The filter
Five questions
Most of what's sold to men is a tax on impatience. Here's exactly what a product has to survive before it goes on this site, and why most of them do not.
- 01
Does it beat the free version?
Sleep, sunlight, protein, and heavy load beat almost every bottle sold. If a supplement is competing with something you could do for free and losing, it does not go up. Half the products I have removed from this list got removed for this reason alone.
- 02
Is there human data, at the dose on the label?
A rat study is not evidence for a man. Neither is a study using 3 grams when the capsule holds 300 milligrams. I want trials in people, at a dose the product actually delivers, with an effect size worth the money.
- 03
Is the form absorbable?
Magnesium oxide is a laxative. Raw turmeric barely crosses the gut. Mycelium-on-grain mushroom powder is mostly oats. The form on the back panel matters more than the name on the front.
- 04
Who tested it?
The supplement industry is regulated after the fact, not before. I want third party testing: NSF, Informed Sport, USP, or a published certificate of analysis. In categories with a contamination history, like shilajit and protein powder, this is not negotiable.
- 05
Would I keep buying it if nobody paid me?
This site earns affiliate commission. That is disclosed on every page. The filter that keeps it honest is simple: it goes up only if it is already in my cabinet. Nothing here is a paid placement, and no brand has ever bought a spot.
And one thing I won't do
I will never tell you a capsule will fix something a conversation with your doctor should fix. Get the blood work. Then come back and we'll talk about what's actually missing.