Product Image

Amino Complex Berry Flavored

Thorne
4.5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
(5137 ratings)
Valine 625 mg
Isoleucine 625 mg
Tryptophan 20 mg
Lysine 650 mg
Methionine
Phenylalanine 100 mg
Histidine 150 mg
Product Image
Score 85.0

Thorne Amino Complex is a premium, comprehensive essential amino acid supplement from a highly reputable brand. It excels in supporting muscle growth and recovery due to its strong BCAA profile. While beneficial for overall health, specific dosages for mood or detoxification are low, suggesting it's best viewed as a foundational EAA source.

Quantity: 8 Ounce(s)Servings size: 8 Gram(s) (30 servings)
Selected goals:
Other goals:
Fitness
Muscle Gain
Energy
Mood Support
Stress Relief

Score 85.0

Thorne Amino Complex is a premium, comprehensive essential amino acid supplement from a highly reputable brand. It excels in supporting muscle growth and recovery due to its strong BCAA profile. While beneficial for overall health, specific dosages for mood or detoxification are low, suggesting it's best viewed as a foundational EAA source.

Analysis

Thorne Amino Complex Berry Flavored (ID: 218297) is a comprehensive essential amino acid (EAA) supplement from the highly regarded brand Thorne, known for its quality and purity. This product contains a full spectrum of essential amino acids, including significant amounts of BCAAs (L-Leucine 1.25g, L-Isoleucine 625mg, L-Valine 625mg), alongside other crucial EAAs like L-Lysine (650mg), L-Threonine (350mg), L-Histidine (150mg), L-Phenylalanine (100mg), L-Methionine (50mg), and L-Tryptophan (20mg), as well as the non-essential L-Cystine (150mg). With over 5,000 positive reviews, it is a popular choice among consumers. Nutritionists often recommend Thorne for its commitment to high-quality ingredients and manufacturing standards. This amino acid blend is particularly beneficial for individuals engaged in fitness, muscle gain, and recovery due to its robust BCAA content. While it lists a wide range of goals, some of the individual amino acid quantities (e.g., Tryptophan, Tyrosine) are relatively low for achieving strong, targeted effects on mood, focus, or sleep compared to dedicated single-ingredient supplements.

Pros
  • Contains a complete profile of all essential amino acids (EAAs), crucial for overall protein synthesis and bodily functions.
  • Excellent brand reputation (Thorne) known for quality, purity, and often recommended by healthcare professionals.
  • Provides a good, balanced ratio and sufficient dosages of Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) for muscle support and recovery.
  • Berry flavored, which generally enhances palatability and mixability for powder supplements.
  • High review count on online platforms suggests widespread user satisfaction and trust.
Cons
  • The price per serving ($1.63) is on the higher end, making it less budget-friendly compared to some other amino acid supplements.
  • Dosages of some individual amino acids (e.g., L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine) are relatively low for achieving targeted therapeutic effects for specific goals like mood, sleep, or detoxification, often requiring separate, higher-dose supplements for those purposes.
  • The broad list of claimed goals might be optimistic for the specific quantities of some ingredients, potentially leading to unmet expectations for highly specialized benefits.
Warnings
  • Contains L-Phenylalanine, which must be avoided by individuals diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU).
$44.10($1.47 per serving)
Amazon
$ 49.00
Pure Formulas
$ 49.00
Vitacost
$ 49.00
iHerb
$ 44.10
Ingredients
IngredientAmount per serving
Calories 25 Calorie(s)
Total Carbohydrates 1 Gram(s)
L-Leucine 1.25 Gram(s)
L-Lysine (L-Lysine Chloride) 650 mg
L-Isoleucine 625 mg
L-Valine 625 mg
L-Threonine 350 mg
L-Histidine (L-Histidine Hydrochloride Monohydrate) 150 mg
L-Cystine 150 mg
L-Phenylalanine 100 mg
L-Methionine 50 mg
L-Tyrosine 30 mg
L-Tryptophan 20 mg
Gluten Free Adults 18–50 Women
Categories
Valine 85.0
Providing 625mg of L-Valine, this product offers a robust and effective dose of this branched-chain amino acid. Valine is critical for muscle growth, repair, and energy metabolism, contributing significantly to the product's benefits for fitness and muscle gain, especially as part of a balanced BCAA complex.
Isoleucine 85.0
The 625mg of L-Isoleucine is a strong dosage for this essential branched-chain amino acid. Isoleucine is vital for energy production, muscle repair, and nitrogen balance, making its presence at this level highly beneficial for fitness and recovery.
Lysine 80.0
With 650mg of L-Lysine per serving, this product provides a substantial and effective amount, comparable to many single-ingredient L-Lysine supplements. Lysine is an essential amino acid crucial for protein synthesis, calcium absorption, and immune system function, making its inclusion at this level a strong point for the complex.
Goals
Fitness 90.0
The product is highly beneficial for fitness due to its comprehensive essential amino acid profile, particularly the substantial and well-proportioned doses of BCAAs (Leucine 1.25g, Isoleucine 625mg, Valine 625mg). These amino acids are crucial for supporting endurance, reducing exercise-induced muscle damage, and enhancing overall athletic performance.
Muscle Gain 90.0
The generous amount of L-Leucine (1.25g), combined with optimal levels of L-Isoleucine (625mg) and L-Valine (625mg), effectively stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is the primary driver of muscle gain. The presence of all other essential amino acids ensures the body has all necessary building blocks for efficient muscle repair and growth post-exercise.
Energy 90.0
Amino acids, especially branched-chain amino acids, can be utilized as a direct energy source during prolonged physical activity, helping to delay fatigue. The complete spectrum of essential amino acids also supports various metabolic pathways crucial for maintaining sustained energy levels throughout the day and during workouts.
70 Value

Daily Amino Acid

21st Century
4.7
★★★★★
(8008 ratings)
This alternative offers a comprehensive range of amino acids at an exceptionally low price per serving, providing excellent overall value for foundational amino acid support and making it a far more economical choice for consumers.
85 Value

The Original Smash Apple

XTEND
4.5
★★★★★
(46734 ratings)
This product delivers a high dose of BCAAs along with electrolytes and Citrulline Malate at a competitive price per serving, offering substantial benefits for fitness and recovery, which represents significantly better value for performance-oriented amino acid intake.
78 Value

Branched-Chain Amino Acids

NOW Sports
4.6
★★★★★
(1947 ratings)
Offering a concentrated BCAA blend at a reasonable price per serving, this product is an excellent value for individuals prioritizing muscle support, recovery, and energy during exercise, providing more targeted benefits than the original's very high cost.
85 Performance

The Original Watermelon Explosion

XTEND
4.5
★★★★★
(47937 ratings)
This product, focused on BCAAs, offers significantly higher doses of muscle-supporting amino acids along with beneficial additions like Citrulline Malate and electrolytes, making it a more potent and effective choice for fitness, muscle gain, and energy goals.
75 Performance

Amino-9 Essentials Powder

NOW Sports
4.4
★★★★★
(1399 ratings)
This alternative explicitly provides all nine essential amino acids in more functionally effective dosages for muscle synthesis and recovery, offering a more robust and complete amino acid support compared to the original product's highly concentrated cost.
70 Performance

Dopamine Brain Food

NS Natural Stacks
4.5
★★★★★
(384 ratings)
While not a full EAA complex, this product is specifically formulated with optimized doses of L-Tyrosine and L-Phenylalanine, plus cofactors, for superior brain health, mental focus, and mood support, making it a more targeted alternative for cognitive goals.
70 Budget

Daily Amino Acid

21st Century
4.7
★★★★★
(8008 ratings)
This product offers a broad spectrum of amino acids, including essential ones, at a significantly lower price per serving, making it a much more economical option for foundational amino acid supplementation.
75 Budget

Amino-9 Essentials Powder

NOW Sports
4.4
★★★★★
(1399 ratings)
Providing a comprehensive essential amino acid blend, including higher doses of BCAAs, this powder offers a similar product type at a substantially more affordable price per serving, representing much better value.
65 Budget

Max-Amino Caps with Vitamin B6

Country Life
4.8
★★★★★
(1004 ratings)
This encapsulated amino complex delivers a wide range of amino acids with added Vitamin B6, at a significantly lower cost per serving, making it a more accessible and practical choice for daily amino acid intake.
70 Value

Daily Amino Acid

21st Century
4.7
★★★★★
(8008 ratings)
This alternative offers a comprehensive range of amino acids at an exceptionally low price per serving, providing excellent overall value for foundational amino acid support and making it a far more economical choice for consumers.
85 Value

The Original Smash Apple

XTEND
4.5
★★★★★
(46734 ratings)
This product delivers a high dose of BCAAs along with electrolytes and Citrulline Malate at a competitive price per serving, offering substantial benefits for fitness and recovery, which represents significantly better value for performance-oriented amino acid intake.
78 Value

Branched-Chain Amino Acids

NOW Sports
4.6
★★★★★
(1947 ratings)
Offering a concentrated BCAA blend at a reasonable price per serving, this product is an excellent value for individuals prioritizing muscle support, recovery, and energy during exercise, providing more targeted benefits than the original's very high cost.
85 Performance

The Original Watermelon Explosion

XTEND
4.5
★★★★★
(47937 ratings)
This product, focused on BCAAs, offers significantly higher doses of muscle-supporting amino acids along with beneficial additions like Citrulline Malate and electrolytes, making it a more potent and effective choice for fitness, muscle gain, and energy goals.
75 Performance

Amino-9 Essentials Powder

NOW Sports
4.4
★★★★★
(1399 ratings)
This alternative explicitly provides all nine essential amino acids in more functionally effective dosages for muscle synthesis and recovery, offering a more robust and complete amino acid support compared to the original product's highly concentrated cost.
70 Performance

Dopamine Brain Food

NS Natural Stacks
4.5
★★★★★
(384 ratings)
While not a full EAA complex, this product is specifically formulated with optimized doses of L-Tyrosine and L-Phenylalanine, plus cofactors, for superior brain health, mental focus, and mood support, making it a more targeted alternative for cognitive goals.