Supplement Topics
Jump into the most-searched supplement topics: reading labels, FDA oversight, ingredient evidence, and brand comparison. According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, every topic here is grounded in the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), which catalogs 113,539 product labels as of April 2026. Each topic links to plain-language guidance plus the underlying label records. How we compile this data.
Editorial Topics
How to Read a Supplement Facts Panel
What every line on a supplement label means, how Daily Value percentages work, and why supplement labels differ from food nutrition facts.
FDA Oversight of Dietary Supplements
How the FDA regulates supplements under DSHEA 1994, what pre-market approval does and does not require, and where the NIH DSLD fits in.
Comparing Supplements with Government Data
A practical guide to using DSLD label filings to evaluate brands, check ingredient amounts, and identify quality signals.
Evidence Ratings for Common Supplements
Which supplements have strong scientific evidence, which do not, and how to evaluate marketing claims, with evidence ratings for 14 common supplements.
Proprietary Blends, Botanicals & Allergens
Serving sizes, proprietary blends, third-party certifications, "Other Ingredients" allergens, and botanical label terminology decoded.
What Supplement Ingredients Actually Do
Plain-English explanations of what common supplement ingredients are, what the evidence says, and how to interpret amounts on a label.
Most Common Ingredient Topics
Ingredients that appear in the most product labels across the DSLD. Click an ingredient to see every supplement that contains it.
Brand Topics
Most-cataloged brands in the DSLD by total filings.
Methodology
Editorial topics on this page are written in-house and reference the Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) for every label-level claim. "Most common" ingredient and brand topics are deterministic rollups against the DSLD, ranked by filing count, with no editorial weighting. Ingredient topic counts reflect how many distinct product labels declare that ingredient in their Supplement Facts panel.
Every time the NIH republishes the DSLD, these topics are refreshed against the latest export. Ingredient evidence ratings in the "Are Supplements Worth Taking?" guide reference Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheets and peer-reviewed literature cited in those fact sheets, ratings are editorial but conservative, following the NIH's own categorization of evidence strength.
Not medical advice. Topic selection is a navigation aid, not an endorsement of any supplement, brand, or ingredient. Under Source: Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), 1994, 21 U.S.C. § 321(ff), dietary supplements are not FDA-approved for efficacy before marketing. Information here is for educational reference only. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or combining any dietary supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take prescription medication, or have a medical condition.