Red Flags in Integrative and Naturopathic Marketing: Cure Claims, Prepaid Packages and Secret Remedies

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Information only; this page does not replace medical care. These warning signs can appear in advertising by any seller or practitioner, whatever their title. A sign is a reason to ask more questions, not proof of wrongdoing. If you have serious or worsening symptoms, see a doctor first.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes health fraud scams as products that claim to prevent, treat or cure diseases, but are not proven safe and effective for those uses. It says they waste money and can delay proper diagnosis and treatment. [1]

Six marketing signs from the FDA

The FDA lists these tip-offs. [2]

Cure claims

NCCIH says no complementary health approach has been shown to prevent or cure cancer, and advises not to use unproven products or practices to replace or delay medical treatment for cancer. [3] A study of US cancer registry data compared people with nonmetastatic cancers who chose alternative medicine alone with matched people who had conventional treatment, and found alternative medicine alone was associated with a greater risk of death. [4] It was a registry study, not a trial, and the authors noted such use is rare. [4]

Supplement labels in the US are not allowed to claim they diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, because such claims are only permitted for drugs. [5] An advertisement that makes such a claim for a supplement is worth questioning. See claim check: natural treatments cure cancer or autoimmune disease.

Secret remedies and hidden ingredients

NCCIH says the FDA can take action against adulterated or misbranded supplements only after they are on the market, [5] and that some products sold as supplements, mainly for weight loss, sexual enhancement and bodybuilding, may contain prescription drugs or ingredients not listed on the label. [5] A "secret formula" you cannot see the ingredients of is therefore a particular concern. See product quality and contamination.

Prepaid packages and costs

Proper evidence not found. We searched FDA, NCCIH and state board pages for sourced data on how common prepaid multi-visit packages or large supplement bundles are, and for regulator statements about them, and found none we could read. Consumer pages from the Federal Trade Commission were not readable to us. What NCCIH does say is not to assume your health insurance covers a practitioner's services; ask your insurer. [6] Sensible questions, which are our suggestion rather than a sourced finding: what exactly does the package include, what is the refund policy in writing, and is there pressure to pay today? More on costs, packages and supplement sales.

Other signs seen in clinic marketing

• Tests or treatments promoted as proven for a disease with no study you can look up. See how to evaluate a therapy claim.
• Advice to avoid or delay standard care for a serious condition. Health fraud can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment. [1]
• Discouraging you from telling your own doctor. NCCIH advises telling all your health care providers about every approach and practitioner. [6]

What to do

The FDA advises checking with your doctor or another health care professional first before buying an unproven product or one with questionable claims. [2] If you have already been harmed or sold a problem product, see reporting complaints and adverse events.