Fortune Supplements Testing Methodology 2025: Created by Experts

Getting enough vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for your body and mind to thrive through whole foods may be ideal—but it can be a tall order, especially when busy days at the office leave little time to cook a balanced meal. On days like that, the right supplement can feel like a power-up, helping you tackle life’s challenges and come out on top. But, given all the supplements and brands on the market, finding a safe, effective product can be difficult. 

Luckily, Fortune’s review team has your back. We get our hands on each and every product we review, giving it a full-on testing experience. Keep reading to see how we test our supplements and use that data to form objective product recommendations.  

Disclaimer: If you have any pre-existing conditions or health concerns, we recommend that you consult a healthcare professional before adding any supplements to your daily routine. 

Our Testing Standards

We take a hands-on approach to product testing, allowing us to run every product through a real-world experience. We use a variety of testing methods to give us a comprehensive grasp of our protein powders, creatine, pre-workouts, and more. After all, the best way to understand a product is a thorough test run.  

Availability and Accessibility

These days, in-person supplement stores are becoming few and far between. Plus, there’s not much nutritional information (beyond the product label) that you can gather by looking at a supplement container in a store. So, as we narrowed down our favorite supplements, we prioritized brands that are available online or through a major retailer. 

Our Supplement Testing Protocols 

Here, we’ll tell you about all of our supplement testing protocols, which our team uses to understand and evaluate products. After we finish our assessments, we rate each product on a scale of 1-5 for each of the following factors. 

Formulation 

As our team assesses a product formula, we take a careful look at the ingredients list. We look for research-backed ingredients that actually work, while trying to avoid artificial additives and sweeteners as best as possible.  

With the help of medical experts and dietitians, our testers also look to ensure products provide clinically-effective doses, so you’re actually getting enough to notice a difference.  

First-Person Trials 

Before buying a new protein or multivitamin, we want our readers to have as much real-world insight as possible. Our first-person testing protocols vary a little depending on the product category. Generally, though, we look at: 

• Taste: Our team tries to get their hands on a product’s popular flavor, comparing the taste to different products within that category. In some cases, we’ll also pay attention to sweetness level, marking products down when the artificial sugars are too overpowering. 
• Mixability: Also known as solubility, we like to judge powder supplements on how well they dissolve in water. We prepare the supplement according to its recommended use, noting whether the powder settles or dissolves completely. 
• Swallowability: Some supplements come in capsule or pill form. We take the pill size and count into consideration to find the most convenient options. 
• Side Effects: After taking a supplement, our testers pay close attention to their bodies, making sure to note any negative (or positive) side effects. After all, a stomach ache after taking a pre-workout supplement isn’t exactly ideal for the gym. 
• Convenience: While supplements are generally a convenient way to fill gaps in your diet, some are easier to prepare than others.  

Medical Review

While we do have experts, including nutritionists, certified personal trainers, and registered dietitians on our team, we like to get an extra set of medical eyes on all of our content. We prioritize medical review for all of our supplement content to ensure we’re offering the safest, most accurate advice and information possible.  

Value

Supplements can burn a hole in your wallet pretty quickly, especially if you’re restocking your cabinet. So, our team tries to find the best value for your money, weighing factors like cost, servings per container, and serving sizes. We also pay attention to dosage sizes to ensure you’re getting the clinically-recommended dose. In other words, we want the dose amount to be  effective.