Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact

Tips on Reading Supplement Labels

Sometimes it isn’t obvious what’s in the bottle of a dietary supplement.

To find out what’s in a supplement, look for the Supplement Facts panel on the product label. The manufacturer is required to list all of the supplement’s ingredients on this panel, either in the Supplement Facts chart or in the list of other ingredients below it.

Let’s say that you’re taking the supplement with the label shown here. Does this supplement contain vitamin E? Does it contain vitamin K?

 It contains both of them.

 It contains vitamin E but not vitamin K.

 It contains vitamin K but not vitamin E.

 It doesn’t contain either of them.