Nutrition / Explainer
How To Read A Supplement Label In One Minute
2 July 2026
Supplement packaging is designed to be judged from the front. The truth is on the back. Here's how to read it in about a minute.
1. Find the numbers
Every ingredient should have its own amount, in milligrams or grams. If ingredients are grouped into a "blend" or "complex" with one shared total, the individual amounts are hidden. That's legal. It's also a choice.
2. Check the numbers against the studies
Search the ingredient name plus "study dose". It takes seconds. If the label says 100mg and the studies used 1000mg, you're buying the word, not the effect.
3. Look for the form
Same plant, different products. "Ashwagandha KSM-66" is a specific studied extract. "Ashwagandha extract" could be almost anything. Named, branded forms cost brands more, which is exactly why cheap products don't use them. The same logic applies to magnesium, citicoline and most minerals.
4. Read the other ingredients
Sweeteners, flavourings, bulking agents. None of them are scandalous. But if a "clean" brand's label is half filler, that tells you how the product was built.
5. Do the price per serving
Pack price divided by servings. A £40 pouch with 20 servings costs more per day than a £30 pouch with 30. Then go one step further and count how many ingredients are at doses that can actually work. Cheap per cup means nothing if the cup is mostly flavour.
The one-line version: numbers on everything, numbers that match the studies, named forms, sensible extras, honest price per serving. Any product that passes all five is being straight with you.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If symptoms are severe, persistent, or worrying you, speak to your GP or a pharmacist.