The big number in a supplement title is rarely the amount you take. Titles quote the whole capsule weight, a whole-bottle total or a “super strength” figure, and leave the dose that matters to the fine print. Here is how to find the real number for four of the best-selling categories on Shopee, using examples from our guides. This is general information, not medical advice.
The rule
Look for amount per day of the active ingredient
Read four things: the amount of the active ingredient per serving, how many servings the label says to take per day, the FDA registration number, and whether that number matches the brand and product. Our guides apply this to every supplement; the examples below show where listings go wrong.
Four examples
Where the title and the dose part ways
| Supplement | What the title or format suggests | What to check | Example from our guides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collagen | Powders, gummies and capsules all say “collagen” | Grams of collagen per day | A scoop of powder gave 10 g, 2 gummies gave 2 g and a capsule gave 650 mg. One scoop holds about 15 times the collagen of a capsule |
| Glutathione | “42,000 mg” in the title | Milligrams of glutathione per capsule and capsules per day | One listing’s own description said 400 mg of glutathione per capsule. 42,000 was 700 mg of total contents times 60 capsules |
| Biotin | Strengths from 300 mcg to 60,000 mcg | Whether you need it, and the dose in mcg or mg | A 2017 review of 18 cases found improvement only in people with an underlying cause |
| Vitamin C | 500 mg, 1,000 mg, “immunity booster” | Which registration category the number belongs to (FR-, DR- or household remedy) | Only one of the six listings we read in full printed its FDA registration number |
Collagen
Grams, not “milligrams of goodness”
The listings we reviewed ranged from 650 mg per capsule to 10 g per scoop. The trials our collagen guide cites used 2.5 to 10 g a day, so a capsule-a-day product delivers a fraction of that. We are not suggesting you take more than a label says; the point is to compare listings by the number that matters.
Glutathione
The “milligram trick”
Titles quote the whole capsule weight or the whole bottle. The only number that matters is milligrams of glutathione per capsule and how many you take. Two of our picks in the glutathione guide advertise 700 mg and 500 mg in the title when the glutathione inside is 500 mg and 200 mg. We also found 247 FDA advisories that mention glutathione, and the FDA warns against injectable glutathione for skin lightening (FDA Advisory No. 2019-182). Never inject it.
Biotin
More is not better, and it can distort lab tests
Our biotin guide relied on a 2017 review in Skin Appendage Disorders that found 18 reported cases of biotin used for hair or nail changes, every one with an underlying cause, and limited evidence for healthy people. The US FDA warned in 2017 and again in November 2019 that biotin can distort lab results, and falsely low troponin results are a particular concern. The adult daily amount is about 30 mcg, while some supplements contain far more. Tell your doctor and the lab if you take biotin before a blood test.
Vitamin C
Same molecule, different rulebooks
When we searched the FDA Philippines verification portal for sodium ascorbate it returned 236 food supplement registrations and 634 drug registrations. An FR- number is a food supplement registered with no approved therapeutic claims. A DR- number is a medicine with approved uses on its label. A household remedy is its own category. The prefix tells you which claims a listing is allowed to make. See our vitamin C guide and the glossary.
Before you buy
Five checks
- Find the active ingredient amount per serving and servings per day, not the title figure.
- Find the FDA number and look it up on the portal; match the brand, product and company.
- Check that the number is for this product, flavour or form: registrations can be for one product only.
- Divide the price by a day’s dose to compare listings (see price per unit).
- Ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement if you take medicine, are pregnant, or have a health condition.
Supplement dose: common questions
Why does the title say 42,000 mg?
In the example we found, it was the total weight of all active ingredients across the bottle (700 mg per capsule times 60), not glutathione alone.
How much collagen do I need?
We cannot say what you need. Our guide notes that the trials it cites used 2.5 to 10 g a day, so we compare listings by grams per day.
Does an FDA number prove the product works?
No. A food supplement is registered with no approved therapeutic claims. The number shows the product is on record, not that it does what a listing says.
Do you rank medicines?
No. Medicine guides are on hold on this site. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.