| Ingredient | Studied for | Evidence in short | Usual form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid) | Everyday fatigue and mood; exercise-related antioxidant balance | Small trials funded by the ingredient maker; promising but not yet independently confirmed | Tablet, capsule, powder stick |
| Alpha-lipoic acid | Body weight; antioxidant activity | Small short-term weight-loss effect in one meta-analysis; Japan advises caution over a rare reaction | Tablet, capsule, drink |
| Black garlic | Oxidative stress markers; blood-flow-related measures | Few small human trials; results for blood-flow-related measures are mixed | Capsule, tablet, powder |
| Chlorella | Immune-response markers; usual dietary intake | Small trials show immune-marker changes; other benefits are less consistent | Tablet, granule, powder |
| Cranberry | Urinary comfort in specific population groups | A 2023 Cochrane review of 50 trials found benefit in some groups, little or none in others | Capsule, tablet, extract powder |
| Curcumin | Joint comfort; memory in older adults; absorption | Enhanced forms raise absorption sharply; function evidence mixed; rare liver reports need a safety note | Softgel, hard capsule, powder stick |
| DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) | Hormone precursor supplement (Japan: food-usable only without medicinal claims) | Not applicable — Japanese status turns entirely on avoiding medicinal framing, not on efficacy data | Food-usable in Japan only if no medicinal or hormone claim is made |
| Elderberry | Cold duration and severity of everyday upper-respiratory symptoms | Small trials and a meta-analysis positive; independent confirmation and Japan-specific data both limited | Capsule, tablet, syrup, gummy |
| Equol (S-equol) | Skin appearance and bone-related markers in equol non-producing women | Small Japanese trials, mostly in non-producers; mixed for skin, more consistent for bone and comfort markers | Capsule, tablet, powder stick |
| Ergothioneine | Bioavailability from mushrooms; skin moisture and texture | Early human evidence; more trials needed | Capsule, tablet, powder |
| Fucoidan | Grip strength and walking distance in older adults; natural killer cell activity | Small trials, mostly positive on secondary measures; often funded by ingredient suppliers | Capsule, powder stick, drink |
| Ginkgo biloba | Memory-related function; brain blood flow markers | Large prevention trial found no effect; smaller memory-function trials vary | Hard capsule, tablet |
| Hesperidin | Peripheral blood flow and body temperature in cold conditions | Small Japanese human trials positive; one larger 2026 trial mixed, industry-funded | Tablet, capsule, drink, confectionery |
| Krill oil | EPA and DHA bioavailability versus fish oil | Mixed across trials; one found higher bioavailability, another found no significant difference | Soft capsule (oil-soluble) |
| Lactoferrin | Visceral fat area; everyday respiratory and systemic wellbeing | Small to moderate Japanese trials, mostly positive; often industry-linked and format-specific | Enteric-coated tablet or tablet held in the mouth |
| Milk thistle (silymarin) | Liver enzyme markers in clinical research populations | Mixed across studies and conditions; a 2012 JAMA trial found no benefit over placebo | Capsule, tablet, extract |
| Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf | Cardiometabolic markers and body composition in short trials | Very low certainty across pooled trials; nutrient content is the more defensible claim | Powder, capsule, green juice blend |
| Nattokinase | Blood-flow-related markers; carotid artery wall measures | Mixed; small short trials positive, a 3-year trial in 265 adults null; caution with anticoagulants | Enteric-coated capsule, hard capsule, tablet |
| Nicotinamide riboside | Blood NAD+ levels; walking distance and cognition in small trials | Raises NAD+ reliably; functional results limited and mixed across trials | Capsule, tablet |
| NMN | Blood NAD+ levels; walking speed and sleep quality in small trials | Early, small human trials; no confirmed benefit beyond raising NAD+ levels | Capsule, tablet, sublingual powder |
| Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) | EPA and DHA intake; skin (Japan nutrient claim) | Large trials were in patient groups and do not transfer to product claims | Soft capsule, liquid, powder |
| PQQ | Cognitive performance in older adults; sleep quality | Small trials, one open-label and industry-linked; preliminary for cognition and sleep | Capsule, tablet, drink |
| Propolis | Inflammation and antioxidant markers; everyday cognitive function | Meta-analyses show effects on inflammation markers, not lipids; allergy risk applies | Capsule, tablet, liquid extract |
| Pumpkin seed | Urinary comfort scores in men | A large one-year trial found no significant difference from placebo on its primary outcome | Soft capsule, hard capsule, powder |
| Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) | Body composition and metabolic markers; immune cell counts in healthy adults | GRADE-assessed review found very low-quality evidence across outcomes; small trials only | Capsule, tablet, powder, extract |
| Resveratrol | Cell and vascular health markers studied in ageing research | Human clinical evidence is currently inconclusive across most outcomes studied | Capsule, tablet |
| Royal jelly | Wellbeing in midlife women; skin moisture | Human trials small and mixed; bee-product allergy warning needed | Fresh (frozen), lyophilised powder, capsule, drink |
| Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) | Urinary comfort scores in men | A 2023 Cochrane review of 27 trials found little to no difference versus placebo | Soft capsule, hard capsule |
| Sesamin | Antioxidant capacity and everyday fatigue-related wellbeing | Human trials are small; effects vary by outcome and by subgroup | Capsule, tablet, softgel |
| Soy isoflavones | Comfort in midlife women; bone-related markers | Mixed across meta-analyses; clearer for midlife comfort, modest for bone; Japan sets a supplement intake cap | Tablet, capsule, powder stick |
| Spermidine | Memory in a 12-month trial; hair growth in a smaller trial | Limited; a 2022 randomised trial found no significant effect on memory in older adults | Capsule, tablet, powder |
| Spirulina | Lipid and blood-pressure markers in adults with an existing condition | Meta-analyses in adults with a condition show improved markers; general healthy-ageing evidence is limited | Tablet, capsule, powder |
| Urolithin A | Muscle endurance and strength in small human trials | Muscle endurance improved in small trials; most funded by the ingredient developer | Capsule, tablet |
Japan-made supplement OEM
Healthy ageing supplements made in Japan
Healthy ageing is where Japanese ingredients such as NMN, nattokinase, fucoidan and royal jelly meet internationally known ones such as omega-3 and curcumin. The evidence ranges from large trials in patient groups to small, early human studies.
Large disease-outcome trials describe what was studied in patients; they are not a basis for product claims. Each guide below separates the research from the wording a product can use.
Healthy ageing ingredients at a glance
What each ingredient has been studied for, how strong the published evidence is, and the usual dosage form.
“Studied for” describes research on healthy functions. It is not a claim that any product prevents, treats or cures a disease.
Before you choose a formula
Dosage form selection How tablet, capsule, softgel, powder, jelly, drink and gummy compare for a Japan-made supplement Export labelling and documents Japanese vs destination-market labels, over-labelling, country-of-origin rules, and factory documents to request Food-medicine boundary (食薬区分) How Japan's shoku-yaku kubun system decides food versus medicine status, and what it means for an export OEM order Starting a Japan-made supplement brand The steps from concept to launch for a brand that wants a supplement made in Japan
Frequently asked questions
Is NMN legal as a supplement ingredient?
In Japan NMN can be used in foods. In the United States its status was disputed and settled in 2025. The NMN guide gives the details and dates.
Which healthy ageing ingredients need safety notes?
Nattokinase and some others need a caution for people taking anticoagulant medicines, and curcumin has rare liver-injury reports. Each guide states the safety points.
How should a healthy ageing product be described?
By the functions studied in healthy people, never as preventing or treating disease. We help keep the wording within your market’s rules.
Contact
Tell us what you want to buy or sell — in Vietnam or Japan
Selling into Vietnam or Japan, sourcing from either, or a product made under your own brand. One Japanese-managed team in Ho Chi Minh City, working in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.