The Blue Power Formula Explained: A Look at Each of the 7 Ingredients

By Jordan Harvey · 25 July 2026 · Updated 1 August 2026 · 9 min read

If you are going to take a men’s supplement every day, you should know exactly what is in it and why. This article does something most supplement marketing avoids: it goes through the Blue Power formula one ingredient at a time, explains what each one actually is, and is straight about the difference between traditional use, research findings, and the handful of claims that are genuinely permitted under UK law. There are seven ingredients in the formula — five botanical and amino-acid ingredients and two nutrients — and we describe each of them on its own terms.

One thing to be honest about from the start. Under UK food law, the only claims a supplement may legally make are the authorised nutrient claims on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register. In this formula, those apply to two ingredients only — zinc and vitamin C. The other five ingredients are included for their long traditional profiles and the research that exists on each, but they do not carry authorised health claims, so we will not pretend they do. That honesty is the whole point of this page.

Each ingredient below follows the same pattern: what it is, how it has traditionally been used, and — where relevant — what individual research studies have reported, described as study-level findings rather than promises. Research findings about an ingredient at the doses studied in a trial are not the same as a benefit you can expect from a finished tablet, and we flag that distinction throughout.

1. Oat extract (Avena sativa)

Oat extract (Avena sativa), also known as wild oat or oat straw, comes from the common cereal oat plant grown across temperate regions, including the UK. The green tops and straw of the plant have a long history of traditional use in European herbal practice as an everyday botanical. In supplements it is usually supplied as a concentrated extract — in this formula a standardised 10:1 extract, meaning ten parts of the raw oat plant are concentrated into one part of extract.

Oat (Avena sativa) is one of the most widely eaten plants in the world and is generally well tolerated as a food. It is included in the formula for its traditional botanical profile rather than for any specific effect; under UK food law no authorised health claim applies to it, so we make none.

The above describes oat (Avena sativa) as a traditional botanical ingredient. It is not a health claim and does not transfer any benefit to a finished product.

2. Shilajit

Shilajit is a sticky, tar-like substance that seeps from rock layers in mountain ranges such as the Himalayas and Altai, formed over centuries from compressed plant matter. Its best-studied components are fulvic acid (a naturally occurring organic compound) and a range of trace minerals. In Ayurvedic tradition it has been used as a general tonic for stamina; in supplements it is typically a purified extract standardised to a stated fulvic acid percentage.

On research, most of the published human work on Shilajit is small. In a 2016 study (Pandit et al., n=75), a purified Shilajit extract was studied in men over 90 days, with the authors reporting changes in certain blood markers versus baseline at the dose studied. As with every botanical here, that is an ingredient-level finding. Our standalone Shilajit guide covers the evidence and the sourcing pitfalls in full.

These are research observations about the Shilajit ingredient at the dose studied, not product claims, and they do not transfer to any finished supplement.

3. Maca Root

Maca Root (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable in the brassica family — a relative of the radish — grown at high altitude in the Peruvian Andes. It has been eaten as a food and used as a traditional tonic by Andean communities for centuries, often dried and milled into a powder. In supplements it appears as dried root powder or a concentrated extract, in red, yellow or black varieties.

Maca has been the subject of several small human trials. In a 2016 randomised trial (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al.), a standardised Maca preparation was studied in adults over 12 weeks, with the authors reporting changes in certain self-reported wellbeing scores at the dose studied. Again, this is a study-level finding about the root, not a benefit attributed to any tablet. See our dedicated Maca Root guide for the wider picture.

The Maca research above is reported at the ingredient level, at the dose used in the cited trial. It is not a product claim and does not apply to any finished supplement.

4. Korean Ginseng

Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng), often sold as red ginseng when steamed and dried, is one of the oldest herbs in East Asian tradition. The root is the part used, and its characteristic compounds are ginsenosides — a family of plant molecules unique to the Panax genus. Traditionally it was taken as a restorative tonic; in supplements it is usually a standardised root extract stating a ginsenoside percentage.

Korean Ginseng has a relatively large research literature for a botanical. In a 2002 study (Hong et al., n=45), a Korean red ginseng preparation was studied in men over eight weeks, with the authors reporting changes in self-reported questionnaire scores versus placebo at the dose studied. That is a research finding about the ginseng extract, not a promise from a product. Our full Korean Ginseng article goes through the studies and the safety notes.

These are study-level findings about the Korean Ginseng ingredient at the dose studied, not health claims, and they do not transfer to any finished product.

5. L-Arginine

L-Arginine is an amino acid — a building block of protein — that the body also uses to make nitric oxide, a signalling molecule produced naturally in the lining of blood vessels. It is found in food in nuts, meat and fish, and is sold as an isolated amino acid supplement, often at gram-level daily intakes. Because it is a nutrient the body makes and uses, it is described as an amino acid rather than a herb.

L-Arginine has been studied in many small trials across different settings. In a 1999 study (Chen et al.), oral L-arginine was studied in men over several weeks, with the authors reporting changes in self-reported outcomes at the dose used. We are deliberately careful here: this is a study-level observation about the amino acid, not a statement that the ingredient or the formula does anything to blood flow or circulation. Our separate L-Arginine guide explains the nitric oxide background and where the evidence is strong and weak.

The L-Arginine research above is reported at the ingredient level, at the dose studied. It is not a health claim and does not transfer to any finished supplement.

6. Zinc

Zinc is an essential dietary mineral — your body cannot make it, so it must come from food such as meat, shellfish, seeds and pulses. It is involved in hundreds of enzyme reactions throughout the body. Unlike the botanicals above, zinc is a nutrient with authorised health claims on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register, which means specific, regulator-approved wording may be stated.

The two authorised zinc claims most relevant here are stated verbatim below, exactly as authorised:

These are authorised claims for the nutrient zinc, valid when a product provides a meaningful amount of zinc against the daily reference intake. They are the only testosterone and fertility statements permitted anywhere on this page, and they apply to zinc as a nutrient — not to the botanicals and not to the formula as a marketing whole. Our standalone note on zinc explains the EFSA position in more detail.

7. Vitamin C

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential vitamin found in fruit and vegetables such as citrus, peppers and berries. The body cannot make it, so it must come from the diet. Like zinc, it is a nutrient with authorised health claims on the GB Register, so specific approved wording may be stated.

The relevant authorised vitamin C claim is quoted verbatim below:

This is an authorised claim for the nutrient vitamin C, valid when a product provides a meaningful amount against the daily reference intake. It describes what the vitamin does as a nutrient, separately from every other ingredient in the formula.

How to Take It, and Who It’s For

The formula is taken as one tablet a day, usually with food and a glass of water. There is no loading phase and no complicated protocol. The dose of each ingredient is printed on the label rather than hidden inside a proprietary blend, so you can see exactly how much of each you are getting and compare it with the amounts used in research.

Retail prices vary; figures are indicative of single-ingredient UK high-street pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Blue Power Ingredients

The Bottom Line

The Blue Power formula is seven ingredients: five botanicals — Oat extract (Avena sativa), Shilajit, Maca Root, Korean Ginseng and L-Arginine — chosen for their traditional profiles and individual research, and two nutrients, zinc and vitamin C, that carry authorised GB Register claims. We have gone through each one separately and on its own terms, because that is the honest way to describe a supplement.

Under UK law, a food supplement’s lawful health claims are the authorised nutrient claims — here, those for zinc and vitamin C. The botanicals are included for their long histories of use and the research that exists on each, not because the law lets us promise an outcome. If you value knowing exactly what you are taking and why, the most useful thing you can do is read the per-ingredient guides linked above and check the full label before you decide.