Consumer Products With False
Health Claims

chillibreeze writer — Ruchi Grover

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In simple words, health claims are statements from the manufacturer about the beneficial effects of a product, whether it be food, cosmetics, therapies, nutritional supplements, etc, or its ingredients. In the language of the Food & Drug Administration, a health claim, characterizes the relationship between a substance and a reduction in the risk of contracting a particular disease.

Quite often one sees statements on food labels such as, 'helps maintain a healthy heart', or 'helps aid digestion’; or on cosmetic products such as, ‘removes wrinkles’, ‘100% protection against sun’; these are some examples of health claims.

By twisting words and phrases and employing the power of implication, the manufacturers leave it up to the consumer to disprove their claims. Whether one is looking for a short cut to losing weight or a cure for a serious ailment, consumers may be spending billions of dollars a year on unproven, fraudulently marketed, often useless health-related products, devices and treatments. Why? Because health fraud trades on false hope! In addition to wasting their money, consumers with serious medical problems may be wasting valuable time before they seek proper treatment. Even worse, some products may cause serious harm and endanger lives.

What is contained in the lines below cause anger, shock or even make one laugh! It will educate you and will definitely change the way one looks at health and fitness ads. Let’s now unveil the hyped fake health claims to which innocent consumers have been victimized.

Dietary Supplement Claims

The array of dietary supplements - vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbs, animal extracts and others - has grown tremendously over the years. Although the benefits of some of these products have been documented; the advantages of others are unproven.

An international sweep of health related websites has uncovered more than a thousand sites that make false claims for dietary supplements and drugs offerin or hair loss. Some even claimed to obliterate all viruses in the body, including HIV, hepatitis or flu. g treatments for cancer, arthritis. The FDA has regulated that such claims cannot be made legally for dietary supplements.

Protein powders and supplements are also not always what they seem and may be high in sugar. And, though a power bar may claim to provide extra protein for energy, if you look at the label you'll find that a regular granola bar often equals or exceeds the nutrient content of its beefed-up counterpart -- with fewer calories.

Spirulina(blue green algae) became popular in 1981 when The National Enquirer promoted it as an all natural, safe diet pill that contains phenylalanine, which acts directly on the appetite center, an incredible 65% protein, making it the most protein-packed food in the world.

These claims are bunkum as there is no evidence that Spirulina is effective as an appetite suppressant. Also, taken according to the amount prescribed on the label, spirulina products provide only negligible amounts of protein.

The commercially marketed algae products have no proven value for treating human health problems, and some may contain potent toxins.

According to Federal Trade Commission, claims made by Body Systems Technology (BST) which sells shark cartilage capsules and capsules and liquid containing a Peruvian plant derivative, Cat's Claw, as effective treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and arthritis are false. Those made by John Sneed and Melinda Sneed d/b/a Arthritis Pain Care Center (APCC) which marketed CMO , a fatty acid derived from beef tallow, claiming to cure most forms of arthritis by permanently modifying the immune system, are also unsubstantiated and untrue.

In addition to lacking documented effectiveness, some dietary supplements may be harmful under some conditions of use. Among those that raise serious safety issues at certain concentrations are chaparral, yohimbe, lobelia, willow bark, guar gum, L-tryptophan, and germanium. In addition, some vitamins and minerals, like vitamin A, B6, D, niacin, iron, and folic acid can cause problems when taken in excessive doses.

And remember, a label of natural is no guarantee of a product's safety or effectiveness. Vitamins are never natural as they are chemical compounds and are always synthesized. Natural vitamins mean those that are found naturally in fruits, vegetables and animal produce.

Weight Loss claims

Claims that a supplement allows you to eat all you want and lose weight effortlessly are false.

Marketers of four products -- Xenadrine EFX, CortiSlim, TrimSpa and One-A-Day WeightSmart -- settled with the FTC over allegations of false weight loss claims and boosting metabolism, surrendering millions in money and assets.

The Ab Energizer, a belt that claims weight-loss benefits, promised that using a gym or using the belt would provide the same results — defined abdominal muscles. The Competition Bureau took action against the manufacturer, which has since changed its product claims.

Injection lipolysis is an increasingly popular treatment in the U.S. that's being touted as a nonsurgical solution to stubborn, localized fat, through a series of between 5 and 25 injections. But, The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) has issued a warning against the use of injection fat-loss treatments, citing a need for further study on the long-term effects of the procedure. There were also reports of complications including infection, disfiguring masses of inflamed tissue and tissue death, especially when the procedure was performed by laypersons.

Programs which allow you to eat anything you want, to reduce more than 2 pounds a week, or those which assure permanent weight loss, even after you don't use the product; are all fake. Such programs will disturb your metabolism and digestive system to a great extent.

Organic Product Claims

Organic food

The US Department of Agriculture has pointed out that it makes no claim that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food. However, this has not stopped organic marketers from making such claims.

A former executive director of the Organic Trade Association said that organic farmers grow crops without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides. However, both toxic and persistent pesticides are fully approved for use in organic farming. These include copper sulfate -- banned in Europe due to human health and ecological concerns and is also known to cause liver disease in humans, and is a permanent soil contaminant.

According to a white paper by Cornucopia Institute, the partnership between Dean Foods and Walmart is a potent one in organic food. Dean/Horizon has been under intense scrutiny for sourcing as much as half of its milk from large industrial scale dairies that milk as many as 10,000 cows in feedlot like conditions which is objectionable for both ethical and nutritional reasons.

Observations concerning one of the organic dairy products, Stonyfield Yogurt, demonstrated that signage flagged the product as one of Wal-Mart’s organic offerings, but the product is not organic.

Aurora Organic supplies milk for several private label organic milk brands, including Costco's Kirkland Signature, Giant’s "Natures Promise”, and Wild Oats’ organic milk. Aurora Organic received a failing grade from the Cornucopia Institute's survey of organic dairies for its practice of intensive confinement of dairy cows.

Organic body-care products

National Organic Program (NOP) has been vague about when and whether organic personal care products will be held to the same standards as organic foods.

However, body care manufactures have seized on the label organic as a marketing scheme, sometimes heralding a negligible amount of organic ingredients while their bottles are filled with the same synthetic chemicals. For now, organic personal care products making fraudulent claims, using toxic ingredients and misleadingly labeled will continue to crowd the shelves of natural food stores.

Green Tea Claims

A Cup of Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight Faster: FALSE!

Lately, everyone’s touting the benefits of green tea, from improved digestion to better brain function. However, according to FDA, there is no credible scientific evidence to support these claims or that drinking green tea reduces the risk of cardio vascular disease.

For example, green tea is full of catechins, compounds with antioxidant properties that supposedly speed up the metabolism and help you burn off fat. One study showed that men who took a special green tea extract containing 690 milligrams of catechins – 20 times the amount of catechins found in a typical cup of green tea – lost two pounds more than those who didn’t take the extract.

Hydrogenated Oils

Hydrogenated oils are so dangerous that WHO urged to ban them decades ago (in 1978).However, food manufacturers have put enough pressure on the USDA and the FDA to keep this deadly ingredient legal and claimed that it was actually good for health.

The hype and promotion of margarine, said to be better than butter, was pure marketing propaganda designed to sell soybean oil, the vast majority of which was hydrogenated and contained trans fats.

Using hydrogenated oils is a strategy used by manufacturing companies to enhance the taste, add calories and extend the shelf life of their foods at the cost of their consumers. All this includes the starkly increased risk of a number of degenerative chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, cancer and malabsorption of healthy oils.

Starbucks removed trans fat from the one drink that had it and has announced that trans fat will be kept out of seasonal baked goods, though it remains—in high amounts—in some pastries. A scone might have 0-4g of trans fats; some glazed donuts have 5g and some cinnamon rolls have 9g.

A large order of McDonald’s fries and a burger will have 12g of trans fats—more than a person should consume in 6 days, according to the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Fortunately, it is relatively easy to identify foods that contain trans fatty acids: margarines (the more solid the margarine, the more the trans fatty acids), high-fat baked goods (especially doughnuts, cookies and cakes) and any product which says "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils".

Alternative Cigarettes

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, based in New Mexico, markets Natural American Spirit tobacco cigarettes, and also tobacco-free herbal cigarettes. Alternative Cigarettes based in Buffalo, New York, markets Pure and Gold Tobacco Cigarettes, as well as Herbal Gold and Magic Herbal Cigarettes.

The FTC alleged that both companies implied in their advertisements that their tobacco-containing cigarettes are safer to smoke than other cigarettes because they contain no additives. The Commission also alleged that Alternative Cigarettes falsely implied that smoking its herbal cigarettes did not expose people to the health risks associated with smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Under separate settlements, the companies agreed to disclose prominently in future ads that claim, No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette, and Herbal cigarettes are dangerous to your health. They produce tar and carbon monoxide.

The fact is, there's no such thing as a safe smoke.

Sunscreens- Not as safe as advertised

Claims like very high SPF NUMBERS, provides UVA-UVB or broad-spectrum protection, Waterproof, Chemical-free are all False!

Most of the sunscreen formulations found in the market protect from UV-B radiation, which causes sunburn. The SPF number, on sunscreens refers only to UV-B protection. No sunscreen product screens out all UVA rays, which penetrates deeper into the skin, lowering our resistance to skin cancers and causing skin to age.

Some may advertise UVA protection, but the FDA has no standards for measuring how well a sunscreen blocks UV-A rays, and there is no scientific proof that they protect against melanoma or basal cell carcinoma in humans.

Common sunscreen ingredients are suspected or known carcinogens and/or hormone disrupters, including diethanolamine, triethanolamine (DEA, TEA). These free radicals could initiate a reaction that may ultimately lead to melanoma and other skin cancers.

According to consumeraffairs.com, Coppertone Water Babies advertises Instant Waterproof Protection, UVA/UVB Sun block lotion 45 SPF on the bottle, giving parents a false and dangerous sense of security. The 45 SPF applies only to UVB rays, the product is not waterproof, and it does not actually block the sun. According to FTC - Swimming and perspiration reduce the actual SPF value of many sunscreens - even those that are water-resistant - so you have to reapply the product often.

Indoor Tanning

Beware of claims like, Tan indoors with absolutely no harmful side effects, no sun damage. OR Unlike the sun, indoor tanning will not cause skin cancer or skin aging.

Tanning indoors damages your skin. That’s because indoor tanning devices emit UV rays. Tanning occurs when the skin produces additional pigment (coloring) to protect itself against burn from UV rays. Overexposure to these rays can cause eye injury, premature wrinkling of the skin, and light-induced skin rashes, and can increase your chances of developing skin cancer.

The FDA requires tanning salons to direct all customers to wear protective eye goggles. Closing your eyes, wearing ordinary sunglasses, and using cotton wads do not protect the cornea from the intensity of UV radiation in tanning devices, which is more damaging than the intensity of UV rays in natural sunlight.

Cosmetics Claims

In May 2007, five top cosmetics manufacturers in Australia have been ordered to withdraw advertisements by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration.

They include Lancôme, Clinique, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Payot. The TGA's complaints panel found that the creams, peels and serums were only cosmetics, but were making therapeutic claims.

In one case, Estee Lauder argued that because they were known as a cosmetics firm and their product, Perfectionist Correcting Serum, was being advertised in a fashion magazine, readers could not reasonably expect the product to have a therapeutic use. They told the TGA the product used optical technology among other things to blur the effect of wrinkles. This was despite promising in their advertisement that their product could fill in and smooth out expression lines instantly and helps the skin amplify its natural collagen production.

Unless the product is registered as therapeutic, cosmetic companies can only use terms relating to the appearance or look of the skin, hair or nails.

Truth about Magnetic Therapy

The value of magnetic therapy has never been proven or sanctioned by the medical profession. The claim that magnets help "circulate blood" is a common one among supporters, but there is no scientific evidence that magnets do anything to the blood.

In proper clinical application the magnets move as does the field, which is called pulsating electromagnetic field therapy. The magnets which are used by hucksters are too weak to provide a magnetic field that penetrates the skin far enough to be of any therapeutic value.

Above all, if you have any medical device, such as a Pacemaker (which could be adversely affected by the use of magnets), it is advisable not to experiment with magnetic therapy. The magnets could turn off or cause faulty operation of these important medical aids and lead to far more serious repercussions.

Conclusion

When evaluating health-related claims, if something sounds too good to be true, be skeptical. To avoid becoming victims of health fraud, it's important for consumers to learn how to assess health claims and seek the advice of a health professional.
Language which reflects False Claims

• Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments. For example: "Extremely beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, infections, prostate problems, ulcers, cancer, heart trouble, hardening of the arteries and cures impotency."
• Promotions that use words like "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret ingredient" or "ancient remedy." For example: "A revolutionary innovation formulated by using proven principles of natural health-based medical science."
• Text that uses impressive-sounding terms like these for a weight-loss product: "hunger stimulation point" and "thermogenesis."
• Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results. For example: "My husband has Alzheimer's disease. He began eating a teaspoonful of this product each day”.
• Limited availability and advance payment requirements, promises of no-risk "money-back guarantees." For example: "Hurry. This offer will not last. Send us a check now to reserve your supply."

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—About our writer: Ruchi says, "A doctor by profession and writer by choice! I love to interact with new people & visiting new places. My optimistic attitude keeps me going & encourages me to venture in new things. Highly organized, diligent, down to earth and quietly determined".

 

 

 

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