Author name: Emily Collins, Nutrition Researcher (Supplements & Superfoods)

Calculate N-acetylcysteine (NAC) dose by goal — liver support, cognitive, PCOS, mucolytic. RCT doses range from 600 mg to 2.4 g/day. The FDA-approved hospital protocol for paracetamol overdose is much higher (and requires immediate medical care). Math, not medical advice. Important: if you’ve taken a paracetamol/acetaminophen overdose, oral NAC supplements are NOT a substitute for […]

Calculate lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) dose by goal. RCT doses range from 750 mg to 3.2 g/day depending on goal and form. Fruiting body extract delivers ~3-4× the active hericenones per gram vs mycelium-on-grain. Math, not medical advice. The fruiting body vs mycelium trap: most “lion’s mane capsules” on Amazon are mycelium grown on grain

Calculate L-theanine dose by goal — caffeine smoothing (1:2 caffeine:theanine), pre-sleep calm, anxiety. Trial doses 100-400 mg/day. The “caffeine ratio” rule is the most evidence-supported use case. Math, not medical advice. The 100mg caffeine + 200mg theanine combo is the famous “Nootropic stack” backed by Owen 2008 + Haskell 2008 — combination produced better attention/alertness

Calculate an evidence-based immune stack: zinc + vitamin C + vitamin D + elderberry + quercetin by goal. Distinguishes chronic prevention (low daily doses), acute illness (loading doses), post-exposure (high doses for 5-7 days). Math, not medical advice. Honest framing: none of these supplements PREVENT infection in healthy, well-nourished adults with strong evidence. They may

Calculate HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate) dose. Leucine metabolite (about 5% of leucine converts to HMB). Anti-catabolic — most useful in elderly sarcopenia, bed rest/immobilization, caloric deficit, untrained beginners. Diminishing returns in trained athletes. Math, not medical advice. Evidence asymmetry: HMB shows good results in elderly (sarcopenia prevention), bed-rest patients (muscle preservation), and untrained beginners. In trained

Calculate L-glutamine doses by goal. The most abundant amino acid in the body, with very different evidence levels: strong in critical illness/burns/surgery, moderate in IBD/short bowel, thin in healthy athlete recovery. Math, not medical advice. Honest framing: glutamine is a multi-billion-dollar athletic recovery product, but meta-analyses in healthy trained athletes show minimal benefit beyond placebo

Calculate your daily fiber target by age/sex (IOM AI) with goal-adjusted recommendations for cholesterol, blood sugar, constipation, weight, and GLP-1 side effects. Most Americans get under 15 g/day — RDA gap is 10+ g for most adults. Math, not medical advice. The 80/20 truth on fiber: the average US adult gets ~15 g/day; the IOM

Estimate sodium, potassium, and magnesium losses from sweat during exercise or heat exposure, then see how well your LMNT / Liquid IV / DIY salt-water DOES (or doesn’t) replace them. Population-average math; individual sweat rates vary 3-fold. The 80/20 truth: sweat sodium concentration averages ~1,000 mg/L but ranges from ~300 mg/L (low-salt sweaters) to ~2,000

Calculate cordyceps dose by goal — endurance, energy, immune support. Most commercial cordyceps is C. militaris (cultivated) NOT C. sinensis (wild Tibetan, $1,000+/kg). Cordycepin % is the standardization marker most labels skip. Math, not medical advice. The sinensis vs militaris truth: wild Cordyceps sinensis (caterpillar fungus from Tibetan plateau) costs $20,000-50,000/kg and is endangered. Virtually

Compare collagen powders by actual protein per dollar and per-scoop bioactive dose. RCTs use 10-15g hydrolyzed collagen daily for skin/joint outcomes — many products under-dose. Calculator decodes Vital Proteins, Sports Research, Ancient Nutrition, NOW Foods. Math, not medical advice. The “1 scoop” trap: scoop sizes vary 10g to 25g across brands. Comparing “$30 for 30