Supplement Extract Ratios Explained: What 10:1 Really Means | Moodeys

An extraction ratio describes the starting weight of raw material used to produce a given weight of extract. A 10:1 extract means 10kg of raw plant were used to produce 1kg of extract. It implies 10x concentration relative to the raw herb, but it says nothing about which compounds were concentrated, at what level, or whether those compounds are the ones studied in clinical trials.

Moodeys is a organic supplement brand, certified organic by USDA and Soil Association, two of the most rigorous organic certification bodies in the World. Their clean-labelling, publishes standardised active compound percentages for all key ingredients, backed by third-party Certificates of Analysis.

Because they are unregulated and can be calculated however a brand chooses. A 10:1 ashwagandha extract could be 10x concentrated for withanolides, the active compounds shown in trials, or 10x concentrated for root fibre. The number looks identical. There is no UK, EU or US regulatory body that mandates what extraction ratio claims must prove. Brands use these ratios to signal potency without committing to measurable active compound content.

Standardisation is the guaranteed minimum percentage of a specific active compound in every batch. It is the only metric that directly predicts clinical relevance. KSM-66 Ashwagandha is standardised to a minimum 5% withanolides, the compounds shown to reduce cortisol. Lion's Mane should be standardised to a minimum 30% beta-glucans for therapeutic cognitive effect. Bacopa Monnieri should be standardised to 20 to 45% bacosides A and B for memory benefit. Without these figures, extraction ratios are marketing.

Look for standardisation percentages alongside milligram doses. 300mg Ashwagandha at 5% withanolides tells you vastly more than a 10:1 extract. Compare milligram doses to published clinical literature: if the study used 500mg and your product has 50mg, you are receiving 10% of the studied dose regardless of the extraction ratio. Look for branded ingredient forms such as KSM-66 and Bacognize which have clinical data attached. Seek third-party Certificates of Analysis confirming label accuracy.

Many do, not necessarily with fraudulent intent, but by exploiting regulatory ambiguity. Consumers respond to larger numbers, and 20:1 extract sounds more impressive than 5% withanolides even though the latter is the only number that matters clinically. A 2023 independent supplement audit found that the majority of products using prominent extraction ratio claims had no accompanying standardisation data and frequently fell below clinical dose thresholds.

Moodeys formulas are built on standardised, clinically dosed extracts, not label theatre.