In the US, a supplement’s label has a box called Supplement Facts, the supplement version of the Nutrition Facts on food.1 It looks technical, but there are only a few parts to it.
Serving size
This sits at the top, and everything below it is for this amount. A serving is the most the label recommends taking at one time, or one unit, like one capsule, if it doesn’t recommend an amount.1 So if the serving size is two gummies, every number below is for two.
Amount per serving
Next to each ingredient is how much of it one serving holds. Some labels head this column “Each tablet contains” instead.1 Read the units carefully: mg means milligrams and mcg means micrograms.2 They look alike, but they’re different units.
% Daily Value
The %DV column shows how much of a nutrient’s Daily Value one serving provides.1 Daily Values are the FDA’s reference amounts for the nutrients on Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels, which keeps every label on the same scale.2
It’s a yardstick for comparing labels, not a goal set for you. What’s right for you is a conversation for your doctor or pharmacist.
That little symbol
Some ingredients have a symbol in the %DV column instead of a number. It points to a footnote that says “Daily Value not established”: the FDA hasn’t set a Daily Value for that ingredient.1
Proprietary blends
A blend has a name of its own, with its total weight on the same line and its ingredients underneath, from most to least by weight. What the label doesn’t have to show is how much of each ingredient is in the blend.1
Quick recap
- Serving size: the amount every number below is for.
- Amount per serving: how much of each ingredient is in one serving. Check mg against mcg.
- % Daily Value: how one serving compares with a reference amount on the label’s own scale.
- The symbol: no Daily Value has been set for that ingredient.
- A blend: the total weight, with its ingredients from most to least.
Not sure what a label means for you? Bring the bottle to your pharmacist. That’s what they’re there for.
Drafted with help from AI tools and published under GRLY’s house rules: everyday habits, sources cited, no health promises, and nothing here is medical advice. Spot something off? Tell us at connect@grlyapp.co.
Sources
- Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide: Chapter IV. Nutrition Labeling. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.