Ingredients hub
Supplement Ingredients Explained: Uses, Safety and How to Choose
What each ingredient is, how it is traditionally used, what it brings to a formula and how to take it safely — with the products that contain it and the price in your country.
Botanicals
Turmeric
Manjano (Swahili), Indian saffron
Curcumin
Curcuminoids, diferuloylmethane
Ginger
Tangawizi (Swahili)
Garlic
Kitunguu saumu (Swahili)
Ginseng
Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng, Siberian ginseng (a different plant)
Ashwagandha
Indian ginseng, winter cherry
Maca root
Peruvian ginseng
Moringa
Mlonge (Swahili), drumstick tree, zogale (Hausa)
Baobab
Mbuyu (Swahili), monkey bread fruit
Hibiscus
Roselle, zobo (Nigeria), karkade, sorrel
Green tea extract
Camellia sinensis extract, EGCG
African mango
Irvingia, ogbono, dika nut, bush mango
Cinnamon
Mdalasini (Swahili), cassia, Ceylon cinnamon
Black pepper extract
Piperine, pilipili manga (Swahili)
Pumpkin seed
Pepitas, cucurbita seed oil
Saw palmetto
Serenoa, dwarf palm berry
Bergamot
Citrus bergamia, bergamot polyphenol fraction
Dandelion root
Taraxacum, lion’s tooth
Burdock root
Gobo, beggar’s buttons
Eucalyptus
Blue gum, mkaratusi (Swahili)
Fenugreek
Methi, uwatu (Swahili), hulba
Vitamins
Minerals
Nutrients
Structural and joint ingredients
Live cultures
How the ingredient pages are written
Each page explains what the ingredient is, how it is traditionally used, what it brings to a formula and how to take it — with the products that contain it, their price in your country and links to the reference sources.
Supplements support everyday wellbeing; they do not replace treatment. Where an ingredient needs care — with certain medicines, in pregnancy or at high doses — the safety section says so.
Medical disclaimer. BioMedic Africa publishes consumer health information and supplement research summaries. It is not a pharmacy, a clinic or a medicines regulator, and nothing here is a diagnosis, a prescription or a treatment plan. Dietary supplements are foods, not medicines: they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak with a pharmacist or a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, living with a long-term condition, or taking prescription medication.