Five Women's Health Supplement Adverts Banned Over Misleading Claims
The Advertising Standards Authority has taken decisive action against five separate advertisements for health supplements that made unsubstantiated claims about treating various women's health conditions. Products from 222 Balance Me, Lunera, Minerva, and Nova Menopause Vitality were among those prohibited for suggesting they could prevent, treat, or cure menopause symptoms.
Exploiting Health Concerns
The ASA confirmed the comprehensive bans, stating explicitly that it pays particularly close attention to advertisements that could potentially exploit people's health worries, emotional concerns, or financial pressures. The regulatory body emphasised that "many" of the claims featured in these advertisements were "unacceptable" and had not only violated multiple advertising rules but also risked misleading vulnerable individuals.
Perhaps more concerning, the ASA noted these misleading advertisements could potentially steer those who genuinely needed medical assistance away from appropriate professional healthcare advice. The authority's investigations manager, Catherine Drewett, stated clearly: "When it comes to women's health, people deserve clear and accurate information. Ads making misleading claims about treating symptoms of the menopause, PCOS and other hormonal conditions can cause real harm."
AI-Powered Monitoring
These most recent rulings followed an innovative AI-powered sweep of health claims within online advertisements conducted by the watchdog. This technological approach revealed both emerging and ongoing issues surrounding misleading claims within the health supplement sector. The ASA has committed to continuing its close monitoring of this particular industry segment and encourages anyone with concerns about advertisements they've encountered to contact the authority directly.
Company Responses Vary
The responses from the companies involved varied significantly. 222 Collective informed the ASA that it represented a new, founder-run small business that was still learning about advertising regulation requirements. The firm acknowledged that wording in their advertisements may have "inadvertently implied that the product could treat or relieve symptoms such as PMS, menopause-related symptoms, anxiety, bloating, heavy bleeding, or mood disorders." They confirmed they had since been working with Trading Standards to ensure compliance.
Lunera stated it accepted that consumers would understand its claims as attributing medicinal properties to a food supplement and acknowledged these claims should not have appeared. PolyBiotics, whose advertisement and website suggested supplements could prevent, cure, or treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), told the ASA it accepted that references to PCOS, ovulation, fertility, cycle regulation, insulin resistance and related symptoms constituted disease treatment or symptom-management claims, which are not permitted for food supplements.
Notably, both Minerva and Nova did not respond to the ASA's enquiries regarding their banned advertisements. The ASA has issued photographs of some of the prohibited advertisements, including those from Minerva Wellness and Nova Relief, as part of their transparency efforts regarding these enforcement actions.
