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Proprietary blend supplements: how to read the hidden doses
Proprietary blend supplements list one total weight for a group of ingredients and name them from most to least by weight, without giving each dose. Payarmin's blend totals 200 mg across 22 lines per 1 mL. The order lets you set a ceiling for each line, but never a true amount.
Written by the Payarmin meter deskUpdated · 4 min read
What does proprietary blend mean on a supplement label?
A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients printed with one combined weight instead of one weight each.
The rule behind it asks for the total and for the names in descending order of predominance by weight (21 CFR 101.36 (eCFR)). Nothing more is required.
That is a real format, not a loophole we invented. It just moves the work to the reader.
How much of each ingredient is in Payarmin's 200 mg blend?
No one can say from the label, but each line has a ceiling: line k weighs at most 200 / k mg per mL.
If line 4 weighed more than line 3, the list would be out of order. An even split would be 9.09 mg a line; real splits are uneven.
| Place | Line | At most |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Maca | 200 mg |
| 3rd | Guarana | 66.7 mg |
| 8th | Gymnema | 25 mg |
| 12th | Panax ginseng | 16.7 mg |
| 22nd | L-Carnitine | 9.1 mg |
A cap is not a guess: a heavy maca would leave less for the rest.
Are proprietary blend supplements legal and safe?
They are legal when they follow the labeling rule, but legal is not the same as checked.
FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold (FDA, Using Dietary Supplements). Whether a blend holds the amounts a brand intends is not something the panel proves.
The label lists all 22 names, which is more than the sales page does. It publishes no lab report, so the lot references are seller references only.
The caution on the bottle still applies: ask a physician if pregnant, nursing, under 18, or living with a known condition.
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See packsHow do you compare blend supplements before buying?
Compare the ceiling for the one or two ingredients you care about with the amount studied, and treat the gap as the margin.
For gymnema, the ceiling of 25 mg sits far below the 200 to 400 mg used in studies (Drugs.com, Gymnema monograph). For chromium, the single printed dose of 0.7 mcg sits far below trial doses (NIH ODS, Chromium).
- Pick the line you care about and note its place.
- Divide 200 by that place for the cap.
- Set the cap beside the studied dose in the ingredient pages.
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FAQ01
Proprietary blends: quick answers
Does a proprietary blend mean the ingredients are secret?
Not the names. The names must be listed, and Payarmin lists all 22. What stays private is the weight of each one. Only the blend total, 200 mg per 1 mL serving, is printed on the bottle (21 CFR 101.36 (eCFR)).
Why does ingredient order matter in a blend?
Because the list runs from most to least by weight. That order is the only dose clue on the panel. It lets you cap a line at the total divided by its place, such as 25 mg for the 8th of 22.
Can a blend line weigh more than its ceiling?
No. A line cannot outweigh the lines above it, so 200 divided by its place is the most it could be. It may well weigh much less.
Who wrote this02
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards, and the way we check reviews. This website is a U.S. retail partner for Payarmin, not the manufacturer or the label's distributor. Buying through our order links earns us money.
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