Guides to supplement labels

Seven guides to the labels of the 116,682 products in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (January 2026 release): how to read a Supplement Facts panel, what the two reference numbers mean, how to compare products and brands fairly, and what labels say about safety.

Published by PlainVitamins, written with AI tools under the editorial policy.

• How to read a Supplement Facts labelServing size, amount per serving, %DV, blends, other ingredients and the statements around the panel, with how often each appears.
• The %DV and the upper limit: what the two numbers meanWhat the Daily Value is, what the Tolerable Upper Intake Level is, and how far typical labels go past each.
• Comparing two supplements with dataSame measure, same serving, the per-day amount, the closest formulas: how to put two labels side by side fairly.
• Comparing supplement brands by their labelsWhat a brand page shows: catalogue size, what its labels list, how often it leaves amounts undisclosed in blends, and which seals it prints.
• Supplement safety basics, from the labelThe warnings labels carry, the nutrients most often above the adult upper limit, and where to check a product further.
• What supplement ingredients do, and where to read about themThe ingredients labels list most, and the federal fact sheets that explain each one.
• What supplement labels contain, in numbersSingle ingredients or formulas, how much against the Daily Value, how many leave amounts undisclosed: the market by the numbers, without a verdict.