Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
creatine is safe for healthy adults
In plain terms: Is creatine safe to take long-term?
Part of: 🧪 creatine
Yes — it has one of the strongest safety records of any supplement, with no harm to kidney, liver, or heart markers in healthy adults across trials lasting years. Claims that literally everyone should take it, including pregnant or clinical populations, go further than the evidence.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Creatine monohydrate has one of the best safety records of any supplement — no adverse effects on kidney, liver, or cardiovascular markers in healthy adults across trials up to years long. (Candow extends this to 'literally everyone incl. clinical/pregnant populations'; that broader claim outruns the healthy-adult evidence and is flagged in his scorecard.) scope::healthy-adults
The evidence (7)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jager 2011 · Amino Acids | observational | supports | low | Analysis: creatine monohydrate has an established safety/regulatory record; novel forms less studied. |
| Longobardi 2023 · Nutrients | observational | supports | low | Narrative review: creatine safe for kidney health in the general population. |
| Antonio 2021 · J Int Soc Sports Nutr | observational | supports | low | Review: extensive safety data support creatine use in healthy individuals. |
| Poortmans 2000 · Sports Med | observational | supports | low | Review: adverse-effect concerns are largely unsupported; creatine well-tolerated in healthy adults. |
| Almeida 2020 · J Sports Med Phys Fitness | RCT | supports | moderate | Double-blind placebo-controlled RCT: creatine safe, no adverse health markers. |
| Kreider 2017 · J Int Soc Sports Nutr | observational | supports | low | ISSN position stand: creatine is safe and well-tolerated across healthy populations. |
| de Souza e Silva 2019 · J Renal Nutr | meta-analysis | supports | high | SR+meta-analysis: no renal safety signal in healthy adults. |
Disagree, or know a study we missed?
We grade by evidence, not opinions. The way to weigh in is to point us to a study we haven't cited (check the evidence table above first), or to flag a problem with one we have. Every submission is reviewed; if it holds up, the grade updates and shows in Science Changes Its Mind.
Opens a short form. You'll sign in with Google so submissions are tied to a real account — we don't display your identity, and we only accept a link we can verify (PubMed, DOI, ClinicalTrials.gov).
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.