How to Read a Supplement Facts Panel

Have you ever noticed that there’s a Supplement Facts panel on your supplement label? Similar to what’s on a food package, there’s a panel on supplements that tells you about the amount and type of dietary ingredients in that product. The Supplement Facts panel helps you make informed decisions for you and your family.

Are supplement facts the same as the nutrition facts?

Similar to the nutrition facts panel on food packages, you can use the Supplement Facts panel to compare ingredients across products. While there’s a lot of details on the supplement facts panel, it’s organized to make it easy for you to know what’s in your vitamins and supplements.

You might be curious about how to best understand the information included on the Supplement Facts panel. Here’s how to read the Supplement Facts to help you choose the best supplements for you.

What is included in the Supplements Facts panel?

Here are the different sections of the supplement facts panel and what they mean.

1. Serving size: This tells you how many of the supplement to take at one time.

2. Servings per container: This tells you how many servings are in the bottle or container so you know how long the bottle will last you if you take it as directed. This can be useful information to help you compare price per serving.

3. Amount per serving: Despite its title, this column provides more information than just amounts. This column lists the name of the dietary ingredients included and how much of each nutrient is included per serving. Depending on the ingredient, the amount is often listed in grams (g), milligrams (mg) or micrograms (mcg). Some vitamins and minerals will also list the nutrient’s source (the form found in the supplement).

4. Percent Daily Value: The Daily Value is the amount of a nutrient that is recommended to meet the needs of most people. The % Daily Value, or the % DV, is the percent of the Daily Value of a dietary ingredient that is in a serving of the product. Your unique needs, based on your age, gender, and life stage, may be different than the Daily Value, but Daily Values can be helpful for a general idea of how much a supplement is contributing to your recommended intake. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about your specific nutrient needs.

Other important parts of a supplement label

5. Other ingredients: This section lists the non-dietary ingredients in the product, such as the ingredients to make a gummy vitamin, or ingredients in a tablet or capsule for non-gummy vitamins. If you have food or ingredient allergies, it’s important you read this section in case any are in the supplement.

6. Contains: This section is voluntary so you may not see it on every supplement label. For companies that participant, it includes the allergen information for the product. If you have food or ingredient allergies, it’s important you read this section in case any are in the supplement. The top 9 allergens will be listed here if the supplement includes any of the following: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soy and sesame.

What else is found on a supplement label?

There are other parts of a supplement label that can give you important information too, such as:

• Directions: The directions provide guidance on how to take the supplement. For some supplements, there may be information on whether to take it with or without food, at a particular time of the day, or a certain amount of time before bedtime.
• Warnings/Caution: This is where you’ll find any specific warnings for the product. Commonly, you’ll see the message “Keep Out of Reach of Children”.
• Company information: This section contains the company's contact information, such as its physical address or website.

How does the supplement facts panel help you to compare supplements?

One of the most useful aspects of the Supplement Facts panel is that it allows you to compare across brands and types of supplements to decide what’s best for you. Because all Supplement Facts panels must contain the same information and look the same, it’s easy to compare between products. For example, you can compare two supplements to see how much vitamin D is in each per serving and if there are serving size differences.

If you have questions about choosing a supplement or how much you might need of a specific nutrient, speak with your healthcare provider.

Vitafusion™ Gummies – Here to Support You

Vitafusion™ gummy vitamins are lab-tested to ensure high quality and potency. These gummy vitamins are made with yummy flavors and are free of gluten, dairy, synthetic (FD&C) dyes, and high-fructose corn syrup. Supplement facts for each product are available on our website as well as on the supplement package at your favorite retailer. The information online may differ from products in-store. Please refer to the supplement facts and ingredient section listed on the package label for information related to the product.

Brought to you by the vitafusion™ nutrition experts.