The ONCE Journal

Supplement science, dose audits, and label honesty. Three articles a week from the formulation desk.

• Creatine Every Day: Why 5 Grams Is the Full Dose
  The clinically studied creatine dose is 3 to 5 grams daily. Here is what the research actually supports, why sprinkle doses fail, and what creatine does beyond the gym.
• NR vs NMN in 2026: the NAD+ Precursor That Is Actually Studied and Sellable
  NMN sits in FDA limbo while NR is GRAS-affirmed with human trials. A plain-English comparison of the two NAD+ precursors, their legal status, and the studied 300mg dose.
• What Is Ca-AKG? The Longevity Molecule, Explained Simply
  Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (Ca-AKG) is a Krebs-cycle molecule studied for healthy aging at 1g per day. What it is, what the evidence says, and how it is dosed.
• The 5,000mcg Biotin Problem: How Mega-Doses Skew Your Blood Tests
  High-dose biotin can interfere with thyroid and cardiac lab assays — the FDA has warned about it. The daily requirement is 30mcg. Why honest formulas stay under the mega-dose line.
• Zinc Without Copper Is a Mistake: Mineral Balancing 101
  Daily zinc supplementation slowly depletes copper — a documented interaction most formulas ignore. The fix is dosing them together at roughly a 10:1 ratio.
• What a 23-Active Daily Stick Actually Replaces: The Supplement Counter, Audited
  A typical optimizer stack runs seven products and $250+ a month: greens, creatine, collagen, ashwagandha, an NAD+ booster, a nootropic, a probiotic. An audit of what one full-dose stick can consolidate.