The MyStaq
Standard.
Science-backed. Independently tested. Clinically dosed. The MyStaq Standard is a single, uncompromising benchmark. We audit every brand and product holistically. Not just the metrics that are easy to clear.
How it works
We replace subjective scoring with absolute certainty. A product either meets our rigorous criteria in full to become MyStaq-approved, or it is excluded entirely.
Foundation
Our Core Pillars
Real human trials, not just a clean label. Every key ingredient must be backed by published clinical research.
Batch-specific COAs published or provided. No proprietary blends hiding doses. Every active ingredient disclosed.
cGMP-certified manufacturing and independent contaminant testing, always. This is the minimum, not the achievement.
A seal adds confidence to a formula that already earns it. It is never a substitute for clinical dosing or evidence.
Requirements
What a product must meet
Safety & Manufacturing
Testing & Transparency
Formulation & Evidence
Brand Integrity
See it in practice
Fame isn't a formula.
A lesser-known, clinical brand can easily outperform a household name when you audit what is actually inside the bottle.
MyStaq-Approved
The Clinician-Led B-Complex
Not Recommended
The Mass-Market Multivitamin
The key difference
"A certification confirms what's on the label is in the bottle. It does not confirm the formula is worth taking."
Many retailers treat a third-party certification as the finish line. That is a meaningful safety bar, but it answers a narrow question. A product can carry a respected third-party seal and still use cheap, poorly absorbed ingredient forms, hide its actives inside a "proprietary blend," or dose those actives well below what the research used.
Common seals: what they actually verify
Label accuracy, potency, purity, cGMP
Not dosing, not efficacy
Label accuracy, contaminants, facility audit
Not dosing, not efficacy
NSF + 280 banned substances screened
Not dosing, not efficacy
Batch-tested vs. banned substances
Not dosing, not efficacy
Contaminants, heavy metals, label accuracy
Not dosing, not efficacy
Farming practices only
Not purity, dosing, or efficacy
Every seal above is legitimate and worth having. None of them alone tells you whether a product is clinically dosed or worth taking.
Full seals guideDosing
The dosing rule
"Clinically meaningful dose" only works as a pass/fail bar if it has defined boundaries. Doses are evaluated against the specific ingredient and extract form. Effective amounts differ by form.
Example: Ashwagandha
Human trials commonly run 300–600 mg/day of a standardized extract. 300 mg meets the floor. 600 mg is preferred. A token 50 mg, or an amount hidden in a proprietary blend, does not qualify.
Inactive ingredients
What "clean" means
"Clean" has a defined boundary. This list governs every review and is updated as evidence and regulation evolve.
Reference
Understanding seals
What each type of certification actually checks, and what it leaves unanswered.
Every seal below is legitimate and worth having. None of them alone tells you whether a product is clinically dosed, uses effective ingredient forms, or is worth taking.
Label accuracy & purity
The bottle matches the label, and it's cleanConfirms identity, potency, purity, that the pill dissolves, and cGMP manufacturing. Doesn't say the formula is effective, that doses match research, or that the ingredient is worth taking.
Confirms label accuracy, contaminant limits, and audits the facility. Silent on whether the dose is clinically meaningful.
Strong contaminant and heavy-metals testing plus label accuracy. Still says nothing about dosing or efficacy.
Independent testing and contaminant verification. Purity confirmed. Dosing not addressed.
Banned substances
For athletes. Not a proxy for efficacy.Everything NSF does, plus screening for ~280 banned substances. Excellent sport compliance, but 'free of banned substances' is not 'clinically dosed and effective.'
Batch-level testing against the banned-substance list. Rigorous for sport compliance, silent on whether the formula is worth taking.
Single-attribute seals
Narrow by designAbout farming practices. No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Organic doesn't mean potent, correctly dosed, or even contaminant-free — independent testing has repeatedly found heavy metals like lead in organic-certified protein powders from major brands.
Only confirms the absence of GMOs. Says nothing about label accuracy, contaminant levels, ingredient quality, or dosing.
Only confirms gluten content is below a defined threshold. Relevant for celiac disease. Irrelevant to formula quality.
Manufacturing-only
The facility, not the formulaVerifies the facility's process compliance, not the product's formula. Watch the wording: "cGMP compliant" is self-claimed; "cGMP certified" is independently audited. Brands also display homemade "Lab Tested" graphics that aren't from any real certifier. These carry no independent weight.
What no seal on this list verifies
A product can carry a legitimate seal and be underdosed, use cheap forms, or hide its doses. That is the whole reason the MyStaq Standard treats certification as one requirement among several. Never the deciding one.
Ready?
See what passes the Standard
Take the quiz and we'll build a personalized supplement stack from brands and products that have cleared every requirement.
Take the quizApprovals are reviewed on a fixed cycle and re-checked whenever a brand's testing, certifications, formulation, or regulatory status changes.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products referenced are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.