Best supplements for a busy work day: how to choose what fits your routine

There is no single best supplement. What suits you depends on what you already eat and drink, when in the day you would take something, and whether a health professional thinks you need anything at all. The NHS says most people should get all the nutrients they need from a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need extra supplements. The FDA's advice is to talk with a health care professional before taking one, because they can help you decide which supplements, if any, are right for you.

So instead of a ranking, this guide gives you a way to choose: start with the time of day, learn what to check on a label, and then see what is in each WorkMode product so you can compare it with anything else on the shelf. Nothing here is a claim about what any product will do for you.

There is no single best supplement, so start with when you'd take it

Most work-day routines fall into three parts, and each asks for something different.

• Morning: This is when most people have their coffee or tea, so anything with caffeine adds to it. Know the caffeine per serving.
• Mid-day: The afternoon stretch is where a second caffeinated drink usually happens. Timing matters here: the NHS says the effects of caffeine can last up to 7 hours, so a late-afternoon dose runs into the evening.
• Evening: A wind-down drink should have no caffeine. Check the label rather than assuming.

Decide which part of the day you are actually shopping for. A product that suits the morning can be the wrong choice at 4 p.m. Our guide to natural energy boosters for a long work day covers the habits, food and caffeine figures in more detail.

What to check on any supplement label

These checks work in a shop or online, whatever the brand.

• The ingredients and the amount of each. The FDA describes the Supplement Facts label as showing the serving size, the number of servings per container, every dietary ingredient in the product and the amount per serving. If a label hides amounts inside a "blend", you can't tell how much of each ingredient you are getting.
• What one serving is. One scoop, two scoops, one tablet or two capsules. All the figures on the panel refer to that serving, so two servings double everything.
• Caffeine per serving. Add it to the coffee, tea and fizzy drinks you already have. For healthy adults who aren't pregnant, EFSA says up to 400mg of caffeine a day from all sources raises no safety concerns.
• Other stimulants. Guarana, for example, contains caffeine. A good label tells you the total caffeine, not only the added amount.
• Sugar and sweeteners. The nutrition table shows total sugars per serving, and the other ingredients list names the sweeteners.
• The %NRV column. On South African labels this is the percentage of the Nutrient Reference Value: how much of a daily reference amount one serving gives. Many herbal ingredients and amino acids have no NRV, so that column is blank for them.
• The SAHPRA notice. Many supplements in South Africa carry a line saying the product has not been evaluated by SAHPRA (the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority) for its quality, safety or intended use. It tells you the product hasn't been through medicine registration.

Two more pieces of FDA advice are worth keeping in mind. Do not assume that "natural" on a label means a product is safe. And be wary of hype: sound health advice is generally based on research over time, not a single study, and if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Finally, take only what the label describes. The FDA notes that some ingredients can be harmful in high amounts, over a long time, or combined with certain medicines or foods.

Morning: what is in WorkMode ON

WorkMode ON is a morning drink mix. Each serving of 2 level scoops (7g) has 90mg of caffeine and 250mg of L-theanine, plus 200mg of lion's mane (fruiting body, 4:1 extract), 150mg of bacopa, 100mg of rhodiola, 1,500mg of taurine, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D3, zinc, and 300mg of sodium and 100mg of potassium. The label says to dissolve it in 250ml of cold water in the morning. It is Citrus Rush flavour, with about 30 servings in a 210g tub.

Count its 90mg of caffeine with your morning coffee. Our guide to lion's mane explains what that ingredient is and what the research does and doesn't show.

Mid-day: Power Hour

Power Hour is an effervescent tablet. Each one has 130mg of caffeine in total (from caffeine anhydrous and guarana) and 180mg of L-theanine, with ginkgo biloba leaf extract and vitamins B3, B6 and B12. The label says to dissolve 1 tablet in 250ml of cold water. It contains no sugar; it is sweetened with isomalt and sucralose. A tube holds 10 tablets.

At 130mg a tablet, it is worth adding up your day before you take one, and keeping it away from bedtime. More options for the afternoon are in the Mid-Day Boost collection.

Evening: what is in WorkMode OFF

WorkMode OFF is an evening drink mix with no caffeine and no melatonin. Each serving of 1 heaped scoop (5g) has 125mg of magnesium (as magnesium bisglycinate), 100mg of 5-HTP, 200mg of L-theanine, 200mg of chamomile, 200mg of rooibos leaf extract, 75mg of passionflower, 500mg of L-glutamine and 10mg of vitamin B6. The label says to dissolve it in 250ml of hot or cold water 30 minutes before bed. It is Peach Iced Tea flavour.

If you also take ON, add the magnesium from both (100mg in ON, 125mg in OFF); our magnesium guide explains how to count it. OFF contains 5-HTP, which Memorial Sloan Kettering says may interact with medicines that affect serotonin, such as some antidepressants, so check with your doctor or pharmacist first if you take any.

Bundles if you want the whole day covered

If you know which parts of the day you want to cover, the bundles put the products together and cost less than buying them separately:

• Rise & Reset: morning and evening (WorkMode ON and WorkMode OFF).
• Lock In: morning and afternoon (WorkMode ON and three tubes of Power Hour).
• All Day Stack: morning, afternoon and evening (all three).
• Triple Surge: afternoons only (three tubes of Power Hour).

All of them are in the Bundle Deals collection.

Who should check with a doctor or pharmacist first

The FDA says many supplements contain ingredients that can have strong effects in the body, and that some can interact with medicines, interfere with lab tests or have dangerous effects during surgery. Talk with a doctor, nurse, registered dietitian or pharmacist first if:

• you take any prescription medicine
• you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• you have an operation or blood tests coming up
• you are sensitive to caffeine

A supplement does not replace a prescription medicine, or the variety of foods a healthy diet needs.

Questions people ask

What is the best supplement to take in the morning?

There isn't one that suits everyone. Check the caffeine per serving against the coffee or tea you already have, and read the full ingredient list. WorkMode ON, for example, has 90mg of caffeine and 250mg of L-theanine per 7g serving.

How do I choose a supplement I can trust?

Look for a label that lists every ingredient with its amount per serving, rather than a blend with no figures. Be wary of products that promise a lot, and talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you take medicine. The FDA's rule of thumb: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Can I take supplements at different times of the day?

Yes, as long as each one is taken as its label describes and you count shared ingredients, such as caffeine or magnesium, across all of them. Keep caffeinated products away from bedtime; the NHS says caffeine's effects can last up to 7 hours.

What should I check on a supplement label?

The serving size, the ingredients and the amount of each per serving, the caffeine per serving, sugar and sweeteners, and on South African labels the %NRV column and the SAHPRA notice.