Reading a Supplement Label

Pick up any supplement jar and turn it over. There's usually a nutritional information table somewhere on the back or side - a list of ingredients, doses, and a column of percentages labelled %NRV. For most shoppers, this section gets a brief glance before the jar goes into the basket. It deserves more attention than that.

What %NRV actually means

NRV stands for Nutrient Reference Value. These are reference figures established under EU food law (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, retained in UK law) that represent the approximate daily requirement of a nutrient for an average adult. A dose of 100% NRV means the serving contains what a reference adult might need from all sources in a day - food, drink, and supplement combined. It doesn't mean more is better, and it certainly doesn't mean a product with 300% NRV of a given vitamin is three times more effective.

For Onda Path, the doses are set at or near 100% NRV for most nutrients. The exception is Vitamin D3, where the dose of 10 µg represents 200% NRV - this reflects updated guidance on Vitamin D in the UK, where dietary sources are limited and sun exposure is unreliable for much of the year.

"A supplement label is a contract with the customer. Every number on it should be there because it means something, not because it fills space."

Proprietary blends and what they hide

Some supplement products list a "proprietary blend" with a combined weight but no individual doses. This is legal under current food labelling rules, but it makes it impossible for a customer to know how much of any individual ingredient they're actually getting. A blend might contain 500 mg of six ingredients - but if one ingredient makes up 480 mg of that, the others are essentially present in name only.

What a short ingredient list tells you

A shorter list of named ingredients with individual doses stated is, from a transparency standpoint, preferable to a long list with hidden proportions. It's easier to cross-reference against dietary intake, easier to check against any medication you take, and easier to discuss with a healthcare professional if needed.

Onda Path lists seven ingredients, each with a stated dose and %NRV (or a note that no NRV has been established, in the case of Ginger extract). That's not a constraint - it's the point. The label is there to be read, not navigated around.

If you're comparing supplement products, the most useful questions are: does the label list individual doses? Are the doses within established safe ranges? And is the ingredient list something you can explain to a pharmacist without needing a glossary? Those three criteria cut through a significant amount of noise in the supplement market.