Understanding Proprietary Blends on Supplement Labels

A proprietary blend is a mixture of ingredients listed on a supplement label that shows the total combined weight but not the individual amounts of each ingredient. While manufacturers use proprietary blends to protect their formulations from competitors, this practice makes it difficult for consumers to evaluate whether a product contains effective doses of its key ingredients. A blend totaling 500 mg could contain 490 mg of the cheapest ingredient and only trace amounts of the others.

Zynava recommends choosing supplements that fully disclose individual ingredient amounts whenever possible. Transparency in labeling allows you to verify that each ingredient is present at a clinically studied dose and to compare products on an equal footing. Our label analysis tools specifically flag proprietary blends so you can make an informed choice about whether a particular product meets your expectations for transparency and dosing.