Shoden® is a high potency ashwagandha extract that can offer desired benefits in smaller serving sizes.

For example, just 120mg of Shoden® can help promote better and more restful sleep with daily use.

A new study published in Heliyon, investigated whether taking just 60mg or 120mg of Shoden® daily for 60 days could help the body better cope with stress and support emotional health in women and men with an average age of 36 years old.

As part of this, the researchers measured Shoden®’s effects on cortisol and testosterone (in males).

Prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol is known to exert detrimental effects on mental and physical well-being, and have other unwanted effects.

On average, cortisol levels of the study participants were elevated at the being of the study and both the 60mg and 120mg Shoden® groups were in a healthy range at the end of the 60-day study.   The placebo group did not experience a significant improvement.

The male subjects had testosterone levels at the lower end of the normal range at the start of the study, on average. Taking Shoden® helped increase testosterone toward the middle of the typical normal range by the end of the study.

Other measures of stress management and emotional health also improved in the Shoden® groups.
 

Q: Why are the TrueAsta soft gels smaller than before? Do they still contain 6mg of astaxanthin?

A: Each TrueAsta soft gel still contains the same 6mg of astaxanthin from AstaReal. What changed is there’s less olive oil in each soft gel. Previously, there was a lot of extra olive oil being added to fill the soft gel. When we discovered this, we informed our manufacturer that we’d rather have a smaller sized soft gel (which is easier to swallow) than all the extra olive oil.

That’s the only difference.
 
Q: Does the cucumber extract in TrueJoint FLX contain the compounds that can cause kidney issues?

A: The compounds we believe you’re referring to, and which may cause problems if consumed in excess, are cucurbitacins and triterpenes. Besides cucumbers, these compounds are found in squash, pumpkin (winter squash) and some other plants.

In small quantities these compounds can be beneficial, but excessive consumption could result in swelling of the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. It’s rare, but a toxic reaction to these compounds can occur.
 
The good news is these compounds are not in the CuberUp cucumber extract in TrueJoint FLX. The maker of CuberUp confirmed that the extraction process excludes these compounds, and they test the powder to ensure they’re not present.
 
Also, a safety study was recently completed with CuberUp to verify there are no unwanted effects on the liver and kidney, and no abnormalities were observed.
 
Q: What are the pros and cons of taking my supplements in powder drink mixes as opposed to pill form?

A: The main pro is that for ingredients which require a relatively large serving size (or formulas that combine multiple ingredients), it’s much easier/convenient to take. For example, if you have an ingredient that requires 3 grams per serving, it would be 6 average sized capsules as compared to just one scoop of powder.
 
You can also combine multiple drink mixes at once, or use them as part of a smoothie. Drink powders are especially beneficial for people who have difficulty swallowing pills or don’t like swallowing multiple capsules.

In general, there aren’t many cons - unless it’s an ingredient more suitable for a delayed release capsule (like probiotics).

Perhaps the main con is if you don’t like the flavor or taste of the drink mix powder, or there’s added sugar or artificial ingredients to improve taste (we strive to avoid this at NatureCity).  

Also, drink mix powders may be slightly more expensive than capsules.