Buying Guides2 min read
How to read a supplement label before you buy
Serving size, elemental weight and the difference between a 60-count and a 120-count bottle: the four numbers that decide whether a price is actually good.
By Right Supplements
Two bottles on the same shelf can carry the same headline number and cost very different amounts per day you actually use them. The label tells you which is which, and almost all of it sits in four places.
Serving size is the unit that matters
A label states its numbers per serving, and a serving is not always one tablet. If a product lists 1000 mg per serving and a serving is two capsules, a 60-capsule bottle is a 30-day bottle, not a 60-day one. Before comparing anything, convert both products to the same thing: cost per day.
Elemental weight, not compound weight
Minerals are sold as compounds. "Magnesium citrate 500 mg" is the weight of the whole compound; the magnesium inside it is a fraction of that. Well-made labels state the elemental figure in brackets, and the ones that do not are usually hoping you read the bigger number.
The same trap exists for iron (ferrous bisglycinate against elemental iron) and for calcium (carbonate against citrate). When two products look identical on price, the elemental line is often where they separate.
Pack count changes the price, not the value
Larger packs are usually cheaper per serving, which is why we compare on price per unit rather than price per pack. A 120-count bottle at a higher sticker price is frequently the cheaper product. It is also a bigger commitment to something you may not want to keep taking, so the honest comparison is price per serving and whether you will finish it.
What the label cannot tell you
A label is not evidence that a product suits you. Dosage, interactions and whether you need the product at all are questions for a qualified healthcare professional, not for a panel on the back of a bottle. What the label is genuinely good for is arithmetic, and the arithmetic is where most of the money is.
Related on the site
- Why the same vitamin costs three different prices online
- Compare vitamins and minerals on price per unit
- Every shelf we track
Right Supplements compares prices across the stores we track. We are not a pharmacy and not a seller, we hold no stock, and nothing here is medical advice — talk to a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement.
