Tim Ferriss Full Supplements List – What He Takes & Why

Greens Replacement Supplement – Athletic Greens

Among the many avenues of releasing information that Tim Ferriss uses, one of our favorites is his weekly 5-Bullet Friday email. Tim uses it to highlight the coolest things that he’s found that week.

When it comes to supplements, he recently said this in the email: “I’m often asked, ‘If you could only use on supplement, what would it be?’ My answer is usually Athletic Greens, which I consider my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so.”

This greens replacement supplement is one of our favorites as well, because it’s filled with over 75 vitamins and minerals that help support immunity, gut biome health, hormone levels, overall energy, and more. 

Athletic Greens is especially useful if your traveling or you’re in some other situation where it’s hard to keep your normal diet on point. As Tim said, it’s a “nutritional insurance” to make sure your body get’s everything it needs. 

Heart and Joint Health – Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Phospholipids

Back in 2016 Tim did an interview with Men’s Health to help promote his then new book Tools of Titans (definitely worth a read by the way).

One of the questions in the interview was his top 3 supplements if he had to pick. His answer? Omega-3 phospholipids, curcumin (a derivative of turmeric), and medium-chain triglycerides.

We’ll cover the curcumin and MCT’s a little later, but on the Omega-3 front Tim mentions that he prefers to use capsules from Nordic Naturals that offer the more bio-available phospholipid form of the supplement.

Like Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Tim uses the Omega-3’s to help support heart and joint health, as well as for the cognitive-boosting properties that regular supplementation can offer.

Hormone Balance and Overall Wellbeing – Vitamin D

In Tim’s book the 4 Hour Body he details out the protocol he uses for boosting testosterone. You can find more on that below, but one of the compounds that stand out as a daily supplement as opposed to ‘as-needed’ is Vitamin D.

It’s estimated that 42% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient, which can have serious effects on your hormone levels which then effect mood and energy. Serious Vitamin D deficiency in men specifically has been shown to decrease testosterone levels and can even cause anxiety and depression.

Tim Ferriss has mentioned that he supplements with 5,000 IU of Vitamin D per day, but notes that it’s still important to get your blood work done so that you’re not blindly dosing it since too much can have negative effects as well.

This at-home Vitamin D test from Everlywell is our favorite for measuring your levels.

Brain Cognition Boosting – Quest MCT Oil Powder and Exogenous Ketones

As we mentioned earlier, Tim mentioned in his interview with Men’s Health that MCT oil powder is in his top-3 favorite supplements. He elaborated with this: 

“Then anything that has a high composition of medium-chain triglycerides, coconut oil, or if you want to get fancy, say exogenous ketones, so beta-hydroxybutyrate in powdered form, or you can use powdered MCT from Quest. It’s actually really tasty, tastes like a creamer.

There is enough data to support that medium-chain triglycerides and ketones on a regular basis can do really good things for your brain. Most of the supplements I take are related to brain functions at this point.”

We use Quest Nutrition Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) Powder regularly as well as a coffee creamer in the morning. Just be careful not to take too much or you’ll be running to the bathroom.

And if you do want to “get fancy” as Tim says, we prefer these Exogenous Ketones from Perfect Keto which offer a direct shot of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate salts – the same ketone molecule that your body produces when in ketosis. BHB readily passes through the blood-brain barrier and gives you a straight shot of cognitive boosting energy. 

Cognitive Function and Brain Health – Lion’s Mane Mushroom

This odd looking mushroom has been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, and it’s recently made it’s way into the western world thanks to it’s benefits for brain and nervous system function.

One method by which lion’s mane affects brain function is by enhancing “neurite outgrowth” in the brain and related organs, according to research published in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. Neurite outgrowth refers to the growth of axons and dendrites from neurons.

By increasing this growth it could potentially be possible to slow or reverse cell degeneration in the brain — the main characteristic of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

A 2012 study conducted in Malaysia found that consuming lion’s mane mushroom could actually regenerate damaged cells from peripheral nerve injury, an injury affecting the delicate tissue between your brain and spinal cord.

On top of the long-term benefits, lion’s mane has also been shown to have an acute benefit towards memory.

Tim Ferriss has been using this Lion’s Mane Supplement from Host Defense ever since it was recommended in Tribe of Mentors by Samin Nosrat. The Host Defense line of mushroom supplements was founded by renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, one of the foremost researchers in the field and a former guest on Tim’s podcast.

Joint Support and Anti-Inflammation 

Another one from the list of Tim’s top-3 supplements is curcumin. While you may not have heard of curcumin before, chances are you’ve heard of turmeric which it’s derived from.

Curcumin is the primary ingredient in turmeric and is one of the most potent natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the world. It helps to reduce aches and pains and maintain optimal physical performance through supporting joint health.

Tim hasn’t mentioned a specific brand of curcumin but we prefer to take these sustained-release capsules from Thorne. These actually contain a proprietary curcumin complex called Meriva which has been shown to have 29-times greater absorption than ordinary curcumin alone.

Tim Ferriss Supplements for Longevity and Life Extension

Berberine

Berberine is a popular compound used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicinal treatments, and has been adopted in western use in recent years. Berberine helps to decrease the body’s glucose response to food and therefore reduce blood sugar spikes. It also has been shown to offer antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, which combined with the glucose regulation can lead to increased longevity overall.

Tim has mentioned that he typically takes berberine after meals, and while he doesn’t mention a specific brand, we prefer this one from Thorne as they’re one of the more trusted suppliers on the market.

Lithium Orotate

Lithium itself has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat things such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcoholism, and many more.

Lithia Springs, Ga., for example, with its natural lithium-enriched water, appears to have been an ancient Native American sacred site. By the late 19th century Lithia Springs was a famous health destination visited by Mark Twain and Presidents Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

When it comes to Tim Ferriss, he has mentioned on the podcast that he uses the more bioavailable form of Lithium Orotate to stave off depression, taking 5mg of it on a fairly regular basis. We prefer this brand from Purely Holistic.

Metformin

If you’re a fan of Tim chances are that you’ve heard him mention Metformin over the years, and particularly it’s use for anti-aging and longevity.

Metformin is a prescription drug (for now) that is typically used by diabetes patients to help control high blood sugar. From a longevity standpoint, Metformin enhances the activity of an enzyme called adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which mimics the beneficial effects of calorie restriction. In theory this offers the users the benefits typically provided by being in a calorie deficit without actually having to be in one.

AMPK activation through calorie restriction (or Metformin use) is one of the best-documented methods for slowing and reversing bio-markers of human aging.

Tim has mentioned before that he knows over a dozen billionaires who take Metformin for life-extension purposes, as he has done himself in the past. While Metformin is still technically prescription-only, it did recently win FDA approval and may be readily available as an anti-aging drug specifically in the near future.

If you’d like to learn more about Metformin for longevity we recommend this article by Peter Attia titled “Did a recent study show we can reverse aging?“.

Tim Ferriss Supplements for Physical Performance and Muscle Recovery

L-Glutamine

As part of the filming for his TV show ‘The Tim Ferriss Experiment’, Tim posted a Facebook video at Marcelo Garcia’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in New York. Tim was there training and naturally was focused on recovery after the long sessions.

One thing that he mentions are the key supplements that he uses for muscle growth and recovery: L-Glutamine, branch chain amino acids, whey protein.

To start, he recommends taking L-Glutamine in high dosages – 8 grams per day post-workout. He also mentioned L-Glutamine in the 4 Hour Body during the ‘Occam’s Protocol’ section which talks about muscle growth.

Tim is seen using Optimum Nutrition L-Glutamine capsules in the video, which are one of our favorite brands as well.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

In the same video above, Tim mentions that he uses BCAA’s before and during workouts to aid in energy and help with recovery after the sessions. BCAA’s greatly aid in muscle protein synthesis and therefore aid in muscle recovery.

He doesn’t mention a specific brand but we prefer Scivation XTend BCAA powder, which is reputably sourced and clearly lists the values of each amino acid in the compound.

Whey Protein

The third aspect to Tim’s recovery program is post-workout protein, specifically in the form of whey protein.  Whey protein is a great option for getting a fast-absorbing protein in your system immediately after workouts in order to boost muscle synthesis.

He also doesn’t mention a brand here but our top recommendation for whey protein is this Grass-Fed Whey from Levels.  If you’re interested in learning more about grass-fed whey protein that doesn’t contain any fillers or artificial ingredients, check out our article here.

Creatine

Last but certainly not least on Tim Ferriss’ list of muscle building and recovery supplements is one we all know and love: creatine.

Popular in the bodybuilding community for decades and possibly the most-research sports supplement of all time, creatine is an amino acid that promotes lean body mass and supports increases in muscle endurance, muscle capacity, and power output.

Creatine helps the cells of the body more efficiently create energy, thus benefiting exercise capacity overall. There’s also no documented negative side-effects to regular creatine use, so all-in-all it’s one of the most effective tools you can use for muscle building and recovery.

Tim mentioned creatine use in The 4-Hour Body as well as on numerous podcasts. We prefer Thorne Creatine as it’s one of the most reputable suppliers (in an industry that isn’t heavily regulated). The commonly accepted effective dose for creatine is 5 grams per day.

Tim Ferriss Supplements for Testosterone Boosting and Hormone Optimization

Green Pasture Blue Ice Royal Butter Oil / Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend + Brazil Nuts + Vitamin D

This is definitely one of the more odd-sounding supplements that we’ve come across, but it’s apparently effective in boosting testosterone.

In the 4-Hour Body Tim claims he was able to triple(!) his total testosterone from 244.8 to 653.3 ng/dl, which later jumped to 835 with the addition of brazil nuts to the mix. If you’re familiar with hormone blood work this is an incredible result if true, especially considering he was reportedly able to more than double his free test and cut his estradiol (estrogen) in half.

The protocol that he uses to maintain long-term sustained high testosterone levels is as follows:

– Green Pasture Blue Ice Royal Butter Oil / Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend – 2 capsules upon waking and before bed

– Vitamin D3 – 3,000-5,000 IU upon waking until you reach blood levels of around 55 ng/ml (this at-home Vitamin D test from Everlywell is our favorite for measuring your levels.)

– Short ice baths and/or cold showers – 10 minutes in the morning and before bed

– Brazil nuts – 3 nuts upon waking, 3 before bed

The Tim Ferriss PAGG Stack for Optimal Fat Loss

Tim Ferriss first released the fat-loss supplement stack he deemed ‘PAGG’ (also ‘The Four-Horsemen of Fat Loss’) in the 4-Hour Body. He notes that after trying seemingly every fat-loss supplement on the market (over the counter and prescription), he eventually developed this stack as a healthy and sustainable method for boosting your body’s natural metabolism. 

While most fat loss supplements rely primarily on stimulants (and don’t really work all that well), this one focuses on natural ingredients including policosanol, green tea extract, alpha-lipoic acid, and garlic extract. 

Policosanol

Policosanol is a well-tolerated mixture of long-chain aliphatic alcohols derived from sugar cane wax, used to support healthy cardiovascular function. Policosanol acts in part by providing antioxidant protection and promoting healthy platelet function, which then leads to health lipid metabolism.

Tim Ferriss originally experimented with policosanol in an effort to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol. In the 4-Hour Body he notes that he was able to lower his total cholesterol from 222 to 147 while almost doubling his HDL. He attributed this primarily to taking policosanol before bed.

Along with improving cholesterol levels, Tim noticed an improvement in body composition and body fat levels as well. After further self-experimentation he concluded that approximately 20mg before bed was optimal for fat loss.

We prefer these policosanol capsules from Pure Encapsulation, one of our favorite supplement suppliers and one of the most reputable in general.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

The second ingredient in the PAGG stack is the anti-oxidant free radical scavenger known as alpha-lipoic acid.

ALA is naturally produced in the mitochondria of the cell, but can also be consumed through food and supplements. Tim specifically started taking ALA for it’s impact on glucose update and reduced triglyceride production.

ALA essentially helps your muscles absorb more calories through better absorption of glucose, thus allows less calories to be deposited as fat. This also has muscle performance output benefits as it gives your muscles added ‘fuel’ in the form of glucose.

The PAGG stack calls for 100-300mg of ALA before each meal and before bed. We recommend these capsules from Nutricost which are dosed at 300mg per cap.

Green Tea Extract (EGCG)

The third of the four horsemen of fat loss according to Tim Ferriss is green tea extract flavanols, specifically epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Green tea has been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for a number of benefits, one primary among them being fat loss. EGCG is essentially the distilled version of green tea, and helps to prevent the storage of carbohydrates as bodyfat and diverts these carbs to the muscles.

EGCG can also increase the rate of reduction of mature fat cells, which we know as the stubborn fat that you just can’t seem to get rid of.

Tim Ferris recommends taking 325mg three to four times per day with meals, specifically in the form of Life Extensions Mega Green Tea, which offers a decaffeinated supplement that can be taken later in the day. Each dose offers the EGCG content of several cups of green tea.

Garlic Extract

,Last but not least in the PAGG stack is something we’re guessing you’ve heard of but probably haven’t considered it for weight loss: garlic extract.

Tim’s advice is to take a garlic extract supplement with a high concentration of allicin. Allicin has numerous health benefits including metabolism support and has been linked to increased fat loss.

Tim also recommends looking for a supplement that includes S-Allyl-Cysteine, which is the precursor to allicin and holds an almost 100% bio-availability rate when taken orally. In other words, it isn’t broken down by the stomach acid or in the liver before it gets in your system.

One method of increasing the S-Allyl-Cysteine in a garlic supplement is through aging and fermenting the garlic. That’s why we love these aged black garlic capsules from Think Remedy, which contain the highest S-Allyl-Cysteine levels we’ve seen in a supplement. They’re also odorless and tasteless..

Tim Ferriss Supplements for Sleep Optimization

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar + Honey

In Tim’s interview with Men’s Health to promote Tools of Titans, he’s asked what his go-to sleep protocol is. His first answer?

2 tablespoons of Bragg organic apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of raw honey, mixed in water before bed.

Surprising answer from a guy who has no shortage of experience experimenting with more “advanced” supplements, especially when it comes to something as important as optimizing sleep. But Tim says this combination knocks him right out without fail and has no lasting hangover or grogginess the next day.

And as an added bonus the apple cider vinegar is a probiotic which helps to maintain gut health, so you’re killing two birds with one stone.

One thing to note here – the honey industry is surprisingly unreliable and borderline corrupt. It could warrant a whole article by itself but the short version is that a high percentage of the honey in major food chain stores is imported from oversees and in some cases has been found to not actually contain honey at all. The products are a mix of fillers and sweeteners with “honey flavor” added.

If you can get raw unfiltered honey at your local market, ideally produced from a farm in your local area, that’s your best bet. If not then we’ve had good luck on Amazon with this raw, unfiltered, and organic honey from Nature Nate’s.

Melatonin

Tim has mentioned on a few different occasions that he will take low-dose melatonin (1.5-3mg) in time-release capsules in order to regulate his sleep and fall asleep faster.

He does note that he tries to avoid taking melatonin every night, but says that it’s especially useful when traveling in order to “reset” your circadian rhythm and help reduce jet lag.

Tim doesn’t mention a particular brand, but we use these capsules from Pure Encapsulations which are also Rhonda Patrick’s brand of choice (more info on all of Rhonda’s recommended supplements here.) 

Huperzine-A

Last but not least on our list of Tim Ferriss’ supplements is Huperzine-A, which at a dose of 200mg 30 minutes before bed has been shown to increase REM sleep by 20-30%.

Huperzine-A also has added memory and learning benefits and is a common addition in nootropics supplements (more info here).

Tim has mentioned in the past that he actually uses Huperzine-A to induce lucid dreaming: “To facilitate lucid dreaming, I have used Huperzine-A to increase REM percentage. Lucid dreaming can help you accelerate skill acquisition, improve sports performance, and reactivate “forgotten” languages.”

We’ve had similar effects on lucid dreaming with Huperzine, and also noticed that it helps us wake up feeling more “refreshed” for lack of a better word, as opposed to the sometimes slow-waking groggy feeling that can sometimes occur with other sleep supplements. 

Our go to brand for Huperzine-A are these 200mcg tablets from Double Wood Supplements.