The five supplements with the strongest evidence for broad benefit at the lowest cost. If you take nothing else, take these. About $2/day for all five. Start here. Layer everything else on top.
Caffeine alone is jittery; caffeine + L-theanine is smooth alertness. Add L-tyrosine for stress-resistant focus and rhodiola for sustained mental endurance. Skip on weekends to avoid tolerance — this is a work-days stack, not a daily one.
Creatine Monohydrate5gAnytime (already in Foundation)→
For — Better sleep depth and architecture
The Deep Sleep Stack
Foundational minerals and amino acids plus a GABA modulator. Together they support every phase of sleep without the morning grog of pharmaceutical sedatives or high-dose melatonin. Expect 7–10 days for the full effect to settle in.
For — Chronic stress with the "wired but tired" pattern
The Wired-but-Tired Reset Stack
The modern stress signature: too much cortisol all day, dysregulated cortisol at night, can't switch off but can't get sharp either. Adaptogens during the day, cortisol-lowering at night, magnesium to support GABA receptors. Eight weeks usually resets the cortisol rhythm.
A course of antibiotics wipes out beneficial gut bacteria along with the bad. S. boulardii is a yeast probiotic that survives antibiotics (bacterial probiotics don't) and outcompetes C. difficile. L-glutamine rebuilds the gut lining. Multistrain probiotic + prebiotic fibre repopulate and feed the recovery. 4–6 weeks gets most users back to baseline.
The Stack — 4 supplements
Saccharomyces boulardii5–10 billion CFU, 2× dailyStart day 1 of antibiotics→
Addresses the most common patterns: estrogen metabolism, progesterone modulation, cycle-related mood and inflammation. Pairs with the full Perimenopause Protocol guide for the complete picture — sleep, training, hormone testing, and HRT considerations.
UC-II trains your immune system not to attack cartilage — small dose (40mg), real effect. Collagen peptides provide the building blocks for cartilage and tendon repair. Curcumin (Meriva form, not raw turmeric) blunts inflammation. Omega-3 is the systemic background. Lifting heavy with good form does more than any supplement — this stack supports the training, not replaces it.
The cognitive supplements with the most-replicated human data. Creatine for ATP. Omega-3 (DHA-heavy) for membrane integrity. Lion's Mane for nerve growth factor. Bacopa for memory consolidation (slow — takes 8–12 weeks). Choline for acetylcholine synthesis. Cardiovascular fitness is the single best cognitive intervention known — this stack supports it, not substitutes for it.
The Stack — 5 supplements
Creatine Monohydrate5gAnytime (already in Foundation)→
Two layers: a daily prevention base (D3, zinc, vitamin C) and an acute toolkit for the first sign of a cold (elderberry, zinc lozenges, NAC). The two are different stacks for different moments — the daily layer runs all winter; the acute layer kicks in within hours of symptoms.
For — Post-drinking, post-Tylenol, or general liver support
The Liver Reset Stack
NAC is the glutathione precursor — used in hospitals to treat acetaminophen overdose. Milk thistle and TUDCA support liver cell membranes and bile flow. Sulforaphane activates Nrf2, the genetic switch that turns on the body's own detox machinery. This isn't a "detox cleanse" — your liver does detox continuously. This stack gives it the cofactors it needs.
These are recipes, not prescriptions. Each stack is an opinionated combination based on published evidence and editorial judgment. Doses are typical starting points — not personalised to your bloodwork, medications, or conditions. Talk to a doctor before starting anything new, especially if you're pregnant, on prescription medication, or managing a diagnosed condition. Click any supplement above for its full entry — contraindications, interactions, and side effects all live there.