Affiliate Disclosure & How We're Funded

How We’re Funded (Affiliate Disclosure)

We believe in complete transparency. Here’s exactly how we make money, and why it doesn’t compromise our integrity.

The Short Version

We earn a commission if you purchase supplements through our links to Amway/Nutrilite and other affiliate partners. This doesn’t change our recommendations — we recommend what works best, not what pays the most.

We’re not funded by:

  • Supplement companies (no payola for coverage)
  • Ads (no tracking, no surveillance)
  • Sponsored content (no “paid posts”)
  • Venture capital (no pressure to maximize growth over integrity)

We’re funded by you: if you find our site helpful and decide to buy supplements through our links, we get a small commission. That’s it.

Running this site costs money:

  • Domain and hosting ($200+/year)
  • SSL certificate for security
  • Time to research and write articles (100+ hours/month)
  • Fact-checking and citation review
  • Technical infrastructure and tools

We could monetize through:

  1. Ads — Show you banner ads and tracking pixels. No. Your privacy matters.
  2. Sponsored content — Let supplement companies pay for favorable coverage. No. This corrupts recommendations.
  3. Subscriptions — Charge to access information. No. Supplement education should be accessible.
  4. Affiliate links — Earn a small commission when you buy. Yes. This aligns our incentives with yours.

We choose affiliate links because:

  • ✅ You pay the same price either way (the commission comes from the company, not your pocket)
  • ✅ It creates incentive alignment (we want you to buy quality supplements that work)
  • ✅ It lets us keep content free for everyone
  • ✅ It’s transparent and ethical

How Much Do We Make?

Honestly? Not much yet.

  • Affiliate commission rate: ~5-15% depending on partner
  • Average order value: ~$40-80
  • Commission per purchase: $2-12
  • Traffic to site: ~1,000 visitors/month (still early)
  • Conversion rate: ~1-2% (affiliate purchase, not just click)
  • Monthly revenue currently: ~$200-400/month

This means we’re making ~$50-100 per full commission. That’s enough to cover hosting and domain costs, but not our time investment yet. We’re building this for the long term.

We make ZERO difference between recommendations whether we earn $0 or $1,000 per purchase. The supplement is the same. The dosage is the same. The research backing it is the same.

Our Affiliate Partners

Amway/Nutrilite (Primary Partner)

  • Why: Strong supplement line with rigorous quality control
  • Commission: 5-10% affiliate rate
  • Our honest take: Good quality, not the cheapest option. Great for convenience
  • Disclosure: We link to Nutrilite. You can buy elsewhere if you prefer

Amazon (Secondary, Limited)

  • Why: Convenience and option for readers without Nutrilite access
  • Commission: 2-3% affiliate rate (low)
  • Our honest take: Massive selection but quality varies. Know the brand you’re buying
  • Disclosure: Amazon links labeled as affiliate

iHerb (Where Used)

  • Why: Selection and international shipping
  • Commission: 3-5% affiliate rate
  • Our honest take: Good selection and prices
  • Disclosure: Links labeled when used

How We Choose Recommendations

What Influences Our Recommendations

✅ What DOES influence our recommendations:

  1. Research: Peer-reviewed studies, meta-analyses, clinical trials
  2. Safety: Interaction risk, side effect profile, toxic potential
  3. Efficacy: Does it actually work? How strong is the evidence?
  4. Bioavailability: What form actually absorbs?
  5. Cost-effectiveness: Is this the best value per dose?
  6. Mechanism: Does the biology make sense?
  7. User feedback: Do real people actually feel better taking it?

❌ What DOESN’T influence our recommendations:

  1. Affiliate commission rate (we don’t push high-commission products)
  2. Company size (small brands get same treatment as big ones)
  3. Advertising spend (we’re not paid for coverage)
  4. Sponsorships (we accept none)
  5. Pressure from companies (we work independently)
  6. Personal relationships (no “friends” in the industry)

Our Decision Process

For each supplement article, we:

  1. Research deeply

    • Search PubMed for peer-reviewed studies
    • Read meta-analyses and systematic reviews
    • Check clinical trial registries
    • Review adverse event databases

  2. Evaluate the evidence

    • Rate study quality (RCTs > observational studies)
    • Check for replication across independent teams
    • Look for effect sizes (not just statistical significance)
    • Note industry-funded vs. independent research

  3. Write honestly

    • Highlight what works (backed by evidence)
    • Acknowledge what’s unproven (emerging research)
    • Disclose what doesn’t work (failed studies)
    • Note our uncertainty (where evidence is mixed)

  4. Recommend the best option

    • Not what pays the most
    • Not what’s most convenient for us
    • What actually works best for the user

  5. Disclose alternatives

    • We recommend brands, but note you can buy elsewhere
    • We provide specific product recommendations, but acknowledge competitors
    • We link to affiliate partners, but not exclusively

Potential Conflicts of Interest (And How We Handle Them)

Potential Conflict #1: Financial Incentive

The conflict: We earn money if you buy supplements, so might we recommend more supplements than necessary?

How we handle it:

  • We explicitly tell you when NOT to supplement
  • We recommend skipping supplements that lack strong evidence
  • We emphasize that diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management matter more than supplements
  • We recommend the MINIMUM effective dose, not maximum
  • We often recommend cheaper generics, even though they generate lower commissions

Potential Conflict #2: Affiliate Partner Preference

The conflict: We link primarily to Nutrilite. Might we bias toward their products?

How we handle it:

  • We explicitly acknowledge when competitor brands are equal or better
  • We note Nutrilite isn’t always the cheapest option
  • We provide links to alternatives
  • Our recommendations aren’t based on which company makes a supplement

Potential Conflict #3: Supplement Industry Bias

The conflict: We benefit from people taking supplements. Might we oversell their importance?

How we handle it:

  • We publish “you don’t need to supplement this” articles
  • We emphasize lifestyle factors (exercise, diet) over supplements
  • We note that most people can’t tell the difference between placebo and active supplement (personal bias risk)
  • We recommend people try supplements for 4-8 weeks and stop if they don’t feel better

Potential Conflict #4: Time & Energy Investment

The conflict: We’ve spent 100+ hours writing. Might bias creep in?

How we handle it:

  • We separate research writing (unbiased) from monetized content (affiliate-linked)
  • We footnote everything to allow fact-checking
  • We welcome corrections from readers
  • We explicitly invite criticism in comments

What You Can Do

To Support Us (Without Buying)

  • Share articles with friends
  • Link to us from your blog
  • Leave reviews or testimonials
  • Give feedback on what guides you need

To Support Us (By Buying)

  • Buy supplements through our affiliate links (costs you nothing extra)
  • Use our tools (free, built for you)
  • Click our disclosure links (transparency builds trust)

To Verify Our Integrity

  • Click through one of our affiliate links and verify the price is the same as buying directly
  • Check our supplement recommendations against independent reviews (Reddit, Examine, Science-Based Medicine)
  • Read our articles and verify citations against actual studies
  • Check if we recommend supplements we DON’T link to (we do, proving we’re not money-driven)

Our Promise

We promise to:

  1. Stay independent — No venture capital, no acquisition by supplement companies, no outside control
  2. Keep research first — Recommendations based on evidence, not revenue
  3. Stay transparent — All affiliate relationships disclosed
  4. Remain accessible — Free content forever, not hidden behind paywalls
  5. Accept corrections — If you find an error, we’ll fix it immediately
  6. Evolve with evidence — As research changes, so do our recommendations

Questions?

If you have concerns about our funding, conflicts of interest, or specific recommendations, please reach out. We’re happy to explain our reasoning and address specific concerns.

Your trust is more valuable to us than any commission.