Subjective Well-Being

Human Effect Matrix

The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (excluding animal/petri-dish studies) to tell you what what supplements affect Subjective Well-Being

Grade	Level of Evidence
A	Robust research conducted with repeated double blind clinical trials
B	Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
C	Single double blind study or multiple cohort studies
D	Uncontrolled or observational studies only

Level of Evidence	Supplement	Magnitude of Effect Size	Scientific Consensus	Comments
B	Creatine	Minor	50% See all 9 studies	Unreliable and not overly potent.
B	Dehydroepiandrosterone		66% See all 4 studies	No significant influence on well being is noted with DHEA per se, although it may come secondary to other changes occurring during DHEA supplementation (such as improved... show functionality in elderly persons)
B	Kava	Notable	100% See all 4 studies	The increase in well being appears to be quite large, but secondary to reducing anxiety. At least one study has noted that, in healthy persons subject to a minor stressor... show (testing) that kava enhanced cheerfulness
B	Panax Ginseng	Minor	80% See all 5 studies	There appears to be an increase in well being and happiness in persons who either have a disease state treated (ie, better glycemic control in diabetes or less erectile... show dysfunction) and this may also apply to acute usage of 400mg panax ginseng during acute mental stress. In an unstressed and healthy person, panax ginseng is unlikely to have benefit
B	Rhodiola Rosea	Notable	100% See all 4 studies	Increases in subjective well being and contentment in fatigued or stressed individuals appears to be greater than other supplements.
B	Ganoderma Lucidum	Minor	100% See all 3 studies	Subjective well being increases in disease states where other symptoms (seen as adverse) are decreased; an inherent increase of well being is uncertain.
C	Green Tea Catechins	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being has been noted in unhealthy persons given green tea catechins
C	Chlorogenic Acid	Minor	100% See study	Chlorogenic acid may have a mood enhancing effect independent of caffeine
C	L-Carnitine		100% See all 3 studies	No significant changes in subjective well being associated with carnitine intake
C	Ephedrine	Minor	100% See study	Appears to increase well being acutely following the first doses of ephedrine, secondary to the psychostimulatory effects
C	Vitamin C	Minor	100% See study	An improvement in mood has been noted in hospitalized persons
C	Conjugated Linoleic Acid		0% See 2 studies	Insufficient evidence to support an inherent contentment boosting effect, as the lone study was confounded with weight loss.
C	Caffeine	Minor	100% See 2 studies	May increase subjective well being and mood state, possibly secondary to reducing fatigue or from catecholamines
C	L-Tyrosine	Minor	50% See 2 studies	There appears to be an increase in subjective well being during stress when tyrosine is preloaded (perhaps secondary to the antistress effects of tyrosine), although this... show is not overly reliable
C	Maca	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being has been noted
C	Mucuna Pruriens	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being has been noted to be secondary to a reduction in cortisol
C	Pyruvate	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being may occur secondary to weight loss, although due to the complications in weight loss with pyruvate this may not be feasible
C	Pycnogenol	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being and mood has been noted in students undergoing academic testing, which correlated with improved test scores
C	Theanine		100% See study	No significant influence on subjective well being and mood state per se
C	Phosphatidylserine		100% See study	No significant influence on subjective well being noted
C	Fish Oil	Minor	50% See all 3 studies	An improvement in well being has been noted in nondepressed and nonelderly obese persons given fish oil supplementation to a small magnitude.
C	Arginine		100% See study	In persons with peripheral artery disease (intermittent claudication), despite improving symptoms as assessed by a treadmill walking test there does not appear to be an... show improvement in self-reported well being
D	Black Cohosh	Minor	100% See study	May increase well being in those with menopause if a reduction of symptoms occurs.
D	Boswellia Serrata	Minor	100% See study	Increase in well-being was likely secondary to reducing joint pain from osteoarthritis
D	Bromelain	Minor	100% See study	Minor improvements in well being secondary to reducing joint pain
D	Lavender	Minor	100% See study	An increase in well being has been noted with lavender aromatherapy, possible secondary to the relaxing effects
D	Vinpocetine	Minor	100% See 2 studies	An increase in well being has been noted to be secondary to the reduced rate of cognitive decline

References

Wax B, et al. Acute L-arginine alpha ketoglutarate supplementation fails to improve muscular performance in resistance trained and untrained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. (2012)
Collier SR, Casey DP, Kanaley JA. Growth hormone responses to varying doses of oral arginine. Growth Horm IGF Res. (2005)
Bode-Böger SM, et al. L-arginine-induced vasodilation in healthy humans: pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship. Br J Clin Pharmacol. (1998)
Marcell TJ, et al. Oral arginine does not stimulate basal or augment exercise-induced GH secretion in either young or old adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. (1999)
Isidori A, Lo Monaco A, Cappa M. A study of growth hormone release in man after oral administration of amino acids. Curr Med Res Opin. (1981)
Wilson AM, et al. L-arginine supplementation in peripheral arterial disease: no benefit and possible harm. Circulation. (2007)
Böger RH, et al. Restoring vascular nitric oxide formation by L-arginine improves the symptoms of intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. (1998)
Liu TH, et al. No effect of short-term arginine supplementation on nitric oxide production, metabolism and performance in intermittent exercise in athletes. J Nutr Biochem. (2009)
Abel T, et al. Influence of chronic supplementation of arginine aspartate in endurance athletes on performance and substrate metabolism - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Int J Sports Med. (2005)
Fahs CA, Heffernan KS, Fernhall B. Hemodynamic and vascular response to resistance exercise with L-arginine. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (2009)
Lucotti P, et al. Beneficial effects of a long-term oral L-arginine treatment added to a hypocaloric diet and exercise training program in obese, insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic patients. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. (2006)
Jabłecka A, et al. The effect of oral L-arginine supplementation on fasting glucose, HbA1c, nitric oxide and total antioxidant status in diabetic patients with atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease of lower extremities. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. (2012)
Monti LD, et al. Effect of a long-term oral l-arginine supplementation on glucose metabolism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. (2012)
Schwedhelm E, et al. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of oral L-citrulline and L-arginine: impact on nitric oxide metabolism. Br J Clin Pharmacol. (2008)
Willoughby DS, et al. Effects of 7 days of arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate supplementation on blood flow, plasma L-arginine, nitric oxide metabolites, and asymmetric dimethyl arginine after resistance exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. (2011)

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Table of Contents

Human Effect Matrix

Scientific Support & Reference Citations

References

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