Our Rating Methodology
Every product we review is scored 1–10 on five fixed, weighted criteria. This page explains exactly what each one measures and why it’s weighted the way it is, so you can judge our scores by the same standard we do.
The Five Criteria
We compare the amount of each active ingredient on the label against the amount used in the research behind it. A proven ingredient at a token, underdosed amount scores lower than the same ingredient dosed to match its study. Undisclosed “proprietary blends” that hide individual amounts are penalized here specifically, since they prevent this check entirely.
We check what research actually exists — for the finished product where a trial exists, and for the individual ingredients otherwise. We distinguish between human clinical trials, animal or cell-culture studies, and traditional-use history, since these carry very different evidentiary weight, however they’re presented in marketing.
Full label disclosure, manufacturing standards where stated, company track record, and whether the money-back guarantee is genuine, clearly stated, and consistently described across the company’s own materials.
Drawn from independent platforms where available, weighing consistency of pattern over any single review, positive or negative.
Cost per serving at the dose that’s actually been studied, compared against similar products addressing the same claim.
How Scores Map to Our Verdict
Significant Concerns
Mixed
Recommended
What We Check Before Anything Else
Does a cited study actually test this product?
A surprising number of products cite a real, legitimate clinical trial that, on close reading, tested a differently-named or differently-formulated product. We read the actual paper, not the marketing summary, and check the product name named in it.
Is a statistic technically accurate but practically misleading?
A percentage calculated correctly can still misrepresent the underlying result — for example, describing a large relative increase over a very small placebo response as if it were a large absolute change. We recalculate and explain these when we find them.
Is the evidence about the same population using the product?
A positive result in one population (say, resistance-trained athletes) doesn’t automatically transfer to a general population, and vice versa. We note this distinction wherever it applies.
What This Methodology Doesn’t Do
We are not a clinical trial, and a high score is not a personal guarantee of results — individual responses to any supplement vary. Our scores reflect how well a product’s claims are supported by the evidence that exists, not a promise about your personal outcome.
Independence From Commission
We earn a commission on some purchases made through this site. Our scoring criteria and weights are fixed and published on this page, and we apply them identically regardless of a product’s commission rate. See our affiliate disclosure for more detail.