Two bottles. Same herb. Same milligram number on the front. One of them contains several times more plant material than the other. The difference is printed in small type, in a format most buyers have never had explained to them.
The ratio, in one sentence
A 4:1 extract means four parts of raw plant material were concentrated down into one part of finished extract. A 5:1 means five parts became one.
So 100 mg of a 4:1 extract started life as roughly 400 mg of raw plant. 100 mg of a 5:1 started as roughly 500 mg.
It is reduction. Same idea as a stock reducing on the stove — less volume, more concentrated.
The three forms you will see
| Form | What it is | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Raw powder | The milled plant, nothing removed | No concentration. Milligrams are the whole story. |
| Ratio extract (4:1, 5:1) | Concentrated by a stated factor | Tells you concentration, not which compounds survived. |
| Standardized extract | Calibrated to a fixed % of a named marker compound | The most consistent form, and usually the most expensive. |
Standardized is the form most clinical trials use, because a trial needs every capsule to be identical. That is also why a study on a standardized extract does not automatically transfer to a raw powder product — a point worth remembering whenever a brand quotes research.
Which TESTO PLUS ingredients carry a ratio
Six of the nineteen ingredients are concentrated extracts, each with the ratio printed on the panel:
- Oat Straw 5:1
- Stinging Nettle Leaf 5:1
- Muira Puama 4:1
- Astragalus 4:1
- Licorice 4:1
- Oyster 4:1
The other thirteen are raw powders, extracts without a stated ratio, amino acids, minerals or food-derived ingredients. Both types are legitimate. What matters is that the label says which is which.
Four checks before you buy anything in this category
- Is every amount printed individually? If the panel shows one big number for a “proprietary blend,” you cannot know what is inside it. US rules allow a blend to list only its total weight.1 A large total can hide a dozen ingredients present in trace amounts.
- Does the form match the research being quoted? If the marketing cites a study on a standardized extract and the panel lists a raw powder, the research is about a different material.
- Is the serving size one tablet or several? Compare like with like. A formula with a large total per serving may simply be spread across two tablets.
- Are allergens declared? Marine and shellfish-derived ingredients are common in this category. TESTO PLUS contains shellfish (oyster), and says so.
Why this is published on a brand’s own website
Because every one of those four checks can be run against TESTO PLUS: individual amounts printed, forms and ratios stated, serving size stated, allergen declared. Where a form differs from the one in a study, our research pages say so.
A buyer who knows how to read a panel is a harder buyer to impress and a better one to keep.
TESTO PLUS
Nineteen ingredients, 2,273 mg per serving, every dose printed on the label. Two tablets a day, no caffeine.*
Quick answers
What does a 4:1 extract mean?
Four parts of raw plant material were concentrated down into one part of finished extract. So 100 mg of a 4:1 started as roughly 400 mg of raw plant.
Is a standardized extract better than a raw powder?
It is more consistent — calibrated to a fixed percentage of a named marker compound, which is why trials use it. Both forms are legitimate; what matters is that the label says which is which.
How many TESTO PLUS ingredients are ratio extracts?
Six of the nineteen: Oat Straw 5:1, Stinging Nettle Leaf 5:1, Muira Puama 4:1, Astragalus 4:1, Licorice 4:1 and Oyster 4:1.
Sources
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR §101.36 — Nutrition labeling of dietary supplements (how ingredients, extracts and proprietary blends must be listed). www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-C/section-101.36
Keep reading
Label literacyWhat Is a COA? How to Verify Your Supplement Is Actually TestedTESTO PLUSInside TESTO PLUS: 19 Ingredients, 2,273 mgTESTO PLUSTongkat Ali: What the Human Research Actually ShowsExtract ratios quoted here are printed on the TESTO PLUS Supplement Facts panel. Contains shellfish (oyster).
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.