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Dr. Andrew Huberman, a leading neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University, has become one of the most trusted voices in performance biology and neuroscience. His supplement recommendations for 2025 reflect a strict commitment to science, clinical outcomes, and precision. Each compound he recommends is chosen for its clear mechanism of action, documented safety profile, and synergistic alignment with foundational lifestyle practices.
This article outlines Dr. Huberman’s top supplement recommendations as well as the guiding principles that define his approach to supplementation in 2025. These tools are designed not only for performance, but to reinforce long-term neurological and systemic resilience.
Summary
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s top supplement recommendations for 2025 are rooted in rigorous scientific research, clinical outcomes, and a disciplined, individualized approach to health optimization. He prioritizes single-ingredient compounds to precisely track their effects and avoids generalized supplement stacks, focusing on safety, clinically validated dosages, and long-term neurological integrity. His foundational principle is that supplementation should complement, not replace, core lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, consistent sleep, nutrient-rich diets, natural light exposure, and strong social connections.
Table of Contents
Does Myo-Inositol Increase Serotonin Levels?
Is Omega-3 Good for Your Heart?
Is Vitamin D3 Good for Your Immune System?
Can Magnesium Help With Brain Fog?
Does Caffeine Trigger Dopamine?
What Are the Benefits of Taking L-Tyrosine?
Does L-Theanine Make You Sleepy?
What Magnesium Does Dr. Huberman Recommend for Sleep?
What Supplements Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System?
Does Methylene Blue Help With Focus?
Foundational Principles
Dr. Huberman emphasizes a disciplined, outcome-driven approach to supplementation. All protocols begin with single-ingredient compounds to isolate physiological effects and avoid confounding variables. This allows for precise tracking of what works, what doesn’t, and how each compound influences sleep, focus, mood, and physical performance. Supplementation should be tailored to individual biology, goals, and feedback, rather than following generalized stacks and trends. Dosing is adjusted based on tolerance, effectiveness, and context, including variables such as stress load, sleep quality, and training volume. Above all, Dr. Huberman prioritizes safety and long-term neurological integrity, using only clinically validated dosages, avoiding unnecessary combinations and megadosing. This measured, evidence-based framework defines the structure behind every supplement he recommends.
Myo-Inositol
Myo-inositol improves sleep architecture by enhancing sleep depth, restfulness, and nighttime stability. Unlike generic inositol formulations, myo-inositol increases serotonin signaling in the brain, accelerating sleep onset, allowing individuals who wake during the night to return to sleep more efficiently. Its effect on serotonin pathways contributes to a stable mood, improved stress tolerance, and sharper cognitive performance during the day. By enhancing sleep quality at the neurochemical level, myo-inositol creates a foundation for sustained mental clarity, emotional balance, and reduced anxiety. Dr. Huberman recommends it as a core tool for restoring psychological resilience through sleep-driven recovery.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA)
Dr. Huberman recommends a daily intake of 1 gram of EPA for its direct effects on cardiovascular health, neurotransmitter balance, and neural plasticity. EPA modulates the brain's inflammatory environment, essential for mood regulation and cognitive endurance. It also functions as a natural analgesic by reducing neuroinflammation that drives chronic pain, headaches, and stress-related tension. In both clinical and high-performance contexts, EPA serves as a core foundation for mental clarity, emotional stability, and long-term neurological protection.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is essential for maintaining bone density, regulating the immune response, supporting cardiovascular health, and stabilizing hormonal function, including testosterone and mood-related pathways. It also influences gene expression and calcium metabolism, making it non-negotiable for long-term physiological integrity. For individuals with low sunlight exposure, Vitamin D3 deficiency is inevitable without supplementation. Dr. Huberman identifies D3 as a critical daily requirement for those seeking optimal performance, immune resilience, and neuroendocrine balance.
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential for neuromuscular function, cellular energy production, and over 300 enzymatic reactions that regulate metabolism, stress response, and brain health. It directly improves sleep quality, enhances nervous system recovery, and reduces the physiological impact of chronic stress. Dr. Huberman prioritizes highly bioavailable forms such as magnesium threonate and magnesium bisglycinate, which effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and elevate brain magnesium levels. These forms enhance cognitive performance, support neuroplasticity, and promote calm, restorative sleep without sedation. Magnesium is foundational for anyone optimizing mental performance, emotional regulation, and recovery.
Caffeine
Caffeine enhances alertness, reaction time, and mental focus by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine signaling in the brain. It sharpens attention and supports sustained cognitive output during demanding work or training sessions. Dr. Huberman recommends consuming caffeine 90 to 120 minutes after waking, when natural cortisol levels begin to taper, to align with circadian biology and prevent overstimulation. Early caffeine intake disrupts cortisol rhythm and increases the risk of energy crashes later in the day. Caffeine should be eliminated in the afternoon, as its half-life interferes with deep sleep architecture and impairs nighttime recovery. When used with precision, caffeine is a powerful tool for enhancing focus without compromising sleep or long-term performance.
Alpha-GPC
Alpha-GPC increases acetylcholine availability in the brain, enhancing concentration, memory formation, and executive function. It also activates cholinergic pathways involved in focus, learning, and neural communication, making it a high-impact tool for cognitive performance. Unlike stimulants, Alpha-GPC delivers clean, sustained mental clarity without the jitteriness, anxiety, and sleep disruption associated with caffeine. Dr. Huberman highlights it as a preferred option for individuals seeking sharp focus and mental stamina without sacrificing calm or cognitive control. Alpha-GPC also supports neuroprotection and brain cell integrity, making it ideal for both short-term productivity and long-term brain health.
L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, making it essential for maintaining mental performance. It increases catecholamine synthesis in the brain, preserving working memory, cognitive flexibility, and focus during high-pressure tasks and multitasking. L-Tyrosine delivers sharp and reliable cognitive support without overstimulation.
L-Theanine
L-theanine is a non-sedating anxiolytic that activates the brain’s GABAergic system, increasing alpha wave activity and promoting a state of calm focus. It reduces neural excitability and balances stress-induced catecholamine spikes, making it ideal for reducing evening anxiety, pre-sleep tension, and cognitive overstimulation. L-theanine accelerates sleep onset, improves sleep continuity, and enhances sleep quality without impairing next-day performance or inducing grogginess. Dr. Huberman recommends it for individuals who need to deactivate stress circuits, transition into a parasympathetic state, and improve sleep initiation while maintaining neurological clarity.
Magnesium (Threonate, Bisglycinate)
Magnesium is essential for regulating neuronal excitability and activating GABA, the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Supplementing with magnesium, specifically threonate and bisglycinate, promotes relaxation, reduces sympathetic nervous system activity, and increases sleep pressure. Magnesium threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier and elevates brain magnesium levels, enhancing sleep onset and cognitive recovery. Bisglycinate is highly bioavailable and effective for calming physical tension and supporting parasympathetic dominance before bed. Dr. Huberman recommends these forms for individuals needing precise neurological support to facilitate faster sleep initiation, deeper rest, and efficient overnight recovery.
Additional Considerations
Supplement protocols deliver the greatest impact when built on a foundation of consistent, evidence-based behaviors. Regular physical activity, a fixed sleep-wake rhythm, nutrient-dense meals, daily exposure to natural light, and strong social connection all regulate the same biological systems targeted by supplementation. Without these inputs, even the most advanced compounds will yield diminished results.
Nutritional patterns are directly tied to mental and emotional state. Disruptions in mood, whether from chronic stress, poor sleep, or neurochemical imbalance, drive overeating, undereating, and increased reliance on ultra-processed foods. This creates a feedback loop that further destabilizes mood and impairs cognitive function. Addressing mental health requires synchronized behavioral and biological interventions. Supplements are tools, not substitutes, for the core habits that sustain performance, resilience, and long-term neurological health.
Cycling and Melatonin Use
Dr. Huberman advises against the nightly use of the same sleep supplements, as continuous exposure can lead to reduced effectiveness through receptor desensitization and neurochemical adaptation. To maintain long-term efficacy, compounds such as magnesium, theanine, and apigenin should be rotated or cycled based on sleep needs, travel, or periods of elevated stress.
Melatonin is generally not recommended for healthy adults. While it can adjust circadian timing in cases of jet lag or shift work, it does not meaningfully improve sleep quality or duration in most individuals. More critically, exogenous melatonin disrupts the body’s natural hormone rhythms and may interfere with downstream hormonal pathways, including reproductive and thyroid function. For sustained sleep optimization, Dr. Huberman prioritizes compounds that support GABA signaling and parasympathetic activation without altering endogenous hormonal cycles.
Our Recommendation: Methylene Blue
For individuals looking to enhance cognitive function, cellular energy, and stress resilience, methylene blue is a high-leverage addition to any performance and recovery protocol. Its ability to optimize mitochondrial function, increase ATP production, and stabilize redox balance makes it uniquely suited for supporting mental clarity, neuroprotection, and mood regulation, particularly under conditions of fatigue, overwork, or cognitive strain.
When used at low doses and with precision timing, methylene blue improves focus, supports prefrontal cortex activity, and accelerates post-stress recovery without overstimulation. It pairs well with foundational supplements such as magnesium, EPA, and L-tyrosine, complementing behavioral tools such as early morning light exposure, deep work blocks, and structured breaks. LIV - Methylene Blue 1% - USP (Pharmaceutical) Grade - 60ml
As with any targeted intervention, stacking methylene blue on a solid base of sleep, nutrition, and movement yields the highest return. When implemented correctly, it becomes a core tool for sustained high performance and long-term neurological health. Methylene Blue: History, Uses, and Risks
Conclusion
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s supplement recommendations reflect a rigorous, science-backed approach to optimizing both mental and physical performance. This level of strategic supplementation provides a useful model for anyone looking to elevate their focus, mood, resilience, and recovery. Instead of chasing the next big thing, the focus stays on measurable outcomes and minimal side effects.
If you’re already focused on quality sleep, daily movement, nutrient-dense foods, and nervous system regulation, targeted supplementation can help you operate at a consistently higher level.
The supplements discussed in this guide are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. They are not intended to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare provider who is familiar with your individual health needs.
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