Do Your Supplements Have An Effective Dose? (And Why We Haven't Made An All-In-One)

We know there are plenty of all-in-one supplements on the market today combining protein, colostrum, beef organs, collagen and more... Seems convenient, right? Just take a scoop, add it in your morning smoothie, tea or coffee and get on with your day.

The thing is, where there’s convenience, there’s often a price to pay…

One of the reasons we haven't made an all-in-one supplement is because these products, although even sometimes well-sourced, can be a little 'too-good-to-be-true' simply because they just don’t contain enough of each ingredient to truly give you noticeable benefits.

For example, to really benefit from colostrum, studies show you’ll need anywhere from 2-20g per day depending upon your goals. If you’re using colostrum to support exercise recovery, you’ll need around 10-20g to see big benefits. And you won’t find that in an all-in-one supplement…

These companies aren’t inherently doing anything wrong, they’re products just not doing enough by trying to do too much at once, and not really giving much benefit in the process. A ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ if you get what we mean…

We’ve always been passionate about helping you get what you need from your products. There’s no one-size-fits all supplement to help everyone. It’s all about your own unique needs. So, we’re breaking down things down and showing you the minimum effective dose for many of the ingredients you’ll find in all-in-one supplements or even some of the very convenient but often low dose sachets, so you can decide whether they’re worth your time, or whether you’ll benefit more from personalising your supplement stack. (Hint; we think you’ll get far more benefit from personalising your stack and choosing the amounts that are really going to benefit you!) read on to learn more…)

Minimum effective dose of colostrum: Around 2g colostrum (½ tsp) taken daily can benefit immunity and gut health, whilst doses of between 10-20g are more effective for improving exercise recovery and bone health. To really benefit from colostrum, being able to choose your own daily dose is critical; some days you may want a tsp to support gut health through the spring, whilst in the Winter you may want to increase to a couple of tsp in the morning to boost immunity. If you’re recovering from a hard gym session, adding a bigger serving to your post-workout shake can give your body what it needs to see improvements in your strength and body composition. It’s all about what works for you in the moment. 

Minimum effective dose of collagen: Did you know, there’s actually no set upper limit to the amount of collagen you can take? Many studies show that we can obtain benefit from 5-60g collagen depending upon your age, health concerns or goals. To reduce fine lines and wrinkles, a minimum of 5g per day (around 1 tbsp) can show benefit, whilst to improve bone mineral density,  muscle strength and body composition, at least 15g per day is needed. We generally recommend around 10g per day to support hair, skin, nails, joints and gut health. As we age however (especially for menopausal and post menopausal women) a higher dose can be more beneficial, similarly if you’re healing from an injury. A 20g serving of our grass fed collagen peptides provides around 18.4g protein, as well as a beneficial dose of around 5g glycine, which helps strengthen the gut lining, calms the nervous system and supports detoxification. In many of the all-in-one supplements, a 20g serving will try to cram in all of the ingredients and ‘benefits’ into one serving, whilst we know that in order to get the full benefit of collagen, many people will actually need 20g of pure collagen alone. 

Minimum effective dose of protein: So, we know that everyone’s protein requirements are different depending upon age, health concerns and goals. We know that as we age, our protein needs generally increase in order to help maintain muscle mass and promote a healthy metabolism, and we also know that it’s important to be able to actively choose how much protein you’re getting per serving, rather than having to consume the same set amount each time. For healthy adults in their reproductive years, the general guidance is to aim for a minimum of 0.8g protein per kg body weight per day, however the optimal amount of protein you’ll need is likely to be much higher, with plenty of experts recommending getting at least 30g protein per meal, with additional protein rich snacks, aiming for around 100g protein per day minimum. Physician, author and researcher Peter Attia even recommends adults consume 2.2g protein per kg body weight per day. He believes this higher intake is crucial for maintaining and building muscle mass, which is essential for health and longevity. Pregnancy, postpartum, intense exercise and recovery from injury or surgery all further increase our protein requirements. 

Minimum effective dose of beef organs: Beef organs such as liver, heart and kidney contain a wide range of powerful micronutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin A, copper, selenium, iron and zinc. Our typical serving size of 6 capsules provides high doses of these nutrients to optimise your health, such as 7.780mcg B12 (338% of the RDA). Considering B12 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies today (and the body will simply excrete what it doesn’t need, so there’s very little chance of getting too much) it’s vital to consume a generous amount of this nutrient daily. 

In terms of consuming beneficial amounts of liver and vitamin A, we look to the recommendations from the Weston A Price foundation and Nourishing Traditions. This respected foundation and treasure trove of nutritional information based on decades of research advises consuming one ounce (28g) of liver per day to obtain high quality protein, preformed vitamin A, B vitamins (including the most concentrated source of folate) and iron. By stacking two of our nose-to-tail products together, you’ll reach these recommendations. These nutrients in liver provide profound benefits for hormonal health and fertility, vitality, energy production, immune function and overall health. Organs are also what’s missing from many of our diets. Whilst we may consume muscle meat often, it’s the organs that are the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, and they help balance out the vitamins, minerals and amino acids we get via muscle meats, helping us consume a wider range of beneficial nutrients.

Minimum effective dose of oysters: The zinc and iodine in oysters makes them a superfood for hormone health. Our 4-capsule serving provides 1200mg of oysters per day. If you’re taking beef organs, oysters are a fantastic complement to these to help increase the nutrient density and variety you’re consuming. Oysters often don’t make it into all-in-one supplements, so it’s unlikely you’ll find them there. We recommend adding a 4 capsule serving to your supplement stack if you want to improve hormonal health, fertility and energy levels. 

Minimum effective dose of lion’s mane: Lion’s mane is an incredible medicinal/functional mushroom that supports gut and brain health. Lion’s mane has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, with studies utilising between 1000-3000mg to improve gut health and reduce anxiety. Many capsules and all-in-one supplements contain a small amount of lion's mane, which is unlikely to make a noticeable difference. Clinical trials show that taking between 1-6g per day is most effective if you really want to see an improvement in gut health, anxiety and focus. In one study, 0.8g (almost 1 tsp) taken four times per day significantly improved cognitive function and prevented deterioration in adults over 50 years of age over a period of 12 weeks, with the study authors concluding Lion’s mane being an effective way to naturally prevent cognitive decline.   All-in-one supplements just don’t allow for this level of accuracy and dosage, meaning you can’t rely on them if you want to be sure you’re getting an amount your body really needs. If you’re looking to use Lion’s mane for a boost in focus, reduction in anxiety or to heal nerve injury, being able to determine the dose you need on a daily basis is essential.

Minimum effective dose of reishi: Another powerful medicinal/functional mushroom, reishi is known for its adaptogenic properties and ability to calm the nervous system and enhance deep sleep. Reishi also has immune-modulating properties, meaning they can help regulate and balance the body’s immune response. This makes reishi important to consider for autoimmune conditions, as well as sleep issues and stress. In China, where reishi has been used as a regular part of natural medicine for thousands of years, dosages of between 6 to 12g are common, whilst other western studies have used 1000mg (1g) daily to support anti-tumor activity in women with breast cancer. As you can see, the amount required is completely unique to each person. Generally ¼ to ½ tsp per day is a good amount to support a reduction in stress and inflammation, whilst the recommendations for using reishi for sleep range from 1.5-5g per day to have a noticeable effect. If you’re new to using reishi, start with a lower dose and build up until you find the amount that works for you; another huge benefit to being able to personalise your supplement stack, rather than using a pre-made blend where the amounts of different ingredients often aren’t shown on the pack. 

So, now you know the minimum effective dose for these superpower supplements, it’s clear that being able to personalise your supplement stack and make an informed choice as to how much you’re taking day-to-day is essential. We all have different needs, we all have different goals, and we all deserve to choose what we put into our bodies, rather than settling for a one-size-fits-all approach to health. 

If you’d like guidance as to which products to choose to help you in your health journey, contact our customer support team who can help you make the best choice.