Every product on EvidenceFirst Health is evaluated against the same six-criterion rubric. Here's exactly how it works.
No shortcuts. No exceptions.
We map every credible brand in the category, read the published clinical literature on relevant strains and ingredients, and identify what consumers in this space actually need to know.
Every product is purchased at retail, with our own money. We do not accept free samples, PR boxes, or brand-supplied product. Acceptance creates an implicit relationship that compromises objectivity.
Each product is used by our reviewers for a minimum of 8 weeks before evaluation. Probiotic and microbiome products require time for the body to respond. Anything shorter is unscientific.
Products are scored across six weighted dimensions (see rubric below). The rubric is identical for every product in a category, with no special weighting and no bonus for brand recognition.
Every review is fact-checked by a second editor against the original clinical sources cited. Claims are verified to studies, not press releases or marketing pages.
Every published review is revisited every 90 days. Pricing, formulation changes, and new market entrants trigger re-scoring. Last-updated dates on every review reflect this.
Weights are fixed. Same rubric applied to every product in a category.
| Criterion | Weight | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Strain quality | 25% | Specific strains are clinically studied with published peer-reviewed data, not generic genus claims. |
| CFU at expiration | 20% | Live CFU count guaranteed at the bottle's expiration date, not just at manufacture. |
| Delivery / prebiotic | 15% | Acid-resistant capsule technology and/or a real prebiotic to support survival and colonization. |
| Cost per day | 15% | Per-dose price including any available subscribe & save discounts. |
| Time to results | 15% | Reviewer-reported time to noticeable subjective improvement during the structured use period. |
| Third-party testing | 10% | Published Certificates of Analysis and transparency around independent lab testing. |
| Total | 100% | Final score on 0-10 scale. |
A short list of things you will never see on EvidenceFirst Health.
We do not accept payment from brands for placement, "Best Of" inclusion, or favorable coverage.
Every byline is a real person. We do not invent doctors, dietitians, or expert reviewers.
If we have not used a product through our full review cycle, it does not appear in a ranked review.
"Contains Lactobacillus" is not evidence. We score against specific strains with specific clinical data.
If AI tools are used in drafting or research, we disclose it openly within the review.