The research, in plain language.
How to read a label, what dose the studies actually used, when to take what, and how long to give it before you judge it. No hype, no hedging — just what's known and how we formulate from it.
Start here: how to read a supplement label
Most of the difference between a product that does something and one that doesn't is visible on the label, if you know the four places to look.
1. The serving size, not the bottle. "1000 mg" on the front usually means per serving, and a serving is often three capsules. A 90-capsule bottle at three per serving is a 30-day supply, not a 90-day one. Compare cost per serving, never cost per bottle.
2. The form, not just the name. Magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate are both "magnesium," and they behave completely differently in the body — oxide is poorly absorbed and famously rough on the stomach, glycinate is a chelated form built for absorption and tolerance. Same story for CoQ10 (ubiquinone vs. ubiquinol), curcumin, iron and zinc. The form is the product.
3. Proprietary blends. If a label lists eight ingredients under one total milligram figure, you cannot know how much of any of them you're getting — and the ones listed last are, by law of ingredient ordering, the smallest. Assume the expensive ones are trace amounts. We don't use blends; every ingredient on a Renu North label carries its own number.
4. Standardization. For botanicals and mushrooms, the active compounds are a percentage of the raw material. "1000 mg Lion's Mane" tells you the weight of powder. "1000 mg standardized to 40% polysaccharides" tells you how much of the studied compound is actually in there. Without a standardization figure, you're buying flour weight.
Doses that match the research
Here's the comparison that matters — the amount used in the published research next to the amount in our capsule. This table is the entire argument for the brand.
| Ingredient | Typical research dose | Renu North |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | 3–5 g daily | 5 g per serving |
| NAD+ | Research-level dosing, 250–500 mg | 500 mg per serving |
| CoQ10 (ubiquinone) | 100–200 mg daily | 200 mg per serving |
| Berberine HCl | 500 mg, 2–3× daily with meals | 800 mg per 2-capsule serving |
| Lion's Mane | 500–1000 mg standardized extract | 1000 mg at 40% polysaccharides |
| Magnesium (glycinate) | 200–400 mg elemental | 275 mg elemental per serving |
| Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) | 250–500 mg combined EPA/DHA | EPA 180 mg · DHA 120 mg per 1000 mg softgel |
| Collagen peptides | 10–20 g daily | 20 g per scoop |
| Resveratrol | 150–500 mg trans-resveratrol | 600 mg at 50% standardization |
| Melatonin | 0.5–5 mg typical; higher for reset protocols | 2 mg (Sleep Formula) · 10 mg (Sleep Support) |
Research doses are general ranges from the published literature and are given for comparison only — they are not a recommendation for you personally. Follow the directions on the label and speak to your healthcare provider about what's appropriate for you.
The ingredients, one at a time
Cellular energy and mitochondrial support
The coenzyme in the middle of metabolism
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is present in every living cell and is a required partner in the reactions that convert food into usable cellular energy. It's also consumed by the enzymes involved in normal cellular maintenance and repair. Research reports that tissue NAD+ levels change substantially across adult life, which is why it anchors The Cornerstone Stack. Ours pairs 500 mg with quercetin and Japanese knotweed extract for absorption support.*
The spark plug in the mitochondria
Coenzyme Q10 sits in the electron transport chain — the final stage of how mitochondria produce ATP — and doubles as a fat-soluble antioxidant in cell membranes. It's concentrated in the tissues with the highest energy demand, notably heart and muscle. It's also the nutrient most commonly discussed with people taking statin medication; ask your doctor if that's you.*
The polyphenol from the red-wine research
A polyphenol found in grape skin and Japanese knotweed, studied for its antioxidant activity and its interaction with the sirtuin family of cellular regulatory proteins. Standardization matters enormously here — "600 mg resveratrol" at 50% trans-resveratrol is a very different product from an unstandardized extract.*
The fats you can't manufacture
EPA and DHA are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids the human body cannot efficiently synthesize — they have to come from diet. They're structural components of cell membranes, particularly concentrated in the brain and retina, and are among the most heavily researched nutrients in existence for cardiovascular and cognitive support.*
Mind and focus
Standardized, not grain-padded
Hericenones and erinacines — compounds unique to Hericium erinaceus — are the focus of its memory and nerve-health research. The industry's dirty secret is that much cheap "Lion's Mane" is mycelium grown on grain and sold at full weight, meaning you buy mostly starch. Ours uses fruiting body and mycelium standardized to 40% polysaccharides.*
A full-spectrum nootropic complex
A broad complex covering the B-vitamin cofactors involved in normal neurotransmitter synthesis alongside botanical nootropics. Every active is listed with its own amount — no blend total hiding the ratios. Built to be taken in the morning, daily, as the base layer under a Lion's Mane serving.*
Rest and recovery
A cofactor in 300+ enzyme systems
Magnesium participates in more than three hundred enzymatic reactions, from muscle and nerve function to energy metabolism and normal sleep regulation. National dietary surveys consistently suggest a large share of adults take in less than the recommended amount from food alone. Glycinate is the chelated, high-absorption form — gentle on the stomach, without the laxative effect that oxide is known for, and glycine itself is associated with relaxation.*
Two different jobs
Sleep Formula is the gentle nightly option: 2 mg melatonin with valerian, chamomile, GABA, tryptophan, lemon balm and passion flower — enough to help you settle without a heavy morning. Sleep Support is the reset: 10 mg melatonin plus a 905 mg botanical blend for travel, shift changes and stubborn nights. If you're new to melatonin, start with Sleep Formula. More melatonin is not better; the right dose is the smallest one that works for you.*
The structural protein, hydrolyzed
Collagen is the main structural protein in skin, tendon, joint and bone. Hydrolyzed peptides are enzymatically broken into short chains for absorption, and the research on skin elasticity and joint comfort generally uses 10–20 g daily over 8–12 weeks. Flavourless and grass-fed — it goes into coffee, oats or a smoothie.*
Performance
The most studied supplement in sport
Hundreds of peer-reviewed trials, and the mechanism is not in dispute: supplementation increases muscle phosphocreatine stores, which supports the rapid regeneration of ATP during short, high-intensity effort — strength, power output and training capacity. Monohydrate is the form nearly all of that research used; the exotic "advanced" forms are more expensive without better evidence. Timing barely matters. Consistency is everything.*
Leucine-led, in the studied ratio
Branched-chain amino acids — leucine, isoleucine and valine in the classic 2:1:1 ratio, with leucine as the trigger amino acid in muscle protein synthesis. Most useful around training, especially when you train fasted or your total daily protein is on the low side. If your protein intake is already high, whole-food protein does most of this job.*
Citrulline and arginine, no stimulants
L-citrulline and L-arginine are precursors in the body's nitric oxide pathway, which supports normal blood flow and the "pump" sensation during training. This is the rest-day and evening-training option: circulation support without a single milligram of caffeine.*
About two espressos
A full scoop carries 175 mg of caffeine alongside the nitric oxide precursors. Assess tolerance with a half scoop first, don't take it within six hours of bedtime, and count it in your daily caffeine total — Health Canada's general adult guidance is 400 mg a day.*
Metabolic health
Studied through the AMPK pathway
Berberine is an alkaloid from several plants including barberry, studied in dozens of clinical trials for healthy glucose and lipid metabolism, largely through activation of AMPK — an enzyme often described as the cell's metabolic master switch. Research dosing is with meals, and our 800 mg two-capsule serving fits that pattern. Important: because it's studied alongside blood-sugar effects, talk to your doctor before taking it if you are on diabetes or blood-pressure medication.*
When to take what
| Product | When | With food? |
|---|---|---|
| NAD+ · CoQ10 · Resveratrol | Morning | CoQ10 and Resveratrol absorb better with a meal containing fat |
| Brain & Focus · Cognitive Support · Lion's Mane | Morning or early afternoon | Either |
| Omega-3 | With your largest meal | Yes — reduces aftertaste and improves absorption |
| Berberine | Split across meals | Yes, always with food |
| Creatine | Any time, daily — including rest days | Either |
| Pre-workout | 20–30 min before training | Light stomach; not within 6 h of bed |
| BCAA | Around training | Either |
| Collagen | Any time | Mixes into anything |
| Magnesium Glycinate | Evening, 30–60 min before bed | Either |
| Sleep Formula / Sleep Support | 30–60 min before bed | Either — don't drive after taking |
What to expect, and when
The single biggest reason people conclude a supplement "did nothing" is that they judged it in week one. Some things work the same night. Most don't.
| Timeframe | What tends to show up |
|---|---|
| Same day | Sleep formulas, pre-workout, BCAA, nitric oxide |
| 2–4 weeks | Creatine saturation, magnesium status, Lion's Mane and nootropic effects |
| 4–8 weeks | Omega-3 tissue levels, CoQ10, NAD+, berberine |
| 8–12 weeks | Collagen (skin and joint research runs on this timeline), resveratrol |
This is exactly why the guarantee runs sixty days rather than fourteen. Two weeks isn't a fair test of most of this shelf, so we gave you the length of a real trial — and if you get to the end of it unconvinced, we refund you.
Why stacks, and how they're built
A stack isn't a discount bundle with a name on it. Each one pairs products that do different halves of the same job, so the combination covers a pathway rather than a single point on it.
- Deep Sleep — Sleep Support handles sleep onset; Magnesium Glycinate supports the muscle relaxation and nervous-system side of staying down. Onset and depth, not two versions of the same thing.
- Focus — Brain & Focus Formula supplies the vitamin cofactors and nootropic base; Lion's Mane adds the standardized mushroom the research on memory and nerve health is built on.
- Cornerstone — NAD+ for the coenzyme, CoQ10 for the electron transport chain, Resveratrol for antioxidant and sirtuin-pathway support. Three different points on cellular energy production.
- Performance — creatine for the phosphocreatine system, pre-workout for acute output, BCAA for the training window.
- Essentials — Omega-3 and Magnesium: the two nutrients that dietary surveys most consistently show adults falling short on. If you buy nothing else, buy these.
Every stack is priced below the sum of its parts, and Subscribe & Save takes another 10% off every delivery.
How we test
Every batch is manufactured in United States facilities operating under FDA current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations, and finished batches undergo third-party testing for identity, potency and contaminants. The Supplement Facts panel published on each product page is the panel printed on the bottle — same doses, same sources, no marketing round-ups.
Safety, interactions and common sense
Supplements are not risk-free just because they're available without a prescription. A short list of the ones worth raising with your doctor first:
- Berberine — if you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure.
- Omega-3 at higher intakes — if you take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication.
- CoQ10 — commonly discussed alongside statin therapy; worth a conversation either way.
- Melatonin — don't drive or operate machinery after taking it, and start with the lowest dose that works.
- Caffeine-containing pre-workout — count it inside your daily caffeine total, and keep it well away from bedtime.
- Anyone pregnant, nursing, under 18, or managing a medical condition — check first, every time.
These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.