Every score is built on documented evidence, not impressions.
Our scoring rubric applies four fixed criteria to every product we evaluate. No editorial discretion, no manufacturer input, no exceptions.
The rubric applied to every product
Each criterion is scored independently against published research and verified data. A product's final rating reflects all four — none are weighted by commercial factors.
Ingredient identity verification
Clinical dose threshold analysis
We confirm each listed ingredient against its INCI or IUPAC designation. Proprietary blends that obscure individual compound quantities are flagged and penalized.
Each ingredient's per-serving quantity is compared against the lowest effective dose established in peer-reviewed human trials. Sub-threshold doses are noted explicitly.
Third-party testing status
Label accuracy and claim integrity
We check for current certificates of analysis from accredited independent laboratories — NSF, USP, Informed Sport, or equivalent — and record their scope and date.
Marketed claims are cross-referenced against the product's actual formula. Claims unsupported by the ingredient profile or dosing are identified and quoted directly.
No advertiser access to scores. No affiliate revenue.
Sourcing standards applied to each ingredient evaluation are equivalent to those used in clinical formulary review — not consumer marketing assessment.
This site carries no sponsored placements, no brand partnerships, and no commission structures tied to purchase links. Our revenue model is structurally decoupled from product outcomes.
That decoupling is why a low score stays low. No manufacturer relationship changes a criterion result once the rubric is applied.