The label on a supplement carries more information than most people read. Here is what each part is telling you, and which parts are worth checking before you buy.

Serving size and servings per container

Everything else on the label is measured per serving, so this is the number to read first. A serving may be one capsule or three. Two products can look identical on the front of the box and differ considerably once you account for how much of it counts as one serving.

The ingredient list

Ingredients are listed in descending order by quantity. Anything described as a blend is a group of ingredients sharing one combined figure, so the individual amounts are not stated. That is worth noticing, though it is not by itself a mark against a product.

Expiry date and batch number

The expiry date tells you how long the manufacturer expects the product to hold its stated content when stored as directed. The batch number matters if there is ever a question about a specific production run — keep the packaging until the product is finished.

Storage instructions

Usually a line near the bottom, and usually the most ignored line on the box. It is there because temperature, light and humidity affect how well a product keeps.

Directions and cautions

Read these before the marketing on the front. If a product says to take it with food, or not to take it alongside a particular medicine, that instruction is the part that affects you most directly.

If anything on a label is unclear, ask a pharmacist. It is a short conversation and they are the right person for it.