Ingredient Guide
Start with the exact ingredient and the plant or mushroom part.
Separate extract weight, marker percentages and equivalent weight.
Put serving size, directions and cost on the same basis.
Understand the ingredient, compare the formula and choose with a clearer picture of what is in the bottle. This guide brings together the label terms used across By Nature and the questions worth asking before you buy.
Explore the range · Read the specification · Compare two products · Common questions
Start with the ingredient you are comparing
Functional mushrooms
Begin with species, mushroom part and the amount of finished extract. A single-mushroom formula and a blend are different formats; the number of species does not tell you the amount of each. Compare Lion's Mane Extract with Immutonic 8 Mushroom Blend by reading their individual labels.
Mushroom compounds and fucoidan
For a combination formula, separate the mushroom ingredient from the fucoidan component in your comparison. Check the identity, source and stated amount of each. The name of a related ingredient in a research paper does not establish that two finished formulas are interchangeable. Explore the Advanced mushroom compound and fucoidan formula.
Ashwagandha
When comparing Ashwagandha Root Extract, distinguish the plant part, finished extract amount, ratio and declared withanolide percentage. A 10:1 ratio and a 5% marker describe different features of a specification. Neither alone establishes suitability for you. NCCIH advises avoiding ashwagandha during pregnancy and breastfeeding and notes medicine interactions and other cautions; check these before use.
Bee propolis
Brazilian Green Bee Propolis is a bee-derived product. It should not be assumed vegan. Read its complete ingredient list and suitability information rather than inferring these from the capsule shell.
NMNH and similarly named ingredients
Use the exact ingredient name when researching Ultra NMNH. Do not treat NMNH, NMN and NAD+ as interchangeable labels or transfer findings between them without checking the study. A headline about a related molecule is not finished-product evidence.
Boric Acid: a different route of use
Boric Acid vaginal capsules are for vaginal use, not oral supplementation. Never swallow them. Keep them separate from oral products and follow the product-specific directions. Capsule shape does not tell you how a product is intended to be used.
How to read a supplement specification
A large number on the front of a bottle tells you very little on its own. The quality of a supplement is better judged by ingredient identity, the form used, the amount in the stated daily serving and any meaningful standardisation.
Extract ratio
A ratio such as 10:1 describes the relationship between the starting material and the finished extract. It does not automatically mean one product is ten times “stronger” than another. Compare the extract amount, starting material, process and standardised compounds together.
Standardisation
A standardised extract is produced to contain a stated amount of a selected chemical marker, such as withanolides in Ashwagandha or hericenones in Lion’s Mane. Standardisation helps with consistency, but a marker is not the same as a guaranteed health outcome.
Fruiting body and mycelium
The fruiting body is the visible mushroom. Mycelium is the network of fungal threads from which it grows. Both can contain different compounds, so a useful product page should say which material is used rather than treating all mushroom ingredients as interchangeable.
Beta-glucans and polysaccharides
Beta-glucans are one group within the broader family of polysaccharides. A total polysaccharide figure can include compounds other than beta-glucans, so the two percentages should not be treated as equivalent.
Water and alcohol extraction
Different compounds have different solubility. Water extraction and alcohol extraction are used to concentrate different groups of compounds. “Dual extracted” normally means both methods are used, but the specification still matters.
Serving size
Always compare the amount in the recommended daily serving. A product may advertise a high capsule count or a large equivalent weight while supplying a much smaller amount of finished extract per serving.
Other details worth checking
- Full ingredient and allergen list
- Amount per capsule and per daily serving
- Botanical or mushroom species
- Plant or mushroom part used
- Capsule material and excipients
- Batch, best-before and storage information
- Whether certification or testing applies to the exact product
Use this guide alongside the label on each By Nature product page. If a specification is unclear, contact us before buying.
A quick side-by-side comparison
| Question | What to record |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Exact ingredient, species or botanical name and part |
| What form? | Powder, extract or combination; relevant specification |
| How much? | Finished amount per labelled daily serving |
| What else? | Other ingredients, capsule shell and allergens |
| How long does it last? | Pack count divided by labelled daily use |
| What is still unclear? | Write the question down before ordering |
Common questions
Does a higher percentage mean more per serving?
Only after you account for the amount it applies to. In a fictional example, 20% of 100 mg and 10% of 200 mg both equal 20 mg of the specified marker. That arithmetic does not predict an outcome. See our worked label examples.
Is a blend better than a single ingredient?
It depends on the formulation you want to compare. Start with our guide to focused formulas and blends.
Which product offers better value?
Compare specifications and cost per labelled day, not bottle price alone.
What if information is missing?
Contact us with the exact product name, pack size and question. If the website and your physical label differ, ask us to clarify before use.
Read Our Standards or explore practical buying guides in the Journal.
THE DETAILS MATTER
Read the whole label, in the right order.
The front of a bottle introduces a product. The ingredient list and directions supply the context. Read them together before deciding whether two formulas are comparable.
A label-reading walkthrough
Use these five questions with any product page. If a detail is missing, mark it as unknown rather than filling the gap with an assumption.
| Check | What to write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Ingredient name, species and part used | A familiar common name can cover different preparations. |
| Form | Powder, extract or named preparation | Similar ingredients do not necessarily have the same specification. |
| Amount | Milligrams per capsule and per daily serving | Comparisons need the same serving basis. |
| Markers | The named compound, percentage and what it applies to | A percentage without a basis is incomplete. |
| Complete formula | Other ingredients, capsule shell, directions and warnings | The whole product determines practical suitability. |
A worked example: composition, not a recommendation
Imagine a label lists 400 mg of an extract per capsule, standardised to 20% of a named marker. That describes 80 mg of that marker per capsule (400 × 0.20). If the labelled daily serving is two capsules, the corresponding figures are 800 mg of extract and 160 mg of marker.
These are fictional figures to explain the maths. They do not establish an effective dose, predict a benefit or suggest how much you should take.
The small print is useful information
Other ingredients have a purpose
Capsule shells, carriers and processing aids are part of the complete formula. A short list is easy to read, but ingredient count alone does not establish quality. If you avoid a particular material, check the full list rather than a front-label slogan.
Keep the batch details
Retain the packaging while using a product. The exact name, pack size and batch or lot number help identify what you have when you ask a question. Store it according to its own label, away from children.
Ready to compare? Try our label maths guide, or learn how to calculate cost per day.