Energy & Focus Stack – Adrenal Support, B-12 Essential Trio & B-Complex
The Energy & Focus Stack is three bottles: Adrenal Support (an adaptogen blend plus vitamins B5, B6 and C; 60 vegetarian tablets), B-12 Essential Trio (2,000 mcg of methylcobalamin per serving; 2 fl oz liquid) and B-Complex (all eight B vitamins; 60 vegetarian capsules). Together they support normal energy metabolism and a healthy response to occasional stress.† The stack is $60.36, versus $81.97 bought separately, so you save $21.61 (about 26%).
This stack is for the years when the calendar is full and coffee is doing too much of the work: late 30s and 40s, a demanding job, kids or aging parents, a training plan you'd like to keep. Aging isn't optional. Getting old is. The habits you build now are the ones that carry you into your 70s and 80s.
Adrenal Support: adaptogen herbs plus vitamins B5, B6 and C
Each 2-tablet serving of Adrenal Support, our adaptogen tablet has 50 mg of vitamin C (55% DV), 20 mg of vitamin B6 from pyridoxine HCl (1,176% DV) and 500 mg of pantothenic acid from d-calcium pantothenate (10,000% DV), plus a 425 mg proprietary herbal blend: rhodiola root extract (standardized to 1% salidrosides), ashwagandha root extract (standardized to 2.5% withanolides), wild yam root extract, schizandra berry, eleuthero root extract and organic stinging nettle leaf. The bottle holds 30 servings.
"Adaptogen" is what researchers call herbs studied for helping the body hold its balance under stress. In one 60-day trial, 60 healthy adults who reported high stress took 240 mg of a standardized ashwagandha extract or a placebo daily. The ashwagandha group had a larger drop in morning cortisol, with no side effects reported (a 60-day ashwagandha trial in stressed, healthy adults).† A systematic review of 11 placebo-controlled rhodiola trials found it may help physical and mental performance with few, mild side effects, though the authors noted that the individual trials hadn't been independently repeated (a systematic review of rhodiola trials).† One honest note: the label doesn't list each herb's amount, so we can't say a serving matches those study doses.
B-12 Essential Trio: liquid methylcobalamin, folinate and B6
One serving of B-12 Essential Trio, our liquid B12 is one dropper bulb squeeze (about half a dropper, about 0.84 grams): 2,000 mcg of vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin (83,333% DV), 680 mcg DFE of folinate from calcium folinate (170% DV) and 4 mg of vitamin B6 (235% DV). The 2 fl oz bottle holds 80 servings, with natural blueberry flavor.
Why these forms: methylcobalamin is one of the two forms of B12 your cells use directly; cyanocobalamin gets converted first (NIH fact sheet on vitamin B12). Folinate is already in the reduced folate family, so it skips the conversion step folic acid needs. B12, folate and B6 work as a team in the cycle that supplies methyl groups to your cells.†
B-Complex: all eight B vitamins in one capsule
One capsule of B-Complex, our one-a-day B vitamin capsule has 100 mg each of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, niacinamide (100 mg NE), 680 mcg DFE of folic acid, 100 mcg of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) and 100 mcg of biotin, plus 47 mg of choline, 100 mg of inositol and 60 mg of PABA. The bottle holds 60 capsules, a 60-day supply at the label's one capsule a day.
B vitamins don't supply calories. They're coenzymes, helpers your enzymes need to pull energy out of food and to make DNA and brain chemical messengers. A review of all eight shows how closely their jobs overlap, which is the author's case for taking the whole group (a review of how the eight B vitamins work together).†
How to take them together
- Adrenal Support: "One to two tablets, as a dietary supplement." The amounts above are for 2 tablets.
- B-12 Essential Trio: "Take one serving by mouth in the morning." Refrigerate after opening.
- B-Complex: "One capsule daily, as a dietary supplement."
Mind the vitamin B6: at full label servings the three bottles add up to 124 mg a day (20 + 4 + 100), above the 100 mg daily upper limit for adults from food and supplements combined (NIH fact sheet on vitamin B6). Check with your practitioner before taking all three at full servings. Ask your healthcare practitioner before use if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
Don't take our word for it
- Verified by independent labs. ISO 17025-accredited labs check our test results.
- Every ingredient lot tested before use. Federal rules only require an identity test. We test every incoming lot for identity, potency, heavy metals and microbes.
- If it misses spec, it doesn't go in a bottle. More than 99% of our tests pass, and the lots that don't are turned away.
- A certificate of analysis for every lot. See the certificates of analysis for B-12 Essential Trio.
Made in the USA, in Mt. Angel, Oregon. It's a farm town of about 3,500 people in the Willamette Valley, and all three formulas are made and tested in our UL-certified cGMP facility there, with the formulators, the makers and the testers under one roof. The owners work in the building too; it's been owner-run since 2017. We've been making supplements in Oregon since 1974. That's 52 years, and we're not getting old either.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Energy & Focus Stack contain caffeine?
No. None of the three labels lists caffeine. The energy side of this stack comes from B vitamins, which help your body use the food you eat.†
Why are there two kinds of B12 and folate?
Each bottle is built to stand on its own: the Trio uses methylcobalamin and folinate, and B-Complex uses cyanocobalamin and folic acid. Together that's 2,100 mcg of B12, and no upper limit has been set for B12 because of its low potential for toxicity (NIH fact sheet on vitamin B12).
How long does the stack last?
The bottles run out at different times. Adrenal Support holds 30 servings of 2 tablets, B-12 Essential Trio holds 80 servings, and B-Complex is a 60-day supply at one capsule a day.
Is the stack safe with my medication?
Ask your healthcare practitioner, and bring all three bottles. Herbs aren't harmless just because they're plants. You can also check combinations in our supplement and medication interaction checker.
Keep learning
References
- Lopresti AL et al. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019. PubMed
- Hung SK et al. The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Phytomedicine. 2011. PubMed
- Kennedy DO. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy--A Review. Nutrients. 2016. PubMed
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
