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Pure organic maca powder from black tubers

Vitalplant Organic Black Maca Powder consists of exactly one ingredient: ground black maca root from certified organic cultivation. No extract, no additives, no fillers.

Powder or extract

With powder, the dried tuber is simply ground up. Its composition therefore corresponds to the whole root, including all fiber and carbohydrates. An extract, by contrast, concentrates certain components and leaves others behind.

Nutrition values per 100 grams. 23.4 g fiber, 16.3 g protein, 48.9 g carbohydrates and 0.77 g fat. The energy value is 1,324 kJ, or 314 kcal.

Taste and use. Maca powder has a malty, nutty flavor with a slightly earthy note. It can be stirred into smoothies, shakes, yogurt, or muesli and is also suitable for baking.

Lepidium meyenii: cultivation in the Andes

Maca belongs to the crucifer family and is related to radish and cress. The plant is grown in the Peruvian Andes, often above 4,000 meters, where there are strong temperature fluctuations and intense sunlight.

Harvesting produces mainly yellow tubers. Black types make up only a smaller share and are sorted out by hand. Traditionally, they are dried in the sun, which takes several weeks.

Organic Black Maca Powder: composition and quality

One single ingredient: organic maca powder, certified according to the EU organic regulation, inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture. No sugar, no flavorings, no anti-caking agents. Packed in a resealable stand-up pouch. Every batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Pharmacy.

Three building blocks for joints and bones

Joints Vital combines three products that complement each other: a comprehensive joint complex, highly concentrated Boswellia extract, and vitamins D3 and K2 in drop form. More affordable as a bundle than buying separately.

What’s in the bundle

Joint Complex Capsules. The formula combines glucosamine, a vegan chondroitin alternative, MSM, and hyaluronic acid with selected micronutrients. This means it covers the best-known building blocks of joint support in one product.

Boswellia Capsules. The extract from the resin of the Boswellia tree is standardized to 90 percent boswellic acids, which is the level used to measure high-quality Boswellia extracts.

Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops. Vegan vitamin D3 from lichens, combined with vitamin K2, dissolved in oil and dosable drop by drop.

What vitamin D and K do

Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and the maintenance of normal muscle function. Vitamin K also contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Both claims are listed in the EU Register of authorized health claims. Since vitamin D is produced by the body mainly through sunlight, ensuring adequate intake in the darker months is a common concern.

Composition and quality

All three products come directly from our range, without unnecessary additives, and with independent laboratory testing for each batch. You can find details on the recommended intake and composition on the product pages.

Vitalplant is led by Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Eleven organic ingredients, including a bacterium

Bio Vital Greens from Vitalplant combines baobab, barley grass, wheat grass, spirulina, pineapple, lucuma, spinach, gluten-free oat flour, moringa, kale, and peppermint leaf. Strictly speaking, one of these ingredients is not a plant at all.

The blend in detail

Spirulina is commonly called blue-green algae, but it belongs to the cyanobacteria. It is a bacterium that carries out photosynthesis, and has done so for around three billion years.

Baobab makes up the largest share by volume. The pulp of the African baobab tree dries on the branch while the fruit is still hanging. It therefore does not need to be dried afterward, but can be ground directly.

Barley grass and wheat grass are harvested as young grass, long before ears form. Lucuma is a South American fruit with a flavor somewhere between caramel and maple syrup, pineapple adds acidity. The remaining leafy ingredients, spinach, moringa, kale, and peppermint, give the blend its green color and herbal base note.

What the nutritional values show

With 26,34 g of fiber per 100 g, the powder meets the requirement for the claim high fiber content. Baobab and the two grasses account for the lion’s share. The protein content is 19,79 g per 100 g.

To be clear: pineapple and lucuma naturally contain sugar, 15,72 g per 100 g. Based on a 12 g serving, that comes to 1,89 g. None has been added.

Origin and storage

All ingredients come from certified organic cultivation, inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin EU and non-EU agriculture.

The powder is unsweetened and tastes distinctly herbal. If you prefer it milder, stir it into juice instead of water. Without anti-caking agents, it tends to clump, so close the bag carefully after each use and store it in a dry place.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Apotheke.

Why 5 g of monohydrate becomes 4.4 g of creatine

Vitalplant creatine powder consists of pure creatine monohydrate. The name already explains why the two numbers on the pack differ: monohydrate means that one water molecule is bound to each creatine molecule.

Creatine has a molar mass of 131.1, monohydrate 149.2. Calculating the ratio shows that 87.9 percent of the mass is creatine itself. One scoop of monohydrate therefore yields 4.4 g of creatine. Anyone comparing creatine products should look at this second number, not the first.

What is authorised and what applies to it

For creatine, there are two health claims approved in the EU, and both are tied to clear conditions.

Creatine increases physical performance during speed-strength training in the context of short-term intense physical exertion. The positive effect is achieved with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. The claim is intended for adults who perform intense physical activity.

Daily creatine intake can improve the effect of strength training on muscle strength in adults over 55 years of age. Here too, the rule is: 3 g of creatine daily, in combination with strength training that allows an increase in muscle exertion over time, at least three times a week over several weeks and at an intensity of at least 65 to 75 percent of the one-repetition maximum.

Both claims therefore require training. Without a training stimulus, there is nothing to enhance.

Monohydrate and the amount in food

Creatine occurs naturally in meat and fish, in beef at roughly 4 to 5 g per kilogram of raw muscle meat. One serving of this powder therefore corresponds to roughly the creatine content of one kilo of raw beef steak.

Monohydrate is the form named in the approved claims and the one that underpins by far the largest share of the available studies. It is also the simplest and most affordable option.

Purity and processing

One ingredient, no flavouring, no sweetener, no anti-caking agent. The powder is practically tasteless and dissolves in 300 ml of liquid without residue. Not intended for children and teenagers, but expressly for adults. If you already take our Pre Workout+ you should know that it already contains 4 g of creatine monohydrate per serving.

Behind Vitalplant stands Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

88 grams of fiber per 100 grams

Hardly any other product comes close to this value. Organic psyllium husks from Vitalplant consist almost entirely of fiber, and the reason for that lies in which part of the plant is used at all.

Only the husk, not the seed

Plantago ovata is a plantain and is therefore related to the ribwort plantain that grows in Central European meadows. The species is cultivated mainly in India and Pakistan, where it copes well with dry soils.

The German name is descriptive: the tiny, dark, elongated seeds look like fleas. However, the whole seed is not processed, but only its outer husk. The seed kernel contains oil and protein, while the husk contains almost only mucilage.

These mucilage substances are arabinoxylans. They bind many times their own weight in water and form a gel in the process. That is exactly what happens in the glass when you stir in the powder: after one to two minutes, the liquid is visibly thicker.

What the nutritional values show

At 88.25 g of fiber per 100 g, the content is almost fifteen times the EU threshold for the claim high fiber content, which starts at 6 g.

Aside from that, there is practically nothing else in it: 0.24 g sugar and 0.24 g fat per 100 g. This also makes the powder meet the conditions for low sugar and low fat. The energy value is 808 kJ, or 193 kcal per 100 g, and this comes almost entirely from fiber, of which the body only uses a small portion.

Grind, origin, and quality

Our husks are ground, not whole. That makes a noticeable difference: powder swells faster and more evenly, distributes without residue, and can also be worked into dough. Whole husks, by contrast, remain grainy and take longer.

Because the powder binds liquid, enough of it should be used. If you stir it in, you should drink it quickly before the gel sets.

A single ingredient, from certified organic cultivation, control body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture. No additives, no flavorings, naturally neutral in taste. Packed in a resealable stand-up pouch.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Melatonin with four plant extracts and B vitamins

Melatonin is one of the few substances in this area with an officially approved claim. Vitalplant’s Night Rest capsules combine it with four plant extracts, two amino acids, and five B vitamins.

What melatonin does

Melatonin helps shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. The beneficial effect occurs with an intake of 1 mg of melatonin shortly before going to bed. One capsule contains 0.5 mg, so two capsules provide exactly the 1 mg to which this claim applies.

This claim is listed in the EU Register of nutrition and health claims. It applies expressly to the stated amount, which is why the recommended intake is 1 to 2 capsules about 30 minutes before going to bed.

What else is in the capsule

160 mg passion flower extract and 120 mg reishi extract. In addition, 40 mg lemon balm extract and 25 mg hop cone extract.

120 mg L-tryptophan and 40 mg L-theanine. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own. L-theanine occurs naturally in tea leaves.

Five B vitamins, each at 100 percent of the nutrient reference value: niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12. Riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 help reduce tiredness and fatigue, as well as support the normal function of the nervous system.

There are no approved claims for the four plant extracts and the two amino acids. For these, we state the amount and source.

Night Rest capsules: composition and quality

Thirteen ingredients in one formula, without fillers, anti-caking agents, or colorants. The capsule shell is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. The product is vegan and gluten-free, filled in amber glass. Each batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Pharmacy.

Too tough and too bitter to eat

Organic Reishi capsules from Vitalplant contain extract from Ganoderma lucidum. Unlike shiitake or hericium, this mushroom never ends up in the pan, and there is a simple reason for that.

The glossy bracket fungus

The German name describes it exactly. The cap looks lacquered, kidney-shaped, reddish-brown to almost black, with a stem attached to the side. It grows on hardwood stumps, in Europe preferably on oak.

Its flesh is corky, woody, and extremely bitter. It cannot be chewed or fried. In East Asia, it has therefore long been boiled down or extracted, never used as an edible mushroom.

In China it is called Lingzhi and has appeared as a motif in painting, textiles, and architecture for around two thousand years. The name Reishi comes from Japanese and has become established in the West.

Two thousand years of tradition, zero approved claims

As long as the tradition is, the list of what we are allowed to claim is just as short: it is empty. For mushroom extracts, there is no approved health claim in the EU.

A long tradition is not proof, and we do not use it as a substitute for one. What we do state is the species, the amount of extract, and the origin.

Dosage compared and quality

At 300 mg of extract per capsule, Reishi is the lowest-dosed single mushroom in our range. Chaga and shiitake are at 500 mg, hericium and cordyceps at 400 mg per capsule. The comparison is worthwhile before judging products by capsule count alone.

The extract powder comes from certified organic cultivation, control body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture. The capsule contains nothing but extract and the vegan shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Amber glass protects the contents from UV light.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Bromelain with 2,500 GDU in an enteric-coated capsule

Bromelain is not measured in milligrams, but in activity units. Vitalplant's Bromelain capsules provide 500 mg of bromelain from pineapple with a declared activity of 2,500 GDU.

What GDU means

GDU stands for Gelatin Digesting Units. The unit describes how much gelatin a certain amount of bromelain can break down under defined conditions. Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes, and with enzymes, weight alone tells you very little.

That is why the specification is crucial. Two products with 500 mg of bromelain each can differ significantly in activity. Without a GDU value, they cannot be compared.

Derived from pineapple. Bromelain is found mainly in the plant's stem, the hard core that remains after the fruit is processed. It is pressed, then the enzyme is isolated and dried.

Why the capsule is enteric-coated

Enzymes are proteins and are sensitive to acid. An enteric coating does not dissolve in the stomach, but only further along in the digestive tract.

Our capsule shell is made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in combination with gellan, a plant-based gelling agent. This means it contains no animal gelatin and no synthetic coating.

Bromelain capsules: composition and quality

The formula consists of bromelain and the enteric-coated capsule shell. No fillers, no anti-caking agents, no colorants. The product is vegan and gluten-free, filled in amber glass. Each batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Apotheke.

Three essentials for skin, hair and nails

Beauty Vital brings together three products from our Beauty and Anti-Aging range: a micronutrient complex, collagen peptides for your daily drink, and high-dose OPC. Save compared to ordering each product separately.

What’s in the bundle

Skin, Hair and Nails Capsules. The daily capsule combines biotin, zinc and horsetail-derived silicon with acerola and other selected vitamins.

Collagen Shine Powder. Provides collagen peptides from the branded ingredient VERISOL®, developed specifically for this application. The powder is unflavoured and easily stirred into a drink.

OPC Capsules. 418 mg of pure OPC from French grape seed extract per daily dose, complemented by piperine from black pepper. OPC is one of the best-known secondary plant compounds.

What the nutrients do

Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and hair. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, hair and nails. Vitamin C from acerola cherries contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin. These claims are listed in the EU Register of authorised health claims.

Ingredients and quality

All three products come unchanged from our range, with no unnecessary additives and independently tested in the laboratory for each batch. Details on recommended use and preparation can be found on the product pages.

Vitalplant is backed by Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

15 Bacterial Cultures with Vitamin B2 and Biotin

Vitalplant’s Kulturen Komplex capsules combine fifteen different live bacterial cultures with two vitamins. One capsule daily, taken about 30 minutes before a meal.

What’s inside the capsule

25 billion CFU per capsule. CFU stands for colony-forming units. The unit does not count bacteria in the literal sense, but the number of germs that can form a visible colony under laboratory conditions. For live cultures, this is the usual measure.

Fifteen strains from three genera. These include five bifidobacteria, eight lactobacilli, and one representative each of Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecium. The cultures differ in their growth conditions and acid tolerance.

Vitamin B2 and Biotin. 1.27 mg riboflavin corresponds to 91 percent of the nutrient reference value, 46 micrograms biotin corresponds to 92 percent.

What Vitamin B2 and Biotin do

Riboflavin and biotin both contribute to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes and to normal energy metabolism. Riboflavin also helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Biotin contributes to normal metabolism of macronutrients and to normal psychological function. All stated claims are listed in the EU Register of nutrition and health claims.

Kulturen Komplex capsules: composition and quality

The formula consists of the culture mix, riboflavin, biotin, and the capsule shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. No fillers, no anti-caking agents, no colorings. Live cultures are sensitive to heat and moisture, so they are filled in amber glass and cool, dry storage is recommended. Each batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Named after a caterpillar, delivered as an extract

Cordyceps capsules from Vitalplant contain extract from Cordyceps sinensis, known in German as caterpillar fungus. The name is unusual enough to deserve an explanation.

Where the name comes from

Cordyceps sinensis grows wild on the Tibetan plateau, at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 meters. There, the fungus infects the larvae of root borers, grows through them, and in spring sends a slender, club-shaped stalk up from the ground.

The Tibetan name Yartsa Gunbu describes exactly that: summer grass, winter worm. Wild-collected specimens are among the most expensive natural products of all and are traded by weight.

Taxonomically, the species has been correctly called Ophiocordyceps sinensis since 2007. The older name Cordyceps sinensis has remained in trade and is therefore also listed on our ingredients list.

What we are allowed to say about it — and what we are not

For medicinal mushrooms, not a single health claim is approved in the EU. The relevant applications have been sitting unresolved for years on the so-called on-hold list, neither approved nor rejected.

We could fill this limbo with hints. We do not. What appears on this page is the species, origin, and extract amount, and that can be verified.

Positioning in the range and quality

Cordyceps is the only one of our medicinal mushrooms without organic certification. It is also the only one not included in the Organic Medicinal Mushroom Complex. If you want it, you need these capsules.

The extract sits in a vegan capsule shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, without anti-caking agents and without filler. It is filled in amber glass because brown glass largely blocks the UV portion of light.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Coconut milk and flaxseed make this powder creamy

Organic Vital Beauty by Vitalplant differs from our other powders because of its fat content. At 31,36 g per 100 g, it is the richest, and that is exactly why it becomes creamy when mixed.

The nine ingredients

Açaí comes first. The fruit of the Amazon palm is an exception among berries because its flesh is naturally rich in fat rather than sugar. Flaxseed and coconut milk powder add to this proportion, with the saturated fatty acids at 14,40 g per 100 g coming almost entirely from the coconut milk.

Maqui from Patagonia, acerola, and wild blueberries contribute the deep violet color and fruity acidity. Vanilla powder rounds off the flavor.

Tremella, known in German as silver ear, is a jelly fungus that has been used in Chinese cuisine for centuries. It grows on deciduous wood and forms white, curly fruiting bodies. Here it is included as an extract.

What the product name does not promise

Beauty is a name, not a claim. None of the nine ingredients is permitted in the EU to make a health claim for skin, hair, or nails, and we do not imply one here.

What can be substantiated is the fiber content: 21,56 g per 100 g, mainly from flaxseed and the fruit powders. This means the powder meets the requirement for the claim high fiber content.

Sweetness, origin, and storage

It is sweetened with stevia, that is, with steviol glycosides from sweet herb. No sugar is added; the 14,53 g per 100 g come from the fruit and coconut ingredients themselves.

All ingredients except the sweetener come from certified organic farming, inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039. The recipe is purely plant-based.

Because of the high fat content, the powder tends to clump, so seal the pouch well, store it in a cool, dry place, and do not freeze it.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Pharmacy.

Pea, rice and pumpkin seed in a 50 : 25 : 15 ratio

Bio Vegan Protein from Vitalplant is not a blend with unknown proportions. The three protein sources are declared with their percentages, and the order is not a matter of taste.

Why pea and rice belong together

Pea protein is rich in lysine and comparatively low in the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. Rice protein is the opposite: plenty of methionine, little lysine.

So the two balance each other out where the other source falls short. That is why they form the base of this formula, complemented by pumpkin seed protein, which adds a slightly nutty note.

Acacia fiber is a soluble source of fiber and explains why the powder, despite its high protein concentration, provides 9,1 g of fiber per 100 g. Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes derived from pineapple.

What the nutritional values deliver

With 70,75 g protein per 100 g, around three quarters of the powder’s energy comes from protein. This clearly meets the conditions for the claim high protein content, as well as those for high fiber content. With 0,37 g sugar per 100 g, it is also low in sugar.

Approved claims are linked to this: protein contributes to an increase in muscle mass, protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass, and protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

These claims apply to protein as a nutrient, regardless of whether it comes from plants or animals.

Organic raw materials and processing

The protein sources and the acacia fiber come from controlled organic cultivation. The powder contains no flavorings, no sweeteners and no thickeners, which is why it tastes mild and distinctly plant-based. Mixed into oat or nut drink, it comes across as rounder than in water.

Purely plant-based and therefore vegan. Store in a cool, dry place, do not freeze.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Three products for men aged 30+

Men's Vital 30+ brings together three products from our men's health range, tailored to life from age 30 onwards. Instead of placing three separate orders, you get a coordinated bundle at a price lower than the total cost of the individual products.

What's in the bundle

Men's Capsules. This complex combines the amino acids L-citrulline and L-arginine with pine bark extract, zinc, and selenium. L-citrulline can be converted into L-arginine in the body, which is why the combination of these two amino acids forms the core of the formula.

Organic Black Maca Powder. Black maca is considered the rarest color variety of the Peruvian root. The powder comes from organic farming, and one serving is 10 g, to mix into a smoothie, muesli, or yogurt.

Shilajit Capsules. Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin from mountainous regions with a long history in Ayurvedic tradition. We use the purified and standardized branded ingredient PrimaVie.

What zinc and selenium do

Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis. Both trace elements also help protect cells from oxidative stress. These claims are listed in the EU Register of authorized health claims.

Composition and quality

All three products come from our range unchanged: no unnecessary additives, and every batch is independently laboratory tested. Details on recommended use and composition can be found on the respective product pages.

Vitalplant is backed by Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Grape seed extract with 95 percent OPC according to UV

With OPC products, the figures vary considerably because different measuring methods produce different results. That is why Vitalplant OPC capsules state not only the content but also the method.

What OPC is and how it is measured

OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins. These are compounds from the flavonoid group, found in grape seeds, pine bark, and many red fruits. Oligomeric means that several similar building blocks have linked together to form a chain.

95 percent according to UV. The specification according to UV refers to determination by UV spectrophotometry. Other methods such as the Bate-Smith method produce different values for the same raw material. A comparison between products is only meaningful if the same method is used.

440 mg grape seed extract per capsule, of which 418 mg is OPC. In addition, there are 5 mg black pepper extract, standardized to 95 percent piperine.

Where the raw material comes from

Grape seeds are a by-product of winemaking. After pressing, skins, stems, and seeds remain behind, known as pomace. The seeds are separated, dried, and then extracted.

The raw material is therefore a by-product of the wine industry that would otherwise hardly be used. Drying and extraction are crucial for quality because flavonoids are sensitive to heat and oxygen.

OPC capsules: composition and quality

The formula consists of three ingredients: grape seed extract, black pepper extract, and the capsule shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. No fillers, no flow agents, no colorants. The product is vegan and gluten-free, filled in amber glass. Every batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Pharmacy.

No fruiting body, but a crust on the birch

Organic Chaga capsules from Vitalplant contain extract from Inonotus obliquus. What is harvested from Chaga is botanically something different from every other mushroom in our range.

How Chaga grows

The fungus Inonotus obliquus infects living birches, especially in cold regions: Siberia, Scandinavia, Canada, Northeastern Europe. At the site of infection, over the years a black, cracked mass forms that looks like charred wood.

This mass is not a fruiting body, but a sclerotium, a sterile, persistent structure made of compacted fungal mycelium. The actual fruiting body only develops when the tree dies, and is hardly ever found.

On the outside, the sclerotium is deep black, due to a high melanin content. If you break it open, a rust-orange interior appears. Because the fungus draws its material from the living birch for years, it also contains components of the tree itself.

Why no effects are described here

Chaga is traditionally used as an infusion in Northern Europe and Russia, and many stories have grown up around it accordingly.

In the EU, no health claims are approved for mushroom extracts. So we do not make any, neither directly nor by implication. We describe the mushroom, not its supposed performance.

Origin and processing

The extract powder comes from certified organic cultivation, inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture. In addition to the extract, the capsule contains only its vegan shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

With 500 mg per capsule and one capsule a day, Chaga is the easiest product in our mushroom range to dose. Amber glass largely blocks the UV portion of light.

Chaga is also included in the Organic Medicinal Mushroom Complex, there with 125 mg per capsule alongside Reishi, Hericium and Shiitake.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Organic Ceylon cinnamon, not cassia

Most cinnamon sold on the market is cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is a different type, more labor-intensive to produce and significantly more expensive. Vitalplant’s organic cinnamon capsules contain only Ceylon cinnamon from controlled organic cultivation.

The difference between Ceylon and cassia

Both come from trees of the Cinnamomum genus, but they are different species. Ceylon cinnamon comes from Cinnamomum verum, while cassia comes mainly from Cinnamomum cassia.

Visible in the stick. Ceylon cinnamon sticks consist of many thin layers of bark rolled together and can be crumbled. Cassia sticks are a single thick layer of bark rolled tightly into a hard stick.

The coumarin content. Coumarin is a natural flavoring substance that occurs in cassia cinnamon at a much higher concentration than in Ceylon cinnamon. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has defined a tolerable daily intake for this. Ceylon cinnamon has a many times lower coumarin content.

500 mg of Ceylon cinnamon powder per capsule. Ground bark, not concentrated, with no additional ingredients.

Cinnamomum verum: tree and harvest

The Ceylon cinnamon tree comes from Sri Lanka and South India. It is not the wood that is harvested, but the inner bark of young shoots. It is peeled by hand, and as it dries, the characteristic curls form.

The raw material for our capsules is certified in accordance with the EU organic regulation, inspection body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture.

Organic cinnamon capsules: composition and quality

The formula consists of two ingredients: organic Ceylon cinnamon powder and the capsule shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. No fillers, no anti-caking agents, no colorings. The product is vegan and gluten-free, filled in amber glass. Each batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Three essentials for menopause

Frauen Vital 50+ is the counterpart to our Frauen Vital bundle and is designed for women going through menopause: a plant-based menopause complex, pure collagen, and vitamins D3 and K2 in drop form. Save compared to buying each product separately.

What’s in the bundle

Meno Vital capsules. This complex brings together yam, reishi, red clover, and sage—four ingredients with a long tradition in women’s health, particularly around menopause.

Collagen powder. Type I and III hydrolysed collagen from pasture-raised animals, with a neutral taste and good solubility. Collagen is the body’s most abundant structural protein, and the body’s own production decreases with age.

Vitamin D3 + K2 drops. Vegan vitamin D3 from lichens, combined with vitamin K2 and dissolved in oil for easy drop-by-drop dosing.

What vitamins D and K do

Bone health becomes a key focus during menopause. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and normal muscle function. Vitamin K also contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Both claims are listed in the EU Register of authorised health claims.

Ingredients and quality

All three products come unchanged from our range, with no unnecessary additives and independent laboratory testing for every batch. The collagen is animal-derived; the other products are vegan. For details on recommended use and ingredients, see the individual product pages.

Vitalplant is backed by Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Apotheke.

Four mushrooms in equal parts, 125 mg per capsule

Vitalplant’s Organic Medicinal Mushroom Complex combines Reishi, Hericium, Chaga, and Shiitake. All four are dosed exactly equally, which is by no means a given in this product category.

Four mushrooms, four ways of life

Reishi, the glossy bracket fungus, grows on hardwood stumps and is corky, hard, and bitter. Hericium forms hundreds of soft spines instead of gills and hangs like a white waterfall from weakened beech trees.

Chaga infects living birch trees in cold regions and forms a black, charred-looking crust over the years, which botanically is not a fruiting body but a sclerotium. Shiitake, finally, is the most familiar of the four, an edible mushroom that ranks second worldwide in cultivation volume.

Breadth or quantity: the honest calculation

Four mushrooms in one capsule inevitably mean less of each individual one. Each capsule contains 125 mg per mushroom.

For comparison: our single Organic Shiitake provides 500 mg per capsule, Organic Chaga also 500 mg, Organic Hericium 400 mg, and Organic Reishi 300 mg. The complex is therefore an introduction to breadth, not depth.

Anyone looking for a specific mushroom in a targeted, higher amount is better off with the respective single product. Cordyceps is not included; we offer it exclusively as a separate product.

What we do not claim, and the quality

In the EU, no health claim is permitted for mushroom extracts, neither for a single one nor for a combination. Four mushrooms therefore do not equal four promises. What we can state are the species, amounts, and origin.

All four extract powders come from certified organic cultivation, control body number DE-ÖKO-039, origin non-EU agriculture. The capsule contains nothing but the extracts and the vegan shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Bottled in amber glass that largely blocks UV light.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at the Stern Pharmacy.

Sage capsules with 4:1 extract from the leaves

You probably know sage as a kitchen herb or as tea. Vitalplant’s sage capsules provide the leaves in concentrated form as a 4:1 extract, without brewing and without the strong natural taste.

What a 4:1 sage extract means

An extract ratio of 4:1 describes how concentrated the plant is. Four parts of dried sage leaves are used to produce one part extract. The daily serving therefore corresponds to around 1,400 mg of leaf material. In contrast, the composition of loose dried leaves varies depending on harvest, location, and storage time.

What’s in the leaves. Sage leaves naturally contain essential oils, rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, and tannins and bitter compounds. The typical aroma comes mainly from the essential oils, which sit in tiny glandular hairs on the leaf surface.

Capsules instead of an infusion. If you have previously drunk sage as tea, the capsules give you a fixed amount per serving rather than an infusion whose strength depends on steeping time and the amount of leaves used.

Salvia officinalis: plant and origin

Common sage belongs to the mint family and grows as an evergreen semi-shrub reaching 30 to 50 centimeters in height. It has gray-green, finely hairy leaves and violet flowers. Only the leaves are used. The plant originally comes from the Mediterranean region and prefers sunny, calcareous soils.

One of Europe’s oldest cultivated plants. In the Capitulare de villis, a Carolingian ordinance for the administration of estates around the year 800, sage is listed by name as a plant to be cultivated. Through monastery gardens, it spread throughout Central Europe. For beekeepers, sage remains a valued nectar source to this day.

Sage capsules: composition and quality

The formula consists of exactly two ingredients: sage extract and the capsule shell made of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. No fillers, no anti-caking agents, no colorants. The product is vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free, filled in amber glass. A plant extract is only as good as its raw material, which is why every batch is tested for heavy metals by an independent laboratory.

Behind Vitalplant is Christian Lazar, a licensed pharmacist with over 35 years of professional experience at Stern Pharmacy.