How to Read a Supplement Label (and What Third-Party Testing Actually Means)

The supplement aisle rewards big numbers on the front of the box. Here is how to read past them.

1. Front-of-pack numbers are marketing

A box that says "NAD+ 1000mg" is usually telling you the total weight of actives, not the dose of any single ingredient. The only number that matters is on the Supplement Facts panel on the back. On simplyNAD+ that panel reads: nicotinamide riboside hydrogen malate 600mg, quercetin phytosome 250mg, trans-resveratrol 150mg, PQQ 40mg — 1,040mg of actives, itemized.

2. "Proprietary blend" means they won't tell you

US labeling rules allow a company to list ingredients inside a proprietary blend without individual amounts, as long as the blend's total weight is shown. A "NAD Complex 600mg" that contains six ingredients could be 550mg of the cheapest one. If a label does not give you a milligram figure per ingredient, assume the expensive ingredients are the small ones.

3. Precursor form matters

"NAD+" as an ingredient is not what most products contain — they contain a precursor. Look for the words nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and a dose in the range used in human trials (250–1,000mg/day for NR).

4. Third-party tested — tested for what?

The phrase by itself is meaningless. Useful testing covers: (a) potency — the label amount is actually in the product; (b) heavy metals — lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury; (c) microbial — E. coli, salmonella, yeast and mold. The document that proves it is a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the specific lot number printed on your box. A brand that tests will send you one; ask with your lot number.

5. GMP

Good Manufacturing Practice (21 CFR Part 111) is the FDA's baseline for dietary-supplement facilities in the US — it governs cleanliness, record-keeping and batch traceability. It is a floor, not a quality guarantee, but a product without it is a red flag.

6. Other ingredients

Liquids need something to taste good and stay stable. Ours uses apple juice concentrate, erythritol, citric acid, purple carrot concentrate, natural flavors and sucralose. That does mean it is not sugar-free — we would rather tell you than print "no added sugar" and hope you don't read the panel.

The 30-second checklist

• Per-ingredient milligrams, no blends
• NR or NMN named, 250mg+ per day
• Lot number and expiry on the pack
• COA available on request
• GMP facility

7. Salt forms and what “600mg” refers to

Nicotinamide riboside is unstable on its own, so it is sold as a salt: NR chloride is the most common, and simplyNAD+ uses NR hydrogen malate. When a label says “nicotinamide riboside chloride 300mg” the 300mg is the weight of the salt, of which roughly 87% is NR itself. That is standard practice across the industry and is how the NR trials reported their doses too — but it means two products with the same front-of-pack number can contain slightly different amounts of the active molecule depending on which salt they use. Our panel names the salt so you can do the arithmetic yourself.

8. Lot numbers, expiry and storage

A lot number ties your specific box to a production run and a Certificate of Analysis. An expiry date tells you how long the manufacturer will stand behind the potency; for NR-based products it is usually 18–24 months from manufacture when stored cool and dry. If a box has neither, the company cannot trace it and neither can you. simplyNAD+ prints both on every carton.

9. “Clinically studied” vs “clinically proven”

“Clinically studied ingredient” means the ingredient — not necessarily the product — has been used in a human trial. It is a legitimate phrase when the dose matches the trial. “Clinically proven” for a supplement is a red flag: dietary supplements are not permitted to claim they treat or prevent disease, and no NAD+ product has outcome data that would justify the word “proven”. Our own copy says NR raises blood NAD+, because that is what the trials measured.

10. Red flags in one glance

• A front-of-pack milligram number larger than anything on the Supplement Facts panel.
• “NAD+” listed as the ingredient with no precursor named.
• Any promise about disease, ageing reversal, or years added to your life.
• Reviews that all mention the same benefit in the same words.
• No physical address, no lot number, no way to request a COA.

How simplyNAD+ is tested

Every production lot is tested for potency of the four actives, for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) and for microbial contamination before release, and each box carries its lot number. Email hello@simplynad.com with the lot number on your box and we will send the COA for that lot.

Frequently asked

Does “made in a GMP facility” mean the product was tested? No. GMP covers how the facility operates. Testing is a separate step, and the COA is the evidence of it.

What is a reasonable heavy-metals limit? Most reputable labs test against USP or California Proposition 65 thresholds — for lead, that is a fraction of a microgram per daily serving. A COA will state the method and the limit alongside the result.

Are natural flavours a problem? Not in themselves; the term is regulated and simply means the flavour compound was derived from a plant or animal source. What matters more is whether the sweetener and sugar content is disclosed.

Read next: Why PQQ, resveratrol and quercetin

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is educational and is not medical advice — talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.