# Can a supplement say “studies show”? Source: https://claimsverified.org/claims/studies-show/ Only with the study cited. The FTC expects the research to exist and to match both the claim and the product, so cite it specifically or remove the sentence. --- Why it fails ## The rule this runs into. Uncited research reference. FTC expects the study to exist and to match. We file this under substantiation and rate it medium. It is enforced by FTC, which matters because a single phrase can fail in more than one place at once: a listing suppression, an ad-account review and a warning letter are three different consequences of the same sentence. What to say instead ## The wording that passes. This is the rewrite an audit ships for this phrase: the strongest wording the standard allows, in the words we would hand you. The rewrite the standard allows Cite it specifically, or remove. Other claims you can use instead Evidence Formulated with clinically studied ingredients 'Studied' not 'proven'. Cite the study. Every structure/function claim on this page still needs the FDA disclaimer wherever it appears. That requirement has [its own ruling](https://claimsverified.org/claims/fda-disclaimer/). How common it is ## You are not the only one running it. **162** of 793 brands in the database 162 of the 793 brands we have ruled carry this phrase or a direct variant on a live listing. Counts are distinct brands, not listings, across 2,243 top-selling Amazon US listings in 8 categories. Being common is not a defence. It does mean the phrase is easy for an automated sweep to find, on your listing and on everyone else’s. The full ranking sits on [the research page](https://claimsverified.org/research/#phrases). ## Is this phrase on your listing right now? Run one ASIN through the free check. You get the severity counts on your own copy, ruled against all 109 standards, with no sales call attached. [Free ASIN check](https://claimsverified.org/check/) Nearby rulings ## Other phrases in the same family. [ MediumSubstantiation Can a supplement say “Non-GMO”? ](https://claimsverified.org/claims/non-gmo/) [ MediumSubstantiation Can a supplement say “clinical dose”? ](https://claimsverified.org/claims/clinical-dose/) [ HighSubstantiation Can a supplement say “#1 doctor recommended”? ](https://claimsverified.org/claims/number-one-doctor-recommended/) [All 37 published rulings →](https://claimsverified.org/claims/) **Cite us**This ruling is free to quote. Credit “Claims Verified” and link here. It is regulatory review of marketing language, not legal advice. audit@claimsverified.org → Say the most the rules allow. Then keep selling it, everywhere, at any spend. Clean copy can run on every channel at once, with the lines we flagged gone, so you can push budget knowing what a reviewer can find. And it is the brand a careful shopper can believe.