Every claim on shenilabs.ge carries one of three colour tags. This page publishes the rules behind them, so that the grading can be checked, criticised — and used by anyone else. The PHIG Evidence Grade is an open standard: any manufacturer may apply it to its own products free of charge, provided it meets the conditions in section 3. The Georgian Medical Journal reviews applications.
1. What is graded
The grade applies to a statement (“D3 raises 25(OH)D more efficiently than D2”), not to a product or an ingredient. One product page may carry statements at different grades. Each graded statement must cite at least one numbered source that a reader can retrieve.
2. The three grades
| Grade | Minimum evidence required | Where it appears on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Published human data | At least one peer-reviewed randomised controlled trial, meta-analysis of RCTs, or population study of adequate size in humans, directly addressing the statement at a dose within the range of the product; or an authorised EU health claim; or a reference value or limit set by EFSA, a pharmacopoeia or legislation. | Used for deficiency prevalence, reference values, ULs, trial outcomes at the product dose. |
| Mechanistic / early trials | Human pharmacokinetic or biomarker data, animal or in-vitro mechanism, or small/pilot human trials. The statement must be phrased as mechanism or early evidence and must not imply a health outcome. | Used for astaxanthin membrane mechanism, longevity data from C. elegans, half-life comparisons. |
| PHIG research in progress | A Georgia-specific measurement PHIG has registered but not yet published. No figure may be shown until peer-reviewed. | Used in the research register on the Science page. |
3. Conditions of use by other manufacturers
- Single-ingredient or fully disclosed formulation; no proprietary blends.
- Every production batch tested by an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory for identity, potency, heavy metals and microbiology, with the certificate published per LOT.
- Every graded statement cites a retrievable source; the page carries a numbered reference list.
- No statement graded green for astaxanthin, CoQ10, or any ingredient without an authorised EU claim, beyond identity, dose, safety limits and trial design.
- Grades are reviewed annually and on any change of formulation, and the date of last review is printed on the page.
- The manufacturer submits its graded pages to the Georgian Medical Journal for editorial review; GMJ may publish the review and may withdraw the right to use the mark.
4. What the grade does not mean
A green tag means the statement is supported by published human evidence. It does not mean the product treats, prevents or cures anything, and it is not a recommendation to take the product. The grade rates the honesty of the sentence, not the value of the supplement.
