FDA issues a warning to consumers over supplement health claims

It’s become more common for dietary supplement makers to make bold claims about the health benefits of their products. However, the FDA has issued a warning to consumers that urges them to check these claims carefully before they rely on supplements. 

The FDA says that although supplements can help people to meet the daily requirements of nutrients and improve their general health, it is unhappy with some of the unfounded claims. 

For example, there are supplement manufacturers claiming that their supplements can cure, prevent, or treat certain health conditions, like strokes, heart failure, or cardiovascular disease. 

Warning letters have now been sent to the following companies for marketing a variety of products that promise to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease and related conditions: 

• Calroy Health Sciences
• Anabolic Laboratories
• Healthy Trends Worldwide (Golden After 50)
• Essential Elements
• Iwi
• BergaMet North America
• Chambers’ Apothecary

The FDA’s letter stated: “Your BPS-5 product is not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above-referenced uses and, therefore, this product is a “new drug” … [adding] “new drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from FDA. FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data and information demonstrating that the drug is safe and effective.”

In another letter to Healthy Trends Worldwide, the maker of Golden After 50, the FDA described the company’s pitch of “That’s why we combined five science-backed ingredients from nature that address multiple factors to help regulate blood pressure” as a false claim.

In addition to this, the FDA has urged consumers to think carefully about using these types of supplements, as they haven’t been approved for their intended use and could be harmful. 

The Office of Dietary Supplement Programs in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition added: “Given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., it’s important that the FDA protect the public from products and companies that make unlawful claims to treat it. 

Dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent cardiovascular disease and related conditions could potentially harm consumers who use these products instead of seeking safe and effective FDA-approved treatments from qualified healthcare providers. We encourage consumers to remain vigilant when shopping online or in stores to avoid purchasing products that could put their health at risk.”