Caffeine products with the fewest additives
Everyone is familiar with caffeine's effect on alertness, but it may have other benefits as well, including increasing pregnenolone and progesterone in the brain and possibly even increasing lifespan. However, many caffeine products contain more than just the active ingredient. For example, silica or silicon dioxide are often added to prevent caking, hypromellose (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) as an emulsifier or thickener, gums for binding ingredients together, and artificial colors to make the product more attractive.
I try to avoid these additives because they may have questionable health effects. If you want to do the same, my recommendations are:
Recommended for no-additive caffeine capsules:
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- no artificial colors
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
- free of gums
- free of Plasdone products / povidone
Caffeine (anhydrous), bovine gelatin capsule.
- silica-free / silicon-dioxide-free
- no artificial colors
- hypromellose-free / hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-free
- free of gums
- free of Plasdone products / povidone
Caffeine (anhydrous), gelatin (capsule, bovine source).
Pure caffeine powders:
Over the last year or so, the FDA has been sending warning letters to caffeine sellers, causing them to pull their concentrated caffeine powders. The only sources I'm now aware of are Health Natura in the US and Oxford Vitality in the UK.
Here's the status of each of the other brands, updated March 24, 2017:
- PureBulk has eliminated all of their powders except for:
- BulkSupplements has eliminated all of their powders except for:
- Green tea extract (EGCG) (order direct or on Amazon). This has 5mg of caffeine per 500mg serving of the powder.
- Green tea (polyphenols) (order direct). This has about 75mg of caffeine per 500mg serving of the powder.
- Green coffee bean powder (order direct or on Amazon). Contains about 10mg caffeine per 200mg serving of the powder.
- Bulk purchases of straight caffeine powder direct, but requires an FDA Registration Number.
- Powder City has gone out of business.
- SmartPowders has removed their caffeine powder entirely.
- Sunshine Valley doesn't appear to have any sellers currently.
- Bridge City Bulk has removed their caffeine powder entirely.
Other caffeine products
The following are other caffeine products I'm aware of, sorted alphabetically.
| Name | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| 4 Dimension Nutrition Caffeine Tablets (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine (anhydrous), microcrystalline cellulose through stearic acid, dipac Nf compressible sugar, calcium sulfate, dibasic calcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide, starch, magnesium stearate USP. |
| 4ever Fit Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine (anhydrous), dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, stearic acid, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate. |
| AllMax Nutrition Caffeine (200mg Beadlet Capsules) | Caffeine (anhydrous), calcium sulfate dihydrate, di-calcium phosphate, compressible sugar, starch, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, stearic acid. |
| Biotech Nutritions Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine anhydrous, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, di-calcium phosphate. |
| Equate Stay Awake Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, corn starch, D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, dextrose, dicalcium phosphate, FD&C yellow #6 aluminum lake, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silica gel. |
| Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, microcrystalline cellulose, dextrose, dicalcium phosphate, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, silica. |
| Jet-Alert Regular Strength Caffeine (100mg Tablets) | Caffeine, calcium stearate, D&C yellow 10 (CI 74005), lactose (milk), microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide. |
| MetRX Timed-Release Caffeine (200mg Beadlet Capsules) | Caffeine (as caffeine anhydrous), sugar, gelatin, starch, food glaze, magnesium silicate, povidone. Contains <2% of: FD&C Blue #2 Lake, FD&C Red #40 Lake, FD&C Yellow &6 Lake. |
| Natrol Fast Dissolve Caffeine (50mg Mocha Natural Chocolate Flavor Tablets) | Caffeine (as encapfeine taste masking caffeine), xylitol, natural flavor system (chocolate mocha), cellulose gum, PVP, soy polysaccharides, silica, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin, modified food starch, dextrose. |
| Natrol High Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Calcium (from dibasic calcisum phosphate), caffeine, stearic acid, cellulose gum, silica, magnesium stearate, methylcellulose, glycerin. |
| Natural Stacks Smart Caffeine (100mg Veggie Capsules) | Caffeine anhydrous, L-theanine, vegetable capsule, cellulose, vegetable stearate, silica. |
| NutraKey Caffeine (200mg Capsules) | Caffeine (anhydrous), gelatin (capsule), rice flour, vegetable stearate. |
| NoDoz (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, benzoic acid, carnauba wax, corn starch, FD&C blue #1, hypromellose, light mineral oil, microcrystalline cellulose, polysorbate 20, povidone, propylene glycol, simethicone emulsion, sorbitan monolaurate, stearic acid, sucrose, titanium dioxide. |
| NutraBio Caffeine (200mg Veggie Capsules | Caffeine anhydrous USP, vegetable capsule (probably HPMC). |
| Powder City Caffeine (100mg Capsules) | Caffeine (as caffeine anhydrous), maltodextrin, gelatin. |
| Primaforce Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine (as caffeine anhydrous), microcrystalline cellulose, dextrose, dicalcium phosphate, sodium starch glycolate, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, silica. |
| Prolab Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Calcium (from dibasic calcium phosphate), caffeine, stearic acid, cellulose gum, silica, magnesium stearate. |
| Serious Nutrition Solutions Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, microcrystalline cellulose, crosscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, stearic acid. |
| Trim Labs Premium Extreme Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine anhydrous, dextrose, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide. |
| Vivarin Caffeine Alertness Aid (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, carnauba wax, colloidal silicon dioxide, D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, dextrose, FD&C yellow #6 aluminum lake, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, starch, titanium dioxide. |
| Walgreens Stay Awake Caffeine (200mg Tablets) | Caffeine, cornstarch, dextrose, dicalcium phosphate, D&C yellow #10 aluminum lake, FD&C yellow 6 aluminum lake, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, silica gel. |