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.

20 ingredients

Bone Broth Protein

Protein

Protein extracted by simmering bones and connective tissue, then dried. The amino acid profile is dominated by glycine, proline and hydroxyproline rather than the branched-chain amino acids.

What it does in the body

That profile is the opposite of muscle protein's, which makes it a poor choice for hypertrophy and an interesting one for connective tissue and for the glycine-dependent pathways in the gut lining and liver.

What the research looks at

  • Glycine intake and collagen synthesis
  • Gut barrier integrity
  • Amino acid profile compared with muscle meat
Typical daily dose
15–20 g
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
Any time of day

Boron

Minerals In the Blueprint protocol

A trace element found in fruit, nuts and pulses. It has no officially set requirement in the EU, but intakes vary by a factor of ten between diets.

What it does in the body

Boron affects how the body handles calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, and influences the amount of free testosterone and oestradiol by reducing how much is bound to carrier proteins.

What the research looks at

  • Free testosterone and oestradiol levels
  • Bone metabolism and calcium retention
  • Joint comfort
Typical daily dose
3–10 mg
Time to effect
1–8 weeks
Usually taken
With food

Boswellia (Indian frankincense)

Bones & joints

Resin from the Boswellia serrata tree, standardised on boswellic acids. Used alongside turmeric in ayurvedic practice for the same kind of complaint.

What it does in the body

Boswellic acids inhibit 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme in the leukotriene pathway. That is a different route than the one anti-inflammatory drugs take, which is why the two are often studied together.

What the research looks at

  • Joint stiffness and walking distance in osteoarthritis
  • Markers of inflammation
Typical daily dose
300–500 mg extract
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
With food

Calcium

Minerals

The most abundant mineral in the body by weight; around ninety-nine per cent of it sits in the skeleton, which doubles as a reservoir the rest of the body can draw on.

What it does in the body

Beyond bone structure, calcium is the trigger for muscle contraction and a second messenger in most cells. Vitamin D governs how much is absorbed, and vitamin K where it ends up.

What the research looks at

  • Bone density and fracture risk
  • Blood pressure
  • Interaction with vitamin D and K status
Typical daily dose
800–1000 mg total intake
Time to effect
6–12 months for bone
Usually taken
Split doses, with food

Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

Immunity

A woody vine from the Amazon basin, named after the curved thorns along its stem. The bark contains oxindole alkaloids and is used in traditional Peruvian medicine.

What it does in the body

The alkaloids appear to modulate immune signalling and NF-κB activity. Extracts differ substantially depending on which alkaloid group dominates in the raw material.

What the research looks at

  • Joint comfort in osteoarthritis
  • Immune cell activity
  • Markers of inflammation
Typical daily dose
250–350 mg extract
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
Any time of day

Chondroitin Sulphate

Bones & joints

A long glycosaminoglycan chain that forms part of cartilage. It is usually sourced from bovine trachea or shark cartilage and is nearly always paired with glucosamine.

What it does in the body

Chondroitin draws water into cartilage, which is what gives it compressive resistance, and inhibits the enzymes that break the matrix down. Its molecular size makes absorption a genuine question.

What the research looks at

  • Joint pain and mobility alongside glucosamine
  • Cartilage matrix degradation markers
Typical daily dose
800–1200 mg
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food, daily

Collagen Peptides

Skin In the Blueprint protocol

Collagen broken into short chains of two or three amino acids so they survive digestion intact. Whole collagen would simply be dismantled into its constituent amino acids like any other protein.

What it does in the body

Specific di- and tripeptides, particularly prolyl-hydroxyproline, appear in blood after ingestion and are thought to act as signals to fibroblasts and chondrocytes rather than as raw material.

What the research looks at

  • Skin elasticity and hydration
  • Joint comfort in athletes
  • Tendon and ligament properties
Typical daily dose
10–15 g
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
Any time, with vitamin C

Curcumin

Antioxidants In the Blueprint protocol

The yellow pigment in turmeric, and roughly three per cent of the dried root by weight. On its own it is very poorly absorbed, which is why serious formulations pair it with piperine, phospholipids or a micellar carrier.

What it does in the body

Curcumin acts on NF-κB, the transcription factor that switches on much of the body's inflammatory signalling, and on Nrf2, which regulates the cell's own antioxidant defences.

What the research looks at

  • Markers of inflammation such as CRP
  • Joint comfort and mobility
  • Exercise-induced muscle damage
Typical daily dose
500–1500 mg
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
With a fat-containing meal

Glucosamine Sulphate

Bones & joints In the Blueprint protocol

An amino sugar normally made from shellfish shells, though vegetarian versions from fermented corn exist. The sulphate form is the one used in the trials that found an effect; the hydrochloride form generally has not.

What it does in the body

Glucosamine is a precursor to the glycosaminoglycans in cartilage. The sulphate group itself may matter, since sulphur is required for proteoglycan synthesis.

What the research looks at

  • Joint pain and function in knee osteoarthritis
  • Cartilage space narrowing over several years
Typical daily dose
1500 mg
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food, daily

Glycine

Sleep In the Blueprint protocol

The smallest amino acid, and a third of every collagen molecule. The body makes some of its own but probably not enough to cover collagen turnover on a diet built around muscle meat.

What it does in the body

Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brainstem and spinal cord, and it lowers core body temperature slightly — the physiological signal that precedes sleep onset.

What the research looks at

  • Sleep quality and next-day alertness
  • Collagen synthesis
  • Glutathione production
Typical daily dose
3 g
Time to effect
Same evening to 4 weeks
Usually taken
30–60 minutes before bed

Hyaluronic Acid

Skin In the Blueprint protocol

A glycosaminoglycan that holds up to a thousand times its own weight in water. It is present in skin, joint fluid and the vitreous of the eye, and its content in skin falls sharply with age.

What it does in the body

On skin it holds water at the surface; molecular weight decides how deep it penetrates. Taken orally it is broken into fragments that appear to signal fibroblasts to produce more of the body's own.

What the research looks at

  • Skin hydration and wrinkle depth
  • Joint fluid viscosity and comfort
  • Molecular weight and depth of penetration
Typical daily dose
120–240 mg orally
Time to effect
6–12 weeks
Usually taken
Any time; on damp skin topically

L-Lysine

Protein In the Blueprint protocol

An essential amino acid, and the one that most often limits protein quality in cereal-based diets. Pulses are rich in it, which is why beans and grains complement each other.

What it does in the body

Lysine is cross-linked into collagen by lysyl oxidase, and it is the precursor to carnitine. It also competes with arginine for the same transporters, which is the basis of its traditional use.

What the research looks at

  • Collagen cross-linking and wound healing
  • Calcium absorption
  • Recurrence of cold sores
Typical daily dose
1–3 g
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
On an empty stomach

Manganese

Minerals In the Blueprint protocol

A trace mineral present in wholegrains, nuts and tea. Requirements are small and intakes are usually adequate, which is why it appears in multivitamins at modest amounts.

What it does in the body

Manganese is the metal at the core of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase, the enzyme that neutralises superoxide where most of it is produced. It is also needed to build cartilage.

What the research looks at

  • Antioxidant enzyme activity in mitochondria
  • Bone and cartilage formation
Typical daily dose
2–5 mg
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

Bones & joints

An organic sulphur compound found in small amounts in fruit, vegetables and milk. It is odourless, unlike most sulphur compounds.

What it does in the body

MSM supplies sulphur for the disulphide bonds that give keratin and collagen their structure. It also appears to affect inflammatory signalling, though the mechanism is less well characterised.

What the research looks at

  • Joint pain and physical function
  • Muscle soreness after exercise
  • Hair and nail strength
Typical daily dose
1.5–3 g
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
With food, split doses

N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine (NAG)

Gut & digestion

An amino sugar, and the building block of chitin, hyaluronic acid and the mucin layer that lines the gut. Distinct from the glucosamine sulphate sold for joints.

What it does in the body

NAG is a substrate for glycosaminoglycan synthesis, the material of both cartilage and the mucus barrier that separates gut bacteria from the epithelium underneath.

What the research looks at

  • Mucin layer thickness
  • Intestinal barrier function
  • Cartilage matrix synthesis
Typical daily dose
500–1500 mg
Time to effect
4–12 weeks
Usually taken
Between meals

Silica (Silicon)

Minerals

Bioavailable silicon, usually from bamboo extract, horsetail or orthosilicic acid. Beer is, improbably, one of the richest dietary sources in Europe.

What it does in the body

Silicon is involved in the cross-linking of collagen and glycosaminoglycans in connective tissue. In binder formulations it also has a physical role, adsorbing compounds in the gut.

What the research looks at

  • Hair and nail strength
  • Skin elasticity
  • Bone collagen formation
Typical daily dose
10–40 mg
Time to effect
12–20 weeks
Usually taken
With food

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

Technically a hormone rather than a vitamin. Skin makes it from sunlight, but above roughly 40 degrees latitude the sun sits too low from October to March for that to work at all — which covers most of Europe.

What it does in the body

Cholecalciferol is hydroxylated in the liver and then the kidney into calcitriol, which binds a nuclear receptor present in most tissues and regulates several hundred genes, including those governing calcium absorption.

What the research looks at

  • Calcium absorption and bone density
  • Respiratory infections during winter
  • Muscle strength in older adults
Typical daily dose
1000–4000 IU
Time to effect
8–12 weeks
Usually taken
With the largest meal of the day

Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

The form of vitamin K found in green leaves — kale, spinach, broccoli. It is the form the liver takes up preferentially.

What it does in the body

K1 activates the clotting factors made in the liver by carboxylating specific glutamate residues. Little of it reaches tissue outside the liver.

What the research looks at

  • Blood coagulation
  • Bone mineral density
Typical daily dose
75–120 µg
Time to effect
4–8 weeks
Usually taken
With a fat-containing meal

Vitamin K2 (MK-4)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

A short-chain menaquinone found in butter, egg yolk and organ meat. The body can also convert some K1 into MK-4 itself.

What it does in the body

MK-4 activates osteocalcin in bone and matrix Gla protein in arterial walls — the proteins that direct calcium into the skeleton rather than into soft tissue. Its half-life in blood is only a few hours.

What the research looks at

  • Bone density and fracture rate
  • Arterial calcification
Typical daily dose
45 mg in trials, 100–1500 µg typically
Time to effect
12 weeks or more
Usually taken
Split across the day, with food

Vitamin K2 (MK-7)

Vitamins In the Blueprint protocol

The long-chain menaquinone produced by bacterial fermentation — natto, the Japanese fermented soybean dish, contains more of it than anything else people eat.

What it does in the body

Same carboxylation reactions as MK-4, but MK-7 stays in circulation for around three days rather than a few hours, so a single daily dose keeps tissue levels steady.

What the research looks at

  • Arterial stiffness and calcification
  • Bone mineral density over several years
Typical daily dose
90–200 µg
Time to effect
12 weeks or more
Usually taken
With a fat-containing meal

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.