How we review health products

Trusted Health Choices is an independent Irish website. We review health products so that readers in Ireland and the UK can make calmer, better-informed choices.

We'd rather be trusted than be first. This page sets out exactly how our reviews are put together, what we look at, and where our limits are.

What we review, and what we don't

We review everyday health products that you can buy without a prescription. That includes:

• food supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, protein powders and herbal products

• wellness and health gadgets, such as fitness trackers, sleep aids and blood pressure monitors

• similar over-the-counter health and wellness products

We don't review prescription medicines, and we don't give medical advice.

A review can tell you what a product claims, what the evidence says and whether it seems good value. It can't tell you whether it's right for you. Only a pharmacist, GP or other health professional who knows your situation can do that.

How we score products

Every review uses the same short rubric, so you can compare products fairly. We score each product on five areas:

• Evidence for the claims. Is there good-quality research behind what the product says it does? We look at whether the evidence is strong, limited or missing, and whether it applies to the dose and form in the product.

• Ingredient quality and safety. What's in it, how much, and is it safe at that amount? We flag known side effects, interactions with medicines, and ingredients that some people should avoid.

• Value for money. What does it cost per day or per use, and how does that compare with similar products?

• Labelling honesty. Is the label clear and accurate? Are the doses easy to find? Does the marketing stay within what the evidence and the rules allow?

• Real-user experience. What do people who've used it say about taste, comfort, ease of use, build quality and customer service? We treat this as useful context, not as proof that a product works.

Each area is scored out of 5, and all five count equally. Together, they give an overall score out of 5.

Safety comes first. If we have a serious safety concern about a product, we can cap its overall score, however well it does in the other areas.

Each review explains how the product did in every area, so you can see the reasons behind the score and not just a number.

Where our information comes from

We rely on three main kinds of source:

• Peer-reviewed research. Published studies and systematic reviews, giving the most weight to well-designed research in people.

• Official regulators and public health bodies. These include the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the HSE.

• The manufacturer's own information. Labels, websites and product sheets are useful for facts like ingredients and prices, but we treat marketing claims with caution and check them elsewhere.

Every claim we make in a review is checked against a source, and we link to or name that source wherever we can.

How we use AI

We use AI tools to help us gather and summarise information, for example by pulling together what the research and regulators say about an ingredient. AI can make mistakes, so it never has the final word.

A human reviewer reads, checks and edits every review before it goes live, including checking the facts against the original sources.

Every review is clearly labelled "AI-assisted, human-reviewed", so you always know how it was made.

Our independence

We don't accept payment for reviews, and we don't sell placements or higher scores. Manufacturers can't pay to be featured or to see a review before it's published.

At the moment, we don't make any money from the site. If we ever add affiliate links (links that earn us a small commission if you buy something), we'll say so clearly on every page where they appear. They will never affect our scores or what we write.

Corrections and updates

We work hard to get things right, but we won't always manage it. If you spot an error, or think something is out of date, please let us know through our contact page. Tell us the name of the review and what you think is wrong.

We'll look into every report and correct mistakes as quickly as we can.

Every review shows the date it was published and the date it was last updated. We revisit reviews when new evidence comes out, when a product changes, or when a reader points out a problem. When we make a significant correction, we'll note it on the review.

A note on your health

Our reviews are for general information only. They're not a substitute for advice from a health professional.

Before you start a new supplement or health product, talk to a pharmacist or your GP, especially if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, take any medication, or have a health condition. If you have symptoms that worry you, please see a doctor rather than relying on a product.

Last updated: 23 October 2026