Why Most Supplements Are Underdosed
The dirty secret of the supplement industry
TL;DR
Companies dose based on price and label appeal, not science. They put enough to list the ingredient, not enough to work. Always check if your dose matches clinical research. We do this for you on every ingredient page.
The Study Dose vs. The Shelf Dose
Here's a typical scenario: Research shows magnesium glycinate helps sleep at 400mg. You buy a magnesium supplement. Label says 200mg. You're getting half of what studies actually tested. The company knows this. They also know "Magnesium" on the label sells bottles. The dose? That's your problem.
Key Takeaway: What's on the label often doesn't match what studies used.
Why This Happens
Three reasons. First: cost. Effective doses of quality ingredients are expensive. Second: capsule size. Nobody wants to swallow horse pills. A proper dose of some supplements won't fit in a standard capsule. Third: psychology. "$20 for 30 capsules" sounds better than "$20 for 15 capsules" even if the 15-count is properly dosed.
Key Takeaway: Economics > efficacy in most product decisions.
The Math Problem
Ashwagandha (KSM-66): Clinical dose is 600mg. Many products contain 300mg. CoQ10: Therapeutic range is 100-200mg. Lots of products contain 30mg. Omega-3: Research uses 2-3g EPA/DHA. Most fish oil pills have 300mg combined. You'd need 6-10 pills to match studies.
Key Takeaway: Do the math on YOUR products. The gap is usually 2-3x.
The Elemental vs. Compound Trick
This one's sneaky. "Magnesium Glycinate 500mg" might mean 500mg of the compound, which contains only ~70mg of actual magnesium. Companies technically aren't lying (500mg of magnesium glycinate powder). But what you actually absorb is the elemental magnesium, not the compound weight.
Key Takeaway: Check if the label shows elemental amount or compound weight.
How to Actually Get Effective Doses
Option 1: Buy from companies that dose to research (costs more). Option 2: Buy basic ingredients in bulk and dose yourself. Option 3: Stack multiple products (expensive and inconvenient). There's no cheap shortcut to effective dosing.
Key Takeaway: Effective supplementation costs more than most people budget.
Real Talk
The supplement industry survives on the gap between what's marketed and what's delivered. "Contains Ashwagandha!" technically true. Contains an effective dose? Usually not. You're not paranoid. Most products ARE underdosed. Not because they're scams, but because proper dosing costs more than consumers expect to pay.
What To Do About It
- Check clinical doses on our ingredient pages before buying
- Compare your product's dose to the clinical dose
- Expect to pay more for properly dosed supplements
- Consider whether you need 2 servings to hit effective dose
- Calculate cost per EFFECTIVE dose, not cost per serving
The Bottom Line
You get what you pay for. If a "complete formula" costs $15, it's probably complete on paper and underdosed in practice.
More Real Talk
About this information: Our recommendations draw from peer-reviewed clinical trials, systematic reviews, and the same medical databases your doctor uses. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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