How to read a supplement label without getting fooled

Two products can look identical on the front of the bottle and be completely different behind it. Here's how to read the part that actually tells you what you're buying.

1. Compound weight vs elemental amount

A label might shout "1000 mg magnesium" — but if that's the weight of the whole compound (magnesium bisglycinate), the elemental magnesium you absorb is a fraction of it. Good supplement facts show both. When in doubt, the elemental number is the one that matters.

2. "Proprietary blend" is a red flag

A proprietary blend lists a total weight for a group of ingredients without telling you how much of each you're getting. That's legal, but it means you can't judge whether any single ingredient is present at a meaningful amount. Products that disclose every dose have nothing to hide.

3. Form, not just name

"Vitamin D," "magnesium," "B12" — each of these comes in multiple forms that differ in how well they're absorbed. The specific form (cholecalciferol, bisglycinate, methylcobalamin) belongs on the label.

4. Servings per container

A cheap bottle can simply contain fewer servings. Divide the price by the number of servings, not the number of capsules, to compare fairly.

5. Third-party testing

Regulators oversee labeling, but independent lab testing is what confirms the bottle matches the label and is free of contaminants.^[1]A published certificate of analysis (COA) is the gold standard — every VitaStore product page links to one.

None of this is about health claims — it's about knowing exactly what you're paying for.