How to spot a misleading health claim
Twelve warning signs that a health or supplement claim is ahead of the evidence.
VALREXA Biosciences · 6 min read · November 2026
Key takeaways
- Ask for the actual study, and check whether it was in people.
- Testimonials and before-and-after photos are not evidence.
- “FDA registered” and “pharmaceutical grade” do not mean FDA approved.
Twelve red flags
- “Clinically proven” with no citation. Ask: which study, in whom, published where?
- Mouse results presented as human results.
- Testimonials and before-and-after photos instead of controlled data.
- One study presented as settled science.
- Relative risk only (“cuts risk by 50%”) with no absolute numbers.
- A lab-marker change presented as a health outcome.
- “Works for everything.” Real treatments have specific, limited uses.
- “No side effects.” Anything with an effect can have side effects.
- “FDA registered” or “FDA compliant” used to imply approval. Registration of a facility is not approval of a product.
- “Research use only” products marketed with health claims. That label means a product is not approved for human use.
- Secret or suppressed cures and attacks on all mainstream science.
- Undisclosed conflicts: the person making the claim sells the product.
Where to check
| Question | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Is it FDA-approved? | Drugs@FDA |
| Has it been tested in people? | ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed |
| Has the FDA warned about it? | FDA warning letters |
| How strong is the evidence? | The evidence grade on any VALREXA profile |
Spotted a claim you want checked? Email contact@valrexa.com; reader questions shape our monthly newsletter.
Further reading
These are authoritative background resources rather than citations to a specific experimental finding. This guide is educational, not medical advice, and does not endorse the use of experimental compounds.