ANCIENT NUTRA BLOG POSTS

Flat-lay of fresh gotukola leaves, ginkgo leaves, lion's mane mushroom, and brahmi sprigs beside a dish of plain capsules and a glass of water on linen
brahmi

What focus herbs can honestly claim, and where the evidence stops

Brahmi has the best trial support for focus, while a 3,069-person Ginkgo trial found no dementia protection. An honest grade of four popular focus herbs.

cocoaA ceramic mug of hot cocoa on linen beside a bowl of cocoa powder, cacao beans, cinnamon sticks and a small jug of milk

Cocoa flavanols: what a mug of hot chocolate really gives you

A 21,442-person trial used 500 mg of cocoa flavanols a day. Natural cocoa powder holds about 34.6 mg per gram, so here is what an evening mug gives you.

adaptogensDried ashwagandha roots and pale shatavari root tubers beside a bowl of herbal powder and a cup of warm milk on linen

Adaptogens and Your Cycle: What the Evidence Actually Shows

Ashwagandha and Shatavari are sold as cycle fixers. One 8-week trial in 73 perimenopausal women shows where Shatavari helps, and where the evidence stops.

daily wellnessA bowl of green moringa leaf powder, a glass of stirred green drink and fresh moringa leaflets on a teak table beside a rain-streaked window

Panic Dosing vs Steady Support: Getting Immunity Right in the Rains

Routine vitamin C did not cut cold risk across 11,306 people (RR 0.97). Here is what steady immune support through Sri Lanka's rains actually asks of you.

elderberryFresh elderberry clusters, a jar of cooked elderberry syrup, a clay bowl of dried guduchi stem pieces and a cup of herbal tea on a rain-flecked wooden table

Elderberry Before the Second Rains: What the Evidence Actually Shows

Elderberry shortened colds by about 2 days in a 312-person trial, yet a 2020 flu trial found no benefit. What that means before Sri Lanka's October rains.

evidenceFresh turmeric root, ginger and dried bael slices beside a plain amber shot bottle on wet slate, with monsoon rain on the window behind

6 Monsoon Habits That Lower Your Odds of Getting Sick

September is the tail of Sri Lanka's southwest monsoon. Six habits graded against Cochrane, Lancet and NIH evidence, including the one to stop buying.

ayurvedaCut sections of a woody vine showing bright yellow inner wood, beside Ceylon cinnamon quills and dried leaves on linen

Venivel: What the Yellow Vine Is, and What We Actually Know

Venivel is the third herb in Ancient Nutra's Sugar Balance System. PubMed holds 49 papers on it and zero human trials, and the vine itself is in steep decline.

blood sugarOverhead flat lay of fenugreek seeds, Ceylon cinnamon quills, a halved bitter gourd and dried green leaves on cream linen

4 Blood Sugar Herbs, Ranked by How Strong the Evidence Is

Four Ceylon herbs for blood sugar, ranked by the trial evidence: fenugreek cut fasting glucose by 26.66 mg/dL across 10 randomised trials in 706 people.

editorialAn open blank notebook, a mug of herbal tea, a jar of pale root powder and dried root pieces on a linen surface in soft morning light

September, Planned Quietly: The Phrase We Are Retiring

Ancient Nutra is retiring open-ended 90-day advice. From September, course lengths match the evidence: maca's main trial ran 12 weeks in 175 adults, not 90.

collagenOverhead flat lay of collagen powder in a plain ceramic bowl beside amber capsules, a wooden spoon of powder, halved limes and eucalyptus on pale linen

What Collagen Supplements Actually Do, and What They Cannot

A 2023 review of 26 trials in 1,721 people found oral collagen improved skin hydration and elasticity. Here is what it does, and what it cannot do for skin.

detoxOverhead flat-lay on cream linen of amla gooseberries, dried terminalia fruits, curry leaves, a clay bowl of red rice, a glass of water and plain herbal capsules

Gut Reset vs Gut Cleanse: The Honest Difference

A 2015 review found no randomised trials behind commercial detox diets. Here is what a gut reset actually is, and what a cleanse is really doing to you.

ayurvedaOverhead flat lay of a daily gut routine: herbal capsules spilling from an unlabelled amber jar, a bowl of plain yogurt, a cup of fermented drink, and dried myrobalan fruits with a fresh gooseberry on linen

Probiotics and Triphala: What the Timing Evidence Actually Says

Probiotics mostly pass through rather than colonise, and Triphala's longest human trials ran about 45 days. What the timing evidence actually supports.