Ingredients

What is actually in the products

Our complete ingredient catalogue. Search for an ingredient or filter by category to read what each one is, what it does in the body and what the research looks at. Every entry links to the studies on PubMed and to the products in our range that contain it.

28 ingredients

5-HTP (Griffonia simplicifolia)

Sleep

5-hydroxytryptophan, extracted from the seeds of a West African climbing shrub. It is the direct precursor to serotonin, one step further along the pathway than tryptophan.

What it does in the body

5-HTP crosses the blood-brain barrier without competing for transport the way tryptophan does, and is converted to serotonin and onward to melatonin. Vitamin B6 is a cofactor in that conversion, which is why the two are usually formulated together.

What the research looks at

  • Sleep onset and sleep depth
  • Mood and appetite regulation
  • Frequency of migraine attacks
Typical daily dose
50–200 mg
Time to effect
1–4 weeks
Usually taken
Evening, away from protein

5-MTHF (Methylfolate)

Vitamins

L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the form of folate that actually circulates in blood. Folic acid has to pass through several enzymatic steps to get here; 5-MTHF skips them.

What it does in the body

Because it bypasses the MTHFR enzyme, methylfolate is available to the methylation cycle regardless of how efficiently that enzyme works — a common variant reduces its activity substantially.

What the research looks at

  • Homocysteine levels in carriers of MTHFR variants
  • Folate status where folic acid conversion is limited
Typical daily dose
400–1000 µg
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Algal Oil

Fatty acids In the Blueprint protocol

Omega-3 taken from the source rather than from the fish that ate it. Marine microalgae are where EPA and DHA originate in the food chain; fish accumulate them.

What it does in the body

Chemically the same fatty acids as fish oil, in triglyceride or phospholipid form. The practical differences are that it is suitable for vegans, contains no accumulated heavy metals, and does not oxidise into a fish smell.

What the research looks at

  • Blood levels of EPA and DHA compared with fish oil
  • Triglycerides
  • Contaminant load compared with marine sources
Typical daily dose
500–2000 mg EPA + DHA
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With a meal containing fat

Alpha-GPC

Brain & focus

L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, a choline compound found in small amounts in milk and organ meat. It is the choline form that reaches the brain most readily.

What it does in the body

Alpha-GPC crosses the blood-brain barrier and is cleaved into choline and glycerophosphate, feeding acetylcholine synthesis directly. Plain choline salts largely do not make that crossing.

What the research looks at

  • Attention and memory in older adults
  • Power output and growth hormone response around training
  • Acetylcholine levels in brain tissue
Typical daily dose
300–600 mg
Time to effect
1–8 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, or before training

Bacopa Monnieri

Brain & focus

A creeping marsh plant used in ayurveda as a nootropic, standardised on bacosides.

What it does in the body

Bacosides influence acetylcholine and serotonin signalling and promote dendritic branching in animal models. Effects build slowly, which distinguishes it from acute stimulants.

What the research looks at

  • Memory acquisition and recall speed
  • Attention in tasks lasting a long time
  • Anxiety symptoms
Typical daily dose
300 mg extract
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food

Caffeine (coffee)

Energy

The most widely consumed psychoactive substance on earth. How fast it is cleared varies several-fold between people, which is largely down to a single liver enzyme.

What it does in the body

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Adenosine accumulates through the day and produces the feeling of tiredness; caffeine does not remove it, it hides it — and the backlog is still there when the caffeine wears off.

What the research looks at

  • Alertness and reaction time
  • Endurance and strength performance
  • Half-life and sleep disruption from afternoon intake
Typical daily dose
80–200 mg
Time to effect
30–60 minutes
Usually taken
Morning; at least eight hours before bed

Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Antioxidants In the Blueprint protocol

Whole green tea leaves shaded for several weeks before harvest, then stone-ground. Because the leaf is drunk rather than steeped and discarded, the dose of everything in it is far higher than in brewed tea.

What it does in the body

Shading raises the leaf's theanine content, and matcha therefore delivers caffeine and theanine together — the combination associated with alertness without the edge of coffee.

What the research looks at

  • Attention and reaction time from caffeine with theanine
  • Catechin intake compared with brewed tea
  • Cardiometabolic markers
Typical daily dose
1–2 g
Time to effect
30–60 minutes
Usually taken
Morning or early afternoon

Choline

Brain & focus

An essential nutrient grouped with the B vitamins although it is not one. Egg yolk and liver are the richest common sources, and most Europeans fall short of the adequate intake.

What it does in the body

Choline is the raw material for acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter of memory and muscle activation, and for phosphatidylcholine, a structural component of every cell membrane. It also donates methyl groups.

What the research looks at

  • Memory and attention
  • Fat transport out of the liver
  • Foetal brain development
Typical daily dose
400–550 mg
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food

Creatine Monohydrate

Muscles In the Blueprint protocol

The most thoroughly studied sports supplement in existence, with well over a thousand controlled trials. Monohydrate is both the cheapest form and the one every trial has used.

What it does in the body

Creatine is stored in muscle as phosphocreatine, a phosphate reserve that regenerates ATP within seconds. The same system operates in the brain, which is the basis for the cognitive research.

What the research looks at

  • Strength and power output
  • Lean mass gain alongside resistance training
  • Cognition during sleep deprivation
Typical daily dose
3–5 g
Time to effect
2–4 weeks
Usually taken
Any time, daily

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

Brain & focus In the Blueprint protocol

The longest and most unsaturated of the common omega-3 fatty acids. Around a quarter of the fat in the brain's grey matter is DHA, and the retina is richer in it still.

What it does in the body

DHA is a structural component of neuronal membranes, where its flexible shape governs how easily receptors change conformation. It is not primarily a signalling molecule but a building material.

What the research looks at

  • Cognitive function and memory in older adults
  • Visual development in infants
  • Membrane composition in nerve tissue
Typical daily dose
250–1000 mg
Time to effect
12 weeks or more
Usually taken
With a meal containing fat

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)

Fatty acids In the Blueprint protocol

One of the two long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The body can make it from the plant omega-3 ALA, but the conversion rate is in the low single digits, which is why intake from fish or algae matters.

What it does in the body

EPA is the substrate for resolvins and other specialised pro-resolving mediators — the signalling molecules that end an inflammatory response rather than start one. It competes with arachidonic acid for the same enzymes.

What the research looks at

  • Triglyceride levels
  • Markers of inflammation
  • Mood and depressive symptoms
Typical daily dose
500–2000 mg
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With a meal containing fat

Fisetin

Antioxidants

A flavonoid found in strawberries, apples and persimmon. It came to attention when a screen of senolytic candidates ranked it above the others tested.

What it does in the body

Fisetin appears to trigger apoptosis selectively in senescent cells while leaving healthy ones alone. It also crosses the blood-brain barrier, which most flavonoids do not.

What the research looks at

  • Senescent cell burden in animal models
  • Neuroprotection markers
  • Inflammatory signalling
Typical daily dose
100–500 mg
Time to effect
Unclear; often dosed intermittently
Usually taken
With a fat-containing meal

Folate (Vitamin B9)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

Folate is the form found in leafy greens and legumes; folic acid is the synthetic form used in fortification. They are not interchangeable in every respect.

What it does in the body

Folate carries single-carbon units in the methylation cycle, which the body uses to build DNA and to convert homocysteine back into methionine.

What the research looks at

  • Homocysteine levels
  • Neural tube development in pregnancy
  • Red blood cell formation
Typical daily dose
200–400 µg DFE
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Ginkgo Biloba

Brain & focus

Leaf extract from the maidenhair tree, a species with no living relatives that has been essentially unchanged for two hundred million years. Standardised extracts contain flavone glycosides and terpene lactones.

What it does in the body

Ginkgo affects microcirculation and platelet aggregation, and the terpene lactones act on platelet-activating factor. Blood flow to peripheral tissue is the mechanism most often invoked.

What the research looks at

  • Memory and processing speed in older adults
  • Peripheral circulation
  • Tinnitus and dizziness
Typical daily dose
120–240 mg extract
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Split across the day

Inositol

Hormones

A sugar alcohol the body makes from glucose, once called vitamin B8. Myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol are the two forms used in supplements, often in a 40:1 ratio.

What it does in the body

Inositol is part of the second messenger system that carries signals from insulin and several hormone receptors into the cell interior.

What the research looks at

  • Insulin sensitivity and ovulation in PCOS
  • Anxiety and panic symptoms
  • Metabolic markers
Typical daily dose
2–4 g
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
Split morning and evening

L-Theanine

Stress In the Blueprint protocol

An amino acid found almost exclusively in tea leaves. It is the reason a cup of green tea feels different from an equivalent dose of coffee.

What it does in the body

Theanine crosses the blood-brain barrier and increases alpha wave activity — the electrical pattern of relaxed alertness. It also modulates glutamate and GABA signalling.

What the research looks at

  • Attention and reaction time, particularly with caffeine
  • Subjective stress and relaxation
  • Sleep quality
Typical daily dose
100–400 mg
Time to effect
30–60 minutes
Usually taken
With caffeine, or in the evening

Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Brain & focus In the Blueprint protocol

A white, shaggy mushroom that grows on hardwood and looks like its name. It is edible as food and has a texture close to crab meat.

What it does in the body

Hericenones in the fruiting body and erinacines in the mycelium stimulate nerve growth factor synthesis in laboratory work. The two compound groups are found in different parts of the organism, which is why extract source matters.

What the research looks at

  • Cognitive scores in older adults
  • Nerve growth factor expression
  • Mood and subjective wellbeing
Typical daily dose
500–3000 mg extract
Time to effect
4–16 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Magnesium L-Threonate (Magtein®)

Brain & focus

Magnesium bound to threonic acid, a metabolite of vitamin C. It was developed at MIT specifically to get magnesium across the blood-brain barrier, which ordinary magnesium salts do poorly.

What it does in the body

The threonate carrier raises magnesium concentration in cerebrospinal fluid. Magnesium in the brain modulates NMDA receptors and synaptic density, which is the mechanism the cognitive work is built on.

What the research looks at

  • Working memory and executive function
  • Sleep quality
  • Synaptic density in animal models
Typical daily dose
1.5–2 g compound
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Evening

Panax Ginseng

Energy

Asian ginseng, the root that gives the whole adaptogen category its reputation. Standardised on ginsenosides, of which there are more than a hundred distinct forms.

What it does in the body

Ginsenosides affect nitric oxide signalling and the way cells respond to oxidative load. The composition differs between species and preparations, which is a large part of why study results vary.

What the research looks at

  • Working memory and mental fatigue
  • Subjective energy during illness and convalescence
  • Blood glucose regulation
Typical daily dose
200–400 mg extract
Time to effect
2–8 weeks
Usually taken
Morning

Phosphatidylserine

Brain & focus

A phospholipid concentrated in the inner leaflet of neuronal membranes. Supplements were originally made from bovine brain and are now derived from sunflower or soy lecithin.

What it does in the body

Phosphatidylserine influences membrane fluidity and the activity of membrane-bound enzymes and receptors. It is also studied for its effect on the cortisol response to exercise.

What the research looks at

  • Memory and attention in older adults
  • Cortisol response to physical stress
  • Recovery after intense training
Typical daily dose
100–300 mg
Time to effect
6–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food

PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone)

Energy

A small quinone found in fermented soy, kiwi and human breast milk. It is redox-stable enough to cycle thousands of times, where most antioxidants are consumed after one.

What it does in the body

PQQ activates PGC-1α, the transcription coactivator that signals a cell to build new mitochondria. That is a different mechanism from CoQ10, which supports the mitochondria already present.

What the research looks at

  • Mitochondrial biogenesis markers
  • Sleep quality and fatigue
  • Cognitive performance
Typical daily dose
10–20 mg
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Rhodiola Rosea

Energy In the Blueprint protocol

An arctic root that grows on mountainsides and coastal cliffs across Scandinavia and Siberia. Extracts are standardised to rosavins and salidroside, the two marker compounds.

What it does in the body

Rhodiola influences the turnover of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, and affects how cells handle energy under load. Unlike ashwagandha it is generally described as activating rather than calming.

What the research looks at

  • Mental fatigue during long working days
  • Physical endurance and perceived exertion
  • Attention and reaction time under stress
Typical daily dose
200–600 mg
Time to effect
1–3 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, before food

Taurine

Heart & circulation In the Blueprint protocol

A sulphur-containing amino acid that is not built into proteins. It is abundant in shellfish and meat, and largely absent from plant foods.

What it does in the body

Taurine regulates calcium handling inside cells, stabilises membranes and conjugates bile acids. Concentrations in tissue fall with age, which is why it appears in longevity research.

What the research looks at

  • Blood pressure and cardiac function
  • Exercise performance and recovery
  • Age-related decline in tissue taurine
Typical daily dose
1–3 g
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
Any time of day

Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

The first B vitamin to be isolated, which is where the number comes from. It is water-soluble and stored only in small amounts, so intake has to be continuous.

What it does in the body

As thiamine pyrophosphate it is a cofactor for the enzymes that move pyruvate into the citric acid cycle. Without it, cells cannot extract energy from carbohydrate efficiently.

What the research looks at

  • Energy metabolism in nerve and muscle tissue
  • Cognitive function where intake is low
  • Status in people with a high alcohol intake
Typical daily dose
1.1–100 mg
Time to effect
2–6 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Tryptophan

Sleep

An essential amino acid, meaning the body cannot make it and it has to come from food. Turkey gets the reputation, but eggs, oats and cheese contain more per gram.

What it does in the body

Tryptophan is the raw material for serotonin and, by extension, melatonin. It competes with other large neutral amino acids for transport into the brain, which is why it is taken away from protein-rich meals.

What the research looks at

  • Sleep latency and night-time waking
  • Mood under stress
Typical daily dose
500–2000 mg
Time to effect
1–3 weeks
Usually taken
Evening, on an empty stomach

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine / P-5-P)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

Sold either as pyridoxine hydrochloride or as pyridoxal-5-phosphate, the active coenzyme form the liver would otherwise have to make itself.

What it does in the body

B6 is a cofactor in more than a hundred enzyme reactions, including the synthesis of serotonin, dopamine and GABA, and the conversion of homocysteine to cysteine.

What the research looks at

  • Homocysteine levels together with folate and B12
  • Premenstrual symptoms
  • Neurotransmitter synthesis
Typical daily dose
1.4–25 mg
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with food

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamins

The only vitamin that contains a metal atom — cobalt — and the one that is genuinely absent from plant foods. Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin are the two active forms; cyanocobalamin has to be converted.

What it does in the body

B12 is a cofactor in two reactions: the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and the handling of methylmalonyl-CoA in fatty acid metabolism. Nerve myelin depends on both.

What the research looks at

  • Homocysteine and methylmalonic acid levels
  • Nerve function and sensation
  • Status on vegan and vegetarian diets
Typical daily dose
2.4 µg–1000 µg
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Morning, with or without food

Wild Blueberries

Antioxidants In the Blueprint protocol

The small, dark northern berry, not the cultivated kind. It has a much higher skin-to-flesh ratio, and the skin is where the anthocyanins are — roughly twice the concentration.

What it does in the body

Anthocyanins cross into brain tissue in small amounts and are studied for their effect on cerebral blood flow and on signalling in the hippocampus.

What the research looks at

  • Memory and executive function
  • Cerebral blood flow after a single dose
  • Blood pressure and endothelial function
Typical daily dose
100–250 g fresh equivalent
Time to effect
2–12 weeks
Usually taken
Any time of day

Why the form and the dose matter

Two products can name the same ingredient on the label and behave completely differently. Magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate are both magnesium; only one of them is absorbed properly. Ethyl ester fish oil and triglyceride fish oil are both omega-3. Folic acid and methylfolate are both folate, but not for everyone.

That is the difference this page is written to make visible. Where a form matters we have given it its own entry rather than hiding it inside a general one, and the dose listed is the one used in the research — not the smallest amount a manufacturer can put on a label and still name the ingredient.

We only describe a product as third-party tested when there is documentation behind the claim. Below is what each of our brands actually documents, brand by brand.

Third-party testing

Certificates of analysis

Pick a brand to see what is actually tested and who tests it. Four of the seven publish reports you can open right here — and they publish different amounts, from a certificate for every batch down to a single lot. The other three document their testing and hand over the paperwork for a specific batch when you ask. That difference is worth knowing before you buy, so we have not smoothed it over. Every report is also linked from the product it covers.

Blueprint 24 reports published

Every batch goes to an independent accredited laboratory in the United States, which checks the contents against the label and screens for heavy metals, microbes and other contamination. Blueprint publishes the full report for every batch, and a new one follows each production run.

Supplements

Nutrition

Skincare

Haircare

Lineage Provisions 9 reports published

Samples from every batch are run on ICP-MS, LC-MS and GC-MS and screened for more than three hundred contaminants, among them heavy metals, glyphosate, pesticides and mycotoxins. The analyses are done by Light Labs, who publish a running report per product with every test result in it — not a single certificate but the whole series, with the date of the most recent test.

Supplements

Nutrition

Designs for Health 14 reports published

Raw materials are tested for identity, purity and potency at external ISO-certified laboratories and screened for heavy metals, pesticides and microbiological contamination. A supplier’s own certificate is treated as a claim to verify rather than a result to accept. Certificates are published per lot rather than for the product as a whole, so the one below covers the lot number printed on it and no other — for a different lot, ask us and we will request it.

Supplements

SALTE 1 report published

Each batch is sent to Eurofins, an independent accredited laboratory, which confirms that the sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride in a sachet match the amounts on the packet. The published report covers five flavours in one document and is the laboratory’s own, in Swedish.

Supplements

ARMRA Testing documented

Every production run is audited by ISO/IEC-accredited third-party laboratories for heavy metals, glyphosate, other contaminants and microbiology before any of it is released for sale. ARMRA documents the programme and its certifications publicly; the report for a specific batch comes from the manufacturer on request.

Quicksilver Scientific Testing documented

Made in an NSF/ANSI 455-2 GMP-certified facility in Colorado with its own ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing laboratory. Every batch is tested both in-house and by outside laboratories for potency and purity; the certificate for a batch comes from the manufacturer on request.

Solgar Reports on request

Solgar tests raw materials on arrival and finished products before release in its own quality laboratory, and manufactures to GMP. That is an in-house programme, not an outside verification: Solgar carries no NSF or USP certification, so we do not describe it as third-party tested. Batch documentation is available from the manufacturer on request.

Vital Nutrients Testing documented

Vital Nutrients documents a Quality Assurance Programme that engages third-party laboratories — every batch of GMO-susceptible ingredients, for example, is tested for GMO markers at an independent genetics laboratory, and even the bottles are third-party verified BPA-free. Individual lot certificates are not published; documentation for a batch comes from the manufacturer on request.

T.A. Sciences Testing documented

T.A. Sciences documents an end-to-end testing and analysis programme across sourcing, formulation and US manufacturing, and TA-65 has been determined Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by an independent expert panel. That safety assessment is not batch testing, and no lot certificates are published — documentation comes from the manufacturer on request.

Why testing matters

Why does a supplement need testing at all?

Because nothing else verifies the label. A supplement is regulated as a food, not as a medicine, which means no authority checks each batch before it reaches a shelf. Testing is what turns the number on the tub into something you can look up.

What is being tested for?

Two separate things. Identity and quantity — is the ingredient present, and in the amount the label states. And contamination — heavy metals, microbes, solvent residues and traces from the packaging, which can come from the raw material, the production line or the container.

How often is the label actually wrong?

Often enough to be worth checking. Of 272 supplements implicated in liver injury in the United States, 51 per cent had contents that did not match the label (Hepatology Communications, 2019). Among 57 botanical sports supplements, 89 per cent were inaccurately labelled and 40 per cent contained none of the labelled ingredient at all (JAMA Network Open, 2023).

What can I ask you for?

The report for the batch you were sent. Where a manufacturer does not publish one, we ask them for it — tell us the product and the batch number on the tub and we will come back with what they give us, or with the fact that they would not.

The certificates are the property of the manufacturers and their laboratories, and are linked here in their original location. Blueprint’s reports may not be reused without Blueprint’s permission.

This page is general information about ingredients, not advice for you. Food supplements are not medicines and do not cure, treat or prevent disease. They do not replace a varied diet, sleep, movement or medical care. Doses and timings are those used in published research and on product labels; they are not a recommendation. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or living with a medical condition, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting anything new.