The supplement market is large, fast-moving, and often difficult to navigate. Labels can look impressive while telling an incomplete story — through large numbers that refer to compound weights rather than active doses, botanical claims built on reverse-calculated equivalents, and ingredient lists where fillers occupy more space than the actives they surround.
This guide gives readers the tools to cut through that complexity. It does not require prior knowledge of nutrition or science. It requires only a willingness to look beyond the headline and ask the right questions.
Topics covered include:
- How to read a supplement label from front to back
- The difference between active ingredients and compound forms
- How fillers, bulking agents, and perception fillers take up formulation space
- What extract ratios and standardisation percentages actually mean
- How proprietary blends conceal individual dosing information
- The marketing tactics behind “high strength,” “equivalent to,” and “premium” claims
- A 30-second framework for evaluating any label with confidence
Written by Raham Alsawadi, NHS doctor and founder of Kanthos Limited, and based on independent assessment of publicly available product information.
