Citrus Bergamot

This uses Bergavit 40, a branded citrus bergamot extract standardised to 40% flavonoids — principally neoeriocitrin, naringin and neohesperidin. At 500 mg per capsule that is 200 mg of flavonoids, and it is the same 200 mg in every capsule of every batch. A generic bergamot powder carries no such guarantee, and the difference between a standardised extract and a fruit powder is the difference between a known dose and a hopeful one.

Citrus flavonoids are poorly absorbed on their own, which is a problem no amount of extra milligrams solves. Ten milligrams of Bioperine, a branded black pepper extract standardised for piperine, is included to support the absorption of what is already in the capsule. It is a small ingredient making the main one work harder.

This is not something you take and notice. Research in this area is generally run across one to three months, and one bottle is two months at a capsule a day. It belongs in the group of supplements worth taking steadily and quietly — alongside omega-3, a multivitamin and magnesium — rather than the group you take before training.

Both ingredients here can affect how medications are processed by the body. Piperine acts on the same liver enzymes many prescription drugs are metabolised by, and citrus compounds act on the pathway grapefruit is well known for. If you take any medication — particularly anything prescribed for cholesterol or cardiovascular health — speak to your doctor before adding this.