How to Spot a “Healthy” Supplement That Isn’t Actually Clean

Not all supplements are created equal — even when the packaging says natural, clean or healthy.

One of the biggest misconceptions in wellness is assuming that if something is sold in a health store or promoted online, it must be good for you.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case for "Healthy" Supplements.

Marketing vs Ingredients for "Healthy" Supplement

Many supplements rely on clever branding rather than quality formulations. Buzzwords like green, pure, advanced or premium often hide ingredient lists full of things your body doesn’t actually need.

At Luthco, we always say: Ignore the front of the label. Turn the product around.

That’s where the truth lives.

The First Ingredient Tells You Everything

Ingredients are listed in order of quantity.

If the first ingredient is:

• A sweetener

• A bulking agent

• A filler

That’s a red flag straight away.

A quality supplement should lead with the active ingredient, not something added to improve taste, texture or shelf life.

Common Ingredients to Watch Out For

Here are some of the most common unnecessary extras we see again and again:

• Artificial sweeteners – often added to powders and gummies

• Magnesium stearate – used to speed up manufacturing, not support health

• Silicon dioxide – an anti-caking agent with no nutritional benefit

• Sorbitol – a cheap sweetener that can cause digestive discomfort

These ingredients aren’t added for you — they’re added for production efficiency or flavour masking.

Why Gummies Aren’t Always the Best Choice

Gummies are popular because they taste good — but taste usually comes at a cost.

To make gummies appealing, brands often add:

• Sweeteners

• Gelling agents

• Flavourings

• Colourings

That doesn’t make them bad by default — but it does mean they’re rarely the cleanest option.

Capsules, powders and liquids often allow for simpler, more transparent ingredient lists.

Fewer Ingredients = Better Transparency

A shorter ingredient list usually means:

• Higher-quality formulation

• Less processing

• Fewer unnecessary additions

Clean supplements don’t need disguising.

If you need flavourings, colours and fillers to make a product appealing, it’s worth asking why.

Why We Created Luthco

Luthco exists because reading labels shouldn’t feel overwhelming.

Every product we stock is checked for:

• Ingredient quality

• Transparency

• No unnecessary fillers or sweeteners

If it doesn’t meet our standards, it doesn’t make the cut — no matter how popular it is elsewhere.

It Gets Easier With Practice

The good news? Once you start reading labels, spotting red flags becomes second nature.

You’ll notice patterns. You’ll trust your judgement more. And you’ll buy less, but better.

That’s real wellness.