Supplement guides you can actually use

Short, practical explainers on forms, dosages and goals — so you can choose the right supplement with confidence.

• Vitamins for the immune system in autumn and winter: what to have at home: Vitamins for the immune system in autumn and winter: the simplest start for adults is one daily food supplement. From Stivits that is Immuno Support, 90 tablets: 1 tablet contains vitamin C 1000 mg, vitamin D3 25 µg (1000 IU) and zinc 15 mg, and a pack lasts 90 days. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important. If you take several food supplements, add the doses up: the EFSA upper level for adults is 100 µg of vitamin D and 25 mg of zinc a day.
• Vitamin C, zinc and Grippan from Stivits: how much to take and how to add up doses: How much to take depends on the product. From Stivits, Grippan Grapefruit MAX is a warm drink: 1 sachet (8 g) in 200–250 ml of water at 30–40 °C, 1–3 servings a day for adults, and 1 sachet contains vitamin C 330 mg, zinc 8.3 mg, vitamin D3 33.3 µg and ginger 500 mg. The tablets Vitamin C 1000 mg and Zinc 25 mg are taken 1 a day with food. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important. Add the doses up: the EFSA upper level for adults is 25 mg of zinc and 100 µg of vitamin D a day, and for vitamin C MedlinePlus (NIH) does not recommend more than 2000 mg. Grippan is a food supplement and does not replace a doctor.
• Vitamins for immune support: C, D3, zinc and selenium, how to compare doses: Which vitamins support the immune system: the EU register authorises the claim about the normal function of the immune system for 10 substances: vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D, folate, zinc, copper, iron and selenium. The simplest choice at Stivits is Immuno Support: vitamin C 1000 mg, vitamin D3 25 µg (1000 IU) and zinc 15 mg in 1 tablet, and 90 tablets last 90 days. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Vitamin C: how much you need a day and how to take 1000 mg: For adults EFSA sets 110 mg of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) a day for men and 95 mg for women. EFSA has not set an upper level, and in its assessment up to 1 g a day on top of the usual diet is not linked to digestive problems. Stivits sells the Vitamin C 1000 mg tablet (1250% NRV, 1 tablet a day with meals, lasts 90 days), Cranberry 15000 mg + Vitamin C with 90 mg of vitamin C, and Immuno Support with 1000 mg of vitamin C, 15 mg of zinc and 25 µg of D3. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Zinc: how many mg a day you need and how to choose the dose: EFSA sets 9.4–16.3 mg of zinc a day for men and 7.5–12.7 mg for women, and an upper level of 25 mg from all sources together. Stivits sells Zinc 25 mg as Gluconate (250% NRV, 1 tablet a day with meals, lasts 180 days), which equals that upper level, and Immuno Support with 15 mg of zinc, 1000 mg of vitamin C and 25 µg of D3. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Zinc contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Vitamin D3 and K2: how much you need a day and how to choose 2000 or 4000 IU: For adults EFSA sets an adequate intake of 15 µg (600 IU) of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) a day and an upper level of 100 µg (4000 IU) from food and all food supplements together. Stivits sells D3 capsules of 2000 IU (50 µg) and 4000 IU (100 µg): take 1 capsule a day with meals; one pack lasts 180 days. The 2000 IU capsule leaves room below the upper level; the 4000 IU capsule sits exactly at it. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. D3 together with K2 comes in a tablet (100 µg of each) and in an omega-3 capsule (50 µg of each). A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Magnesium for sleep: which one to choose and what the EU register allows us to say about falling asleep: Magnesium for sleep: the EU register has no claim linking magnesium and sleep, and NIH notes that there is very little research on the subject. If you still want magnesium, Stivits has bisglycinate (3 capsules: 300 mg of magnesium and 7.5 mg of vitamin B6), citrate (2 tablets: 400 mg and 10 mg of B6) or 1 tablet of malate (230 mg and 2.5 mg of B6). If falling asleep is what matters to you, among Stivits products only Melatonin 1 mg has an EU register claim on it: melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep. The beneficial effect is obtained with the intake of 1 mg of melatonin shortly before going to bed.
• Ashwagandha, B vitamins, L-tryptophan and magnesium: what Stivits has and how to add up doses: If you are choosing between ashwagandha, B vitamins, L-tryptophan and magnesium, Stivits has four products with different compositions. Ashwagandha 3600 mg, 120 capsules: 1 capsule a day, 200 mg of 18:1 extract. Ashwagandha helps the body to cope with stress more easily. Antistress Formula, 90 tablets: 1 tablet a day, B vitamins, vitamin C 250 mg and zinc 10 mg. Thiamine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important. L-Tryptophan + Griffonia + Vitamin B6, 90 tablets and Magnesium BISGLYCINAT 300mg, 180 capsules contain vitamin B6, so add the doses up: the EFSA upper level for adults is 12 mg a day. If worry or tension gets in the way of your life, see a doctor or a psychotherapist.
• Which magnesium to choose: glycinate (bisglycinate), citrate, malate or oxide: Three numbers decide which magnesium to choose: how much magnesium is in the daily serving, how much vitamin B6 comes with it, and how many tablets a day you are happy to take. Stivits sells four forms as food supplements: bisglycinate 300 mg in 3 capsules, citrate 400 mg in 2 tablets, malate 230–460 mg in 1–2 tablets and oxide 500 mg in 1 capsule. Bisglycinate is the same form as magnesium glycinate. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue; the claim applies from 56.25 mg of magnesium per serving. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important. The EU register does not divide claims by form: they belong to magnesium, not to citrate or bisglycinate. The EFSA reference level for magnesium from food supplements is 250 mg a day; of these four products only 1 tablet of malate, 230 mg, is below it.
• Magnesium and muscles: what EU rules and research say: No EU-authorised health claim mentions cramps. A 2020 Cochrane review of 11 trials with 735 participants found that magnesium probably does not meaningfully prevent idiopathic leg cramps in older adults, and that evidence in pregnancy is very uncertain. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function and to electrolyte balance, but that is not a promise about cramps.
• Supplements not to take together: what matters and what is a myth: Only a few supplement pairs matter at everyday doses. Taken in the same meal, 165–600 mg of calcium cut iron absorption by 50–60%, and tea cut it by 79–94%. So take iron at a different time from calcium, tea and coffee. Take psyllium ½–1 hour apart from other supplements. Zinc affects copper at 50 mg a day or more for weeks. Calcium and magnesium together are fine: the EU Scientific Committee on Food wrote in 2006 that the idea of them competing 'is not the case under physiological conditions'.
• Omega-3 fish oil: how to choose the strength and the EPA and DHA dose: Choose omega-3 by the sum of EPA and DHA in the daily serving, not by the 500 or 1000 mg in the name: the Stivits 500 mg and 1000 mg capsules with vitamin E both give 300 mg of EPA and DHA. Stivits has six variants of this food supplement, from 120 to 750 mg of EPA and DHA per capsule. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg of EPA and DHA. One capsule of any variant except Super Omega 3-6-9 meets this condition. DHA contributes to maintenance of normal brain function. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA: only Triple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil gives this dose. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Fatigue and low energy: which vitamins to choose and what to check first: The EU claim on the reduction of tiredness and fatigue exists for iron, magnesium, vitamin C and six B vitamins, but if you feel tired all the time, start with your sleep, your diet and a blood test for iron and vitamin B12, and only then choose a food supplement. Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. In the Stivits range these are Iron Complex with 27 mg of iron per tablet, Methylcobalamin Vitamin B12 1000 mcg and Magnesium MALATE 2000mg with 230 mg of magnesium per tablet. If you want caffeine in a capsule, there is Energy Complex: 100 mg of caffeine, a little more than a cup of filter coffee. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C: what is inside and what is confirmed in the EU: Collagen and hyaluronic acid have no EU claim on joints; for cartilage the EU has a claim only on vitamin C. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage. In the Stivits range these are Vitamin C 1000 mg and marine collagen capsules with 80 mg of vitamin C. Stivits collagen peptides give 10 g per serving of powder and 9 g of protein, and hyaluronic acid comes as 50 or 150 mg per capsule. This is composition, not a promise of an effect. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important. If a joint hurts or is swollen, show it to a doctor first.
• Collagen peptides: what they are, what they are for and how to choose between marine and bovine collagen: Collagen is an animal protein; in food supplements it is broken down into peptides (collagen peptides, hydrolysed collagen). Stivits sells marine collagen from fish and bovine collagen: 10 g of collagen and 9 g of protein per serving, and a 300 g pack holds 30 servings. By the numbers the powders are almost equal, so the source decides: fish or bovine. The EU register has no authorised statements about collagen itself, so we promise no effect on skin or joints. The Marine Collagen Peptides + C & B3 capsule gives you 400 mg of collagen, 80 mg of vitamin C and 16 mg of vitamin B3, and 90 capsules last 90 days. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Mixture of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria: what it is, what it is for and how to choose: Probiotics are live microorganisms, most often lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. They are found in yoghurt, other fermented foods and food supplements. Choose them by five things: which bacteria are named, how many CFU are in a serving, whether there is a figure for each bacterium, at what point the CFU figure applies, and how the product is stored. At Stivits this is a mixture of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria: Probiotics 10 Billion CFU Complex 18 Strains, 60 capsules, 1 capsule a day with meals, 18 bacteria names with a figure for each, lasts 60 days. The EU register has no authorised statements about lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, so we promise no effect.
• Psyllium husk: what it is, what it is for and how to take it: Psyllium husk, or psyllium, is fibre from the husk of plantain seeds. It absorbs water, swells and thickens, so you take it only with liquid. Stivits sells pure psyllium as a powder: 5 g a day (2 scoops) in 200–250 ml of water. A 300 g pack lasts 60 days and a 500 g pack lasts 100 days. The composition of GASTROPSYL™ names the species Plantago ovata, and for this species psyllium helps to maintain normal bowel function and normal cholesterol levels. GASTROPSYL™ gives 5950 mg of psyllium in a 10 g serving, together with linseed, fennel, anise and a mixture of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Liver supplements: what to choose and how to take milk thistle: Milk thistle helps to maintain liver health. The main substance in its extract is silymarin, so compare products by the milligrams of silymarin, not by the figure in the name. Stivits has two. Milk Thistle 7500 mg gives 120 mg of silymarin in 1 tablet a day, and one pack lasts 90 days. Liver Health Formula gives 64 mg of silymarin and five B vitamins in 1 capsule a day, and one pack lasts 60 days. Both are made at a European factory, certified to ISO 22000:2018 and GMP. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Selenium: what it is good for, how much to take a day and how to take L-selenomethionine: What is selenium good for: it is a trace element that the body cannot make and gets from food. Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function. Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. How much a day: the EU nutrient reference value (NRV) is 55 µg (0.055 mg), and the EFSA tolerable upper intake level for adults is 255 µg a day from all sources. Stivits sells selenium as a separate vegan tablet: 100 µg in the form of L-selenomethionine, 182% NRV. Adults take 1 tablet a day with food, and 180 tablets last 180 days. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Diosmin and hesperidin: what they are used for, how to take them and what is in the Stivits capsule: Diosmin and hesperidin are two plant flavonoids, close in structure: their formulas differ by 2 hydrogen atoms. What they are used for, Stivits does not claim: the EU register has no authorised health claims for these two ingredients. Hesperidin is found in citrus fruit, and diosmin is isolated from plants or made from hesperidin. The vegan Stivits capsule holds 450 mg of diosmin and 50 mg of hesperidin, 500 mg in total in a ratio of 9:1. Adults take 1 capsule a day with food, and 60 capsules last 60 days. So Stivits names the composition and the dose and does not promise any effect.
• Creatine monohydrate: how to take it, how much a day and whether you need loading: Creatine monohydrate is taken at 3 g of creatine a day, and loading is not needed for this. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. The claim applies to adults performing high intensity exercise. Creatine Monohydrate 100% from Stivits is a food supplement that gives 3 g of creatine in 1 scoop of 3.4 g of powder. It is an unflavoured powder with no additives, suitable for vegans, in a pack of 500 g with 147 servings. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Creatine for women: dose and what to know: Creatine follows the same rules for women as for men: the EU register has no separate dose for women. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. The claim applies to adults performing high intensity exercise only. One serving of Creatine Monohydrate 100% from Stivits, a food supplement, gives exactly these 3 g: 1 scoop, or 3.4 g of unflavoured powder. It is suitable for vegans, and one 500 g pack lasts 147 days. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Men's Vitality & Testosterone Support: What Actually Helps: Men's vitality and 'testosterone support' is one of the most heavily marketed — and most exaggerated — categories in supplements. Here's an honest, EU-regulation-compliant look at what's actually backed by evidence versus what's traditional use only.
• Multivitamin for men: zinc, selenium and what to choose: Choose a multivitamin for men by its zinc and selenium doses and by what you need it for. EFSA's reference values for an adult man are 9.4–16.3 mg of zinc and 70 µg of selenium a day. Stivits has Zinc 25 mg and Selenium 100 µg as separate products: 1 tablet a day, and one pack lasts 180 days. Men's Premium Complex has 7.5 mg of zinc, 50 µg of selenium and 16 more vitamins and minerals in 1 tablet a day, and one pack lasts 120 days. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Vitamins for men: zinc, plants and complexes by dose: Stivits vitamins for men include zinc, selenium and vitamin complexes, as well as plants: tribulus, maca, ginseng and saw palmetto. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. In the Stivits catalogue it is the only substance with this EU claim, and it speaks of a normal level, not of a rise above it. Zinc 25 mg as Gluconate gives 25 mg in 1 tablet a day, and one pack lasts 180 days. Tribulus helps to maintain sexual desire: 1 capsule of Tribulus Terrestris 6000 mg holds 400 mg of extract, and one pack lasts 90 days. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Sports nutrition for beginners: creatine, BCAA and glutamine: The simplest place to start is creatine: of the three popular powders, it is the only one with a permitted EU claim. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. The claim applies to adults performing high intensity exercise only. Creatine Monohydrate 100% from Stivits gives these 3 g in 1 scoop, and one pack lasts 147 days. Stitech BCAA 2:1:1 (5150 mg per serving) and Stitech L-GLUTAMINE (5000 mg per serving) are individual amino acids with no EU claims; add them if you like. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
• Vitamins at a pharmacy or direct from the manufacturer: which works out cheaper, and when: A pharmacy is more convenient when you need a supplement today, want a pharmacist's advice or are buying it with your medicines. Buying direct from the manufacturer works out cheaper for things you take for months: Stivits sells its own products, with no wholesalers or pharmacies in between, and a large jar keeps the price per day low. Vitamin D3 4000 IU from Stivits costs €0.055 per day (180 capsules for €9.89, price as of 14 November 2026). Compare the price per day, not the price per pack: divide the price by the number of days it lasts. What you give up by buying direct: we dispatch your order by the next working day and it takes another 1–2 working days to reach the parcel locker, the minimum order is €15, and we do not sell medicines.
• How to check a food supplement before you buy, and whom to trust: Check a food supplement against five points in the paperwork, not by eye and not by reviews. Start with the label: in the EU it must show the daily serving, the amount of each substance per serving and the name and address of the company responsible for the product. Then check the promises on the jar and the factory's standards. GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000 certificates cover the factory and its processes; they do not prove what a particular supplement does. At Stivits, the ingredients, the dose per serving and how long a jar lasts are on the pack and on every product page.
• EU-made supplements or an order from the US: what differs for a buyer in Europe: US sites sometimes offer a wider choice of brands and forms, but since 1 July 2021 VAT is charged on every item imported into the EU, and every parcel needs an import declaration. Supplements made in the EU and shipped from an EU country travel with no customs and no import VAT, EU rules apply to their ingredients and label, and when you buy from an EU seller you have 14 days to withdraw from the purchase. Stivits sells 105 products under its own brand, made in the EU, and dispatches your order by the next working day.
• Where Stivits delivers vitamins in Europe, what it costs and how long it takes: Stivits delivers its own-brand food supplements to 14 EU countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Germany, Austria, France, Denmark, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland and Czechia. Orders leave our warehouses in Riga and Tallinn by the next working day. In the Baltics delivery takes 1–2 working days and the parcel locker is free. Other countries take 3–5 working days: courier €3.99, free from €35, 17 zł in Poland, 99 Kč in Czechia. There are no customs and no import VAT, and you have 14 days to withdraw from the purchase.
• Where to buy Stivits supplements in Riga and Tallinn: Stivits supplements are sold online at stivits.com. Orders in Latvia ship from our warehouse in Riga and orders in Estonia from our warehouse in Tallinn, by the next working day. A parcel locker delivery takes 1–2 working days and is free for orders from €15, which is also the minimum order; a courier is free from €25.