Three checks. No exceptions.
Every formula on this site goes through the same sequence, in the same order. Where we cannot complete a check — usually because the ingredient panel is hidden behind a checkout — we say so and the score reflects it, rather than guessing to fill the gap.
Transparency
40 points- Is the complete supplement facts panel readable before you pay?
- Are individual ingredient doses listed, or hidden inside a proprietary blend?
- Is there third-party certification (NSF, USP, Informed Choice) for the batch on sale?
- Is the maker a real trading company with a support channel, or a single landing page?
Dose
35 points- What dose did the published human trials use for each headline ingredient?
- What dose does one serving actually deliver?
- Is the ingredient in the form that was studied, or a cheaper one at the same milligram figure?
- How many capsules a day does the claimed dose require, and does the bottle count match?
Terms
25 points- Who is the merchant of record, and who processes a refund?
- How long is the guarantee, and does it cover the bundle size being pushed?
- Must the product be returned, and who pays that postage?
- What happens on the upsell pages after checkout?
Why transparency carries the most weight
Because without it, nothing else can be assessed. A formula whose panel you cannot read before paying is a formula you cannot compare against a trial dose, against a competitor, or against its own price. That is why a well-marketed product with a hidden panel scores below a plainer one that shows you everything.
What the score is not
It is not a measure of whether the product will work for you, and it is not a medical judgement. It is a measure of how much a careful buyer can verify before spending money, and whether what they can verify justifies the price. Two different things, and we keep them apart.
Claims we will not repeat
A dietary supplement cannot legally claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease, and we do not restate such claims on this site even when a sales page implies them. Where marketing leans on a headline that will not survive contact with the evidence — a prize awarded to a field rather than to a product, a study run at a dose the capsule does not contain — we say so in the review instead of passing it along.
What we cannot do
- Test what is in a bottle. We are not a laboratory, and we do not pretend otherwise.
- Verify a certificate of analysis independently.
- Tell you how a formula will interact with your prescription — that is a pharmacist's job.
- Promise an outcome. Nobody honest can.
How often this gets re-checked
- Offer terms — whenever a funnel changes, which is often.
- Formulas — when a maker reformulates and the panel changes.
- Rankings — monthly, and immediately if a safety issue emerges.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, tell us through the contact form and we will fix it and note what changed. That applies to brands as much as to readers — with the single exception that no correction request buys a position in a ranking.