We Analyzed 116,409 Supplement Labels — Here's What We Found

Using data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), we analyzed the Supplement Facts, Other Ingredients, and label completeness of every dietary supplement product registered in the United States. Here are the key findings.

Filler Ingredients Are Everywhere

Of 116,409 products analyzed:

• 31.4% contain silicon dioxide or silica (36,591 products) — a common flow agent
• 25.7% contain magnesium stearate (29,943 products) — a lubricant used in manufacturing
• 6.9% contain sucralose (8,043 products) — an artificial sweetener
• 3.9% contain titanium dioxide (4,543 products) — a whitening agent banned in EU food since 2022
• 3.1% contain artificial colors (3,606 products) — Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, etc.

On the positive side, 59.7% of products (69,531) contain none of the major tier-1 or tier-2 fillers we track. The supplement industry is cleaner than many consumers assume — but nearly 40% of products still use unnecessary additives.

Dosage Transparency Varies Widely

Most supplements list ingredient amounts on their labels — that's required by FDA regulations. But the quality of that disclosure varies:

• 100% of products have Supplement Facts data (ingredient names and amounts)
• ~55% of ingredients across all products have %DV (Daily Value) listed
• The remaining 45% are botanicals, proprietary blends, or novel ingredients without an established Daily Value

Score Distribution

Our SupplementScore rates products 0-100 based on label quality. Here's how 116,409 products distribute:

• 37% score 80+ (top label quality) — products with transparent dosing, clean formulations, and good ingredient profiles
• 51% score 60-79 — decent label quality with room for improvement
• 8% score 40-59 — below average transparency or cleanliness
• 4% score below 40 — poor label practices, hidden doses, or significant fillers

Cleanest Brands

Among brands with 20+ products, these consistently achieve the highest formulation cleanliness scores (25/25 — zero unnecessary fillers):

• Eu Natural — 35 products, avg score 80.9
• Emerald — 54 products, avg score 80.8
• Signature Supplements — 107 products, avg score 80.7
• Garden of Life MyKind Organics — 73 products, avg score 80.2
• Codeage — 133 products, avg score 80.1

Methodology

All data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), a U.S. government database where each product label was manually entered from the physical product. Our analysis covers 116,409 products from 5,790 brands across 20 supplement categories.

For full details on how we calculate scores, see our methodology page.