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Blac & Pink

Supplement buying guide

Pick the right protein, creatine or vitamin by reading the label.

Protein, creatine, vitamins and everyday nutrition at Blac & Pink, Nungambakkam and Akkarai / ECR. Start with your question, compare the current Indian pack and check store availability for pickup or PIN-confirmed delivery.

Shop all oral supplements and nutrition → · Read-the-label form guide · Supplement ingredients A–Z →

Find the right supplement: questions our Chennai shoppers ask

Compare real stocked packs by form, diet and use. Ask our Nungambakkam or Akkarai staff for the current Indian label, serving cost and help comparing two products.

Start with your age, meals and goal

Children and teens: ask for an age-labelled product and paediatric guidance. Adult gym powders, creatine and stimulant products are not automatic choices.

Adults: compare your usual meals, activity, dietary gaps, allergies, budget and any medicines. Vegetarian and vegan needs differ. Pregnancy or breastfeeding needs individual advice.

Older adults: ask about protein intake, swallowing and overlapping vitamin/mineral doses. Age alone does not determine a supplement or dose; medicines and kidney health matter.

Protein: which form fits?

Do you eat enough protein in your meals? Do you want milk-derived or plant protein, and what is your budget per serving? Concentrate, isolate and blends are different: Gold Standard Whey is a blend. Hydrolysed whey is still milk-derived; casein is another milk protein. Compare the actual protein, calories and allergens on the pack.

Whey concentrate

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Whey isolate

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Whey blends

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Plant protein

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No sugar, no added sugar and diabetes

Want a maker-labelled zero-sugar protein? Start with the first shelf. “No added sugar” is separate: raw whey can still contain milk sugar. Zero per serving can involve label rounding; compare total carbohydrate and the milk or drink you mix it with. None of these badges establishes suitability for diabetes; your care team can review your meal plan, medicines and kidney health.

Maker-labelled zero sugar per serving

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No added sugar

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Bloating and lactose

Does milk cause symptoms, or did discomfort begin with a larger serving? Compare lactose declarations, sweeteners and fibre. A labelled lactose-free whey is still a milk product and is unsuitable for milk allergy. Plant protein may be an alternative; no powder guarantees no bloating. Persistent symptoms need assessment.

Maker-labelled lactose-free

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Plant protein

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Creatine forms

For lifting, sprints or repeated short, hard exercise? Standalone creatine monohydrate is the best-studied option. Choose plain or flavoured, then compare creatine per serving and extra ingredients. Micronised means smaller particles, not a different creatine form; HCl has not been established as better. Creatine is separate from protein and can increase water weight: it is not a fat-loss product or an instant muscle gain promise. Teens, people with kidney disease and people taking medicines should seek qualified advice before use.

Unflavoured creatine monohydrate

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Vegan choices

Fully vegan, or vegetarian but happy to use milk? A green vegetarian mark does not establish vegan status. Whey, casein, collagen and fish oil are animal-derived; check capsules for gelatin and D3 for its source. These examples have maker vegan declarations. Ask staff to check the current pack and cross-contact advice.

Maker-labelled vegan

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Vitamins A, C, D, E and K

Which nutrient has your clinician or diet review identified? A supports vision, C collagen formation, D calcium absorption, E antioxidant functions and K normal clotting. These normal roles are not disease-treatment promises. Check combinations to avoid duplicate doses; review vitamin K with warfarin and vitamin A around pregnancy with your care team.

Vitamins A, C, D, E and K

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B vitamins and folate

Vegan diet, a confirmed deficiency, or advice from your care team? Compare B12, folate, biotin and B-complex individually. B vitamins support normal metabolism but do not supply calories or automatically cure tiredness. Pregnancy planning and deficiency treatment need the right prescribed dose; avoid stacking high-dose packs.

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Vitamin forms: tablets, gummies, liquids

Trouble swallowing a tablet, or prefer a dissolving format? Choose the labelled nutrient and dose first, then the form. Compare sugar in gummies, sodium in effervescent products and gelatin in capsules. Oral strips are a format, not proof of better results. Ask our staff to compare the current labelled dose and format.

Vitamin oral strips

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Minerals and multivitamins

Looking for calcium, magnesium, iron or a general multi? Choose for an identified gap, not age or tiredness alone. Minerals and multivitamins are separate shelves; combinations can overlap. Iron needs particular care, and kidney conditions or medicines can change which minerals and doses are suitable.

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Omega-3, probiotics and fibre

Do you want EPA/DHA, a named probiotic strain or more fibre? Compare EPA/DHA rather than total fish-oil weight, probiotic strain and storage, and fibre per serving. Probiotic benefits depend on the strain and use. Increase fibre gradually with suitable fluid; ask a pharmacist about medicine timing.

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Sports supplements and weight management

Everyday fitness, prolonged sweaty exercise, or managing calories? Protein helps meet protein needs; it does not itself cause weight loss. Electrolytes may help with prolonged exercise and heavy sweating. Meals, water and a sustainable activity plan come first. Mass gainers add calories; we do not present fat burners, garcinia or stimulant blends as weight-loss treatments.

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Photos are existing catalogue packs; availability and website prices are checked before display. Type classification does not establish medical suitability. Sources: NIH sports supplements, NIH nutrient factsheets, ICMR–NIN Indian dietary guidelines, NIDDK lactose guidance.

Read the label: what each form means

The form is printed on the pack. If it isn’t, the label hasn’t told you — a pack saying only “Vitamin D” is not D3, and “B12” is not methylcobalamin. General information only; doses and suitability depend on you, so ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Protein: concentrate, isolate, hydrolysed, casein, plant

Whey concentrate keeps more of the milk’s fat and lactose; isolate is filtered further; hydrolysed whey is partly pre-broken down. All three are milk-derived. Casein is the slower-digesting milk protein. Pea, rice and soy are plant proteins. The form tells you processing, not quality — compare protein per serving and the allergen line.

Forms we look for on labels: Whey concentrate · Whey isolate · Hydrolysed whey · Casein · Plant (pea / rice / soy)

In stock, form named on the pack:

Source: NIH ODS — exercise and athletic performance

Vitamin B12: cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin and others

Cyanocobalamin is the most common supplement form; methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin are others. NIH notes no clear advantage of one form for most people. A pack that just says “B12” does not tell you the form — check the label. Vegans and many older adults should discuss B12 with their doctor.

Forms we look for on labels: Cyanocobalamin · Methylcobalamin · Adenosylcobalamin · Hydroxocobalamin

Source: NIH ODS — Vitamin B12 (health professional)

Vitamin D: D2 or D3?

D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from yeast/fungi; D3 (cholecalciferol) is usually from lanolin, with lichen-based vegan D3 also available. Research suggests D3 raises blood levels a bit more and for longer. A label reading only “Vitamin D” has not told you which — and D3 is not automatically vegan.

Forms we look for on labels: D3 (cholecalciferol) · D2 (ergocalciferol)

In stock, form named on the pack:

Source: NIH ODS — Vitamin D (health professional)

Folate: folic acid or methylfolate?

Folic acid is the long-used supplement form; L-methylfolate (5-MTHF) is the active form also sold. Pregnancy planning has specific folic-acid advice — follow your doctor.

Forms we look for on labels: Folic acid · Methylfolate (5-MTHF)

Source: NIH ODS — Folate (consumer)

Magnesium: which salt?

Magnesium is always sold bound to something — citrate, glycinate/bisglycinate, oxide, malate, chloride and others. Forms that dissolve well (such as citrate and chloride) are absorbed more completely than oxide. The salt changes how much elemental magnesium a tablet holds, so compare the elemental figure on the label. Kidney disease needs a doctor’s advice first.

Forms we look for on labels: Citrate · Glycinate / bisglycinate · Oxide · Malate · Chloride · L-threonate

In stock, form named on the pack:

Source: NIH ODS — Magnesium (consumer)

Omega-3: EPA, DHA and the source

Fish oil and algal oil supply EPA and DHA; flaxseed supplies ALA, which the body converts only in small amounts. Compare EPA + DHA per serving — not the total “fish oil” milligrams. Algal oil is the plant-based EPA/DHA option. If you take blood thinners, ask your doctor first.

Forms we look for on labels: Fish oil · Algal oil · EPA / DHA named · Flaxseed (ALA)

Source: NIH ODS — Omega-3 fatty acids (consumer)

Probiotics: the strain matters

Effects are specific to the strain — the genus, species and strain code (for example Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG). A CFU count without named strains tells you little. Check storage instructions and whether the CFU on the label is stated at manufacture or at expiry. People who are seriously ill or immunocompromised should ask their doctor.

Forms we look for on labels: Lactobacillus / Lacticaseibacillus · Bifidobacterium · Bacillus (spore) · Saccharomyces boulardii

Source: NIH ODS — Probiotics (consumer)

Fibre: psyllium, inulin and others

Psyllium (isabgol) is a gel-forming soluble fibre; inulin and FOS are fermentable prebiotics that can cause gas at first; others include glucomannan and partially hydrolysed guar gum. Increase slowly and drink enough water. Fibre is a dietary support, not a weight-loss treatment.

Forms we look for on labels: Psyllium / isabgol · Inulin / FOS · Glucomannan · Guar gum (PHGG)

Source: MedlinePlus — Dietary fiber

Don’t see what you want? Ask us — we’ll add it to the shelf or buy it in for you, and confirm the price and date before you pay.

Vitamin K2 (MK-7) and D3 + K2 combinations

K2 is sold as MK-4 or MK-7; MK-7 stays in the blood longer than K1. It is often paired with D3. Evidence on combinations is still limited. Anyone on warfarin or another blood thinner must ask their doctor first — vitamin K changes how those medicines work.

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Source: NIH ODS — Vitamin K

Iron bisglycinate and other “gentle” iron

Iron is best taken only when a blood test shows you need it. Compare the elemental iron per tablet; stomach upset and constipation are common with iron. Keep iron supplements away from children — an overdose is dangerous.

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Source: NIH ODS — Iron (consumer)

Help comparing the exact pack

Ask our staff for a current label photo, serving cost, allergens and stock at either store. If an item needs arranging, our team can check another branch, incoming stock or an approved vendor and confirm the options.

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