Our Standard
How We Review and Rate Supplements
Every review on Nutra Verdict is built on the same rubric. This page lays it out in full so you can judge our judgments. If a score ever looks generous or harsh, you should be able to trace it straight back to the rules below.
The three questions behind every score
Supplement marketing is designed to make products feel interchangeable and exciting. We strip that away and ask the same three things of every formula:
- Does it contain ingredients that actually have evidence? We look for actives with real human research behind them, not a long label of trendy extracts included at fairy-dust levels.
- Are those ingredients dosed at the levels used in studies?An ingredient only works at the amount that was tested. A product that lists a proven active but hides the dose inside a “proprietary blend” loses points, because you cannot confirm it is there in a meaningful quantity.
- Is it fairly priced against the alternatives? That includes the honest question of whether you could buy the same active as a cheaper single ingredient and skip the branded formula.
What our ratings mean
We score out of 5. The band matters more than the decimal. Here is how to read them:
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| 4.3 and up | A genuinely strong option. Evidence-backed actives, reasonable doses or disclosure, fair value, and a solid guarantee. We would be comfortable recommending it to someone with the right expectations. |
| 3.8 to 4.2 | Solid with caveats. A legitimate product that has a real weakness worth knowing before you buy, a hidden dose, a thin evidence base for one claim, a high refund rate, or a cheaper DIY route. We feature it and state the catch plainly. |
| 3.0 to 3.7 | Below average. The formula is underwhelming, overpriced, or oversold relative to what it delivers. Proceed only if a specific detail suits you. |
| Under 3.0 | A red flag. Reserved for products with a serious problem, missing or useless actives, deceptive marketing, or safety concerns. We do not hand these out lightly, which is exactly what makes them mean something. |
Because we cover mainstream, legitimately formulated products, most scores land in the 3.8 to 4.7 range. That is not grade inflation, it reflects that most of what we review is a real product with a real active and a real guarantee. The honest work is in the prose: within that band we tell you exactly where each product is weakest.
How we keep a rating consistent
A product gets one rating across the whole site. The score you see in a standalone review is the same score it carries in any ranked guide it appears in, and the pros, cons and caveats are consistent between them. If we say a formula hides its doses in one place, we do not call it transparent somewhere else.
How we source claims
Product facts, ingredients, price and guarantee terms, come from the official sales pages and label at the time of writing. Health and medical claims are checked against recognized sources such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, the relevant specialist bodies, and peer-reviewed research indexed on PubMed. We cite those sources on the page so you can check them yourself. Prices and offers change, so treat any figure as a starting point and confirm on the merchant page.
How affiliate links affect a score: they do not
Nutra Verdict is reader-supported. Many of our links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. That relationship never changes a rating or a ranking. We rate products we earn nothing from, we keep sourced negatives in reviews of products we do earn from, and a higher commission never buys a higher spot. See our full affiliate disclosure for the details.
What we are not
We are not doctors, and nothing here is medical advice. Supplements are not substitutes for prescription treatment, and some interact with medication. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional before starting anything, especially if you are on medication, pregnant, or managing a health condition.
Questions about how we reached a specific verdict? Read more about who writes these reviews or about Nutra Verdict.