OptimalAmino® vs PerfectAmino® — Full Comparison
Both started as essential amino acid supplements based on the same clinically-researched EAA formula. But in 2024, PerfectAmino changed their formula — adding seven new ingredients that aren't amino acids and have no published clinical research supporting their inclusion. OptimalAmino hasn't changed. Here's everything — side by side — so you can decide for yourself.
The Quick Comparison
What matters most when choosing an EAA supplement — at a glance.
| OptimalAmino® | PerfectAmino® | |
|---|---|---|
| EAA formula basis | Original clinically-researched EAA formula Same 8 essential amino acids — unchanged | Clinically-researched EAA formula Modified in 2024 with 7 added non-amino-acid ingredients |
| NSF Certified for Sport® | Every product. Every batch. | Select sizes & flavors only |
| Third-party testing labs | 5 labs — all named publicly Eurofins, Certified Labs, Twin Arbor, UC Davis, NSF | Labs not disclosed Claims testing but doesn't identify labs |
| Non-amino-acid ingredients added | None — pure EAAs only (tablets: zero binders, fillers, coating, or dyes) | 7 "Nucleic Acid Building Blocks" added in 2024 — no published research |
| Unflavored powder purity | Only amino acids — zero sweeteners or additives | Contains nucleotide additions + stevia, monk fruit & katemfe fruit sweeteners |
| Allergen & contaminant testing | 22+ items independently tested Including all tree nuts, sweeteners, preservatives | Standard allergen claims Does not publish independent testing scope |
| Price (powder, 30 servings) | $38.00 13g serving / 10g EAAs | ~$45.95 ~5g serving |
| Price (tablets, 300ct) | $38.00 | ~$81.95 |
| Price per 10g EAA (powder) | ~$1.27 10g EAAs per serving · 1 scoop = 1 full serving | ~$3.06 ~5g EAAs per serving · 2 scoops needed to match 10g |
| HSA/FSA eligible | Save 20-30% with pre-tax dollars | Not offered |
| Research investment | University clinical research Completed RCT at the University of Tampa Human Performance Lab | Celebrity influencer marketing Gary Brecka, Anna Hall, Dave Asprey, and others |
| FDA warning letter history | None | Documented by Illuminate Labs |
| NIH DSLD registered | Labels on government database | Labels on government database |
| Powder flavors | 7 + unflavored | 6 + unflavored |
| Amino acid sourcing | Bacterial fermentation Plant-derived sugars, 100% vegan | Not publicly disclosed |
| Military / first-responder discount | ID.me verified | GovX ID verified |
Testing Transparency
Both brands claim third-party testing. The difference is whether you can verify it yourself. We name every lab. We certify every batch. We register our labels with the NIH.
OptimalAmino®
Five independent labs — all named publicly:
- NSF International — Certified for Sport® on every product, every batch (300+ banned substances, heavy metals, microbial contaminants, label accuracy, GMP facility audits)
- Eurofins — ISO 17025 accredited analytical testing
- Certified Laboratories — Identity, purity, and potency
- Twin Arbor Analytical — Comprehensive quality analysis
- UC Davis — Independent analytical verification
Every batch goes through NSF Certified for Sport® testing — no exceptions. We then use our other four named labs on a rotating basis for additional verification: random spot-checks, specialized testing like allergen panels, and shelf-life stability studies. This layered approach means no single lab is the sole gatekeeper of our quality.
Our labels are registered on the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) — a public, government-maintained record anyone can verify. We publish which labs test our products because we believe if you can't name the lab, the claim means nothing.
PerfectAmino®
NSF Certified for Sport® is available on select products and specific sizes only — not the entire catalog. Certified SKUs include 330ct tablets, 66-serving powder in Mixed Berry and Vanilla only, electrolytes, and creatine. Other sizes, flavors, and products in the BodyHealth lineup are not NSF certified.
The brand claims third-party testing but does not publicly name the laboratories that perform it, what specific panels are run, or where consumers can independently verify results.
An FDA warning letter to BodyHealth has been documented by independent reviewers (Illuminate Labs), raising questions about the scientific support for certain marketing claims.
all named publicly
every batch (NSF)
for Sport®
Why this matters — for athletes and everyone else
If you're an athlete: If you compete in any sport governed by WADA, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NHL, or similar anti-doping authorities, NSF Certified for Sport® is the gold standard for supplement safety. It means every batch is tested for 300+ banned substances before it reaches you. A single contaminated supplement can end a career. With OptimalAmino, every product in our catalog carries this certification. With other brands, you need to check which specific product, size, and flavor is certified — because not all of them are.
If you're not an athlete: Third-party testing still matters — arguably just as much. The supplement industry is largely self-regulated. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they're sold. That means without independent testing, you're trusting the manufacturer's word that what's on the label is what's in the bottle — and that nothing harmful came along for the ride.
NSF Certified for Sport® testing doesn't just screen for banned athletic substances. It verifies heavy metal levels (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium), microbial contaminants (bacteria, mold, yeast), and label accuracy — confirming that the amounts listed on the Supplement Facts panel match what's actually inside. It also audits the manufacturing facility for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance.
If you take a supplement daily — especially one you're relying on for recovery, protein intake, or long-term health — you deserve to know it's been independently verified by someone other than the company selling it to you. And you deserve to know who verified it. That's why we name all five of our testing labs.
Verify OptimalAmino's NSF certification yourself — search "Optimal Labs" at nsfsport.com
Verify on NSF →Formula Integrity: One Brand Changed. One Didn't.
In April 2024, PerfectAmino modified its proven EAA formula by adding seven non-amino-acid ingredients it calls "Nucleic Acid Building Blocks." No published clinical research supports this change. OptimalAmino's formula remains unchanged.
OptimalAmino® — Unchanged Formula
OptimalAmino delivers the same clinically-researched essential amino acid formula it has always used. Eight essential amino acids produced through bacterial fermentation from plant-derived sugars. Nothing added. Nothing removed. Nothing reformulated.
We believe the published research supports the EAA formula as it stands. We haven't changed it because the science hasn't given us a reason to.
PerfectAmino® — Formula Modified in 2024
In April 2024, BodyHealth announced the addition of seven "Nucleic Acid Building Blocks" (nucleosides and nucleotides) to PerfectAmino tablets and powder. These are not amino acids. They are:
- Uridine
- Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
- Thymidine
- Adenine
- 2'-Deoxyadenosine
- 2'-Deoxyguanosine
- 2'-Deoxycytidine
BodyHealth markets this as "the first advance in protein synthesis in decades" and claims these compounds "optimize the actual utilization system for the synthesis of protein."
What the research actually says about dietary nucleotides
BodyHealth has not published or cited any clinical study demonstrating that adding these specific nucleosides and nucleotides to an essential amino acid supplement improves protein synthesis, amino acid utilization, or any measurable health outcome in humans. When you look at what the independent research does say, the picture is even less supportive.
~95% are destroyed before reaching your body. Oral nucleotides undergo extensive first-pass metabolism in the gut and liver. Purine nucleosides like adenosine — one of the compounds PerfectAmino now contains as ATP — are quantitatively metabolized to uric acid within minutes by intestinal and hepatic xanthine oxidase. A peer-reviewed PubMed review (Grimble & Westwood, 2001) described "powerful homeostatic mechanisms" that degrade ingested purines and pyrimidines, with overall systemic bioavailability of approximately 5%. This means the gut lining absorbs them, but muscles, tissues, and cells throughout the body see almost none.
The ATP claim is particularly misleading. PerfectAmino includes "Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)" in its formula — the molecule your cells use for energy. But oral ATP does not increase cellular ATP production. That process is governed by mitochondrial function and metabolic demand, not by swallowing ATP as an ingredient. Ingested ATP is broken down to adenosine and then to uric acid during digestion. The inclusion of ATP in a supplement exploits the biochemical name recognition without delivering the biochemical function.
Healthy adults make their own nucleotides. Your body maintains two robust systems for nucleotide production: a de novo pathway that builds them from scratch and a salvage pathway that recycles them from normal cell turnover. Nucleotides are not classified as essential nutrients by any major regulatory body. The term "conditionally essential" — used in the academic literature — applies only to specific clinical states like neonatal growth, critical illness, or immune activation. No researcher in the field has suggested that healthy, well-fed adults taking an amino acid supplement are nucleotide-deficient.
Regulators have rejected nucleotide health claims. EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) evaluated health claims for nucleotides related to immune defense and did not authorize them. No major professional nutrition organization — not the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, ASPEN, or ESPEN — endorses nucleotide supplementation for healthy adults. The existing clinical evidence comes from infant formula studies, surgical immunonutrition (where nucleotides are combined with arginine and omega-3 fats — not amino acids), and a handful of small, preliminary athlete studies with overlapping research groups and industry funding.
There is also a safety signal. Published research (Coelho et al. 2022, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN) shows that high nucleotide intake (>2 g/day) raises serum uric acid above clinical thresholds within a week — confirming the purines are absorbed and catabolized, not utilized intact. Elevated uric acid is a risk factor for gout and kidney stones.
In other words: BodyHealth added seven new ingredients to a proven formula, made dramatic claims about their benefits, and released zero research to support those claims. The independent literature suggests these ingredients are largely destroyed during digestion, the body already makes its own, regulators have rejected related health claims, and the original EAA research was conducted without them.
Our position: don't fix what isn't broken
The clinically-researched EAA formula that both brands started from was developed over decades of published nitrogen-balance studies. It achieved the high utilization rates that made this category of supplements worth buying in the first place — without nucleosides, nucleotides, or any other additions.
We're not opposed to innovation — we're opposed to innovation without evidence. If credible, peer-reviewed research demonstrates that a specific addition meaningfully improves the formula's effectiveness, we'd consider it. That's why we fund our own clinical research: a completed randomized controlled trial at the University of Tampa investigating EAA recovery outcomes. But adding ingredients without published evidence — and then charging a premium for them — isn't innovation. It's marketing.
OptimalAmino remains the original, proven formula. Nothing more, nothing less.
Purity: What's Actually in the Product
Beyond the formula change, there's the question of what else goes into each product — binders, fillers, coating, sweeteners, and other inactive ingredients. The difference is most stark in tablets and unflavored powder, where you'd expect the simplest possible ingredient list.
Tablets
OptimalAmino® Tablets — Nothing Extra
Our tablets contain essential amino acids and nothing else. Zero binders. Zero fillers. Zero magnesium stearate. Zero coating. Zero dyes. We source our amino acids through bacterial fermentation from plant-derived sugars — 100% vegan. When we say "just the aminos," we mean it.
PerfectAmino® Tablets — Modified Formula + Coated Option
Since April 2024, PerfectAmino tablets now contain seven additional "Nucleic Acid Building Block" ingredients beyond the essential amino acids (see Section 3 above). The tablets are also available in coated and uncoated options — the coated version includes additional inactive ingredients for the coating layer. The result is a tablet with significantly more ingredients than the original EAA-only formula both products started from.
Unflavored Powder
OptimalAmino® Unflavored DIY — Nothing Extra
Just like our tablets: essential amino acids and nothing else. No sweeteners. No flavoring. No additives of any kind. Our Unflavored DIY powder exists for people who want pure EAAs to mix into their own drinks or smoothies without anything added. The ingredient list is the amino acids — period.
PerfectAmino® Unflavored — Not Just Amino Acids
PerfectAmino's "unflavored" powder is not just amino acids. In addition to the seven nucleic acid additions (see Section 3), the unflavored version also contains three sweeteners: stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, and katemfe fruit extract. An unflavored amino acid powder with sweeteners added is no longer a pure amino acid product — it's a formulated blend with a taste profile engineered in, even in the version marketed as the simplest option.
Our philosophy on purity
We believe that if you're choosing an amino acid supplement, it should contain amino acids — and as little else as possible. Our tablets are nothing but amino acids pressed into a tab. Our unflavored powder is nothing but amino acids in a jar. No coating, no flow agents, no fillers, no sweeteners, and no unresearched additions. It's the simplest, cleanest EAA product we can make, true to the formula that the published research actually studied.
Allergen & Contaminant Testing
It's not just what's in OptimalAmino — it's what we've independently verified isn't. You won't see a free-from list this comprehensive from other brands because most aren't willing to invest in the testing required to make these claims.
Each of these claims is backed by independent lab testing — not just label assertions. Our artificial sweetener testing alone covers erythritol, neotame, maltodextrin, aspartame, xylitol, sorbitol, acesulfame potassium, advantame, saccharin, sucralose, and others. Our tree nut testing covers Brazil nut, walnut, macadamia, cashew, pistachio, hazelnut, almond, pecan, and coconut individually.
The Price Difference Is Real
We sell directly to you — no influencer commissions, no distributor markups, no retail middlemen. The price you see is the lowest we can manage while maintaining the most rigorous testing program in the category.
- 13g serving size with 10g of EAAs
- Original clinically-researched formula — unchanged
- NSF Certified for Sport® — every batch
- Five named, independent testing labs
- HSA/FSA eligible for additional 20-30% savings
- Zero tablet excipients — pure aminos only
- ~5g serving size
- Formula modified in 2024 with 7 unresearched additions
- NSF Certified on select products/sizes only
- Testing labs not named publicly
- HSA/FSA not available
- Standard allergen claims
Pricing comparison based on non-subscription retail prices accessed February 2026. OptimalAmino pricing from optimalamino.com. PerfectAmino pricing from bodyhealth.com. Prices are subject to change.
How we keep prices this low
We don't pay celebrity influencers to promote our product. We don't sell through distributors or retail stores that add 2-3x markups. We don't inflate our price to make "sales" and "discount codes" seem like deals. OptimalAmino is sold directly from our facility in Virginia to your door — the same price, every day, for everyone. The money we save on marketing goes into testing instead.
Save another 20-30% with HSA/FSA
OptimalAmino is HSA/FSA eligible through our partnership with Truemed. If you have a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account through your employer, you can pay for OptimalAmino with pre-tax dollars — effectively saving an additional 20-35% depending on your tax bracket. On an already lower base price, this brings the effective cost to approximately $27 or less for 300 tablets. Learn how →
Product Formats & Flavors
Both brands offer tablets and powder. Here's the full picture.
| Format | OptimalAmino® | PerfectAmino® |
|---|---|---|
| Tablets | 150ct & 300ctZero fillers/binders/coating/dyes | 150, 300, 600ctCoated and uncoated options |
| Powder flavors | 7 flavors + unflavored Berry Lemonade, Passion Mango, Sour Green Apple, Tangerine, Watermelon, Iced Coffee, Mocha, Unflavored DIY | 6 flavors + unflavored Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Mocha, Lemon-Lime |
| On-the-go packs | OTG stick packs + 30ct variety box | Travel packets in all flavors |
| Bundles | Health / Fitness / Elite tiers Organized by daily serving goals | Multiple bundles Combined with other BodyHealth products |
| Companion products | OptimalStackCreapure® creatine + myHMB® + Vitamin D3 (also NSF Certified for Sport®) | 49 total SKUsElectrolytes, bars, power meal, creatine, multivitamins, gut support, sleep, and more |
PerfectAmino's parent company, BodyHealth, offers a much wider product catalog (49 SKUs across multiple supplement categories). OptimalAmino is intentionally focused: we make the most rigorously tested, purest EAA supplement we can at the fairest price. We'd rather be the best at one thing than average at fifty.
Who's Behind the Brand
We think you should know who you're buying from.
OptimalAmino®
Founded by Dan & Katie — a veteran-owned company based in Virginia. We launched on Indiegogo with a simple mission: make the highest-quality EAA supplement affordable for everyone.
We don't pay celebrities to endorse our product. We don't have a 3-million-follower influencer telling you to buy it. Instead, we invest in independent clinical research and third-party testing. We recently completed a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial at the University of Tampa Human Performance Laboratory — investigating the impact of essential amino acids on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. 36 participants. Three groups: EAA, taste-matched placebo, and no-supplement control. Dual frequentist and Bayesian statistical analysis. Results are complete and currently being prepared for peer-reviewed publication.
Dan and Katie answer emails personally, show up in the Facebook group, and are available via live chat. A portion of our work also supports Spero Worldwide, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit evacuating and resettling at-risk Afghan allies — people Dan personally worked alongside for years in Afghanistan.
PerfectAmino®
Made by BodyHealth, a $25M+ annual revenue supplement company founded by Dr. David Minkoff, MD — a board-certified physician with 43+ Ironman finishes. Dr. Minkoff's credentials are formidable, though he has been de-emphasized on the current website in favor of celebrity marketing partnerships.
BodyHealth's primary marketing engine is a network of celebrity endorsers including Gary Brecka (3M+ Instagram followers), Anna Hall (World Champion heptathlete), Dave Asprey, and others. The company has approximately 51 employees and operates both DTC and retail distribution through stores like Erewhon and Wegmans.
Where the money goes: research vs. reach
Every supplement company has to decide where to allocate its budget beyond the product itself. That decision tells you something about the company's priorities.
OptimalAmino invests in independent testing (five named labs — NSF Certified for Sport® on every batch plus rotating verification from four additional labs) and original clinical research (a completed randomized controlled trial at the University of Tampa investigating EAA recovery outcomes). We believe the way to earn trust is to generate evidence — not impressions.
PerfectAmino invests in celebrity influencer partnerships — Gary Brecka (3M+ followers), Anna Hall (World Championship heptathlete), Dave Asprey, and a broader network of paid promoters. BodyHealth has never published or funded an independent clinical trial on its own product. Its marketing budget is built around social media reach, not research.
One brand funds scientists. The other funds influencers. Both cost money. Only one produces evidence.
The proven formula. The most testing. The real research. The fairest price.
The original clinically-researched EAA formula — unchanged. Five independent labs. NSF Certified for Sport® on every product, every batch. An independently conducted university clinical trial. The purest tablet on the market. No unresearched additions. And roughly half the price.
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Common Questions
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Shop Now →*This comparison was prepared by OptimalAmino (Optimal Labs, LLC) using publicly available information as of February 2026. PerfectAmino® is a registered trademark of BodyHealth, LLC. OptimalAmino is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to BodyHealth, LLC. Product details, pricing, certifications, and formulations are subject to change. PerfectAmino's April 2024 formula modification is documented in BodyHealth's own press release (PR Newswire, April 19, 2024) and current product pages. The absence of published research supporting the nucleic acid additions is based on a review of PubMed and BodyHealth's own citations as of February 2026. The University of Tampa clinical trial referenced on this page has been completed; results are currently being prepared for peer-reviewed publication and specific findings are not disclosed here. The claim that BodyHealth has not funded an independent clinical trial on PerfectAmino is based on a search of PubMed and BodyHealth's own published materials as of February 2026. We encourage all consumers to verify claims independently. NSF Certified for Sport® certification can be verified at nsfsport.com. Pricing reflects non-subscription retail prices accessed February 2026 from optimalamino.com and bodyhealth.com; prices are subject to change. HSA/FSA savings estimates assume a 25% marginal tax bracket; actual savings vary by individual tax situation. Both OptimalAmino and PerfectAmino originally derive from the same published essential amino acid research. This page is for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement program. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.