Three checks. About sixty seconds. They work on any focus supplement, including the one already in the cupboard, and including ours.
Check 1 — the form
Find the word next to "choline" on the back of the pack. It is the single most informative word on the label.
| If the label says | What that means |
|---|---|
| Choline bitartrate | The cheap form. Real choline, chosen for cost. In trials with healthy adults it has not shown the cognitive benefits people buy it for.1 |
| Citicoline (CDP-choline) | A researched brain form. Often branded, and often present in small amounts. |
| Alpha-GPC | The form used in most of the clinical research on choline and cognition. |
Check 2 — the amount
Then find the milligrams. Research in healthy adults has run at roughly 250–630 mg a day of Alpha-GPC.2 Higher-dose trials exist at 800–1,200 mg, but they were run in people with diagnosed cognitive impairment — a different population, and not a target for a healthy adult buying a focus supplement.
For scale, on shelves today: an energy pouch at 50 mg, a popular nootropic creamer at 300 mg.3 The bigger difference between products is usually not the number, though. It is the form.
Bonus check, for mushrooms
Lion's mane should say fruiting body — not mycelium grown on grain — and it should state a beta-glucan percentage. If the label says only "polysaccharides", there is usually a reason.
Check 3 — the proof
- An exact amount for every active, and no "proprietary blend". That phrase legally allows the amounts to be hidden.
- A certificate of analysis available for the lot you are holding.
- Studies cited with the population that was actually studied — not just "clinically proven".
Run it on ours
Weal Focus: Alpha-GPC, 300 mg. Lion's mane, 400 mg, 100% fruiting body, 25% beta-glucans. Every active printed with its amount. No proprietary blends.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.