HOW TO READ A LABEL SERIES - Part 8: The Recap
We covered A LOT over the last 7 weeks...let's recap:
If you’ve been following along, you now know way more about supplements than most people shopping the aisles (or scrolling online). Here’s a quick recap of the key takeaways:
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Medicinal Ingredients Matter Most
These are the actual reasons you’re buying the supplement — whether it’s for vitamins, minerals, EAAs, pre-workout, stress support, or gut health.
Always make sure the exact amounts of each medicinal ingredient are clearly listed.
⚠️ Proprietary blends are a red flag.
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Non-Medicinal Doesn’t Mean Non-Problematic
Yes, some non-medicinal ingredients are necessary. But many brands go overboard or use cheap, questionable fillers like:
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Titanium dioxide
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Vegetable oils
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Artificial dyes
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Do the Math — Especially for Protein Powders
A simple scoop-size breakdown can tell you a lot. For example: If you’re buying a protein powder with a 30g scoop size, but the proteins/carbohydrates/fats only add up to 20g — what’s in the rest of the scoop? (Hint: It's probably filler.)
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RDAs Can Be Misleading
Those percentages next to vitamins and minerals? They don’t tell the whole story.
A “high %” of the Recommended Daily Allowance doesn’t guarantee quality — because cheap forms and premium forms can show the same number.
Example: 100 mg of magnesium oxide ≠ 100 mg of magnesium malate.
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Certifications Count
All atplab products are:
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Informed Choice or Informed Sport Certified
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Certified Gluten-Free (National Celiac Association)
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Use vegan and organic certifications where appropriate
This isn’t just for show. It means we’re audited, tested, and held to a standard every single time.
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Beware of Amino Spiking
Some protein powders cut corners by adding fewer grams of real whey and sneaking in random amino acids — a trick called amino spiking.
Clue: If natural flavours are listed high on the ingredient list, this might be happening.
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Artificial Flavours = Real Gut Issues
Gas. Bloating. Diarrhea. Not ideal post-workout vibes. Watch out for:
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Sucralose
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Aspartame
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Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K)
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Feeling Overwhelmed?
We get it — this is a lot to keep track of. That’s why we take the guesswork out of it by doing all of this (and more) for you. Bottomline, education, asking questions and really looking into what your supplements are made of are key. There's a lot of marketing hype and misinformation out there...that's why we decided years ago to build our own lab and handle manufacturing ourselves, as it was the ONLY way to know exactly what goes into our capsules and powders.
