?What the labels mean
- He takes it
- Huberman has said he personally takes this.
- He suggests it
- Huberman has said listeners might consider it, or laid out a protocol for it.
- Discussed
- Huberman has covered the research without endorsing it.
- ⚠He cautions
- Huberman has warned against it or said he doesn't recommend it.
also omega-3 fatty acids
Huberman says research supports 1 to 3 g of EPA a day, from fish oil capsules or liquid, for mood, cognitive, metabolic and cardiovascular function, and that most people don't get enough EPA. He takes over-the-counter fish oil himself, mainly liquid (a tablespoon or two a day), with an EPA target that varies by episode: 1,000 mg a day, about 2 g a day, or 1 to 3 g a day. He cites studies where about 1 g of EPA a day matched SSRIs for depressive symptoms, but warns not to stop prescribed antidepressants. He also discusses EPA in the context of reducing sugar cravings.
He said“one to three grams of EPA in particular, in the form of either fish oil capsules or liquid” also L-alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine, choline alfoscerate
Huberman says alpha-GPC increases acetylcholine and that he routinely takes 300 mg before cognitive work or a workout; his Foundational Fitness Protocol lists it as optional, 30 to 60 minutes before key workouts. He takes it early in the day and not every day (two to three times a week in 2021; three, maybe four times a week in his 2022 brain-chemistry episode, replayed in a 2026 Essentials). He flags a study linking chronic long-term use to stroke risk, possibly via TMAO, says the data are not very conclusive, and pairs it with 600 mg garlic.
He said“300mg, 30-60 minutes before key workouts” also coffee, espresso
Huberman says he is a regular caffeine user and gives 1 to 3 mg per kg of body weight as the range, starting at the low end, with 100 to 200 mg before focused work working well for most people. He suggests delaying caffeine 90 to 120 minutes after waking if you get an afternoon crash, and avoiding it within 10 to 12 hours of bedtime (8 hours is fine for some).
He said“1 to 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight” Huberman says he takes creatine monohydrate daily for both exercise and cognitive effects, and that 5 g a day has been shown to improve cognition, especially in people not getting creatine from animal sources. The dose he reports has changed over time: 5 g a day in 2022, 10 to 15 g a day in 2023, and in 2025 he suggested 5 to 10 g by body weight and said you do not need to exceed 10 g a day. He says creatine can increase DHT, so people who are DHT-susceptible may see some hair loss, and that people 16 or younger should stay away from it. In his depression episode he reviews studies that used 3 to 10 g a day, and says people with kidney issues need to be especially cautious and that creatine has been shown to increase mania in people who are already manic.
Huberman says he supplements theanine for sleep and includes it in his sleep stack 30 to 60 minutes before bed, saying it helps him turn off his mind and fall asleep. He also says it can reduce task-completion anxiety. Separately, he suggests theanine to offset caffeine jitters, citing 200 to 400 mg as the effective range while calling that a very high dose. He warns it can make dreams very vivid and is not a good idea before sleep for people prone to night terrors or sleepwalking.
He said“100-400mg Theanine” also Magtein, magnesium threonate
Huberman says he takes magnesium threonate and lists 145 mg in his sleep stack, taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed. He says it is interchangeable with magnesium bisglycinate for helping the transition into sleep. He also says some people can't tolerate it.
He said“145mg Magnesium Threonate” also ALCAR
Huberman says L-carnitine is often discussed for fertility because it can improve sperm motility and quality and egg quality, and that rates of pregnancy go way up when people take it, while saying he is not promoting it. He says its effects on depression are still emerging but do seem to exist, and that acetyl-L-carnitine is a prescription drug in Europe. In the Dr. Kyle Gillett episode he says he takes garlic every time he takes his L-carnitine.
Huberman says he takes inositol and that it greatly enhances his sleep; he describes 900 mg myo-inositol every other night (every third night or so in his 2022 brain-chemistry episode, replayed in a 2026 Essentials), after which he finds it very easy to fall back asleep if he wakes in the night. He says it also has a long tail of anxiety suppression through the day and can increase serotonin and other neurochemicals. Separately, he describes studies where a fairly high dose (18 g for a full month) produced a very notable drop in anxiety symptoms, with a potency he calls on par with many prescription antidepressants, and says improvement takes time.
He said“900 milligrams of myo-inositol” also cholecalciferol
Huberman says he takes 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day and has supplemented with vitamin D for years, listing it with zinc and magnesium for the foundation of hormone health. He frames it as a supplement for people who might not get enough sunshine, while saying there is no pill replacement for sunshine, and says people need to get their D3 levels tested. He also relays Dr. Andy Galpin's 'golden three' recovery supplements, which include vitamin D.
He said“I think I end up taking 5,000 IUs” also mate tea, yerba maté
Huberman said in 2022 that he gets his caffeine mainly from yerba mate tea. He says yerba mate has been shown to be neuroprotective for dopamine neurons (he calls it just a couple of studies, in a model of dopamine neuron damage) and may stimulate GLP-1, and he advises avoiding smoked varieties.
He said“drinking a cup or two of yerba maté tea early in the day” Huberman says he has taken Athletic Greens since 2012, and that if someone can take only one supplement, his recommendation would be Athletic Greens or something like it. He describes foundational supplements as insurance alongside your nutrition, and the one category where he thinks multiple ingredients in one supplement are appropriate. AG1 is a long-running paid sponsor of the podcast.
also salt, LMNT
Huberman says he drinks water, electrolytes and caffeine before training, and that you need enough salt, potassium and magnesium to perform well. In an LMNT sponsor read he says he drinks a packet dissolved in water on waking and during exercise.
He said“one packet of LMNT in about 16 to 32 ounces of water” also allicin
Huberman says he takes a 600 mg garlic capsule any time he takes alpha-GPC, to offset possible TMAO increases, and reports his TMAO came down after starting it. In the Dr. Kyle Gillett episode, after the guest explained that allicin from garlic may reduce conversion of L-carnitine to TMAO, he said he will continue taking garlic each time he takes L-carnitine.
He said“600-milligram capsule of garlic” also gamma-aminobutyric acid
Huberman says that on some nights he takes 100 mg GABA together with 2 g glycine on top of his standard sleep stack: 3 to 4 nights per week in his newsletter, and every third or fourth night in the Sleep Toolkit episode.
Huberman says that on some nights, not every night, he takes 2 g glycine together with 100 mg GABA on top of his standard sleep stack: 3 to 4 nights per week in his newsletter, and every third or fourth night in the Sleep Toolkit episode.
Huberman lists huperzine alongside alpha-GPC as supplements he has used and does use to increase acetylcholine (said in 2022 and replayed in a 2026 Essentials episode). He says it works mainly on the enzymatic pathway, and gives no dose in these sources.
Huberman says he takes rhodiola rosea about two or three times a week before high-intensity workouts, and has lately defaulted to 100 mg. He says he can't tell whether its effect for him is purely subjective.
He said“100 milligrams of Rhodiola rosea before any high-intensity workout” Huberman says he has personally supplemented with zinc, magnesium and vitamin D for years, and says to make sure you get adequate zinc, magnesium and D3 for steroid hormone levels. He is a proponent of getting blood work done.
Huberman describes L-tyrosine as a dopamine precursor, gives 500 to 1,000 mg as the usual range (his 2025 newsletter says to start with 500 mg per 100 kg body weight), and lists 500 mg as optional before key workouts in his Foundational Fitness Protocol. His own use changed: in July 2022 he said he took it about once a week at most, but in January 2023 he said it powerfully elevates his focus yet he tends to crash pretty hard afterward, so he errs away from it, while some people tolerate it really well. He stresses big individual variation, starting low, a possible crash, and avoiding it with dopamine-related conditions.
He said“L-Tyrosine (500-1000mg) taken 30 minutes before a mental or physical work bout” also fermented foods
Huberman says that under normal conditions people would focus on quality nutrition and take probiotics and/or prebiotics at a fairly low to moderate level, with higher amounts only during dysbiosis, such as after antibiotics, high stress, travel or a change of diet. He warns that excessive probiotic intake has been linked to brain fog, and his newsletter suggests low-sugar fermented foods from the refrigerator section.