Why SuppleBoard counts supplements only
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
Food is not included
SuppleBoard counts only the amounts from your supplements; food is not included.
Official guidance on assessing one person’s intake starts from the most accurate information possible on total intake from food and supplements, and notes that this is always a challenge.
One reason is the large day-to-day variation in intake: intake on one or even several days may give very inaccurate estimates of usual intake.
A total below a reference value
Because food is left out, the supplement total is a lower bound of actual intake.
A total below a reference value is not a diagnosis of deficiency.
Official guidance also notes that intake below the RDA cannot be assumed to indicate that a person’s intake is inadequate.
A total at or above the upper limit
Unless otherwise specified, the US UL represents total intake from food, water, and supplements.
Because the supplement total is a lower bound, a supplement total at or above the UL means that total intake is also at or above it.
SuppleBoard’s result badges name the reference value actually compared and include the words “supplements alone.”
The results are reference information only — not a medical diagnosis or prescription.
Sources
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019)
- NASEM — Dietary Reference Intakes: Applications in Dietary Assessment (2000), Chapter 3
Each sentence was checked by an AI reviewer against the source text (or against how SuppleBoard actually works) before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.