Consult your barista to decide whether Altovis is right for you

Last night I saw a TV ad for a new "anti-fatigue" supplement called Altovis, which is marketing itself in a prescription-drug-type way even though it is non-prescription and has not been evaluated by the FDA.

Interesting. Is it legalized speed, I wondered? A quick look at the Altovis website reveals that the drug in fact is "a proprietary combination" of teas and herbs. Significantly, one of the ingredients is "green tea leaf extract (provides 100 mg caffeine)." That's about the equivalent of a large, strong cup of coffee. And here's where the makers of Altovis have figured out how to make a bunch of money by selling slow-release caffeine pills.

New research suggests that caffeine enhances wakefulness and energy level better if it's taken in small quantities throughout the day--as opposed to the triple-espresso-shot dose that I, for one, require each morning to function normally. So the 100 mg of caffeine in a daily dose of Altovis, slowly released throughout the day, might just be enough to fight fatigue in the average person more effectively than candy bars of cups of coffee. The other ingredients (ginseng, random herbs) are smoke and mirrors, I suspect.

I think I'll stick to my current regimen of OTC doppios delivered at regular 3-hour intervals.