Public reference · claim rulings

What a supplement can and cannot say.

37 rulings on the phrases brands ask about most. Each one answers a single question in a sentence, gives the rule it runs into, and hands you wording that holds. Drawn from the same 98-standard library every audit runs on.

Check my listing free Standards and method
Rulings published
37
Standard families
8
Listings behind the counts
1,759

What this is

A public reference, not the whole standard.

Every ruling here is taken from the claim library our audits run on: 98 standards drawn from published FDA, FTC and marketplace rules. The severity, the reason and the rewrite are the same ones a paying client sees in their report. Nothing is softened for the public version.

This is a subset, chosen because these are the questions people actually ask. The full standard publishes with the verification directory. If the phrase you are checking is not here, that is not a pass: run it through the free check or read the standards and method.

Disease verb

Verbs that describe acting on a disease. The shortest route from a supplement to an unapproved drug.

3 rulings
Can a supplement say “cures”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “treats”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “prevents”? Critical Read the ruling →

Named condition

Naming the condition the product is for, however gently. The condition does the claiming.

7 rulings
Can a supplement say it is for anxiety? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “lowers blood pressure”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “lowers cholesterol”? Critical Read the ruling →
Show all 7 rulingsShow fewer Can a supplement say “lowers blood sugar” or “for diabetes”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “heals leaky gut”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “treats insomnia”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say it is for menopause symptoms or hot flashes? High Read the ruling →

Implied drug

Wording that describes a drug-like mechanism without naming a disease.

7 rulings
Can a supplement say “prescription strength” or “pharmaceutical grade”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “anti-inflammatory”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “relieves pain”? Critical Read the ruling →
Show all 7 rulingsShow fewer Can a supplement say “detox” or “cleanses toxins”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “boosts immunity”? High 152 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “balances hormones”? High 156 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “normalizes” or “restores”? High 129 brands flagged →

False regulatory

Authority the product does not have, or approval that does not exist for supplements.

7 rulings
Can a supplement say “patented formula”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “guaranteed results”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “FDA approved”? Critical Read the ruling →
Show all 7 rulingsShow fewer Can a supplement say “FDA registered”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “clinically proven”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “100% safe” or “no side effects”? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “GMP certified”? Medium 247 brands flagged →

Substantiation

Claims that may be fine to make and are not fine to make without evidence in hand.

8 rulings
Can a supplement say “Non-GMO”? Medium 337 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “clinical dose”? Medium Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “#1 doctor recommended”? High Read the ruling →
Show all 8 rulingsShow fewer Can a supplement say “best” or “most effective”? Medium 340 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “burns fat”? High Read the ruling → Can a supplement say “studies show”? Medium 135 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “all-natural”? Medium 119 brands flagged → Can a supplement say “non-habit forming”? Medium Read the ruling →

Platform policy

Where Amazon, Meta and Google enforce ahead of the regulators, including fields shoppers never see.

3 rulings
Can a supplement ad say “Struggling with [condition]?” High Read the ruling → Can an Amazon supplement listing use disease keywords in the title or bullets? Critical Read the ruling → Can a supplement use disease terms in Amazon backend search keywords? High Read the ruling →

Implied claim

A claim carried by something other than the sentence: a product name, a testimonial, an affiliate post.

1 ruling
Can a supplement product name imply treatment? Critical Read the ruling →

Structural

What has to be present, and how prominently, rather than what may not be said.

1 ruling
Does a supplement need the FDA disclaimer? High 358 brands flagged →

Cite usThese rulings are free to quote. Credit “Claims Verified” and link to the ruling you used. Brand counts come from our own scan database and are explained on the research page.

audit@claimsverified.org →

Reading rulings is slower than being told.

Run one ASIN through the free check and see which of these your own listing is carrying. On-file listings show their scan result immediately. New scans queue against the current 98 standards.

Free ASIN check