How we verify supplements

A supplement page can look researched and still be wrong. The claim came from an ad. The study used a different dose. The safety check stopped halfway through. The “monthly price” quietly assumes a subscription.

So we do not judge a supplement by the tidiest story on the shelf. We build one inspectable record and carry the same questions through it.

Our one-record rule

Every product follows six checks, in order:

1. Claim: What does the brand actually say? We quote or closely paraphrase it and name who made it. We do not quietly turn marketing language into a proven benefit.
2. Label: What is in the bottle, in what form, and at what amount? “Magnesium” is not enough. The ingredient identity, amount, and any relevant label warning need to be visible.
3. Dose fit: Does the bottle match the dose used in the research? A familiar ingredient does not make every dose interchangeable. If the label or match is unclear, we say so.
4. Study: Does relevant evidence test that ingredient, dose, population, and outcome? Single-ingredient evidence and finished-product evidence stay separate. When no matching study is found, our record says exactly that.
5. Safety: What known interactions, contraindications, or uncertainties matter here? This is a reading of the available information, not medical advice and not permission to skip care.
6. Cost: What will the reader actually pay per day and per month? We keep subscriptions, shipping terms, and the price basis visible instead of relying on a sticker price.

That record stays together. A good result in one box cannot rescue a mismatch in another.

What we will not claim

We do not promise cures. We do not say a supplement treats a condition or replaces medical care. We do not turn “hormone-free” into proof of safety or effectiveness. And we do not call something effective because a study exists somewhere, in someone else, at a different dose.

If the evidence cannot carry the marketing claim, the claim does not survive onto our page.

Sources have dates, and our records have dates

Evidence ages. Labels and prices change. New research arrives, and safety information can be revised. So the sources we hold show their publication or update date where one is available. The record also shows when PeriProof checked the product information.

That date is a receipt, not a promise that nothing will change tomorrow. It tells you what our check was based on. A dated, inspectable record beats vague words such as “always up to date.”

How we could be wrong

We could miss a relevant study, misread a complicated label, or accept a source that turns out to have limits. We could check a price and miss a regional change. Study findings can also change when better evidence appears.

So we keep unknowns visible. We prefer “not verified” to a tidy guess. If our process catches an error, the record should be corrected rather than quietly defended.

The writer does not grade the work

The writer builds the record but does not give it the final pass. A separate reviewer checks the page against our editorial rules. That separation matters because fluency can make weak work look finished.

Our process is described more fully in the editorial policy and standards, while our affiliate disclosure policy explains how commercial relationships are handled. For the broader decision rules, see our method.

The aim is not to sound certain. It is to show you enough of the trail that you can inspect the evidence and decide for yourself.