A 12-ingredient supplement shifted artery markers in 43 adults

For six months, 33 healthy adults over 40 at the University of Surrey stirred a 12-ingredient powder into water once a day, and 28 others drank a placebo matched for look and taste. Neither they nor the researchers knew who had which. Only 43 people, 24 and 19, came back for the final measurements, and the result rests on them. The trial was published in European Heart Journal Open on 4 November.

Which signs of vessel ageing did the trial measure?

The authors describe vascular ageing through three changes: the inner lining of the arteries widens less readily when blood flow rises, the large arteries stiffen, and systolic blood pressure creeps up. The trial tracked all three. The lining was tested by flow-mediated dilation: an ultrasound shows how much the artery in the upper arm widens after a cuff on the forearm is released. Stiffness was estimated by a cuff device on the upper arm as pulse wave velocity, the speed at which the pressure wave travels along the arteries, and blood pressure and cholesterol were measured as well. The volunteers were non-smokers who described themselves as healthy; their average estimated ten-year risk of a first heart attack or stroke was 3.6%.

The powder mixes vitamin C, magnesium, glycine, alpha-ketoglutarate, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, L-theanine, extracts of rhodiola and ginger, two plant compounds studied in ageing research, fisetin and pterostilbene, and a small amount of lithium. The powder is NOVOS Core, a product of NOVOS Labs in New York.

How large were the changes?

Over six months, artery widening rose by 2.6 percentage points in the supplement group and stayed flat in the placebo group (−0.1). After adjustment for starting values, the difference was 2.9 points, with a 95% confidence interval of 2.1 to 3.8. Pulse wave velocity fell by 0.78 metres per second on the powder and rose by 0.56 on placebo, a difference of 1.18 m/s. Systolic pressure dropped by 8.5 mmHg against 1.5 mmHg, a difference of 6.1 mmHg, with a wide interval of 1.3 to 10.9.

Diastolic pressure, pressure in the aorta and cholesterol did not differ between groups. The estimated ten-year cardiovascular risk fell by 0.45 percentage points relative to placebo, and almost all of that came from the lower systolic pressure.

What does this trial still leave unresolved?

The trial was small, ran in one centre and measured markers, not heart attacks, strokes or length of life. About three in ten randomised participants did not reach the final visit, and the analysis included only those who did. The placebo group was older at the start, 60 against 53 years among everyone randomised, and age itself stiffens arteries. Intake was checked only by participants' own diaries.

The final measurements were taken about 24 hours after the last dose, without a washout, so the study cannot tell a lasting change in the vessels from the after-effect of yesterday's drink. Artery widening also rose an hour after the very first dose. With twelve active substances in one powder, the authors cannot say which of them, if any, produced the effect.

Who paid for the study?

NOVOS Labs supplied the powder and the placebo and made an unrestricted financial contribution to the university. One co-author is a company employee, and the author who conceived and supervised the study has received research funding from the company. The paper states that the funder had no role in the design, analysis or decision to publish. The trial was submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov before recruitment started, with artery widening as the primary outcome, and the published primary outcome matches the registration.

What would settle the question?

The authors describe the findings as preliminary and call for larger, longer trials with clinical outcomes. Until such trials report, this is a signal about vessel markers in 43 healthy volunteers. Because the powder contains lithium and other active substances, anyone who takes regular medicines or is thinking of trying such a supplement should discuss it with a doctor first.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.

Sources

• Piercy C, Harris J, Sackho K, Campagnolo P, Barardo D, Creagh-Brown B, Heiss C. Acute and 6-month vascular effects of a multi-component nutritional supplement: a randomized controlled trial. Eur Heart J Open. 2026. PMID 42979377 · DOI 10.1093/ehjopen/oeag157

• STAMINA trial registration, University of Surrey. NCT06145087