The science behind Dora
A deep dive into the research that laid the foundation for DORA.
Most daily supplements were never created for women. They were designed for people in general, and women were assumed to be a subgroup.
It sounds like a small difference. It is not. Historically, research has used male physiology as the norm, and the consequences follow all the way to the products on the shelf. The need for iron, folate, iodine, and B vitamins varies significantly throughout the menstrual cycle and reproductive years. The structure of the skin, collagen density, and the rate at which it declines follow a different curve in women. Thyroid diseases are five to eight times more common in women than in men. None of this is controversial science. It has simply never been used as a starting point when products were designed.
So women have compensated in the only way possible: by piecing things together. A collagen powder for the skin. A greens blend for the vegetables that never happened. A multivitamin bought on the assumption that something in it must be healthy. Live cultures for the gut. Many products, expensive products, and too many decisions every morning. Most made without knowing if the doses were right, or if the ingredients counteracted each other.
”We didn't want to create just another supplement. We wanted to make the only one she needs.”
Dora is a single formula that covers multiple nutritional needs, based on science. Every ingredient has earned its place through evidence, not trends. Where research supports a dosage, we have used it. Where a more bioavailable form existed, we have paid for it. Where an ingredient could not justify its place, we have excluded it.
What follows is our reasoning, along with the research it rests upon.
Four principles guided every decision.
Form over quantity
A nutrient the body cannot absorb is just a number on a label. We chose active and chelated forms throughout: methylated B vitamins and amino acid-chelated minerals, even where cheaper alternatives would have provided an identical number in the nutritional declaration.
Dose based on evidence
Where studies have established an effective range, we have formulated within it. 5 g of collagen, 120 mg of hyaluronic acid, 1 g of MSM, and 160 mg of vitamin C are not guesses; they are doses proven by research.
A system, not a list
Nutrients do not work alone. Vitamin D without vitamin K solves one problem while creating another. Zinc without copper depletes copper stores over time. We created a system, not just the ingredients.
Female biology first
Our customers may be pregnant, may become pregnant, and may use our product for several years. This set the framework for several decisions, most clearly our strategy for vitamin A, which is described in section 05.
five focus areas
- 5,000 mg hydrolyzed collagen peptides
- 120 mg sodium hyaluronate
- 1,000 mg MSM
- 160 mg vitamin C
- 300 µg biotin
The skin consists of approximately 75% collagen by dry weight. From the mid-twenties, collagen synthesis begins to decline by about 1% per year, and the dermal matrix that keeps the skin firm and hydrated gradually loses density. Hyaluronic acid, the molecule that allows the dermis to retain water, decreases accordingly.
Orally ingested collagen peptides are among the most studied nutricosmetic interventions. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis compiled 19 randomized, double-blind controlled trials with 1,125 participants, 95% of whom were women, and found favorable effects on skin moisture levels, elasticity, and wrinkles compared to placebo (de Miranda et al., 2021). Earlier controlled trials had shown effects on skin elasticity at doses of 2.5–5 g daily (Proksch et al., 2014).
Hydrolyzed collagen peptides: 5,000 mg. At the higher end of the studied range, in hydrolyzed form with low molecular weight for absorption.
Sodium hyaluronate: 120 mg. Oral hyaluronan at 120 mg daily has been investigated in placebo-controlled trials regarding skin moisture and the appearance of wrinkles (Oe et al., 2017). Our dose corresponds exactly to the dose in the study.
MSM: 1,000 mg. A dose-response study with 63 participants compared 1 g versus 3 g daily over 16 weeks. Both doses were effective; the authors concluded that the lower dose of 1 g appeared sufficient to reduce signs of facial aging (Muizzuddin & Benjamin, 2022). We formulated at the dose research found sufficient, not the one that looks more impressive.
Biotin: 300 µg and vitamin C: 160 mg. Both are discussed further below.
- 5 billion CFU across five strains
- 1,500 mg dextrin fiber
- 200 mg inulin
- 250 mg bromelain
The gut is where the rest of this formula either works or it doesn’t. Mineral absorption, the synthesis of certain B vitamins, and a significant portion of immune activity are all dependent on it.
Two ingredient classes are central here. Prebiotic fibers are non-digestible substrates that are selectively utilized by microorganisms to aid digestion. Live bacterial cultures are the organisms themselves. The research literature on probiotics is extensive and strain-specific: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG alone has three decades of clinical research behind it (Capurso, 2019).
Dextrin fiber: 1,500 mg and inulin: 200 mg. A pair of soluble fibers. Resistant dextrin ferments more slowly than inulin, making it possible to deliver a meaningful amount of fiber in a daily powder, without the bloating that higher inulin doses often cause.
Live cultures: 5 billion CFU divided into five strains: L. paracasei LCPM54, L. plantarum LPM27, L. rhamnosus GG, B. breve BBRM60, B. bifidum BBM12. Multiple strains, in a quantity that lasts throughout the shelf life, not just at the time of manufacture.
Bromelain: 250 mg (1,200 GDU/g). A proteolytic enzyme complex from pineapple stem, included to support the breakdown of the amount of protein the formula contains (Pavan et al., 2012).
- Full B-complex
- 100 mg Magnesium bisglycinate
- 60 mg Coenzyme Q10
Fatigue is rarely caused by a single factor. At the cellular level, the conversion of food into usable energy requires a complete set of enzymatic cofactors, and the system runs at the pace of what is missing. B vitamins act as coenzymes in virtually every step (Kennedy, 2016). Magnesium is required for more than 300 enzymatic reactions, including ATP-dependent ones. Coenzyme Q10 is part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and the body's own production decreases with age (Hernández-Camacho et al., 2018).
The entire B complex. B1 (5 mg), B2 (5 mg), B3 (45 mg), B5 (15 mg), B6 (2 mg), B9 (400 µg), B12 (50 µg), biotin (300 µg). Not a selection, but the complete set, as they function as a unit.
Magnesium bisglycinate: 100 mg elemental magnesium. Chelated with glycine for absorption and gentleness on the stomach. Magnesium intake below recommended levels is common, and supplementation has been studied for its effects on perceived stress and sleep quality (Boyle et al., 2017).
Coenzyme Q10: 60 mg. In ubiquinone form.
- 160 mg Vitamin C
- 5.6 mg Zinc bisglycinate
- 55 µg Selenium as L-selenomethionine
- 1 mg Copper gluconate
- 100 mg Manganese bisglycinate
- 30 µg Iodine
- 40 µg Chromium picolinate
- 100 mg Ginger extract
Immune function is dependent on nutrients in ways that are exceptionally well-mapped. Vitamin C accumulates in neutrophils and lymphocytes at concentrations far above plasma levels, supporting both barrier function and cellular immune activity (Carr & Maggini, 2017). Zinc acts as a gatekeeper for immune signaling, and deficiency impairs both the innate and adaptive immune response (Wessels et al., 2017). Selenium is incorporated into selenoproteins, including glutathione peroxidase, and is required together with iodine for normal thyroid function (Ventura et al., 2017).
Vitamin C: 160 mg (200% of RI). Above the level where plasma concentration approaches saturation, and with a dual function as a cofactor for collagen.
Zinc bisglycinate: 5.6 mg · Selenium as L-selenomethionine: 55 µg · Copper gluconate: 1 mg · Manganese bisglycinate: 100 mg · Iodine: 30 µg · Chromium picolinate: 40 µg. Selenomethionine is the organic form, which is absorbed more efficiently than inorganic selenite.
Ginger extract: 100 mg, standardized to 5% gingerols. Ginger is among the most systematically reviewed herbal ingredients in the literature, with over one hundred randomized controlled trials assessed in a single review from 2020 (Anh et al., 2020).
- spirulina 500 mg
- chlorella 500 mg
- barley grass 200 mg
- spinach 200 mg
- broccoli 100 mg
- moringa 100 mg
- açaí 200 mg
- blueberry 200 mg
Spirulina, chlorella, moringa, barley grass, spinach, broccoli, açaí, and blueberries are included with 100–500 mg each.
This layer contributes phytochemical diversity, carotenoids, chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and glucosinolates, which isolated vitamins do not provide.
in every scoop
Every ingredient has a purpose.
The CFU count applies throughout the entire shelf life, not just at the time of manufacture.
one formula instead of several products.
Nutrients are interdependent, and a shelf of separately purchased supplements cannot take that into account.
The most significant pair in the formula.
Vitamin D increases calcium absorption and drives the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, but these proteins must be carboxylated with the help of vitamin K before they can function. A 2017 review of the evidence describes the relationship straightforwardly: vitamin D promotes the production of these proteins, and vitamin K activates them (van Ballegooijen et al., 2017). Together, they complete a process. Individually, D3 increases the availability of calcium without the mechanism that directs where it goes.
in dora: I take: vitamin D3 50 µg (2,000 IU) together with vitamin K2 as MK-7, 50 µg.
Vitamin C is not optional for collagen synthesis.
it is the necessary cofactor for the enzymes prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase, which stabilize the collagen triple helix. Providing collagen peptides without sufficient vitamin C is like providing substrate without the enzyme system that can utilize it.
in dora: I Dora: 5,000 mg collagen peptides combined with 160 mg vitamin C, in the same serving.
Zinc and copper compete for the same transport pathway in the intestine.
Zinc and copper compete for the same transport pathway in the gut. Long-term zinc supplementation without a proportional amount of copper can over time cause a copper deficiency, a well-documented interaction, and one that a woman with a separately purchased zinc supplement has no way of managing.
in dora: I Dora: zinc 5.6 mg with copper 1 mg – a ratio designed to avoid depletion, not ignore it.
The production of thyroid hormone requires iodine as a raw material.
T4 to active T3 requires selenium-dependent deiodinase enzymes. Iodine without selenium provides the substrate but not the conversion machinery (Ventura et al., 2017). Since thyroid diseases are significantly more common in women, this pair is a deliberate choice.
in dora: Selenium 55 µg with 30 µg iodine.
Supplementing with one of them in isolation can mask a deficiency in another.
The B vitamins act as an interdependent network for energy metabolism and one-carbon metabolism; folate, B12, and B6 are particularly intertwined. Supplementing with one of them in isolation can mask a deficiency in another.
in dora: We brought all eight.
select a combination on the map
Two products can show identical figures on the nutrition label and produce significantly different results.
We set the bar high, and continue to raise it.
This deserves an explanation of its own, as it is the clearest illustration of what “formulated for women” means in practice.
Preformed vitamin A, retinol and its esters, is teratogenic at high intakes. The association between high intake of preformed vitamin A in early pregnancy and birth defects has been established since the mid-1990s (Rothman et al., 1995). Beta-carotene carries no corresponding risk, as the body only converts it to vitamin A as needed and downregulates the conversion when stores are sufficient.
Therefore, we split the dose. Dora provides 402 µg RAE of vitamin A, 50% of the reference value, from two sources in roughly equal parts: retinyl acetate and beta-carotene.
"A woman taking Dora through life's various stages should never have to wonder if it is still safe."
Restraint is a stylistic choice like any other. And one of the most important.
iron
Iron. Its absence from a daily dietary supplement for women is a conscious choice, and it is the omission we expect the most questions about.
Iron is the nutrient that least belongs in a "one-size-fits-all" formula. Requirements vary enormously between women, depending on their cycle, diet, pregnancy, whether they are blood donors, etc. Supplementing a woman who already has sufficient iron stores provides no benefit, and iron in excess of requirements acts as a pro-oxidant. Iron also directly competes with zinc and copper for absorption, which would undermine the mineral balance described above.
Iron deficiency is indeed common and well worth treating (Pasricha et al., 2021). However, it should be treated based on ferritin levels and under medical advice, in a therapeutic dose, rather than invisibly baked into a daily powder at a level that is too low to correct a deficiency and too indiscriminate to suit everyone.
If your ferritin is low, you need iron. You do not need to get it from us.
We also chose to exclude stimulants, adaptogens without a clear justification, and ingredients included primarily for their recognizability. The label is shorter than it could have been.
references (20)
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