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How to Read a Supplement Facts Panel, Line by Line
A Supplement Facts panel shows the serving size, servings per container, each ingredient with its amount and percent Daily Value where one exists, and other ingredients. Proprietary blends show a total weight only. Read serving size first, then amounts, then compare with trial doses and upper limits.
Written by the Prostadine label deskUpdated · 4 min read
The basics01
Why the panel matters
The panel is the one regulated place where a supplement tells you what it contains. Adverts, pages and stories can say anything within the limits of the law. The panel has fixed rules for form and content, so it is the part you can test claims against.
The FDA regulation sets out what the panel must show, including the heading, serving size, and the ingredients with amounts (21 CFR 101.36 (eCFR)). Reading it takes two minutes and prevents most disappointments.
The evidence02
The lines, in order
| Line | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Serving size | What counts as one dose, such as 2 mL or 2 capsules |
| Servings per container | How many days the bottle lasts at the label dose |
| Ingredient names | The form used, such as an extract, and sometimes the part of the plant |
| Amount per serving | The dose in mg, mcg or mL |
| % Daily Value | Where a reference exists, such as iodine |
| Other ingredients | Fillers, flavours, preservatives and allergens |
The numbers03
Serving size and the real price
A bottle that lasts 30 days at the label dose costs a different amount per day from one that lasts 15. Always divide the price by the number of servings. For drops, check whether the dose is a dropper line, a millilitre mark or a count of drops, since mistakes are easy.
Check, too, whether the label dose is the same as the dose on the advert. Differences happen.
The catch04
Amounts and forms
Look at each amount and its unit. Milligrams and micrograms differ by a factor of a thousand, and a mix-up changes a trivial dose into a large one. Note the form: an extract with a stated ratio is not the same as the raw herb, and the trial dose usually refers to an extract.
For saw palmetto the large trials used extracts at 320 to 960 mg a day (Bent et al., NEJM 2006). If the label shows a lower figure, or none, you cannot say the product matches.
Safety05
Percent Daily Value and upper limits
Percent Daily Value tells you how much a serving contributes to a reference intake for nutrients that have one. Iodine has a reference of 150 micrograms, and an upper limit of 1,100 micrograms for adults (NIH ODS, Iodine). A product that gives more than 100 percent is not automatically unsafe, but you should count it with your diet.
Herbs mostly have no Daily Value, shown as an asterisk, which just means no reference exists.
What to do06
Blends and missing amounts
A blend shows a total weight and a list of names. As covered in our proprietary blends post, you can use the total as a ceiling. If there is no panel at all, ask the seller for one before you buy.
The brand reviewed on this site shows ingredient names on the bottle but no Supplement Facts panel in any image we hold, so we do not quote amounts.
On the label07
Other ingredients and allergens
The line often hides things that matter: alcohol or glycerin in a liquid, preservatives, flavours and allergens. Seaweed products may carry iodine and, as with fish and shellfish, some people have allergies to marine ingredients. Read this line if you have any allergy or sensitivity.
If something is unclear, a pharmacist can help.
In practice08
A two-minute routine
- Read the serving size and divide the price.
- Read each amount and unit.
- Compare with trial doses and upper limits.
- Check the blend and the other ingredients.
- Write down what you cannot tell, and ask the seller.
Our label guide goes through a full example.
FAQ09
Prostadine questions people ask
What does serving size mean on a supplement?
It is the amount the label counts as one dose. Servings per container tell you how long the bottle lasts.
What does a missing Supplement Facts panel mean?
You cannot see amounts or compare with trial doses. Ask the seller for the panel before you buy.
Is more than 100 percent Daily Value unsafe?
Not automatically, but you should add it to your dietary intake and watch upper limits, such as 1,100 micrograms for iodine.
Why do herbs show an asterisk for Daily Value?
Because no reference daily intake exists for them.
Who wrote this10
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the bottle photos, the info page and linked NIH, FDA, NCI, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a licensed U.S. retail desk for Prostadine, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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