At CBD Reviews MD, we strive to provide our readers with clear, objective, and clinically referenced information. Our editorial guidelines exist to maintain absolute trust between our reviewers, medical board, and you.
1. Editorial Independence
Our supplement reviews, ranking lists, and ingredient breakdowns are completely independent. We do not accept paid placements, sponsorships, or promotional compensation from supplement manufacturers to alter reviews, increase score values, or change rank placements. We buy the supplements we test ourselves to avoid manufacturer-selected sample bias.
2. Clinical Fact-Checking Standards
We require all claims regarding supplement benefits to be backed by robust scientific evidence. When evaluating an active ingredient:
- We prioritize human, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals (PubMed, PMC, Google Scholar).
- We cross-reference the ingredient dosages used in clinical trials with the exact serving sizes present in the reviewed products.
- We penalize products that hide active compound weights inside "proprietary blends".
Below is the timeline of our rigorous auditing pipeline for every review:
Anonymous Procurement
We purchase each supplement directly from retail stores or manufacturer websites as an ordinary consumer. This ensures we evaluate the same batch quality that you receive at home, preventing manufacturers from sending selected optimal samples.
ISO/IEC Laboratory Screen
Products are sent to third-party ISO/IEC accredited laboratories to run mass-spectrometry assays. This identifies heavy metal traces, microbiological contaminants, and unlisted chemical adulterants.
Dosage Assay & Bioavailability Audit
We analyze the exact milligrams of active compounds in each serving and compare them against doses proven effective in human clinical trials. We also audit the formula for absorption enhancers like AstraGin® or Piperine.
Medical Advisory Review
Draft articles are routed to our Medical Advisory Board. Specialists review claims, verify contraindications, and double-check medical precautions before releasing the review.
3. Rating Matrix & Penalties
To keep our supplement comparisons objective, we score products using a transparent matrix out of 10. Items lose points based on key clinical metrics:
| Evaluation Criterion | Clinical Impact | Deduction Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary Blends | Hides individual ingredient dosages under a single blend weight. | -2.0 Points |
| Underdosed Active Herbs | Active ingredients (e.g. Ashwagandha) below verified clinical trial amounts. | -1.5 Points |
| Missing Absorption Enhancers | Lacks bioavailability agents, causing poor compound digestion. | -1.0 Points |
| Trace Lead or Cadmium | Trace heavy metals detected (even if within legal limits). | -3.0 Points |
| Clean Label HPLC Validation | No proprietary blends, full metal clearance, and clinical serving sizes. | No Penalty |
4. Medical Advisory Board
Our review process relies on a team of clinical experts who peer-review our articles to guarantee medical safety, correct dosing facts, and chemical integrity:
Specializes in clinical androgen dynamics, pituitary axis disorders, and cannabinoid replacement therapies. Audits our clinical research reviews.
Expert in supplement-drug interactions, chemical toxicology, and bioavailablity metrics. Reviews safety warnings and contraindications.
Focuses on athletic performance nutrition, muscle protein synthesis, and metabolic health. Validates dosing guidelines and recovery claims.
5. Affiliate Link Transparency
To keep our review resources free for users, CBD Reviews MD participates in affiliate referral programs. This means that when you click our outbound links and make a purchase on the official manufacturer's store, we may receive a small referral commission at no additional cost to you.
Our Pledge: Affiliate relationships never influence our rating scores. If a top-rated product ceases to meet clinical safety or dosing requirements, it is immediately downgraded, regardless of referral programs.
6. Correction & Update Policies
Dietary supplement formulas change, and new clinical studies are published regularly. Our team routinely audits reviewed products to ensure prices, return policies, and ingredient configurations are up-to-date. If you spot a dosing discrepancy or an outdated claim, please reach out to our editorial board at editorial@cbdrmd.com.