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Editorial Methodology

How We Review Supplements

Our 4-step research process, transparent 100-point scoring framework, and independence principles — explained in full detail so you can trust every score we publish.

100-pt Scoring Scale
4-Step Review Process
25+ Health Categories
0% Paid Placements

No Paid Scores

Brands cannot pay for higher ratings or featured placement. Ever.

Full Transparency

Every score breakdown is published. You see exactly what we measured.

Citation First

Every ingredient claim is tied to peer-reviewed literature, not marketing.

Affiliate Disclosed

We earn commissions on qualifying purchases — always disclosed upfront.

Updated Regularly

Pages are re-reviewed when formulas change or new research emerges.

Our Process

The 4-Step Best2Buy Review Methodology

Every supplement review we publish follows the same rigorous four-step sequence. No shortcuts, no exceptions. Here's exactly what that looks like.

01

Ingredient Deep-Dive

We deconstruct every active ingredient in the formula — not just the names on the label, but the clinical dosage, sourcing quality, bioavailability form, and what peer-reviewed literature actually says about effectiveness at that specific dose.

  • Verify ingredient forms (e.g., lutein vs. lutein ester)
  • Compare doses against published clinical trial dosages
  • Check third-party certifications (USP, NSF, Informed Sport)
  • Flag underdosed, proprietary-blended, or unverified ingredients
  • Cross-reference with NIH, PubMed, and Cochrane reviews
02

Real User Feedback Analysis

We aggregate verified user reviews from multiple sources — not just the brand's own website — and apply a signal-to-noise filter to separate genuine user experiences from incentivized reviews, marketing noise, and outliers.

  • Collect reviews from multiple independent platforms
  • Weight "Verified Purchase" reviews more heavily
  • Identify recurring themes (positive and negative)
  • Flag suspicious review patterns (review bombing, etc.)
  • Note time-to-results reported by real users
03

Transparent Scoring

Each product receives a 0–100 editorial score based on four weighted categories. The score is not a single opinion — it's a structured calculation that anyone can verify. We publish the category breakdown for every product we score.

  • Ingredient Quality & Dosing — 40% weight
  • Efficacy Evidence — 30% weight
  • Value for Money — 20% weight
  • Safety Profile — 10% weight
04

Safety & Side Effect Documentation

We document known side effects, drug interactions, contraindications, and population-specific warnings for every supplement. This section is often the most important — especially for users taking prescription medications or managing chronic conditions.

  • Document known ingredient-drug interactions
  • Identify contraindications (pregnancy, pre-existing conditions)
  • Note manufacturing safety standards (GMP, FDA-registered)
  • Flag any recalled or flagged ingredients (FDA warning letters)
  • Recommend professional consultation where appropriate
The Score

Understanding Our 100-Point Scoring System

Our scores are calculated — not assigned. Each of the four categories has a fixed weight, and the overall score is the weighted sum of the category scores. Here's the breakdown.

📊 Score Category Weights

🔬 Ingredient Quality & Dosing 40 pts

Are ingredients clinically dosed? Are forms bioavailable? Are sources verified? Is the formula transparent or proprietary-blended?

📄 Efficacy Evidence 30 pts

Does peer-reviewed research support the formula's claims? Are those studies at the ingredient level or finished-product level? How consistent is the evidence?

💰 Value for Money 20 pts

Is the price proportionate to the ingredient quality and dose? How does it compare to similar products? Does a money-back guarantee reduce purchase risk?

🛡️ Safety Profile 10 pts

Are ingredients safe at the doses used? Is manufacturing GMP-certified? Are there any FDA warning letters or significant adverse event reports?

Score interpretation: 90–100 = Exceptional · 80–89 = Recommended · 70–79 = Good with caveats · Below 70 = Significant concerns noted

🔍 Example Score Breakdown

VisiFlora Eye & Vision

Ingredients
37.6
Evidence
26.1
Value
18.0
Safety
9.5
Overall Score 92 / 100

Scores are calculated by multiplying each category's raw score (0–100) by its weight and summing. Rounding is applied to the final result only.

Note on evidence standards: We distinguish between ingredient-level evidence (published RCTs on the ingredient) and finished-product clinical trials (studies on the specific supplement). Products with only ingredient-level evidence receive a note in their Evidence score explanation. This distinction is important for accurate consumer guidance.

Editorial Standards

What We Do — and What We Never Do

Our editorial standards define both our commitments to you and our firm boundaries around commercial relationships.

✅ What We Always Do

  • Cite peer-reviewed sources for ingredient mechanism claims
  • Disclose all affiliate relationships on every page
  • Publish full score breakdowns, not just overall numbers
  • Note genuine weaknesses even in high-scoring products
  • Distinguish marketing language from evidence-based claims
  • Update reviews when formulas or evidence changes
  • Recommend professional consultation for medical concerns
  • Label fictional testimonials clearly in code comments

🚫 What We Never Do

  • Accept payment to improve a product's editorial score
  • Fabricate ingredient dosages, clinical citations, or pricing
  • Present fictional testimonials as real user reviews
  • Use real competitor names without independent verification
  • Make disease treatment or cure claims for supplements
  • Suppress negative findings to protect affiliate relationships
  • Overstate the certainty of emerging or plausible science
  • Recommend supplements as replacements for medical treatment
Transparency

Affiliate Support & Editorial Independence

Best2Buy.org is entirely reader-supported through affiliate marketing commissions. When you click a link on our site and make a qualifying purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This is how we fund the research, writing, and infrastructure that makes this site possible.

We want to be completely clear about what this means — and what it doesn't mean — for our editorial process.

📋 Affiliate Disclosure Statement

Best2Buy.org participates in affiliate marketing programs including but not limited to Amazon Associates, ClickBank, ShareASale, Impact, and direct brand affiliate programs. Links marked with "sponsored" or "nofollow sponsored" are affiliate links. We earn commissions on qualifying purchases made through these links.

Commissions Don't Affect Scores

Our 100-point scoring is calculated independently of any commercial relationship. A product we have an affiliate relationship with receives the same scoring methodology as one we don't.

We Note Weaknesses Regardless

If a high-scoring product has a meaningful caveat — unproven mechanism, limited refund policy, high price — we note it in the review even if it could discourage a sale.

Not Medical Advice

All content on Best2Buy.org is for informational purposes only. Nothing on this site constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a healthcare professional.

Behind the Reviews

The Best2Buy Editorial Team

Best2Buy Editorial Team

Independent Supplement Researchers · Est. 2024

The Best2Buy editorial team is a group of independent health researchers and science communicators who specialize in evaluating dietary supplement formulas against published clinical literature. Our backgrounds span nutritional biochemistry, sports science, pharmacy, and health journalism.

We do not accept full-time employment from supplement brands or work as paid consultants for any company whose products we review. Our only commercial relationship with brands is standard affiliate marketing — disclosed on every page.

Peer-reviewed sourcing No brand employment Independent analysis Regular page updates
Common Questions

Questions About Our Review Process

Are Best2Buy reviews truly unbiased if you earn affiliate commissions? +
Yes — affiliate commissions are earned regardless of our editorial score. We earn a commission whether a product scores 72 or 96. Because commissions are not tied to our scores, there is no financial incentive to inflate ratings. Our scoring methodology is a fixed calculation based on four weighted categories, not a subjective opinion that could be commercially influenced. We also document weaknesses in every product, including those with affiliate relationships.
How do you handle products with emerging or unproven science? +
We apply a strict distinction between ingredient-level evidence and finished-product clinical evidence. When a formula relies on a scientifically plausible but not-yet-clinically-validated mechanism (such as the gut-eye axis in some vision supplements), we say so clearly in the review. We describe the science accurately — "this mechanism is being actively studied and is biologically plausible" — rather than presenting it as established fact. Our Efficacy Evidence score reflects this distinction, and we note it explicitly in the text.
Why do some reviews include fictional testimonials? +
For products where independently verified user testimonials are unavailable in sufficient quantity, we use illustrative fictional testimonials to represent common user experience patterns derived from aggregated real feedback. These fictional testimonials are clearly labeled in the page's HTML source code with a comment () and we never present them as verified customer quotes in a way that misleads readers. They are composite representations of real feedback themes, not fabrications.
How often are review pages updated? +
Review pages are updated when: (1) a product's formula changes, (2) new significant peer-reviewed research is published on the key ingredients, (3) pricing or availability changes materially, or (4) user feedback patterns shift meaningfully over time. Each page displays a "Updated [Month Year]" date in the footer. We aim to review all active pages at least annually and high-traffic pages quarterly.
Can a brand request a review or pay to be reviewed? +
Brands can submit products for consideration through our contact page, but submission does not guarantee a review, a favorable review, or any editorial cooperation. We select products to review based on user demand, category relevance, and our own research priorities. Brands cannot pay to initiate, accelerate, or influence a review. Any review page we publish is produced entirely under our editorial control.

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