Over time Rhonda Patrick has experimented with a number of different supplements. Many of which she has taken for a period of time before stopping.
Previously they were listed within the supplements Rhonda takes article, but as the list got longer, it made sense to separate them out.
Supplements Rhonda Doesn’t Take & Why
| Supplement | Duration Taken |
|---|---|
| Previously taken, but stopped | |
| Nicotinamide Riboside | Briefly prior to 2017 |
| Lutein & Zeaxanthin | ~Jan to Oct 2024 |
| Ubiquinol | ~Jan to Oct 2024 |
| L-Carnitine | ~July 2023 to Oct 2024 |
| Berberine | ~May 2023 to Oct 2024 |
| Urolithin A | ~Sept 2023 to Oct 2024 |
| BROQ | ~July 2022 to October 2024 |
| Vitamin C | ~2020 to 2023 |
| Never taken (but explains why below) | |
| Resveratrol | Never taken & why |
| Metformin | Never taken & why |
| Athletic Greens | Never taken & why |
| Lithium | Never taken & why |
| Used Infrequently | |
| Glutathione | Mentioned July 2023, used infrequently |
| Inositol | Mentioned Jan 2024, used infrequently |
Previously taken, but stopped
Nicotinamide Riboside
Before having her son, Rhonda was experimenting with a Nicotinamide Riboside supplement by Thorne. However whilst pregnant, Rhonda stopped taking any non-essential supplements (including Nicotinamide Riboside) that could pose even the slightest risk to her child.
The nicotinamide riboside product she was taking before was called Thorne NiaCel (now discontinued) – which contained Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride made by Chromadex. Chromadex also produces Nicotinamide Riboside under their own brand; called Tru Niagen.
As of yet, Rhonda hasn’t come back to taking Nicotinamide Riboside and has said she is waiting for more human research to be completed.
Lutein & Zeaxanthin
N.B. Taken in 2024 up until about October
Lutein and Zeaxanthin are yellow and orange pigments, also known as carotenoids, that are found in fruits and vegetables. Lutein specifically is also found in egg yolks and animal fats.
They’re particularly of interest in eye health because they’re found in the eye lens and macular region of the retina.
Research suggests that these compounds may have a beneficial effect in delaying the progression of eye diseases such as late age-related macular degeneration and cataracts1Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Mrowicka et al. | 2022 | Nutrients2Lutein and Zeaxanthin Supplementation and Association With Visual Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Liu et al. | 2015 | Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
Rhonda was supplementing 10 mg of Lutein and 2 mg of Zeaxanthin daily, via a product called Pure Encapsulations Lutein & Zeaxanthin.
Her ONE multivitamin already contained 3 mg of Lutein and 0.5 mg of Zeaxanthin. Whereas the Thorne multivitamin contained 140 mcg of Lutein and zero Zeaxanthin.
When it comes to vitamins and minerals, there are established guidelines for daily consumption, however with other compounds the guidelines are less established.
This paper suggests there is strong evidence that up to 20 mg / day of Lutein is safe3Dietary guidance for lutein: consideration for intake recommendations is scientifically supported – Ranard et al. | 2017 | European Journal of Nutrition.
For Zeaxanthin, according to this paper4Zeaxanthin: Review of Toxicological Data and Acceptable Daily Intake – James Edwards | 2016 | Journal of Ophthalmology, the EU put an upper use level of 2 mg / day. However, it suggests that higher intakes are safe, for example with a human intervention study using 20 mg / day of Zeaxanthin, for 6 months, showing no adverse effects.
Ubiquinol
N.B. taken from around Jan 2023 to October 2024.
You may already be familiar with a supplement called Coenzyme Q10.
CoQ10 comes in two common forms; ubiquinone (the oxidized form) and ubiquinol (the reduced form).
The version Rhonda is taking (ubiquinol, the reduced form) is proposed to be more bio-available than ubiquinone5Increased Bioavailability of Ubiquinol Compared to Ubiquinone – Aoki et al. (2014).
She describes ubiquinol as playing an important role in mitochondrial energy production.
Whilst Ubiquinol is naturally found naturally in our diets, Rhonda said in her Jan 2023 Q&A she was supplementing an additional 200 mg per day. Then, in her July 2023 Q&A, partly due to cost, she mentioned switching down to 100 mg per day.
However, she said if she was on a statin, which she isn’t, she might take 200 mg per day instead.
She was specifically using Pure Encapsulations – Ubiquinol-QH 100mg (see 20% off coupon code).
This product is noticeably expensive, even for ubiquinol. It uses “Kaneka” brand ubiquinol, which is also used by more affordable products such as:
- NOW Ubiquinol – 100 mg (see 20% off coupon code)
- Jarrow Ubiquinol – 100 mg (see 20% off coupon code)
L-Carnitine
N.B. Rhonda took this roughly between July 2023 and October 2024.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (and below, Alpha Lipoic Acid) we mentioned as new additions in Rhonda’s July 2023 Q&A.
L-Carnitine is a non-essential amino acid that body can synthesize from protein in the diet, specifically the amino acids; lysine and methionine. The latter of which are abundant in diets containing animal products.
My understanding of why Rhonda was taking Acetyl-L-Carnitine is due to the research on its potential ability to improve mitochondrial function as we age.
As a quick recap, mitochondria exist in all of our cells, and they produce the energy that cells rely on to live and function. Mitochondrial function declines with age, and it’s part of the reason our activity levels decline over time.
L-Carnitine is a key nutrient for proper mitochondrial function and is notable for its role in fatty acid oxidation (part of the process by which mitochondria convert fat into energy).
In addition, L-Carnitine also plays a major part in protecting cellular membranes, preventing fatty acid accumulation, modulating ketogenesis and glucogenesis and in the elimination of toxic metabolites6The Role of l-Carnitine in Mitochondria, Prevention of Metabolic Inflexibility and Disease Initiation – Virmani et al. | 2022 | International Journal of Molecular Sciences).
Below I’ve linked to some studies that indicate benefits of L-Carnitine supplementation in older rodents and humans.
The most impressive research on the combination of acetyl-l-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid, so far, seems to have been done in rodents, such as:
- Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress – link
- Acetyl-l-carnitine fed to old rats partially restores mitochondrial function and ambulatory activity (ambulatory activity = movement – such as walking or running) – link
- Neuronal mitochondrial amelioration (restoration) by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to aged rats – link
- Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-l-carnitine and/or R-α-lipoic acid – link
- The effect of acetyl-L-carnitine and R-α-lipoic acid treatment in ApoE4 mouse as a model of human Alzheimer’s disease – link
In terms of human studies that combine the two, they’re more limited. I’ve come across:
- Effect of Combined Treatment With α-Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine on Vascular Function and Blood Pressure in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease – link
And then for L-Carnitine alone in humans, related to the above:
- Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease – link
- L-Carnitine treatment reduces severity of physical and mental fatigue and increases cognitive functions in centenarians: a randomized and controlled clinical trial – link
More research is needed to understand at what age the benefits start to accrue, and how much benefit there is to people already consuming higher protein diets (e.g. more than 0.36 grams per lb / 0.8 grams per kilogram).
In terms of which specific L-Carnitine supplement Rhonda was taking, she mentioned Pure Encapsulations. However, they do a few different versions and doses. My guess was that she took Pure Encapsulations – Acetyl-L-Carnitine – 500 mg.
The reason for the guess on the type and dosage is the following…
- The form of L-Carnitine most commonly used in the studies above is Acetyl-L-Carnitine
- During the same Q&A Rhonda mentioned a product by Juvenon called Cellular Health, which contains Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid. However, she said she gets adequate amounts already by taking them separately. Juvenon’s product contains 1,000 mg of Acetyl-L-Carnitine per dose. The largest dose Pure Encapsulations do is 500 mg.
Other brands offering Acetyl-l-carnitine include:
- Life Extension – Acetyl-L-Carnitine – 500 mg (see 20% off coupon code)
- Swanson – Acetyl-L-Carnitine – 500 mg (see 20% off coupon code)
- Thorne – Acetyl-L-Carnitine – 500 mg (see 20% off coupon code)
Berberine
N.B. Rhonda took Berberine roughly from May 2023 to October 2024.
This was motivated by a meta-analysis, which looked at 44 randomized controlled trials using Berberine, and found it may help protect against cardiovascular disease.
Specifically, they found it:
- Reduced inflammatory biomarkers
- Reduced the intima-media thickness (a marker of atherosclerotic plaque)
- Improved the scores of people tested for cognitive stroke damage
Broadly speaking, Berberine is regarded as a compound that helps regulate blood sugar levels. For more information on Berberine, Rhonda has a topic page on it here.
It’s worth noting Berberine can interact with other medications, including antidiabetic, antihypertensive and anticoagulants – so for those on medication, some research is needed. A longer list of drug interactions can be found here.
The product Rhonda mentioned taking was Thorne’s Berberine, which is 1,000 mg per dose (2x 500 mg capsules).
Urolithin A
N.B. Rhonda took Urolithin A roughly from Sept 2023 to Oct 2024.
She took Urolithin A via a supplement called Renual, which also contains a small amount of resveratrol and CoQ10.
Dose was 250 mg / daily.
Interestingly, Urolithin A isn’t available naturally in our diets, rather, it requires specific types of bacteria in our gut to convert it from polyphenols (named ellagitannins) into urolithin A.
The ellagitannin polyphenols are found in specific fruits and nuts, such as raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates, walnuts and almonds7Metabolism of antioxidant and chemopreventive ellagitannins from strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, and oak-aged wine in humans: identification of biomarkers and individual variability – Cerda et al. | 2005 | J Agric Food Chem8Determination of the major phenolic compounds in pomegranate juices by HPLC−DAD−ESI-MS – Caravaca et al. | 2013 | J Agric Food Chem.
Currently, the research into Urolithin A is being pushed by a Swiss Biotech company called Amazentis, which sells the product through their own brand called Timeline Nutrition, and then separately sells it to supplement companies under the brand name Mitopure.
At the time I wrote about this, I argued the research around the supplement was still in its infancy. Human studies we limited to:
- A study in middle-aged (average age 51 years), overweight individuals (BMI of 29) found an increase in leg muscle strength for the 500 mg per day group, and an increase in VO2 max + six-minute walk test in the 1,000 mg per day group – versus placebo9Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults – Singh et al. | 2022 | Cell Reports Medicine.
- A study in older adults (average age 71 years), found an improvement vs placebo in muscle endurance10Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults – Liu et al. | 2022 | Nutrition, Obesity & Exercise
It’s perhaps noteworthy that they’re showing health benefits in old and overweight individuals. However, if you didn’t fit into those categories, one might question if the benefits would still be measurable.
BROQ (Sulforaphane)
N.B. Rhonda took Broq roughly from July 2022 to October 2024. She decided to switch over to Amacol Extra strength, possibly because it’s lighter on the stomach.
BROQ contains 10mg of free-form stabilized sulforaphane per tablet.
This has greater bio-availability than sulforaphane glucosinolate, which is used in a lot of sulforaphane supplements, including Avmacol.
Prior to BROQ existing Rhonda was taking Prostaphane, which had to be shipped from France. BROQ is manufactured by the same company as Prostaphane, for the US market.
Rhonda’s Dosage: 2 tablets (20 mg total) of BROQ daily. Potentially splitting up the dose to 1 capsule per meal. She avoids taking it on an empty stomach.
Rhonda noted that for some people, even taking 1 tablet (10 mg) with a meal can result in stomach discomfort. Therefore, as an alternative, she mentions that Avmacol may be kinder on the stomach. And then later, she switched to Avmacol herself!
Vitamin C
N.B. Rhonda was taking this regularly from around 2020 to 2023. Likely spurred by the Covid time period, stopping as the fuss died down.
Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient, well known for its antioxidant properties.
Rhonda has a comprehensive topic page that covers many details on vitamin C.
She previously took it daily via a supplement called Pure Encapsulations – Ester C, which includes 619 mg per 1 capsule serving.
In addition, the supplement also has 50 mg of quercetin and 100 mg of rutin – both flavonoids with potential health benefits.
Additional brands that offer vitamin C:
- Swanson – Vitamin C – 500 mg (combined with calcium to be pH neutral) (see 20% off coupon code)
- Life Extension – Vitamin C – 1,000 mg (with a small amount of quercetin) (see 20% off coupon code)
- NOW – Vitamin C – 1,000 mg (with 25 mg of Rose hips) (see 20% off coupon code)
Not taken (but explains why below)
Resveratrol
Rhonda has had David Sinclair on the podcast discussing the positive effects of Resveratrol.
Since that podcast, Rhonda has posted a literature review of Resveratrol on her site.
However, she mentioned in her June 2023 Q&A that she still does not take resveratrol.
For more on David Sinclair and the supplements he takes, including Resveratrol and NMN, see this separate post.
Metformin
Metformin has been studied in humans since the 1950’s and is most commonly taken to battle type 2 diabetes. In recent years it has become popular amongst biohackers looking to extend their healthspan + lifespan. As this novel, off-label use has become more popular, it has invited further research into whether this approach makes sense.
In a podcast with Kevin Rose (Jan 2020 – link), Rhonda discussed the use of metformin for longevity.
She notes that exercise is better at preventing type 2 diabetes than metformin, citing a randomized controlled trial involving 3,200 people11Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin – Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002). She also questions the value of metformin in healthy individuals who exercise. This is because the health benefits of exercise are vast and well documented, and it appears that metformin inhibits a number of these. Namely:
- Reduction in gaining lean muscle mass whilst on an exercise program, compared to placebo12Metformin blunts muscle hypertrophy in response to progressive resistance exercise training in older adults: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial: The MASTERS trial – Walton et al (Sept 2019).
- Inhibition of mitochondrial adaptations and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness by 50 percent and diminished whole-body insulin sensitivity after aerobic exercise13Metformin inhibits mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise training in older adults – Konopka et al (2018).
So when it comes to healthy individuals who exercise, she doesn’t see any synergy with the use of metformin for improving healthspan and lifespan. However, for people who don’t exercise, the use of metformin may warrant further inspection. See Rhonda’s research section on metformin for more info.
Note that if you’re interested in taking the prescription drug metformin for off-label use, you should consult with a doctor on the subject. The above does not constitute medical advice in any shape or form.
Athletic Greens
Rhonda doesn’t take Athletic Greens, and nor has she in the past. However, she was asked by a subscriber of hers what she thinks of it.
Her response in her May 2022 Q&A was that Athletic Greens contains a blue-green microalgae called spirulina, which is a potential source of a liver toxin called microcystins.
See FDA warning and a paper on microcystins in dietary supplements.
Therefore she suggested to the subscriber to contact Althetic Greens for their microcystin testing data.
To her knowledge, the subscriber didn’t receive a reply containing data to allay this potential concern.
Lithium
In Q&A #56 (Feb 2024) Rhonda acknowledged there are studies suggesting a correlation between low-dose lithium and improved mental health.
That being said, the reasons she states for not supplementing lithium are:
- She hasn’t read anything that suggests a healthy person, like herself, would benefit from supplementing lithium.
- There can be adverse effects when taking excess Lithium. Couple this with the risk that supplements often contain different levels of the supplement they purport to contain; sometimes up to 10x lower, sometimes up to 10x higher. Rhonda doesn’t want to risk taking 10x more lithium than she means to.
- She would like to see some higher-quality research showing benefits. For example, an RCT study.
Used Infrequently
Glutathione
N.B. Rhonda noted taking this in her July 2023 Q&A, as a detoxification aid, specifically after drinking alcohol.
She’s quick to point out that she doesn’t binge drink, so this is in the context of a glass of wine, one “hard kombucha” or a beer.
She may still use it from time to time, but it’s not a regular thing.
The version she mentioned taking is Pure Encapsulations’ spray version. 1 dose (2 sprays) is 100 mg total.
Glutathione has many roles in the body, including14Glutathione – Jefferies et al. | 2003 | ANZ Journal of Surgery:
- As an antioxidant (neutralizing free radicals)
- It detoxifies the metabolites of drugs
- It helps regulate gene expression and apoptosis (programmed cell death).
Whilst Rhonda has previously said that some liposomal forms of supplements are just not worth the extra price (such as vitamin C), she seems convinced that liposomal glutathione is sufficiently more bio-available than its reduced form, such that it’s worth the extra cost.
Sources of liquid liposomal glutathione include:
- Pure Encapsulations – Liposomal Glutathione liquid (~$1.06 per 100 mg)
- Seeking Health – Liposomal Glutathione liquid (~$0.42 per 100 mg) (see 20% off coupon code)
Inositol
N.B. Rhonda mentioned taking this in her Jan 2024 Q&A (#55) – taking around 1 scoop (2 grams) of inositol before bed to improve her sleep quality.
She may still take it, but she didn’t mention it in her October 2024 update.
Inositol is a type of sugar, found in the brain and other tissues, which mediates cell signal conversion in response to hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors.
When these external signals reach the cell they are converted into internal messengers, for which myo-inositol is involved11.
There doesn’t appear to be a ton of research proving its benefits in sleep, but for example there’s a study in pregnant women that found it improved sleep quality and duration.
The product she likely uses is Pure Encapsulations Inositol, which is a powdered version.
Examples of other (capsulated) brands include:
- Momentous – Inositol – 900 mg per capsule (see 20% off discount code)
- Life Extension – Inositol – 1,000 mg per capsule (see 20% off coupon code)
- Jarrow Formulas – Inositol – 750 mg per capsule (see 20% off coupon code)
Roundup
Above we’ve covered supplements Rhonda previously took then discontinued, and at least one that she still takes, but rarely.
If you’ve got any questions or comments, please leave them below.
Further Reading:
- See the supplements Rhonda takes currently.
- Also see the Rhonda Patrick topic page with links to all the articles on her
References
- 1Lutein and Zeaxanthin and Their Roles in Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Mrowicka et al. | 2022 | Nutrients
- 2Lutein and Zeaxanthin Supplementation and Association With Visual Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Liu et al. | 2015 | Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
- 3Dietary guidance for lutein: consideration for intake recommendations is scientifically supported – Ranard et al. | 2017 | European Journal of Nutrition
- 4Zeaxanthin: Review of Toxicological Data and Acceptable Daily Intake – James Edwards | 2016 | Journal of Ophthalmology
- 5Increased Bioavailability of Ubiquinol Compared to Ubiquinone – Aoki et al. (2014)
- 6The Role of l-Carnitine in Mitochondria, Prevention of Metabolic Inflexibility and Disease Initiation – Virmani et al. | 2022 | International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- 7
- 8Determination of the major phenolic compounds in pomegranate juices by HPLC−DAD−ESI-MS – Caravaca et al. | 2013 | J Agric Food Chem
- 9Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults – Singh et al. | 2022 | Cell Reports Medicine
- 10Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults – Liu et al. | 2022 | Nutrition, Obesity & Exercise
- 11Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin – Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group (2002)
- 12
- 13Metformin inhibits mitochondrial adaptations to aerobic exercise training in older adults – Konopka et al (2018)
- 14Glutathione – Jefferies et al. | 2003 | ANZ Journal of Surgery
