Cho et al. (Pusan National University, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014, PMC4017725) ran a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 76 men with androgenetic alopecia, reporting increased hair count after 24 weeks on a branded, manufacturer-funded 400 mg/day pumpkin seed oil capsule versus placebo, while the 5-alpha-reductase mechanism behind it has been shown only in animal models. This Ireland evidence guide covers pumpkin seed oil's fatty-acid composition, the human hair, prostate and overactive-bladder trials (Hong 2009, Nishimura 2014), the saw palmetto combination, capsules versus cold-pressed culinary oil, dosage and safety, and Swanson Pumpkin Seed Oil 1000mg (100 gelatin softgels, EUR 16.95) dispatched next-day from Dublin under FSAI food supplement rules.

A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis by de Miranda, Weimer and Rossi (UNISINOS, Int J Dermatol 2021;60(12):1449-1461, PMID 33742704) reported gains in skin hydration and elasticity from hydrolysed collagen peptides, while a 2025 Am J Med meta-analysis by Myung and Park found the effect was smaller once industry-funded trials were separated out. This Ireland evidence guide covers whether collagen works, how types I, II and III differ by dose and mechanism, marine vs bovine sources, the EFSA claim position, dosage, safety, and the collagen range at Probiotic.ie from EUR 19.95, dispatched from Dublin.

Women store 70–80% less creatine than men (Smith-Ryan et al., Nutrients, 2021, PMID 33800439), and the EU authorises the claim that creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise at a 3 g/day intake (Regulation 432/2012) — a claim that applies to women and men alike. This Ireland guide covers creatine for women across strength, the menopause transition and the over-55 muscle-strength claim, dosing, the water-weight and "bloating" question, safety, and the vegan Reflex CreaPure® Creatine Powder (500g, €34.95) with next-day dispatch from Dublin under FSAI food-supplement rules.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (Kreider et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017, PMID 28615996) describes creatine monohydrate as the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement for high-intensity exercise capacity and lean mass, and the EU authorises the claim that creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise at a 3 g/day intake (Regulation 432/2012). This Ireland guide covers creatine forms, CreaPure® purity, dosing (loading versus daily 3–5 g), the evidence for women and over-55s, cognition claims and their limits, kidney and hair-loss safety questions, and Reflex CreaPure® Creatine Powder 500g (€34.95) and Capsules (€14.95) with next-day dispatch from Dublin under FSAI food-supplement rules.

Kato-Kataoka et al. (J Clin Biochem Nutr, 2010, PMID 21103034) found soy-derived phosphatidylserine improved delayed verbal recall in elderly adults over six months, while Hellhammer et al. (Lipids Health Dis, 2014, PMID 25081826) recorded significant ACTH normalisation (p=0.010) in the highest-stress subgroup of men taking 400mg/day. This Ireland guide covers phosphatidylserine's mechanism, EFSA claim status, cortisol and memory evidence, dosage and safety, and Swanson Phosphatidylserine 100mg (30 softgels, €18.90) — regulated under FSAI food supplement guidelines with nationwide Ireland delivery.

Shmalberg et al. (University of Florida, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2019;6:163, PMID 31275948) randomised 60 dogs with acute diarrhoea and found no statistically significant difference between a probiotic, metronidazole and placebo (3.5 vs 4.6 vs 4.8 days to acceptable faecal consistency, p = 0.17), while the ACVIM-endorsed consensus statement on canine chronic inflammatory enteropathy (Heilmann, Jergens et al., J Vet Intern Med 2026;40(1):aalaf017, PMID 41742497) places dietary trials first and describes probiotics as having a limited role. This Ireland evidence guide covers what canine research shows across acute diarrhoea and chronic enteropathy, which strains have been studied including Enterococcus faecium SF68 and the eight-strain De Simone Formulation, the trials that found no benefit, safety in higher-risk dogs, and why a human food supplement is not a licensed veterinary product under HPRA rules.

The ISAPP consensus definition (Hill et al., Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2014, PMID 24912386) emphasises that probiotic benefits should be read in relation to the specific strains and the studied dose, so a headline CFU number alone does not define a probiotic's strength. This Ireland evidence guide covers what CFU means, CFU at manufacture versus expiry, strain identity versus strain count, refrigerated versus shelf-stable storage, higher-dose safety, and how 50, 100 and 450 billion products compare, including CDS22-formula, the original 8-strain De Simone Formulation (450 billion CFU per sachet, €25.95) with Irish cold-chain delivery.

A 2021 meta-analysis of nine randomised trials (Zhou et al., Nutrients 2021;13(9):2917, PMC8472736) reported oral astaxanthin improved skin moisture (SMD 0.53, p=0.03) and elasticity (SMD 0.77, p=0.009) versus placebo, but found no significant effect on wrinkle depth. This Ireland evidence guide covers astaxanthin's skin and eye research, dosage and whether 12mg is too much, EFSA safety (8mg/day from supplements assessed safe for adults, EFSA 2020, PMID 32874213), vegan options, and the two products we stock: NOW Foods Astaxanthin 4mg (vegan, EUR 22.95) and Healthy Origins Astaxanthin 12mg (EUR 58.50), dispatched from Dublin, normally within 24 hours.

Ashwagandha-containing food supplements are sold in Ireland under Irish and EU food law; they are food supplements, not licensed medicines, individual products must be notified to the FSAI (notification is not approval), and no EU-authorised health claim exists for ashwagandha (Food Safety Authority of Ireland; EU Regulation 1924/2006). This Ireland guide sets out the dated regulatory position (including Denmark's 2023 prohibition and the UK COT review unfinished as of April 2026), the safety signals regulators are assessing (liver, thyroid, blood glucose), what the clinical research has examined, dosage context, and Swanson Ashwagandha KSM-66 250 mg (60 veg caps, €17.45) with tracked delivery from Dublin.

Evidence Guide · Magnesium Forms Ireland · July 2026 Glycinate, citrate, malate, taurate, L-threonate. The forms look different, and the marketing tells you each one is "for" something specific...

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA NDA Panel, EFSA Journal 2010;8(3):1462) set the adequate intake of dietary fibre for adults at 25 g per day, and a 2018 meta-analysis (Jovanovski et al., Am J Clin Nutr, PMID 30239559) found psyllium fibre significantly lowered LDL cholesterol across randomised trials. This Ireland guide compares inulin, psyllium husk, PHGG and resistant maltodextrin, the 25 g/day target, soluble vs insoluble fibre, authorised EU claims and how to start without discomfort, and covers Healthy Origins Sunfiber PHGG (225g, €25.95) with tracked delivery from Dublin under FSAI food-supplement rules.

The EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Journal, 2015;13(7):4150) set an Adequate Intake of 4 µg/day of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) for adults and derived no tolerable upper intake level, while Green et al. (Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2017, PMID 28660890) reported subclinical B12 deficiency affecting 2.5–26% of the general population, with older adults and people who eat few animal-source foods at highest risk. This Ireland evidence guide covers what vitamin B12 is, methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin, food sources, dosage and the 8 EFSA-authorised health claims, and compares standalone B12 with NOW B-100 (€22.95), Swanson Daily (€15.95) and Doctor's Best Fully Active (€20.45) B-complex supplements, regulated under FSAI food-supplement guidelines with tracked delivery from Dublin.