How a blend hides the dose
Regulators require the ingredients inside a proprietary blend to be listed in order of weight, heaviest first — but they don’t require the individual amounts. That single gap is the whole trick. A brand can headline an exciting ingredient, bury it near the bottom of the list, and include a few milligrams of it, and you’d never know, because all you’re shown is the blend’s combined weight.
The order does leak one thing, though: an upper bound. Since every ingredient listed before a given one weighs at least as much, the ingredient at position N can be no more than the blend total divided by N. In a 5,000 mg blend of ten ingredients, the tenth can be at most 500 mg — and could be a sprinkle. This calculator turns that logic into a number, so a blend that looks generous can be measured against what it could actually deliver. When you can, compare that maximum to the dose studies used — often the gap is the story.
How to use it
Read the blend’s total weight (the milligrams next to the blend name), count how many ingredients are listed inside it, and — if you care about one in particular — note its position in the list (they’re in weight order). Enter those and the calculator shows the average per ingredient and the maximum possible for the one you picked.
Frequently asked questions
What is a proprietary blend?
Several ingredients listed under one combined weight, with no individual amounts. You’re shown only the blend total, so you can’t tell how much of any single ingredient you’re getting.
How can I estimate how much is in it?
You can’t know exactly — but because ingredients are listed heaviest-first, the one at position N is at most the total ÷ N. The 8th ingredient in a 4,000 mg blend is at most 500 mg, and could be a trace.
Why are blends a red flag?
They let a brand feature an impressive ingredient while including only a sprinkle, because the amount is hidden. A blend can be mostly a cheap first-listed filler with the marketable ingredients barely present.
Is it free and private?
Yes — free, no login, runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.