Consumer Alert Summary
Key Points
• Proprietary blends disclose total weight but hide individual ingredient amounts
• Trade secret claims don't justify withholding dosage information from consumers
• Without knowing quantities, you can't verify products match clinical research dosages
The term "proprietary blend" on supplement labels allows manufacturers to hide how much of each ingredient you're actually getting. This seemingly innocent phrase can mean you're paying premium prices for products that contain meaningful amounts of some ingredients and homeopathic traces of others—with no way to tell the difference.
Once Upon a Time
A consumer walks into a health food store looking for an energy supplement. She finds a promising bottle that lists impressive ingredients: rhodiola rosea, panax ginseng, CoQ10, and B vitamins. The label proudly declares "Advanced Proprietary Energy Blend—1,500mg." The price is steep, but with four powerful ingredients, it seems worth it. She buys a month's supply.
Every Day
She takes the supplement as directed. Some days she feels great. Other days, nothing. She assumes this is normal variation in how supplements work. The bottle gets emptied, and she considers reordering, uncertain whether the product actually helped or whether her good days were just... good days.
Until One Day
She discovers that "proprietary blend" has a specific legal meaning. While the total weight must be disclosed—those 1,500mg she saw—manufacturers don't have to reveal how much of each individual ingredient is included.¹ That expensive rhodiola rosea, clinically studied at 300-400mg twice daily? Her supplement might contain 5mg.² The ginseng researched at 200mg doses? Perhaps 10mg made it into the formula.³ Meanwhile, inexpensive B vitamins might make up 1,400mg of that blend.
The realization hits: She has no way to know if she's getting therapeutic doses of anything.
Because of That
She starts researching why companies use proprietary blends. The industry offers two explanations. First, they claim proprietary blends protect "trade secrets"—keeping competitors from copying their unique formulations. Second, they argue it prevents competitors from undercutting prices by revealing cost structures.⁴
These rationales sound reasonable until you examine them closely.
Because of That
Consider the "trade secret" argument. If a formula is genuinely novel and effective, patent protection exists for exactly this purpose. Patents require disclosure of precise formulations but provide legal protection against copying. So why skip patents in favor of proprietary blends?
The uncomfortable answer: Because patenting requires proving the formula does something unique and useful. Proprietary blends require no such proof.⁵
The "price protection" argument collapses even faster. Consumers comparison shop, and pricing information is readily available. What proprietary blends actually protect is the company's ability to use expensive-sounding ingredients in quantities too small to matter while charging premium prices.⁶
Because of That
The practical consequences for consumers are significant. When you can't verify dosages, you can't:
Compare Products Effectively
Two supplements might list identical ingredients, but one contains therapeutic doses while the other contains trace amounts. Without knowing quantities, you're comparing price tags on mystery boxes.⁷
Match Clinical Research
Scientific studies establish effective dosages through careful testing. A study might show that 400mg of rhodiola rosea improves energy levels. But if your proprietary blend contains unknown amounts—possibly just 20mg—you're not getting the researched dosage. You're conducting an uncontrolled experiment on yourself.⁸
Calculate Value
Premium supplements aren't cheap. You might pay $40 for a month's supply of a proprietary blend containing six herbs. But if you could buy each herb separately at effective dosages, you might discover the total cost would be $60—revealing that the blend actually skimps on expensive ingredients to maintain profit margins.⁹
Assess Safety
Some ingredients interact with medications or become problematic at high doses. Without knowing amounts, neither you nor your doctor can accurately assess safety. This matters especially if you take multiple supplements—you might be getting harmless amounts of an ingredient from three different products separately, but dangerous levels when combined.¹⁰
Until Finally
Understanding proprietary blends empowers better decisions. Here's how to navigate this landscape:
Seek Transparent Labeling
Companies committed to quality list specific amounts of each ingredient. This transparency costs them nothing except the ability to use inferior formulations. When you find products with full disclosure, reward that honesty with your business.¹¹
Research Individual Ingredients
Don't research product names—research ingredient names. Find out what dosages clinical studies used. Look for systematic reviews that analyze multiple studies. If a supplement contains ingredients studied at 500mg but the entire proprietary blend totals 1,200mg with eight ingredients, mathematics tells you most ingredients exist in subtherapeutic amounts.¹²
Check for Third-Party Testing
Organizations like ConsumerLab, NSF International, and USP test supplements to verify they contain what labels claim. Products with these certifications have undergone independent analysis. While they might still use proprietary blends, at least you know the listed total is accurate.¹³
Calculate Per-Ingredient Costs
Sometimes proprietary blends offer genuine value. Compare the cost per milligram of the total blend to the cost of individual ingredients purchased separately. If the blend costs significantly less than buying components individually, it might indicate quality ingredients at fair prices—or it might indicate the blend contains mostly cheap fillers.¹⁴
Ask Direct Questions
Contact manufacturers. Ask for specific quantities of each ingredient in their proprietary blend. Many won't answer, citing trade secrets. This non-answer is itself informative: They're prioritizing secrecy over your informed consent.¹⁵
And Ever Since Then
The proprietary blend phenomenon teaches consumers a crucial lesson about supplement marketing: Scientific-sounding language doesn't equal scientific rigor. Impressive ingredient lists don't guarantee therapeutic dosages. And "proprietary" often means "secret" for reasons that benefit manufacturers more than consumers.
This doesn't mean all proprietary blends are scams. Some companies create genuinely effective formulations and simply choose proprietary labeling. But the structure itself invites abuse, and abuse is common enough that consumers should approach these products with healthy skepticism.
The solution isn't avoiding supplements entirely. Many people benefit from quality products with research-backed ingredients at effective dosages. The solution is demanding transparency. When enough consumers insist on full disclosure, market forces will pressure manufacturers to comply.
The Moral of the Story
Your body deserves better than guesswork. Wellness isn't a mystery box. When companies hide ingredient amounts behind proprietary blend labels, they're asking you to trust them without evidence. But evidence-based decisions require evidence—and that means knowing exactly what you're taking and in what amounts.
Next time you see "proprietary blend" on a label, remember: It's not necessarily wrong, but it's definitely hiding something. Whether that hidden information matters depends on whether you believe consumers have a right to know what they're putting in their bodies.
The answer should be obvious.
Key Takeaways
- Proprietary blends disclose total weight but hide individual ingredient amounts
- Trade secret claims don't justify withholding dosage information from consumers
- Without knowing quantities, you can't verify products match clinical research dosages
- Transparent labeling exists—seek out companies that provide complete ingredient information
- Third-party testing certification offers some quality assurance even with proprietary blends
Notes
¹ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Proprietary blend labeling requires disclosure of total blend weight only, not individual ingredient amounts.
² Mwape, Mike, An Introduction to Nootropics, 2015: Rhodiola rosea demonstrates benefits at 50-100mg twice daily in clinical studies.
³ Mwape, Mike, An Introduction to Nootropics, 2015: Panax ginseng shows effectiveness at 200mg two or three times daily.
⁴ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Manufacturers justify proprietary blends as protecting trade secrets and competitive pricing.
⁵ Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science, 2008: Marketing claims that avoid specific testable assertions often indicate lack of robust evidence.
⁶ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Premium pricing doesn't guarantee therapeutic dosages of expensive ingredients.
⁷ Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science, 2008: Without precise measurements, meaningful comparisons become impossible.
⁸ Mwape, Mike, An Introduction to Nootropics, 2015: Clinical research establishes specific dosages; subtherapeutic amounts won't replicate study results.
⁹ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Cost analysis of individual ingredients reveals whether blends offer value or hide inadequate formulations.
¹⁰ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Unknown ingredient amounts complicate safety assessments, especially regarding drug interactions.
¹¹ Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science, 2008: Transparency in methodology and disclosure builds consumer trust and enables informed decisions.
¹² Mwape, Mike, An Introduction to Nootropics, 2015: Systematic reviews of clinical studies establish evidence-based dosing guidelines.
¹³ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Third-party testing organizations verify label accuracy through independent analysis.
¹⁴ Cohen, Suzy, The 24-Hour Pharmacist, 2007: Calculating per-unit costs helps identify genuine value versus deceptive pricing.
¹⁵ Goldacre, Ben, Bad Science, 2008: Companies refusing to disclose specific information often prioritize profits over consumer welfare.