How to Shop for Supplements With Confidence

1. Reading a Supplement Facts label

In the U.S., dietary supplements carry a "Supplement Facts" panel. It is the most reliable description of what you are buying — more reliable than any advertisement.

• Serving size: how many capsules make one serving. Everything else on the panel refers to this amount.
• Servings per container: combined with serving size, this tells you how long a bottle lasts.
• Amount per serving and % Daily Value: nutrients with an established Daily Value (like magnesium) show a percentage. Ingredients without one are marked with a symbol instead.
• Other ingredients: capsule shell, fillers and flow agents — worth checking if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.

2. Proprietary blends

A proprietary blend lists the combined weight of several ingredients, usually in descending order by weight, without disclosing each individual amount. This is legal, but it limits what you can know.

• You cannot compare individual doses to the amounts used in published research.
• An ingredient listed last may be present in a very small quantity.
• If dosing matters to you — or to your clinician — consider asking the seller for a breakdown before buying.

3. Money-back guarantees and refunds

Many online supplement sellers advertise a guarantee. The headline (for example "60 days") is rarely the whole policy. Before ordering, find the written refund terms and check:

• When the window starts — order date or delivery date.
• Whether opened or empty bottles are accepted.
• Whether you must request a return authorization first, and who pays return shipping.
• Whether shipping and handling fees are refunded.
• Who processes the refund — the brand or a third-party retailer.

Keep your order confirmation and note the date you'd need to act by.

4. Calculating the total cost

Multi-bottle packages often lower the per-bottle price but raise the upfront commitment. A simple formula helps:

Cost per day = (package price + shipping) ÷ (bottles × servings per bottle)

• Check whether the order is one-time or a recurring subscription.
• Look for pre-checked add-ons ("upsells") on the checkout page.
• Consider whether you'd realistically use a large package before its expiration date.

5. Safety checks

• Supplements are not FDA-approved before sale; the FDA does not verify their claims in advance.
• Talk to a clinician if you take medication, are pregnant or nursing, are under 18, or manage a health condition.
• Be skeptical of claims to "cure," "reverse" or "detox" a specific organ.

See how we apply this guide in our Lungora review, and read our medical disclaimer.