Every product on Nutrition Reviews is evaluated against the same published rubric and given a score from 0 to 10. This page explains what goes into that score, what the numbers mean, how we choose the video reviews you see and how we keep reviews up to date.
How we evaluate products
Our reviews are research-based. For each product, our editors examine:
- The label: the full Supplement Facts or Nutrition Facts panel, ingredients, serving size and allergens, from the brand's product page, major retailer listings or the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.
- The research: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, human clinical trials and expert position stands, compared against the doses in the product.
- Certification records: checked in each certifier's own database, not taken from a logo on the pack.
- Regulatory history: FDA recalls, warning letters and safety alerts.
- Pricing: current prices from the brand and major retailers, converted into cost per effective serving.
- Buyer and creator feedback: patterns across verified-buyer reviews on Amazon and TikTok Shop and across creator video reviews.
We don't run our own laboratory tests, and unless a review specifically says otherwise, our evaluations aren't based on hands-on testing. When we describe taste, texture or tolerability, we're summarizing what buyers and creators consistently report, and we write it that way.
The Nutrition Reviews Score
Each product receives five factor scores from 0 to 10. The overall score is their weighted average, rounded to one decimal place.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy | 30% | Key ingredients at clinically studied doses, and the strength of the evidence for the product's main purpose |
| Quality & Purity | 25% | Third-party testing and certification, manufacturing standards, contaminant testing and recall history |
| Value | 20% | Cost per effective serving compared with category peers |
| Experience | 15% | Taste, mixability, texture and tolerability, from aggregated buyer and creator feedback |
| Transparency | 10% | Full label disclosure, no proprietary blends, available test results and honest marketing |
For example, factor scores of 9.0 for efficacy, 9.0 for quality, 8.0 for value, 9.0 for experience and 7.0 for transparency produce an overall score of 8.6.
Efficacy (30%)
We identify the ingredients responsible for a product's main purpose and compare each dose with the amounts used in human research. Creatine monohydrate at 3–5 g per day, for example, is backed by a large body of evidence; a fraction of that dose is not. Ingredients supported by multiple well-designed human trials and meta-analyses score higher than those resting on small, short or animal studies, and trendy ingredients added in amounts too small to matter earn no credit.
Quality & Purity (25%)
Because the FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they're sold, independent testing is the strongest quality signal available to shoppers. We give the most credit to recognized programs:
- NSF Certified for Sport verifies label claims, screens for contaminants and substances banned in sport, and audits manufacturing facilities.
- Informed Sport tests every batch for banned substances before release, while Informed Choice tests products for banned substances through monthly blind samples bought at retail.
- USP Verified confirms that a supplement contains its listed ingredients in the declared amounts, doesn't contain harmful levels of specified contaminants, breaks down and releases its ingredients as intended, and is made under good manufacturing practices.
We also weigh contaminant testing (for heavy metals and microbes, for example), ingredient forms, and any recalls or FDA warnings. Following current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) is a legal requirement for all supplement makers, and "made in an FDA-registered facility" doesn't mean the FDA has approved a product, so those claims alone earn limited credit. Products without independent third-party testing generally score no higher than 7.5 for quality.
Value (20%)
We compare cost per effective serving with other products in the same category: cost per gram of protein for protein powder, the cost of a daily research-backed dose for creatine, and the cost of the full daily serving for a multivitamin. A cheap product that underdoses its key ingredients can score lower on value than a pricier one that delivers what it promises. Value scores reflect typical prices at the time of review.
Experience (15%)
Experience covers what a product is like to use: taste, mixability, texture, pill size and tolerability, such as bloating or jitters. We look for consistent patterns across many verified-buyer reviews and creator videos, and we give less weight to feedback that looks incentivized or inauthentic. A great experience never stands in for evidence.
Transparency (10%)
We reward brands that disclose the exact amount of every active ingredient, publish certificates of analysis (COAs) or share them on request, and market their products honestly. Proprietary blends, which hide individual ingredient amounts, cap transparency at 6.0. Disease claims, or marketing that goes well beyond the evidence, also lower this score.
What the scores mean
| Score | Rating | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 9.3 and above | Exceptional | Rare, category-defining products that excel on nearly every factor |
| 8.5–9.2 | Excellent | Strong evidence, verified quality and fair value, with only minor drawbacks |
| 7.5–8.4 | Good | A solid choice with some trade-offs |
| 6.5–7.4 | Average / mixed | Real strengths offset by meaningful weaknesses |
| Below 6.5 | Poor or overhyped | Weak evidence, underdosed formulas, poor value or unresolved quality concerns |
We use the full range: not everything earns a 9, and a product with millions of views on TikTok can still score poorly. Keep in mind that:
- Scores compare products within a category. A 9.0 creatine and a 9.0 multivitamin are each excellent at their own job.
- A score isn't personal advice. The best-rated product may still be wrong for you; see our Medical Disclaimer.
- A score reflects the product when we reviewed it. Formulas change, so check the label on the product you buy. Where it matters, our Supplement Facts panels note the flavor or size they're based on.
How we choose video reviews
Product pages feature video reviews from YouTube and TikTok so you can hear from people who have used the product. When selecting videos, we:
- Prefer independent creators, choosing genuine reviews, taste tests and comparisons over brands' own ads.
- Confirm each video is about that exact product, and link to the original on YouTube or TikTok.
- Label sentiment honestly as positive, mixed or negative, based on the creator's overall verdict, and include critical reviews whenever they exist.
- Never accept paid placement. Brands and creators can't pay to have a video added, moved up or removed.
- Label sponsored videos when we know. If a creator discloses a paid partnership or gifted product, or we otherwise know a video is sponsored, we mark it as sponsored.
Many creators earn their own commissions on the products they review, so treat any single video as one perspective. Videos reflect their creators' opinions, not ours, and no single video determines a score. Creators who would like a video removed can ask through our contact page.
Keeping reviews current
We aim to revisit every review at least once a year, and sooner when something important changes: a reformulation, a new or lapsed certification, a recall or FDA warning, significant new research, a large and lasting price change, or a clear shift in buyer or creator feedback. When a score changes, we update the review and note what changed. Prices and availability move faster than any review can, so the retailer's page is always the final word.
How brands can submit products
Brands can suggest a product for review through our contact page, free of charge. Please include links to the product's retailer or brand-store listings, the complete Supplement Facts or Nutrition Facts panel, third-party certification details, recent certificates of analysis and any published research.
A submission doesn't guarantee coverage, a timeline or a particular score. We never accept payment for placement, reviews or scores, and we may review any product whether or not its maker contacts us. Submitted products are evaluated like every other product, so they can receive low scores. Brands can't preview or approve reviews, but we'll always correct documented factual errors.
Corrections
If you think we've got something wrong, whether it's a dose, a price, a certification or a conclusion, please tell us through our contact page. We investigate every report and fix confirmed errors promptly. Our Editorial Standards describe our full corrections policy.