Free Supplement Label Scanner
Scan any supplement label and get an instant quality grade A-D, filler detection, NIH verification, and timing recommendation. Type the name, paste from Amazon or iHerb, or upload a photo. Free, no account needed.
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What the grades mean
Magnesium forms compared
The form of a supplement is the single most important quality factor — more than brand, price, or marketing claims. Here is how common magnesium forms compare:
Magnesium oxide is the most common form on pharmacy shelves — and the least absorbed. At approximately 4% absorption you would need 20 pills of magnesium oxide to absorb the same amount as one pill of magnesium bisglycinate.
How to scan a supplement
Fillers Elthio detects
Many supplements contain additives that serve no nutritional purpose — and some that may be actively harmful. Elthio scans the other ingredients list and flags concerning additives automatically:
- Titanium dioxide — banned as a food additive in the EU; used as a whitening agent
- Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 — artificial colors linked to hyperactivity concerns in children
- Carrageenan — thickener associated with GI inflammation in sensitive individuals
- Hydrogenated oils — trans fats used as cheap fillers in softgels and tablets
- Silicon dioxide — anti-caking agent; flagged at high concentrations
- Propylene glycol — solvent used in liquid supplements; dose-dependent concerns
- Proprietary blends — hides individual ingredient doses; cannot verify potency
- Magnesium stearate / stearic acid — flow agents; generally low risk but noted for transparency
Why supplement quality checking matters
The supplement industry is not FDA-approved before products reach shelves. Two bottles labeled "Magnesium 400mg" can differ by 20x in how much magnesium your body actually absorbs — depending entirely on the chemical form used.
Elthio's supplement quality checker grades products A-D based on bioavailability science, cross-references labels against the NIH DSLD database of 207,000+ registered products, and flags fillers so you know what you are actually paying for.
Frequently asked questions
Data sources
- NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) — Label verification for 207,000+ products
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) — Bioavailability and safety reference data
- Elthio Grading Methodology — How A-D grades are calculated
Based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Educational only — not medical advice.
Grades reflect label and form quality — not medical efficacy.