Ingredients hub
Supplement Ingredients Explained: Evidence, Safety and How to Choose
Every ingredient page keeps two things separate: what the scientific literature says about the ingredient, and what a manufacturer claims about a product containing it. Those are different statements and they deserve different weight.
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 we treat evidence
Ingredient evidence is dose-specific and preparation-specific. A trial on a standardised extract at a defined dose does not transfer to a different extract of the same plant, and much of the research circulating online is laboratory or animal work that cannot support a claim about people. Each page says which is which, and links to the underlying reference sources.
We never claim an ingredient treats a disease. Where a regulator has issued a safety signal — as for concentrated turmeric, high-dose green tea extract and ashwagandha — we say 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.