SupplementDB
About

Built for clarity,
not for conversions.

Most supplement content exists to sell you something. SupplementDB exists to give you the same structured, honest read on every compound — regardless of whether that read is encouraging or not.

Our approach

Evidence grading, not opinion.

Each supplement page is built around the same evidence framework: randomised controlled trials carry the most weight, followed by systematic reviews and meta-analyses, then mechanistic and observational data. We distinguish between what has been tested in humans under controlled conditions and what is merely biologically plausible or observed in animal models.

We rate every claimed effect in one of four buckets — likely helpful, possibly helpful, unclear, or overclaimed — with the evidence tier shown explicitly. Nothing is left as vague implication.

Principles
  1. 01
    Mechanism is not outcome
    A plausible biological pathway is not evidence that a supplement works in humans at the doses you can buy. We always separate mechanistic rationale from clinical evidence.
  2. 02
    The overclaimed bucket exists for a reason
    Marketing inflates supplement claims far beyond what trials support. We explicitly label effects that are regularly claimed but unsupported — so you know what to ignore.
  3. 03
    Dose and population matter
    An effect found in iron-deficient women does not generalise to well-nourished men. A dose used in a clinical trial may differ from what is sold commercially. We always report both.
  4. 04
    Safety is as important as efficacy
    We document side effects, drug interactions and contraindications on every page — not as legal boilerplate, but as first-class information you need before supplementing.
  5. 05
    We tell you when we don't know
    Unclear evidence gets labelled unclear. We do not fill gaps with optimism. A short, honest 'evidence is insufficient' is more useful than a long paragraph of hedged speculation.
  6. 06
    No financial incentives in our ratings
    SupplementDB does not carry affiliate links, sponsored content or product endorsements. Our verdict on a compound cannot be influenced by who makes it.
What we are not

Not a medical service.

SupplementDB is an educational resource. Nothing on this site constitutes medical advice, and nothing here should replace a conversation with a qualified clinician — especially if you take medication, have a diagnosed condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

We also do not aggregate or summarise primary research ourselves. Our pages synthesise existing reviews, meta-analyses and the most cited trial literature, and we note the limitations of that evidence where it exists. We update pages when significant new evidence emerges.

The standard

We rate every supplement the same way — popular or obscure, widely sold or rarely heard of.

There are no sponsored pages, no affiliate links, and no relationships with supplement brands. A compound's commercial popularity has no bearing on its verdict here. If the evidence is weak, we say so — regardless of how many people are buying it.