Buying Herbs Online and in Stores: Red Flags and Claims to Distrust
Learn the warning signs FDA and NCCIH describe for herbal products, from miracle-cure claims to hidden drugs, and how to check a product without relying on rankings or reviews.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herb safety and interactions before you use anything on this page.
What the claims are allowed to say
- FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. [3]
- Supplement labels cannot claim to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent a disease. Those claims are for drugs. [1]
- Claims about the body's structure or function are allowed, with this required statement: "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration." [1]
- The Federal Trade Commission reviews the truth and accuracy of supplement advertising. [3]
- FDA describes health fraud as products that claim to prevent, treat or cure diseases or conditions but are not proven safe and effective for those uses. [4]
Red flags the sources describe
| Red flag | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| One product claims to treat many diseases | FDA says to be suspicious of products that claim to cure a wide range of diseases. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| Personal success stories and reviews | Testimonials are easy to make up and are not a substitute for scientific evidence; reviews on online marketplaces and social media can be fake. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| Quick fixes | FDA warns against promises such as large results in a few days or weeks; few conditions can be treated quickly. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| "All natural" cure | Such phrases are often used to suggest a product is safer than conventional treatment, which does not necessarily follow. [2] NCCIH adds that "natural" does not always mean safer or better. [5] | FDA; NCCIH |
| "Miracle cure", "guaranteed results", "secret ingredient" | FDA says alarms should go off when claims like these appear. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| Claims that officials are hiding a cure | FDA says such claims distract from common-sense questions about the product. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| Sold by social media, messaging apps or overseas mail order | FDA says scams run rampant on social media and closed messaging apps, and that direct overseas orders can avoid normal Customs and FDA checks. [2] | FDA consumer update |
| An "immune" claim with no study behind it | A 2022 review of 27 ingredients often sold for immune claims found rigorous human studies for only eight, and even those were not strong enough for firm conclusions. [1] | NCCIH |
FDA also notes scams are found in convenience stores, gas stations, flea markets and other nontraditional stores, not only online. [2] Proper evidence not found that products bought online are riskier than those bought in stores: the FDA and NCCIH pages we read make no such comparison.
"Best herbal supplements"
Searches for "best" herbal supplements lead to rankings, and we do not publish any. The reason is in the evidence: results belong to one plant, one part, one preparation and one group of people, and a result for one product does not carry to another. Use the herb's own profile or herbs by wellness goal, and learn to read a headline in how to read a herb study or news headline.
Checks a reader can make
- Talk to a doctor, pharmacist or other health professional before buying or using a supplement. FDA advises this. [3]
- Look up ingredients in the FDA Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory, a webpage where the public can look up ingredients used in supplements and see what FDA has said about them. [1]
- Read the label: reading an herbal supplement label and botanical names and plant parts on labels.
- Learn what seals and testing can and cannot show: third-party testing for herbal products and quality testing and certifications.
- Know that what is on the label may not be what is in the product. See adulteration and substitution of herbs and evaluating safety claims.
- Report a problem: side effects and reporting. See also unsafe products and warnings.
Frequently asked questions
Are herbal supplements from online sellers less safe than those from stores?
Proper evidence not found in the FDA and NCCIH pages we read. FDA describes health fraud online, on social media and in physical stores. [2]
Can an herbal supplement be "FDA approved"?
FDA says it is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. [3]
What does "This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration" mean?
Claims about how a substance affects the body's structure or function must carry this statement on supplement labels. [1] It marks a claim that FDA has not checked before the product is sold.
Can I trust reviews and testimonials?
FDA says success stories are easy to make up, and that reviews on online marketplaces and social media can be fake. [2]
Which herbal supplement is best?
We do not rank products. Evidence differs by plant, part, preparation and person, so ask a pharmacist or clinician about your situation, especially if you take medicines.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety first: what is not on the label
Some products sold as herbal or natural supplements have been found to hold drugs that are not listed. NCCIH reports that FDA has found prescription drugs, including the anticoagulant warfarin and the anticonvulsant phenytoin, in products sold as dietary supplements. [1] FDA also says it has found numerous products promoted as "all-natural" cures that contained hidden, dangerously high amounts of prescription drug ingredients. [2] Its example is weight-loss products that contained sibutramine, a drug later withdrawn from the US market after studies linked it to heart attack and stroke. [2]
If you have a serious reaction after any product, call 911 (US). For poisoning advice in the US, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. Tell your pharmacist and prescriber about every product you use. If you are having surgery, tell the surgical team: NCCIH notes that certain supplements may increase the risk of bleeding or affect your response to anesthesia. [1]
What FDA warning letters cover
FDA keeps a public page of example warning letters that cite unapproved or unsubstantiated claims, tainted products and other health fraud. [6] The subjects listed include "Unapproved New Drugs" and "Misbranded", and some also list "Adulterated" or "CGMP/Dietary Supplement". [6] We do not name sellers on this page. A seller missing from FDA's lists is not proof that its products were checked, because FDA says it cannot test every product marketed as a dietary supplement. [1]
References
- NCCIH (US). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration. 6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don't Fall for Health Fraud Scams (content current as of 2021). Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements. Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Health Fraud Scams. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH (US). Natural Doesn't Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better. Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Warning Letters - Health Fraud. Read 2026-10-23.