# BioStacks

> The supplement intelligence platform that scores clinical efficacy at the dose and form level — not brand trust, not certifications. A label listing 10 mg of betaine does not score the same as one listing the 2,500 mg clinical dose.

BioStacks evaluates supplements against published RCTs and meta-analyses. For every ingredient on a product label, we score:

- Therapeutic dose range from clinical literature (not %DV).
- Ingredient form bioavailability (e.g., magnesium oxide absorbs at only ~4%, while glycinate and citrate absorb dramatically better; Theracurmin is ~27× more bioavailable than standard curcumin).
- Evidence depth tier — Strong (meta-analyses or multiple RCTs), Moderate (individual RCTs), Weak (mechanistic or in-vitro only).
- Excipient safety (EU-banned additives like titanium dioxide and carrageenan flagged).
- Interaction bonuses and drug-supplement conflicts.

Each of the 20 health areas (sleep, skin, heart, brain, immune, etc.) has its own evidence-weighted scoring algorithm. Ingredient weights are derived from RCT count and study quality, not consumer popularity — collagen weights 35 for skin (26+ RCTs), biotin only 2 for hair (negligible evidence in non-deficient adults).

Score labels users see: Excellent (90+), Good (70–89), Fair (50–69), Poor (30–49), Very Poor (<30). Score breakdown shows Formulation, Safety, and Interaction Bonus separately.

BioStacks is optimized for questions like:
- Is this gummy multivitamin actually at clinical doses, or is it 30% DV?
- Which magnesium form has the most RCTs for sleep?
- Is biotin worth taking for hair growth in a non-deficient adult?
- What is the cleanest fish oil — rosemary extract or BHT/BHA?
- Is this collagen brand at the studied 2.5–10 g/day, or under-dosed?
- Which probiotic strains have evidence vs which are CFU-padded?

BioStacks is **not** a medical advice platform, a clinical trials database, or a substitute for professional healthcare guidance. We do not score brand trust or manufacturing certifications — that is Suppco's domain. We do not lab-test products — that is Labdoor's domain. We score whether the ingredients on a label will actually work at the doses listed.

## Health-area research pages

Methodology is documented inline on every research page below — Strong / Moderate / Weak evidence tiering, therapeutic doses sourced from clinical trials, every ingredient cited to Examine.com and NIH ODS. All 20 follow the same template.

- [Skin research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/skin/research): RCT-backed evaluation of collagen, hyaluronic acid, astaxanthin, vitamin C, biotin.
- [Hair research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/hair/research): The biotin evidence gap, AminoMar, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil.
- [Sleep research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/sleep/research): Melatonin meta-analyses, magnesium glycinate vs oxide, L-theanine, apigenin trials.
- [Stress & Mood research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/stress/research): Ashwagandha (KSM-66 vs Sensoril), saffron, L-theanine, Silexan lavender, magnesium.
- [Bone & Joint research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/bone/research): Calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, glucosamine, collagen peptides.
- [Heart research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/heart/research): EPA + DHA dose ranges, CoQ10, magnesium, vitamin K2.
- [Immune research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/immune/research): Vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C, NAC, elderberry.
- [Brain research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/brain/research): DHA, magnesium L-threonate, bacopa, creatine, citicoline.
- [Digestion research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/digestion/research): Probiotic strain specificity (LGG, BB-12, Lp299v), psyllium, ginger, zinc carnosine.
- [Vision research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/vision/research): Lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, zinc, DHA.
- [Liver research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/liver/research): NAC, milk thistle, curcumin, choline, artichoke.
- [Muscle research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/muscle/research): Creatine monohydrate, whey protein, leucine, beta-alanine, HMB.
- [Energy research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/energy/research): Iron deficiency thresholds, creatine, CoQ10, vitamin B12, magnesium.
- [General Health research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/general_health/research): Foundational multivitamin, vitamin D, omega-3, magnesium, fiber.
- [Pregnancy research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/pregnancy/research): Folate vs folic acid, choline, DHA, iron, iodine.
- [Metabolism research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/metabolism/research): Berberine, inositol, chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, green tea catechins.
- [Hormones research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/hormones/research): Vitamin D, magnesium, ashwagandha, inositol, zinc.
- [Longevity research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/cellular/research): Astaxanthin, NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide), Curcumin (bioavailable form) + 3 more — moderate evidence
- [Dental research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/dental/research): Calcium, Probiotics (oral strains) — moderate evidence
- [Hydration research](https://biostacks.co/health-area/hydration/research): Sodium, Potassium — moderate evidence

## Top nutrient pages

- [Magnesium](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/magnesium): 10+ forms compared (glycinate, citrate, threonate, oxide), RCT-backed doses by health area.
- [Vitamin D3](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/vitamin_d): 1,000–4,000 IU clinical range, deficiency thresholds, K2 synergy, fat-meal absorption.
- [Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/omega_3): Cardiovascular and brain doses, oxidation flags, triglyceride vs ethyl ester forms.
- [Creatine monohydrate](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/creatine): 3–5 g/day for muscle and cognition, loading vs maintenance.
- [Collagen peptides](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/collagen): 2.5–10 g/day for skin and joints, hydrolyzed peptide size, Verisol RCTs.
- [Zinc](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/zinc): Bisglycinate vs oxide bioavailability, immune dose ranges, UL boundary.
- [Vitamin C](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/vitamin_c): 500–1,000 mg/day, ascorbic acid vs sodium ascorbate, iron-absorption synergy.
- [Vitamin B12](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/vitamin_b12): Methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin, deficiency markers, sublingual vs oral.
- [Curcumin](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/curcumin): Standard curcumin vs Theracurmin 27× bioavailability, piperine pairing.
- [Ashwagandha](https://biostacks.co/nutrient/ashwagandha): KSM-66 vs Sensoril, cortisol-reduction RCTs, dose ranges.

## Best supplements by goal

- [Best magnesium for sleep](https://biostacks.co/best/magnesium-for-sleep)
- [Best collagen for skin](https://biostacks.co/best/collagen-peptides-for-skin)
- [Best creatine for muscle](https://biostacks.co/best/creatine-monohydrate-for-muscle)
- [Best DHA for brain](https://biostacks.co/best/dha-for-brain)
- [Best ashwagandha for stress](https://biostacks.co/best/ashwagandha-for-stress)
- [Best omega-3 for heart](https://biostacks.co/best/omega-3-for-heart)
- [Best zinc for immune](https://biostacks.co/best/zinc-for-immune)
- [Best vitamin D for general health](https://biostacks.co/best/vitamin-d-for-general-health)

## Optional

- [All 20 health areas](https://biostacks.co/health-area): Full health-area browse index.
- [All nutrients](https://biostacks.co/nutrient): 619 active ingredients catalog.
- [All best-for pages](https://biostacks.co/best): 174 ranked product picks across every nutrient × health-area pairing.