Most supplement labels are designed to impress, not inform. This guide teaches you exactly what clinical dose means, why proprietary blends are a red flag, and how to verify third-party testing claims before you buy anything.
9
Red flags covered
6
Label elements decoded
1
Interactive label
What a clean label looks like
Serving Size2 Capsules
Affron® Saffron88.5mg
KSM-66® Ashwagandha300mg
Magnesium Glycinate200mg
BioPerine®5mg
Proprietary Blend—
The supplement industry is largely unregulated.
Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, dietary supplements do not require FDA approval before they go to market. A brand can put almost anything on a supplement label and sell it legally, as long as they include a disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the claims. This means the burden of verification falls entirely on you, the consumer.
The good news is that reading a supplement label correctly takes about 60 seconds once you know what to look for. Below is a complete guide to the six elements that matter, and the nine red flags that tell you to put the bottle down.
Interactive Label Decoder
Click any element to decode it.
Tap each label row to see exactly what it means and why it matters.
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 2 Capsules · Servings Per Container: 30
Serving Size
2 capsules
Affron® Saffron Extract
88.5mg
KSM-66® Ashwagandha
300mg
Magnesium Glycinate
200mg
BioPerine® Black Pepper
5mg
Other Ingredients
Vegetable capsule, rice flour
* Daily Value not established Third-party tested · NSF Certified · GMP Facility
Click a label row to decode it
9 Red Flags
Put the bottle down if you see any of these.
Ranked by severity. Click each to read the full explanation.
01
Proprietary blend
Critical
02
Generic ingredient names without standardization
Critical
03
No third-party testing claim
High
04
Magnesium oxide instead of glycinate
High
05
"Clinically studied ingredients" without citing the study
Medium
06
Serving size of 1 capsule for a complex formula
Medium
07
No expiration date or lot number
Medium
08
"Supports healthy cortisol levels" without a clinical citation
Low
09
Artificial colors or flavors in a capsule
Low
Clinical vs. Generic
Why the extract matters more than the ingredient name.
Ingredient
Generic version
Clinical version
Saffron
Crocus sativus powder — no standardization, unknown lepticrosalide content
Affron® — standardized to 3.5% lepticrosalide, the active compound studied in RCTs
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha root powder — variable withanolide content, often <1%
KSM-66® — standardized to ≥5% withanolides, the extract used in the Chandrasekhar RCT