Sept. 26, 2023 — The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs has issued a statement recommending MacuHealth LP modify or discontinue certain claims regarding its MacuHealth, MacuHealth Plus+, Vitreous Health, Vision Edge Pro, and TG Omega-3 dietary supplement products.
In a challenge brought by Vision Elements Inc., NAD determined that studies submitted by MacuHealth were a “poor fit to substantiate the challenged claims for various reasons,” including that the studies in question were not conducted on MacuHealth, conflicting with the products’ current marketing.
During the proceeding, MacuHealth agreed to permanently discontinue many other challenged claims. Therefore, NAD did not review or address these claims in their statement. Overall, MacuHealth stated in response to the challenged claims addressed below that it “believes that the challenged claims are thoroughly supported” and that it “strongly disagrees with the factual conclusions” reached in the decision, but nonetheless will comply with NAD’s recommendations.
The MacuHealth, MacuHealth Plus+, and Vision Edge Pro each contain a triple carotenoid formula comprising lutein, meso-zeaxanthin, and zeaxanthin that is marketed to help vision. Vitreous Health is marketed for managing eye floaters, and TG Omega-3 is marketed to benefit eye, heart, and brain health.
NAD recommends that MacuHealth discontinue claims that its product, MacuHealth, is clinically proven to rebuild or restore macular pigment and enhance vision over a lifetime, in addition to these specific claims: “reduces inflammation in the retina,” “protects against harmful blue light,” “improves photo-stress recovery and contrast sensitivity,” and contains a “patented blend of antioxidants [that] nourishes the eye to protect it against oxidative stress and disease.” Additionally, NAD recommends discontinuing the claim that MacuHealth is an “all-natural formulation.”
Regarding MacuHealh Plus+, NAD could not substantiate the claim that the product is “formulated for those diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration” and found significant differences between the formulas that were tested versus those marketed to consumers. Additionally, NAD recommends discontinuing the claim that MacuHealth Plus+ is “clinically tested and gluten-free.”
NAD determined that the Floater Intervention Study, which was conducted on MacuHealth’s VitreousHealth with promising results, was not a good fit for the broad claims that the product is “scientifically proven to significantly reduce floaters, enhance visual function, and improve a patient’s quality of life” or can “reduce the severity of floaters. As such, NAD recommends such claims should be discontinued.
The information provided by MacuHealh as substantiation did not support claims that its TG Omega-3 product “helps with joint pain, arthritis, and other diseases” and “promotes eye, brain, heart, and overall health,” and therefore, those claims should be discontinued.
Upon evaluating the study submitted by MacuHealth regarding its Micro-Micelle technology, NAD determined the claims were drawn from scientific evidence that is “not competent [or] reliable.”