Supplement Label Maths: Milligrams, Percentages and Serving Sizes

A useful comparison begins by putting every number on the same basis. Before doing the maths, identify whether a figure describes one capsule, a daily serving, an extract or the starting material.

Per capsule versus per serving

For a fictional product containing 250 mg of extract per capsule, a two-capsule serving supplies 500 mg of extract. If a competing label already lists its amount per two capsules, do not double it again.

Calculating a declared marker

If the full 500 mg extract is specified at 5% of a marker, the calculation is 500 × 0.05 = 25 mg. This arithmetic only applies when the percentage refers to that entire extract amount. If it applies to one ingredient within a blend, you need that ingredient's weight.

Units matter

1 mg = 1,000 micrograms (µg or mcg). A value of 500 µg is 0.5 mg, not 500 mg. Keep the original units beside every number in your comparison table.

Keep equivalent weight separate

A declared 10:1 ratio is information about the relationship between starting material and extract. For a 100 mg extract, a stated 1,000 mg starting-material equivalent is not an additional 1,000 mg inside the capsule. It also does not establish ten times the biological effect.

What if the label only gives a blend total?

A 600 mg blend of six ingredients does not necessarily contain 100 mg of each. Without the proportions, that calculation would be a guess. Record the total as a blend total and ask about the individual amounts if they matter to your choice.

Use the numbers for composition, not predictions

A marker amount helps describe a product. It is not a score for how well it will work. Keep your comparison table factual: ingredient, serving amount, marker basis and any missing information.

For mushroom-specific terminology, read beta-glucans versus polysaccharides and our Ingredient Guide. All numerical products above are illustrations, not intake recommendations.