"Support" in vitamin/supplement ads

[JoeTheJuggler]

I keep hearing ads for vitamins and supplements where claims are made that this product "supports" various things--immune system, memory, energy, etc.

Is this something new, or has it been around a while and I'm just now becoming aware of it?

Are they using "support" as a weasel word because they can't claim specific effects (like memory improvement or enhanced immune response)?

 

[patnray]

Not new.

They are weasel words. They are meaningless phrases that are never defined. Pretty hard to show the product doesn't do what it claims when the claim is so nebulous.

 

[mumchup]

Support is absolutely a weasel word in that context.

They can't say "This supplement makes your wiener bigger," because that would be false advertising. So instead they say "This supplement supports male enhancement."
Whatever the heck that means. (will it suddenly sprout racing-stripes?)

 

[AgeGap]

No scientific support.

 

[dakotajudo]

You can't really dismiss such claims across the board - it does depend on the specific supplement.

For example, "creatine supports muscle growth" and "glucosamine supports joint health" are largely true.

Creatine, if taken properly, enhances the effects of high resistance exercise. Creatine supplementation doesn't have an effect in and off itself, but does "support" a training program ( http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/10/2888S ). And while "joint health" is vague enough, there is evidence that glucosamine is effective for treating osteoarthritis ( http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16558667 )

For others, like branched-chain amino acids or HMB, the evidence is less clear.

Of course, there are marketed supplements that have no effect ( http://www.acsm-msse.org/pt/re/msse/abstract.00005768-200608000-00013.htm ), but still, you can't simply assume fraud just because the work "supports" is used.

 

[mumchup]

...but still, you can't simply assume fraud just because the work "supports" is used.

Well like my Gram says, "You should never assume..." But when I see a tv commercial for a product that's referred to as a "supplement" which "supports" (fill in the blank) "functioning" or "health"; I figure there's a significant likelihood that the phrase is weasel-speak. Actually any product marketed as a "supplement" sets of the bunk-o-meter in my head.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

You can't really dismiss such claims across the board - it does depend on the specific supplement.

For example, "creatine supports muscle growth" and "glucosamine supports joint health" are largely true.

If that's so, why don't they make the specific claim that the research supports? (Notice how my use of "supports" in the previous sentence differs from the way it's use in supplement and vitamin ads.)

I've only noticed this usage recently, and so far I've only heard it in really bogus claims. Usually it's for something that is such a mixture of vitamins and supplements that even if there were some legitimately useful ingredients, their claims for the entire thing go way beyond that.

To my ear, "supports" sounds like they would rather use other language, but this vague term is all they can get away with.

 

[patnray]

For example, "creatine supports muscle growth" and "glucosamine supports joint health" are largely true.

What does "creatine supports muscle growth" and "glucosamine supports joint health" mean?

What objective results can users of creatine expect? If I hade a product and I could show that it results greater muscle mass for the same training regimen, I would say so.

In what measureable way does glucosamine "support joint health"? Why not say what it actually can do?

These are vague, undefined statements that can not be refuted. They are weasel words. Even if there are demonstrable benefits from these products, "supports" is still a weasel word when used in this way.

 

[joobz]

Don't forget that they can also include things like, XXX has shown to do Y. But there is no claim made that the amount of XXX in the supplement will acheive high enough concentration to do Y. Indeed, in some cases they avoid putting in therapeutic levels because it would then become regulated.