A handful of words do most of the damage in supplement marketing. This guide lists the words and phrases that US regulators treat as warning signs on product pages and in ads, why each one is a problem, and what to check before you publish. This is general information, not legal advice.
Why single words matter
The FTC judges an ad by its net impression: the text, the product name, and any charts or images, taken together. Its Health Products Compliance Guidance treats product pages, social posts, packaging and other promotion as advertising, held to the same standard. One word can change what the whole page claims.
- Express claims: What the words say outright
- Implied claims: What a shopper would reasonably take away
- Both: Need competent and reliable scientific evidence before you publish
Disease words
A supplement cannot be marketed to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease. Verbs like these next to a condition are the clearest problem, and the FTC's guidance shows that a product name can carry the same claim.
- ❌ "Cures", "treats", "prevents", "heals" next to a condition
- ❌ Disease names in the product name or page title
- ✅ Plain statements about normal body function that you can support
See what supplement sellers can and cannot claim for the line between the two.
Words the FDA calls tip-offs
The FDA publishes a consumer update on spotting health fraud. The phrases it warns shoppers about are worth removing from your own copy, because they are the ones a regulator or a careful customer looks for.
| Phrase | Why it is a warning sign |
|---|---|
| "Miracle cure", "new discovery", "secret ingredient" | The FDA lists these as signs of a fraudulent product |
| "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days" | The FDA's own example of a quick-fix claim |
| "All-natural cure" | The FDA lists an "all-natural" cure or treatment as a tip-off |
| One product for many unrelated conditions | The FDA calls this the cure-all pattern |
Safety and science words
The FTC's guidance treats safety and proof words as claims in their own right. Each one needs its own evidence, separate from the evidence that the product works.
- "Safe" or "safely": A safety claim that needs support
- "No side effects": Implies no significant risks, so known risks must be disclosed
- "Clinically tested ingredient": Can imply the finished product delivers the benefit
- "Scientists agree": Claims a consensus, which has to exist
- Lab coats, microscopes, medical symbols: Images that imply clinical proof
Softeners that do not fix it
Hedging words feel safer than they are. The FTC says it is not enough to say a product "may" have a benefit or "helps" achieve it when the evidence is not there.
- ❌ "May help reverse joint damage"
- ❌ A strong claim with a small disclaimer below it
- ❌ Relying on the FDA disclaimer to cancel a disease claim
- ✅ A claim narrowed to what your evidence shows
Doing this at scale
ContentGuard scans your product descriptions and classifies each claim as safe, risky or prohibited against the rule profile you choose, such as US Dietary Supplement or Generic FTC. It cites the governing FDA or FTC rule, scores each page and proposes a rewrite you can apply in one click. It is a screening tool, not a substitute for legal review. See ContentGuard.