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What Is a Proprietary Blend on a Supplement?
A proprietary blend is a group of ingredients listed under one combined weight, with no amount shown for each. Rules require the blend total and a most-to-least order. Synaptril uses one: a 575 mg blend of six ingredients, where simple math shows the last five share very little.
Written by the Synaptril label deskUpdated · 4 min read
What does the proprietary blend rule actually require?
The rule asks for two things: the total weight of the blend and its ingredients in descending order by weight. Single amounts are optional (21 CFR 101.36, Supplement Facts).
Magnesium has a Daily Value, so it must show its own amount. That is why Synaptril prints 80 mg of magnesium but nothing for the other five.
Why do brands use proprietary blends?
Brands use blends to keep formulas private. The cost to you is that you cannot compare doses with studies.
Alpha lipoic acid studies used 200-1,800 mg a day (Linus Pauling Institute, Lipoic Acid). Without a printed amount, you cannot tell where a capsule falls.
| Open label | Proprietary blend | |
|---|---|---|
| Each amount | Printed | Hidden |
| Order | Any | Most to least |
How can you estimate what is inside a proprietary blend?
Use the order and the one printed amount. In Synaptril, 80 mg of magnesium comes from magnesium glycinate, which is about 14% magnesium (GlobalRPH, Magnesium Glycinate).
That takes about 567 mg of the 575 mg blend, leaving about 8 mg for the other five. At a richer 20% grade, at most 175 mg remains for them. CoQ10, listed last, holds at most 35 mg. Ceilings, not lab results.
Think of a bag of mixed nuts that lists a total weight but not the count of each nut. The order tells you which is most common. It cannot tell you by how much, unless one nut's weight is known.
At 14.1%, 80 mg of magnesium needs about 567 mg of magnesium glycinate. That leaves about 8 mg for alpha lipoic acid, butcher's broom, L-carnitine, turmeric and CoQ10 together.
- Magnesium glycinate567 mg
- Alpha lipoic acidat most 8 mg
- Butcher's broomat most 4 mg
- L-carnitineat most 3 mg
- Turmeric (95% curcuminoids)at most 2 mg
- Coenzyme Q10at most 2 mg
Arithmetic from the label (80 mg magnesium, 575 mg blend, listed most to least by weight (21 CFR 101.36, Supplement Facts)) and the magnesium share of magnesium glycinate (GlobalRPH, Magnesium Glycinate). The exact grade used is not printed, so we show the range. Ceilings, not amounts.
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See packsIs a proprietary blend a red flag?
Not by itself. It is a legal format, and a magnesium-led blend can be well tolerated. It is a reason to ask for the doses, and to weigh the product against what studies used.
See our comparison page and the supplement facts page. Keep taking prescribed medicine either way.
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FAQ01
Synaptril questions people ask
Is a proprietary blend legal on a supplement label?
Yes. FDA rules allow a blend to show only its total weight, with ingredients listed from most to least.
Does the first ingredient in a blend have the most?
Yes. Blend ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, so the first is the largest share.
Can a company be forced to reveal blend amounts?
The labeling rule does not require it. You can ask the seller in writing. Synaptril has not published the amounts as of our check.
Who wrote this02
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Learn about our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. retail partner of Synaptril, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We make money when you buy through our order links.
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