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The evidence, citedWe built Daylight active by active, choosing each one for a reason and reading the research before it went in. This page gives every ingredient its own section: what it is, why we chose it, and the real studies that explore it, linked so you can read them yourself. We name each active and its dose, and we let the research speak for itself. Developed in Sweden.
Every active below gets its own section, in the same shape: what it is, the reason we chose it, the research that explores it, and the dose and form we use. We link the studies so you can read them yourself. Throughout, we are describing what the research investigated, not promising what Daylight will do for you. The depth of research varies by ingredient, so each section carries a small marker, not as a verdict on the ingredient, but as a straight signal of how much human research exists today.
Multiple good human trials, or a strong review, several at or near our dose. A deep, mature evidence base.
Real human trials are building, with promising signals. We summarise what they explored and link them in full.
Long traditional use plus early, mechanistic, or higher-dose research. Chosen for the formula, with the science still emerging.
Some brands print a big "studies" number and leave it at that. We built ours from the actual reference list we keep internally, and we link the papers on this page so you can open them yourself. Every figure below is countable in our citations file. This is the real shape of the research behind the formula.
NR, with the NAD+ rise measured in humans at our exact 300 mg dose. A deep, clean evidence base.
Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Rhodiola, CDP-Choline, L-Theanine, and collagen. Real human trials, building fast.
Chaga, MCT, bee propolis, and cacao. Long traditional use, with early and mechanistic research.
How we counted, in full. The marker on each ingredient reflects how much human research exists today, on a simple scale: well-established (multiple good trials or a strong review, several at or near our dose), actively researched (real human trials that are building, sometimes smaller or at a different dose), and early and traditional (long traditional use plus early, mechanistic, or higher-dose research). Counts are of cited references, not an inflated "total studies on the ingredient" figure, and one active can sit in more than one band. We describe what each study investigated rather than stating what the product does, because most of these actives have no authorised EU health claim; the only stated product benefits on this page come from the authorised niacin (vitamin B3) wordings. This is an educational research review, not medical advice. Flagged for a qualified regulatory and legal review before publication.
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You do not have to take our word for it. Below is a curated library of well-known scientists and broadcasters discussing the individual compounds that go into Daylight, in their own words, on their own channels. Scroll each row. Videos load from YouTube only when you press play. We are sharing the conversation, not borrowing a verdict.
These are third-party discussions of the individual compounds, not endorsements of Thunder Honey. The speakers and channels are independent of us, have no affiliation with Thunder Honey, and are talking about ingredients in general, not our product. Videos are loaded from YouTube only when you choose to play them. Nothing here is a health claim, and discussion of a compound is not a statement about what Daylight does for you.
This is the most directly studied active in the formula, and it is why we chose nicotinamide riboside as our B3. NAD+ is a coenzyme found in every cell, where it takes part in metabolism and DNA-repair signalling, a description of its role in the body, not a statement about what our product does for you. In a double-blind trial of 140 adults, NR raised whole-blood NAD+ in a clear dose-dependent way. At the 300 mg dose we use, measured NAD+ rose by 51% over eight weeks.
Conze, Brenner & Kruger, 2019, Scientific Reports. 140 healthy adults, 8 weeks, randomised double-blind. 300 mg/day raised blood NAD+ by 51%. PMID 31278280
What we can say, and how: NR is a recognised form of niacin (vitamin B3), and at our 300 mg dose it clears the EU threshold for the authorised niacin claims. That lets us say, in the official wording, that niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (subject to niacin being declared on the label). We make the energy point through the vitamin, not through NAD+: "raises NAD+", "cellular energy" and "longevity" are not authorised EU claims, so we report the NAD+ measurement as research and route the benefit through niacin.
Eleven actives, each chosen on purpose. For every one: what it is, why we put it in Daylight, the research that explores it, and the dose and form we use. We describe what the studies investigated and link them in full. We are not telling you what the drink will do for you, we are showing you the thinking and the evidence, and letting you read it yourself.
A culinary and medicinal mushroom with a distinctive white, cascading shape. It is unusual among fungi for containing two families of compounds, hericenones and erinacines, that scientists have studied for their effect on nerve growth factor in the lab.
Lion's Mane is the most-studied nootropic mushroom and the natural anchor of our mushroom trio. We were drawn to the growing body of human work in older adults, and to the mechanistic NGF research that makes it genuinely interesting to neuroscientists. It is the ingredient people most associate with clear-headed function, so it belongs at a real dose, not a sprinkle.
Mori et al., 2009, Phytotherapy Research. 3 g/day, 16 weeks, 30 older adults. Cognitive-scale scores rose above placebo through the trial and eased back after stopping. PMID 18844328
Li et al., 2020, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. ~1,050 mg/day erinacine-enriched mycelium, 49 weeks, mild Alzheimer's. Improved memory-scale and daily-living scores. PMID 32581767
Nagano et al., 2010, Biomedical Research. ~2 g/day, 4 weeks, 30 women. Explored mood; reported lower scores on irritation and anxiety measures vs placebo. PMID 20834180
Mori et al., 2008, Biol Pharm Bull. Lab study; Lion's Mane extract stimulated nerve-growth-factor synthesis in human astrocyte cells. PMID 18758067
How we read it: the human trials are real and several are positive, often in older or impaired groups and at varied doses. We describe what they investigated; Lion's Mane has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no cognition or focus claim for the product.
A prized fungus used in traditional practice for centuries, rich in a compound called cordycepin. It is the mushroom most studied in the context of exercise, oxygen use and physical work capacity.
We wanted the trio to span the mind and the body, and Cordyceps is the physical-vitality member. The research that drew us in looks at how efficiently the body uses oxygen during effort, and a recent mechanistic line of work tied cordycepin to AMPK, the cell's own energy sensor. It is the active that makes Daylight feel like a morning ritual, not just a desk supplement.
Shu et al., 2025, Frontiers in Nutrition. 14 RCTs / 528 athletes. Pooled data explored oxygen uptake and ventilatory threshold; effective doses clustered at 2–3 g/day. PMID 41280379
Chen et al., 2010, J Altern Complement Med. ~1 g/day (closest to our dose), 12 weeks, healthy elderly. Metabolic and ventilatory thresholds rose vs placebo. PMID 20804368
Hirsch et al., 2017, J Dietary Supplements. 4 g/day mushroom blend, up to 3 weeks, 28 adults. Explored high-intensity exercise tolerance; time-to-exhaustion and VO2max measures improved. PMID 27408987
Hawley et al., 2020, Cell Chemical Biology. Lab study mapping how cordycepin is converted in the cell and activates AMPK, the cellular energy sensor. PMID 31991096
How we read it: the strongest measured effects appear at 2–3 g and well-trained athletes sometimes show no change, so the picture is genuinely mixed. We describe what the research investigated; Cordyceps has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no energy or performance claim for the product.
A dark, woody fungus that grows on birch trees across the Nordic and boreal forests. It has a long history of traditional use in Northern Europe and Siberia, and in lab measures it is one of the most antioxidant-dense materials in nature, rich in melanin, betulinic acid and polyphenols.
Chaga is the Nordic heart of the mushroom trio, the one with deep roots in the forests where Thunder Honey was developed. We were honest with ourselves that its modern clinical file is early: the antioxidant and immune work so far is mechanistic and in animals. We include it for its tradition, its provenance, and the promise of the research that is beginning, at a real dose rather than a token pinch.
Park et al., 2004, BioFactors. Human cells in a dish; a Chaga extract reduced oxidative DNA damage to lymphocytes. PMID 15630179
Wang et al., 2017, PLoS One. Diabetic mice; Chaga polysaccharides restored antioxidant-enzyme markers (SOD, catalase, GSH-Px) vs untreated. PMID 28662169
Lee et al., 2007, Bioorg Med Chem Lett. Isolated novel Chaga polyphenols (inonoblins) and characterised their radical-scavenging activity. PMID 17980585
How we read it: there are no published human oral-supplementation trials of Chaga yet, so the evidence is genuinely early, lab and animal work that maps the chemistry rather than human outcomes. We describe it as traditional and antioxidant-rich, and make no human antioxidant or immune claim for the product.
A hardy flowering root that grows in cold, high-altitude regions including the Scandinavian mountains. It is one of the classic adaptogens, standardised to its active markers rosavins and salidroside, and has been used in Nordic and Russian traditions for stamina under stress.
Rhodiola is our Nordic botanical, a natural fit for a product developed in Sweden. The research that interested us looks at mental tiredness and performance under real-world pressure, night shifts, exam stress, demanding workloads, rather than in a lab vacuum. It rounds out the formula with a plant that has been trusted in cold climates for generations.
Darbinyan et al., 2000, Phytomedicine. 170 mg/day (closest to our dose), 56 physicians on night duty. Explored a composite of fatigue and concentration, which improved vs placebo. PMID 11081987
Spasov et al., 2000, Phytomedicine. Low-dose extract, 20 days, 40 students in an exam period. Explored stress-related fatigue and mental performance. PMID 10839209
Lekomtseva et al., 2017, Complementary Medicine Research. 400 mg/day, 8 weeks, 100 adults with prolonged fatigue. Explored fatigue, attention and quality-of-life measures. PMID 28219059
Ishaque et al., 2012, BMC Complement Altern Med. Systematic review; noted the trials are promising but small and call for higher-quality studies. PMID 22643043
How we read it: several human trials point the same way, while reviewers rightly call the body of work small and ask for larger studies. We describe what the trials explored; Rhodiola has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no stress, fatigue or cortisol claim for the product.
A modern, highly bioavailable form of vitamin B3 (niacin) and a direct precursor to NAD+, a coenzyme every cell uses in metabolism and DNA-repair signalling. It is the most rigorously studied active in the whole formula.
NR is the scientific cornerstone of Daylight. We chose it as our B3 because it is the one active where the human data is clean, dose-controlled and measured directly: a double-blind trial raised blood NAD+ in a clear, dose-dependent way at exactly the amount we use. As a recognised form of niacin, it also gives us the one place on this page where we can state a real, authorised benefit, the right way.
Conze, Brenner & Kruger, 2019, Scientific Reports. 140 adults, 8 weeks, double-blind. Measured a dose-dependent NAD+ rise: +22% at 100 mg, +51% at our 300 mg, +142% at 1,000 mg. PMID 31278280
Trammell et al., 2016, Nature Communications. Single doses 100/300/1,000 mg. Established oral bioavailability and a dose-dependent NAD+ rise in people. PMID 27721479
Elhassan et al., 2019, Cell Reports. 1,000 mg/day, 21 days, aged men. Augmented the muscle NAD+ metabolome and shifted inflammatory markers. PMID 31412242
Airhart et al., 2017, PLoS One. Escalating doses; confirmed oral NR raises whole-blood NAD+ in healthy adults. PMID 29211728
How we read it: the NAD+ rise is a measured human result at our exact dose. Whether higher NAD+ then changes how you feel or age is not settled in people, so we report the measurement as research and route the product benefit through the authorised niacin wording, never through "NAD+", "cellular energy" or "longevity", which are not authorised EU claims.
A naturally occurring compound and a source of choline, which the body uses to make acetylcholine, a key signalling molecule, and to build cell membranes. It is one of the better-studied nootropic nutrients, often sold as the branded form Cognizin.
CDP-Choline is our precision nutrient, the one we could dose exactly to the level researchers have studied. We liked that the attention research uses our 250 mg amount, not a guessed-at fraction, and that it is a well-characterised compound rather than a botanical with an uncertain extract. It pairs naturally with L-theanine for the calm-and-clear half of the formula.
McGlade et al., 2012, Food and Nutrition Sciences. 250 mg/day (our dose), 28 days, 60 healthy women. Explored sustained attention; the 250 mg group made fewer errors than placebo. DOI 10.4236/fns.2012.36103 (not PubMed-indexed)
McGlade et al., 2019, J Attention Disorders. 250–500 mg/day, 28 days, 75 healthy adolescent males. Explored attention and psychomotor speed. PMID 26179181
Spiers et al., 1996, Archives of Neurology. CDP-Choline alone, 3 months, older adults. Explored verbal and logical memory recall. PMID 8624220
Nakazaki et al., 2021, The Journal of Nutrition. 500 mg/day, 12 weeks, 100 older adults. Explored episodic and composite memory. PMID 33978188
How we read it: the attention work sits right at our 250 mg dose, while the memory studies use a higher 500 mg. We describe what each trial explored; CDP-Choline has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no attention or memory claim for the product.
An amino acid found almost uniquely in tea leaves, long associated with the smooth, settled quality of a good cup of green tea. It is studied for its link to alpha brain-wave activity, the EEG pattern seen in relaxed, alert states.
L-theanine is the calm in "calm, clear mornings." Because Daylight is made without added caffeine, we were careful to choose an active whose own research, not just its famous caffeine pairing, stands on its own. The trial that convinced us used exactly our 200 mg, on its own, and looked at stress and steadiness. It is the counterweight that keeps the ritual settled rather than wired.
Hidese et al., 2019, Nutrients. 200 mg/day (our dose), 4 weeks, no caffeine, 30 adults. Explored stress, sleep and executive-function measures. PMID 31623400
Kimura et al., 2007, Biological Psychology. 200 mg, acute. Explored physiological stress responses (heart rate, salivary markers) during a task. PMID 16930802
Williams et al., 2020, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. Review of 9 RCTs of pure L-theanine; highlighted the 200–400 mg/day range for stress-related outcomes. PMID 31758301
Higashiyama et al., 2011, J Functional Foods. 200 mg, 18 adults. Explored attention and EEG alpha activity. DOI 10.1016/j.jff.2011.03.009
How we read it: we deliberately lean on the theanine-alone research rather than the many caffeine-combination studies, since we contain no added caffeine. We describe what the trials explored; L-theanine has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no calm or focus claim for the product.
The body's most abundant structural protein, broken down into small, readily absorbed hydrolysed peptides. We use Peptan, a well-characterised bovine source studied in dozens of human trials, mostly around skin and joints.
Collagen is the body-care thread running through the formula, and one of the most-studied ingredients in the whole supplement world. We chose a recognised, trial-grade peptide and dosed it into the range the skin research actually uses, rather than adding a token amount for the label. It also gives the drink a smoother, fuller body.
Proksch et al., 2014, Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2.5–5 g/day, 8 weeks, 69 women. Explored skin elasticity, which improved at both doses vs placebo. PMID 23949208
Proksch et al., 2014, Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2.5 g/day, 8 weeks, 114 women. Explored eye-wrinkle depth and dermal-matrix markers. PMID 24401291
Kim et al., 2018, Nutrients. 1 g/day, 12 weeks, 64 adults. Explored skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkling. PMID 29949889
Zdzieblik et al., 2017, Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 5 g/day, 12 weeks, 139 athletes. Explored activity-related knee-joint discomfort. PMID 28177710
How we read it: the skin research is extensive and our dose is in range, though many trials are industry-funded, so we hold it with appropriate care. We describe what the trials explored; collagen has no authorised EU health claim, so we make no skin or joint claim for the product.
A clean fat made of medium-length fatty acids, typically drawn from coconut. The body handles MCTs differently from longer fats, and at high doses researchers have studied them as a source of ketones.
MCT is a quiet but deliberate formulation choice. Several of our actives, including the cacao polyphenols and fat-soluble compounds, are carried better alongside a little clean fat, and MCT gives the drink its smooth, creamy body. We are upfront that our amount is a culinary, carrier role, the ketone research uses far larger doses, so we include it for texture and absorption, honestly described.
Avgerinos et al., 2019, Ageing Research Reviews. Pooled human MCT trials, most at ~20 g/day. Explored blood ketones and cognition at those much higher doses. PMID 31870908
Fortier et al., 2019, Alzheimer's & Dementia. 30 g/day, 6 months. Explored brain ketone uptake and cognition (at ~30x our amount). PMID 31027873
St-Onge et al., 2003, Obesity Research. Dietary-scale MCT (tens of grams). Explored energy expenditure vs longer-chain fats. PMID 12634436
How we read it: every ketone and cognition effect in the literature uses 14–60 g, far above our 1 g, so we deliberately do not borrow that story. We describe MCT accurately as a clean-fat carrier and texture ingredient, and make no brain-fuel, ketone or energy claim for the product.
The resin honeybees gather and use to seal and protect the hive, naturally rich in flavonoids and polyphenols. It has a long traditional history and is studied today for its antioxidant chemistry.
Propolis is the soul of the brand in the cup. Thunder Honey is named for the bee, and 1% of every order goes to protecting pollinators, so a genuine bee ingredient belongs in the formula. We include it as a meaningful, signature touch rather than a clinical lever, and we are open that our amount is the storytelling dose, not the doses used in the anti-inflammatory research.
Gholami et al., 2024, J Health Popul Nutr. 17 RCTs, doses ~227–1,500 mg/day. Explored inflammatory markers; effects concentrated above ~830 mg/day. PMID 39127756
Bahari et al., 2025, Frontiers in Nutrition. 27 RCTs, doses commonly 400–1,500 mg/day. Explored CRP and other inflammatory markers. PMID 40421039
Afsharpour et al., 2019, Complement Ther Med. 1,500 mg/day, 8 weeks. Explored glycaemic and antioxidant markers (at ~30x our amount). PMID 30935545
How we read it: the human research uses roughly 400–1,500 mg, far above our signature 50 mg, so we do not borrow its conclusions. We describe propolis as a traditional, flavonoid-rich bee ingredient and make no immune or anti-inflammatory claim for the product.
The bean behind chocolate, naturally rich in polyphenols and cocoa flavanols and carrying a gentle, naturally low dose of theobromine, a milder cousin of caffeine. The flavanol fraction is the part with the most research behind it.
Cacao is the heart and the home of Daylight, the reason the ritual tastes like a homemade hot cocoa rather than a powder you tolerate. It is also the base that carries every other active. We chose a real, polyphenol-rich cacao for its character and its gentle, no-added-caffeine lift, and we are precise that its job here is flavour and base, not a clinical flavanol dose.
Brickman et al., 2014, Nature Neuroscience. 900 mg purified flavanols, 12 weeks. Explored memory and brain blood flow at that high flavanol dose. PMID 25344629
Mastroiacovo et al., 2015, Am J Clin Nutr. 48 / 520 / 993 mg flavanols, elderly. Explored cognition; benefit appeared at the higher flavanol doses. DOI 10.3945/ajcn.114.092189
Sorond et al., 2008, Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. Flavanol-rich cocoa, elderly. Explored cerebral blood-flow velocity. PMID 18728792
Miller et al., 2008, J Agric Food Chem. Measured the flavanol content of cocoa powders (~35 mg/g for natural cocoa). PMID 18710243
How we read it: the flavanol trials use 500–900 mg of purified flavanols, while our cacao delivers a smaller amount as a natural food. We describe what the research explored and treat cacao as a flavour and polyphenol base; the one authorised cocoa-flavanol claim requires 200 mg flavanols and exact wording, which we would only use on a verified, advisor-checked dose.
This is the deep version of the comparison. We use a concentrated dual-extract, the quality standard the best brands use. The difference is how much goes in. Many products add about 100 mg of the concentrated extract, then print "1,000 mg" by quoting the raw mushroom it came from. We put a full 1,000 mg of the extract itself in every scoop, for each mushroom. This is a factual comparison of quantities, not a benefit claim.
A full 1,000 mg of dual-extracted fruiting body per mushroom, the amount clinical studies use, third-party tested by Eurofins. We use the fruiting body, not mycelium grown on grain, and every milligram is in the scoop, not in a raw-weight figure on the front of the pack.
Quick tip. By law, ingredients are listed by weight, highest first. If a label lists a 300 mg ingredient before its mushroom, that mushroom is under 300 mg, whatever the front says. The order tells you the real dose. Read the full method on the dual-extracted mushrooms page.
A general illustration of two energy patterns people describe through a day, measured against their own natural baseline. One person leans on a stimulant, spikes hard, then dips below where they started, the cycle that has them reaching for the next cup. The other isn't dependent on a stimulant at all: their natural, stimulant-free energy rises gently in the morning, stays steady through the day, and eases back by evening, with no spike to crash from. The shapes are an illustration of those patterns, not measured data about what any product does to your body.
Honest framing. An illustration of stimulant-dependent versus stimulant-free energy patterns. Not data from a trial of Thunder Honey and not a health claim. The lines show patterns people describe, not numbers from a study. We are made without added caffeine as a matter of composition, carrying only the trace found in cacao; we do not claim the product gives you energy. The one authorised energy-adjacent wording we can use comes from niacin (vitamin B3) via the nicotinamide in our NR, "contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism", subject to the dose being declared. See NAD+ & NR.
How we approach formulation, stated as our process and not as a promise about results. The figures below describe how we built and test the product, not a clinical outcome you are guaranteed.
We spent two years and 28 iterations getting the doses, forms and taste right, then locked the formula so every batch is the same.
Every active and its exact dose is printed on the label, no proprietary blends hiding small amounts behind a big front number.
A full 1,000 mg of dual-extracted fruiting body per mushroom, the form and dose the research uses, not mycelium-on-grain.
Every batch is independently tested for purity and potency. Developed in Sweden, formulated to Nordic standards.
This page is here to show our work, not to give medical advice. The studies cited are individual research findings, often in small or specific groups, and they do not mean Thunder Honey Daylight will produce the same result for you. Thunder Honey Daylight is a food supplement, not a medicine.
These statements have not been evaluated by a medicines regulator. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a health condition, talk to a qualified healthcare professional before adding any supplement to your routine. Developed in Sweden and third-party tested by Eurofins.
Calm, no-added-caffeine energy in one daily ritual, built on evidence we are willing to show in full.
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