfish allergy, so read the source on the label before you buy it.Use in moderationGuarana extractGuarana extract is mostly caffeine from an Amazonian seed, and it lets an energy drink carry 160 mg without the word caffeine in the ingredient list. It is safe within the usual limits and fits every diet; read the caffeine number on the panel.Use in moderationInositolInositol is about as safe as supplements get, and it became famous through polycystic ovary syndrome, where the results look promising without being settled. It fits every diet we check, so the question is whether the 4 g a day is worth the routine.Generally safeL-carnitineL-carnitine moves fat into the mitochondria, which is real, but the weight-loss effect for ordinary people is small. It is safe at normal doses, though 3 g a day causes stomach upset and a fishy smell; most people get enough from food.Use in moderationMelatoninMelatonin is a sleep hormone sold as a supplement, and timing beats dosage: a small dose before the bedtime you want beats a big one. It suits most people, but it stacks with sleeping tablets and with warfarin, so check your medicine list first.Use in moderationTaurineTaurine is the amino sulfonic acid in energy drinks, and your body makes its own, so the gram in a can is not a risk. It is safe at the doses sold and fits every diet we check; read the caffeine and sugar lines.Use in moderation