Farr Institute at a Glance
The Farr Institute is here to help consumers make better decisions by publishing research on direct to consumer health services—this research aims to improve public knowledge and address some of the greatest challenges that we face as a society today. Our journal publishes not only product data but also reviews, critical comment, news and analysis.
Methodology
We have a very research-based approach to our rankings. All products are awarded points in 4 main categories:
- Ingredient Safety
- Customer Reviews
- Evidence Behind Ingredients
- Value for Money
The average score across all four categories informs the final rating.
Ingredient Safety
We are very careful to only sell products that are safe, with verifiable results. On ingredient safety, this is how we award our stars:
- 1-Star: A significant number of ingredients exceed the FDA’s daily recommended limit, posing real health concerns even for a healthy user.
- 2-Stars: The product contains ingredients that may trigger allergic reactions, or have been recorded to result in serious side effects. We also give 2-Stars if the product is not very upfront about all its ingredients (some supplements just say ‘proprietary blend’ in their ingredient list making it hard to verify their claims)
- 3-Stars: Ingredients and dosages can potentially result in moderate side-effects, but not to the target market. An example, a product may be totally safe for men, but risky for pregnant women. If the product is being sold to men, then they get 3-Stars. This is the case even if the product is very safe for the target market, just so we make a distinction between products that went above and beyond to be universally safe.
- 4-Stars: The ingredients are safe for the target market, and most healthy people. Some of the ingredients react with some medications, or are bad for specific groups of people (eg pregnant women and the elderly), but only produce mild side effects.
- 5-Stars: Very safe dosage and ingredients.
Customer Reviews
- 1-Star: Customer reviews are very negative in independent forums like BBB and Reddit, but very positive on the main product’s website. We usually give a 1-Star rating in such a case as this suggests the main website may be disingenuous. Products also get a 1-Star rating if the FDA has cautioned against them.
- 2-Stars: Independent reviews match reviews on the site, with the most common complaint being poor after-sale services. We also give 2-Stars if the company makes it hard for consumers to get their money-back (where there is a money-back guarantee)
- 3-Stars: Very positive reviews on efficacy, but with a significant number of complaints around customer service.
- 4-Stars: Positive reviews on efficacy, positive customer experience with the product’s policy, and money-back guarantees, but not FDA-Approved or GMP approved.
- 5-Stars: Positive reviews on efficacy, positive customer experience with the product’s policy and money-back guarantees, and FDA-approved or GMP-certified.
Evidence Behind Ingredients
- 1-Star: No scientific evidence at all, or some ingredients do the opposite of what the supplement claims to do (e.g if an ingredient in an HGH supplement has been shown to reduce high rather than increase it)
- 2-Stars: Some (less than 25%) ingredients have some evidence, but the only studies available are animal studies.
- 3-Stars: Some (more than 50%) ingredients have some evidence, but the only studies available are animal studies.
- 4-Stars: Some (more than 50%) ingredients have some evidence in animal trials and at least one ingredient is documented to work in a randomized control trial with human subjects.
- 5-Stars: All the ingredients have strong research behind their efficacy, with at least one of the main ingredients having a big randomized control test with human subjects
Value for Money
- 1-Star: Not worth it. The product doesn’t do what it claims, so no matter how much it goes for, it’s not worthy.
- 2-Stars: The product has some evidence behind it, but it’s easily supplemented by everyday food items that are cheaper (eg calcium supplements that can be replaced with 2 eggs daily shouldn’t cost $500)
- 3-Stars: The product has a decent amount of evidence behind it, but is way more costly than products of a similar description.
- 4-Stars: The product offers very high value but at a very high cost.
- 5-Stars: The product offers very high value but at a relatively low cost.
Vision
We are committed to giving consumers the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to make informed choices when buying consumer health products and services.
Our Mission
By analyzing data from multiple sources and collaborating with global health institutions, we can enhance the care of patients and public health. We produce clinical, biological, and population research for public benefit.
Our Doctors

Kimberly Langdon M.D.
Kimberly Langdon M.D. is a retired, board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with 19-years of clinical experience. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, earning Honors in many rotations. She secured one of five positions in their highly-ranked OB/GYN residency program. During her career, she delivered over 2000 babies and specialized in minimally invasive procedures, menopause, endometriosis, menstrual disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. After clinical practice, she founded a medical device company to commercialize her six patented medical devices for both life-threatening and non-life-threatening conditions. She is a prolific medical writer and featured healthcare expert.

Daniel Boyer M.D.
Daniel Boyer is a practicing Doctor of medicine with a focus on medical research. He specializes in molecular biology, histology, pharmacology, embryology, pathology, pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics.

Kire Stojkovski M.D
Kire Stojkovski is a practicing medical doctor whose work has been published in some of the most respected medical journals and cited hundreds of times. He has certifications in physiotherapy and is the sports doctor for three young football teams in his home state. In 2019 he was a part of a training course for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Kire is currently pursuing a PhD in oncology.

Kimberly Langdon M.D.
Kimberly Langdon M.D. is a retired, board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist with 19-years of clinical experience. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, earning Honors in many rotations. She secured one of five positions in their highly-ranked OB/GYN residency program. During her career, she delivered over 2000 babies and specialized in minimally invasive procedures, menopause, endometriosis, menstrual disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. After clinical practice, she founded a medical device company to commercialize her six patented medical devices for both life-threatening and non-life-threatening conditions. She is a prolific medical writer and featured healthcare expert.

Daniel Boyer M.D.
Daniel Boyer is a practicing Doctor of medicine with a focus on medical research. He specializes in molecular biology, histology, pharmacology, embryology, pathology, pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics.

Kire Stojkovski M.D
Kire Stojkovski is a practicing medical doctor whose work has been published in some of the most respected medical journals and cited hundreds of times. He has certifications in physiotherapy and is the sports doctor for three young football teams in his home state. In 2019 he was a part of a training course for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Kire is currently pursuing a PhD in oncology.
Our Authors

Shannon Ancrum
Shannon Ancrum is a freelance writer specializing in content related to the healthcare and holistic wellness industry. When she’s not traveling the world, you can find her crafting compelling blogs and articles for alternative health and wellness businesses. She’s gifted at unraveling complex medical jargon and making it crystal-clear for the mere mortal.

Nadine Rabchenok
Nadine has been writing for over six years, but she knew very early on that medical research was her calling. She is a fitness expert with a love for yoga and keto diets. When she is not writing or debunking claims made by popular OTC supplements, she’s travelling the world and learning new food and exercise disciplines.

Hannah Cooper
Hannah is a fitness enthusiast who has to know all the ingredients before she can put anything into her body. She prides herself in her obsession of research and can be found researching the most recent studies before she makes her next health or food decision. Hannah is also a respected personal trainer, which explains her love for the weight loss and nutrition niches.

Shannon Ancrum
Shannon Ancrum is a freelance writer specializing in content related to the healthcare and holistic wellness industry. When she’s not traveling the world, you can find her crafting compelling blogs and articles for alternative health and wellness businesses. She’s gifted at unraveling complex medical jargon and making it crystal-clear for the mere mortal.

Nadine Rabchenok
Nadine has been writing for over six years, but she knew very early on that medical research was her calling. She is a fitness expert with a love for yoga and keto diets. When she is not writing or debunking claims made by popular OTC supplements, she’s travelling the world and learning new food and exercise disciplines.

Hannah Cooper
Hannah is a fitness enthusiast who has to know all the ingredients before she can put anything into her body. She prides herself in her obsession of research and can be found researching the most recent studies before she makes her next health or food decision. Hannah is also a respected personal trainer, which explains her love for the weight loss and nutrition niches.

Emily Storgaard
Emily is a health enthusiast who obsesses over the ingredients in her packaged products. When she’s not writing, she’s giving unsolicited nutrition advice at dinner parties. She has been writing for over five years which have seen her work published and cited many times.

Polly Hyson
Polly Hyson is a talented writer and editor with over six years of experience. She is competent in a number of niches but specializes in consumer health topics. When not writing, she's probably working out, swimming, or doing Yoga.