THE DOSE IS THE ARGUMENT.
A supplement works, or it doesn't, based on three things: whether the form is absorbed, whether the quantity matches the studies, and whether there is a mechanism to point at. Everything below is the standard each TANK formula has to clear before it is produced.
Bioavailable form
Chelated minerals, liposomal and phospholipid carriers, patented standardised extracts. Where a form with superior absorption evidence exists, we pay for it.
Clinically titrated dose
Each quantity corresponds to the dose used in the randomised controlled trials we cite — not a fractional 'fairy dust' inclusion, and not an arbitrary mega-dose.
Declared mechanism
Every ingredient carries a stated biochemical or receptor-level mechanism. If we cannot describe how it acts, it does not go in.
No overclaim
Where evidence is preliminary, in vitro or animal-only, we say so on the page. Three commonly marketed ingredients were excluded on this criterion alone.
Safety and EU compliance
Regulatory grey-area ingredients are excluded. Genuine cautions — medication interactions, pregnancy, timing — are stated plainly on the product page.
Claims under EU law
Public claims are limited to those authorised in the EU Register of nutrition and health claims (Reg. EC 1924/2006). Mechanistic explanation is separated from authorised claim language.
EXCLUSIONS ARE PART OF THE FORMULA.
Dihydromyricetin (DHM)
Widely marketed for alcohol recovery, but the human evidence base remains thin — most published work is preclinical. It is excluded rather than used to build a headline claim.
High-dose biotin (5,000 µg+)
No additional benefit above physiological requirements in people who are not deficient, and it is documented to interfere with laboratory immunoassays including thyroid and troponin panels. We dose at physiological level instead.
Proprietary blends
A blend total makes each individual dose unverifiable against the literature. Every TANK active is declared separately with its own quantity.
Three different bottlenecks, three different time horizons. Citicoline restocks the raw material your neurons build attention from. The theanine-caffeine pair manages the state you're in right now. Bacopa and Rhodiola work on the weeks-long layer: memory consolidation and resistance to mental fatigue. Removing any one of them leaves a gap the others cannot cover.
Citicoline (Cognizin®)
250 mg
Level 01 — Neuronal fuel
Citicoline splits into choline and cytidine; cytidine crosses the blood-brain barrier and is reconverted to uridine, and together with choline supplies the two direct precursors of phosphatidylcholine (the structural phospholipid of neuronal membranes) and of acetylcholine (the key attention neurotransmitter).
Raises the attentional threshold with no stimulant component. RCTs in healthy adults with suboptimal attention (McGlade et al., 250–500 mg/day for 28 days) show a dose-dependent improvement in processing speed and sustained attention.
L-Theanine + natural caffeine from Guaraná
150 mg + 75 mg (≈2:1)
Level 02 — The flow state
L-theanine increases cortical alpha-wave activity (relaxed alertness), modulating the GABA/glutamate balance and attenuating the pressor and anxiogenic response to caffeine. Caffeine released from a tannin-rich plant matrix is absorbed more gradually than isolated synthetic anhydrous caffeine.
Prolonged focus without the classic caffeine crash or overstimulation. The 2:1 theanine-to-caffeine ratio is the one used in studies showing the best trade-off between attentional accuracy and performance variability (Owen et al. 2008; Giesbrecht et al. 2010).
Bacopa Monnieri (Bacognize®, 50% bacosides)
300 mg
Level 03 — Working memory
Bacosides modulate protein synthesis involved in dendritic growth (CaMKII pathway) and reduce oxidative stress at hippocampal level.
More effective memory consolidation across repeated study sessions. 12-week RCTs (Stough et al.; Peth-Nui et al. 2012) show improved encoding and retention.
Rhodiola Rosea (SHR-5, 3% rosavins / 1% salidroside)
200 mg
Level 03 — Mental endurance
An adaptogen that modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and central dopamine and serotonin levels, reducing mental fatigue induced by prolonged cognitive load.
Performance holds up in the final hours of a long session, when mental fatigue normally erodes concentration (Spasov et al. 2000; Darbinyan et al. 2000).
Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle. The information on this page is educational and describes documented mechanisms; it does not diagnose, treat or replace professional medical advice. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medication, speak to your doctor before starting any supplement.