We audited the 39 most-funded brands in functional health. The biggest names scored the worst.
The most-funded brands in functional health score an average of 35 out of 100 on the Trust Index — 25 points below indie comparison brands. Zero of 21 unicorn-tier brands scored “Trustworthy” or “Acceptable.” The correlation between brand funding and composite Trust Score is r = –0.65 (p < 0.001).
Disclosure: Evident Health LLC owns Sleep Karma, a bamboo-silk mouth tape brand. Mouth tape is intentionally excluded from this index to avoid scoring our own category. We disclose this prominently because that’s what trustworthy publishers do.
How we scored
Every brand is scored 0-100 across seven evidence-based dimensions. Scores are weighted and combined into a single composite Trust Score. Hover on the chart to see each dimension's weight. Full methodology →
The data, visualized
Funding vs. Trust Score
Each dot is a brand. Purple = unicorn-tier, green = indie comparison. Hover or tap for details. The negative correlation (r = -0.65) is visible: funded brands cluster bottom-right, indies cluster top-left.
The unicorn penalty by category
Average Trust Score for unicorn vs. indie brands within each category. The gap is consistent across all 8 categories.
The full ranking
Click any brand to see its 7-dimension breakdown and key evidence.
The Evident Caselog
Every score above is backed by a public evidence file. Browse regulatory actions, lab findings, and testing gaps for each brand.
The finding
The correlation survives quality controls — three indie brands scored poorly (BulkSupplements, Live It Up, Sovereign Labs), proving the methodology catches bad actors at any scale. The funding-vs-trust penalty is real, consistent across categories, and defensible.
Who owns who
Four corporations own 9 brands in the Trust Index. None of their portfolio averages reach “Acceptable.” Corporate acquisition does not improve trust scores.
Nestlé
4 brands in indexUnilever
3 brands in indexGenerous Brands
1 brand in indexPepsiCo
1 brand in indexFrequently asked questions
What is the Trust Index?
The Evident Reviews™ Trust Index is an annual methodology-driven ranking that scores the most-funded brands in functional health on transparency, label accuracy, regulatory record, marketing claim substantiation, additive disclosure, third-party certification, and supply chain transparency. Each brand receives a composite Trust Score from 0-100.
Why doesn’t the Trust Index include mouth tape?
Evident Health LLC owns Sleep Karma, a bamboo-silk mouth tape brand. To eliminate any conflict of interest, we exclude mouth tape entirely from the Trust Index. We do not score Sleep Karma or any of its competitors. We disclose this prominently because that’s what trustworthy publishers do.
How are brands selected?
Unicorn-tier brands must have $50M+ in disclosed funding, $100M+ in estimated annual revenue, or have been acquired by a $1B+ parent. Indie comparison brands are selected as a control group to test whether the funding-vs-trust hypothesis holds. We aim for 3 unicorns + 2 indies per category.
Can a brand request a re-score?
Yes. Any brand can submit new evidence (new third-party testing, reformulated products, resolved litigation) for re-scoring at any time. We commit to reviewing within 30 days. We do not offer pre-publication review or score adjustments based on anything other than documentary evidence.
How often is the Trust Index updated?
Full re-scoring happens annually. Mid-year updates are published when major regulatory actions land (FDA warning letters, FTC settlements, NAD rulings, product recalls). Brands can also submit evidence for re-scoring at any time.
Did you commission your own lab testing?
Yes. We commissioned independent third-party laboratory testing on 5 marquee products (AG1, LMNT, RYZE, Vital Proteins, ARMRA) through Eurofins and Alkemist Labs. Results are documented in the full PDF report. Both clean and adverse results are published.
Questions or corrections?
If you represent a brand in this index, you have the right to request our full evidence file and submit corrections of fact.
editorial@getevident.co