Evidence

Supplement Claims vs. Evidence

A strong claim should make you ask what evidence actually supports it.

Health-product advertising can make claims directly or by implication. The FTC advises marketers to consider the overall “net impression” of words, images and context — not just isolated sentences.

Stronger claims require stronger support

Statements about health benefits need appropriate scientific substantiation. Claims of clinical proof, professional endorsement, or guaranteed outcomes should prompt questions about exactly what evidence supports the statement and whether it applies to the specific product and outcome being advertised.

Watch for disease-treatment language

A supplement advertisement should not be treated as a substitute for diagnosis or medical treatment. Disease-treatment claims require a different regulatory and evidentiary standard than general wellness education.

Boundary: marketing language is not medical evidence.

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