Comparing supplements on front-of-pack numbers is the fastest way to compare the wrong thing.
The three different numbers
Total in the container. Amount per serving. Amount per day. These are frequently confused, sometimes deliberately.
A pack advertising 3000mg might contain that across 120 doses. That is 25mg per dose. Both figures are true; only one tells you what you are taking.
How to compare properly
Work out the amount per day from the directions, then the cost per day. That gives you a comparable figure across brands and formats.
Why more is not automatically better
Dose-response relationships are rarely linear, and higher intake can mean more side effects rather than more benefit. Where a manufacturer or regulator has specified a maximum, exceeding it is not a shortcut.
The transparency test
A brand confident in its formulation states the per-serving amount plainly. A brand leading exclusively with the container total may be relying on you not doing the division.
