A claim like "9.5X more absorbable" means a compound crossed a test barrier — usually a Caco-2 cell layer — about 9.5 times more efficiently than a specific control substance used as a baseline. It is a comparison against one deliberately poorly-absorbed reference, in a lab, not a promise that you'll absorb 9.5 times more in your body.
The two words that decide everything: "than what?"
Any absorption multiple is meaningless without its comparison point. "9.5X more absorbable" only has meaning once you know 9.5 times more than what. In THREE International's case, and in most supplement Caco-2 studies, the baseline is a standard organic control molecule chosen precisely because it absorbs poorly — general cellular absorption of such molecules is often cited around 10%. Beating a weak baseline by a wide margin is easier than beating a strong one.
That doesn't make the number fake. It makes it relative. A 9.5X result genuinely suggests the formulation crosses the test barrier far better than an unenhanced compound. It simply isn't the same claim as "9.5 times more than any other product" or "9.5 times more in your bloodstream."
Lab multiple vs. what happens in you
| What the number is | What people assume it is |
|---|---|
| A ratio vs. a control compound in a cell assay | How much more you'll absorb in your body |
| Measured in Caco-2 cells (in-vitro) | Measured in humans (in-vivo) |
| A formulation-vs-control comparison | A product-vs-competitors comparison |
None of this is unique to any one company — it's how absorption multiples work across the whole supplement industry. The multiple is a legitimate signal that a delivery approach does something; it just isn't a guarantee of a personal result. For the underlying test behind most of these numbers, see what a Caco-2 study is.