The Shelf Report · July 2026

We graded 102 popular supplements against their own claims.

Every number below is computed from the 102 public supplement calls we had graded by 2026-07-03. No survey panel: each call reads the strongest claim on the label against the published evidence at the stated dose, with sources linked from the check tool.

01The headline numbers

In the supplements we graded, most claims were conditional, unsupported, or impossible to judge.

13%

of the supplements we graded had a headline claim substantiated by strong, replicated evidence at the stated dose.

47%

of the supplements we graded earned a skip: the product did not justify its place on the shelf at its price and dose.

26%

of the supplements we graded were unsubstantiated or unjudgeable: the claim outran the evidence, or the label hid the dose entirely.

80%

of the supplements we graded carried a pregnancy or breastfeeding caution in our safety read.

45%

of the supplements we graded carried a drug-interaction flag, including flags for blood thinners and blood-pressure medication.

2.9

sources cited per graded call, on average; follow the linked evidence from each call to audit the read.

02Is the evidence there?

The substantiation spread.

Four grades, no stars. Most of the shelf lands in the conditional middle — real effects that depend on dose, timing, or who's taking it.

Substantiated13Strong, replicated, at the stated dose.
Mixed62Real but conditional — dose, timing, subgroup.
Unsubstantiated12The claim outruns the evidence.
Can't-tell15Undisclosed dosing — nothing to judge.
03What to do about it

The action calls.

✓Keep44Worth taking — buy it.
⇄Twin2A cheaper equivalent does the same job.
✕Skip48Doesn't earn its place — cut it.
○Nothing8The fix is a behavior, not a purchase.
Digestive15
Hormonal15
Cognitive10
Sleep9
Cardio9
Energy9
Immune8
Mood6
Recovery6
Metabolic5
Skin5
Athletic5
04Use this data

Cite it, quote it, check our work.

For journalists and researchers

These figures are free to cite with attribution. The underlying calls are public, dated, and source-linked; start at the check tool and audit any call in the set. Our grading method, including evidence depth, safety review, and how we make money, is on the record at /method.

Suggested citation:

Stack-kit, The Shelf Report (July 2026): among 102 popular supplements graded against their own headline claims, 13% were substantiated by published evidence at the stated dose. https://stack-kit.com/report/
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