What 4,400 People Just Proved About Supplement Labels (and Why It Matters for You)

With guest insights from Dr. Krystal Culler, DBH (brain health expert)

Guest Perspective: I’ve invited my colleague, Dr. Krystal Culler, to join me in breaking down this topic. She brings a unique brain health perspective on why supplement label claims are so often misunderstood, and what that means for all of us.

A friend once showed me a supplement bottle and said,
“Well, this one says supports brain health… so that should help prevent Alzheimer’s, right?”

I get versions of that question all the time. Another person will point to a fish oil label that reads “supports heart health” and assume it’s basically insurance against a heart attack.

It’s not that people are careless, it’s that we all want silver bullets. It feels easier to take a pill than to lace up our sneakers or load up our plate with vegetables. And supplement companies know this. They can’t legally say a product prevents or treats disease, but they can use carefully chosen phrases that nudge you toward that conclusion.

“When we’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, it’s natural to want quick fixes,” says Dr. Krystal Culler, DBH. “But our brains are wired to see patterns and fill in gaps, which makes us especially vulnerable to over-reading what supplement labels promise.”

How the system works (and why it’s confusing)

By law, supplement companies can use structure/function claims: ‘phrases like “supports immune health” or “helps maintain strong bones.” These are supposed to describe how a nutrient functions in the body, not promise disease prevention.

They are very different from health claims, which do connect a nutrient to disease outcomes and require FDA review. (For example: calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.)

The problem is the gray area in between. “Supports heart health” sounds reassuringly close to “prevents heart disease,” and the distinction is almost invisible when you’re scanning a label in the supplement aisle.

What the researchers tested

A team of scientists decided to see how people actually interpret these claims. They ran two large online surveys:

• Survey 1: 2,239 adults reviewed labels for a fictional fish oil brand. Four versions of the label were created:

  • “Supports Heart Health”

  • “Supports Cognitive Function”

  • An FDA-approved heart disease qualified health claim

  • No claim (control)

• Survey 2: 2,164 adults reviewed labels for a made-up pill called Viadin H. Its four labels were:

  • “Heart Health”

  • “Supports Heart Function”

  • “Brain Health”

  • “Supports Cognitive Function”

The only difference was the wording. Everything else stayed the same.

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What the researchers found

The results were striking:

• On the fish oil label…

  • 63% of people shown “supports heart health” believed it would prevent heart attacks, compared to 54% with no claim.

  • 59% believed it would prevent heart failure, vs 51% with no claim.

  • 47% of people shown “supports cognitive function” believed it would prevent dementia, vs 40% with no claim.

  • 48% believed it would improve memory in dementia, vs 41% with no claim.

• On the Viadin H label (a completely fictional pill!)…

  • If it said “heart health,” about 40% of people thought it prevented heart attacks.

  • If it said “brain health,” only 20% thought the same.

  • Flip it around: for dementia, the “brain health” label doubled belief it was protective compared to “heart health.”

Think about that: the same pill was viewed completely differently depending on the phrasing on the bottle.

Why this matters

When labels are read as promises of protection, supplements get a halo effect.

• People think their fish oil is “covering” them for heart attacks and may not feel the same urgency to exercise or eat better.

• People assume “brain health” supplements will stave off dementia and may overlook lifestyle changes that actually reduce risk, like managing blood pressure, staying socially engaged, or sleeping enough.

“Phrases like ‘supports brain health’ tap directly into people’s fears about memory loss,” Dr. Culler explains. “That’s why you see such a strong effect in the data, because those words connect to deep emotional concerns, not just rational choices.”

Over time, this can backfire: misplaced trust in supplements may keep people from investing in the very habits that have far stronger evidence for protecting long-term health.

And here’s the kicker: these claims are often most persuasive when the supplement is new or unfamiliar. The researchers found that with Viadin H (a made-up product), the label language shaped beliefs even more than with fish oil. That means when new products hit the shelves, the words on the label are doing a lot of heavy lifting in shaping what people think they’re buying.

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My take

I love supplements. They’re part of my daily routine. But I’ve learned to see them as supports, not shields. They can complement a healthy lifestyle, but they don’t replace the fundamentals.

“Supports brain health” does not = prevents dementia.
“Supports heart health” does not = protection from a heart attack.

When we let labels make us feel bulletproof, we risk giving supplements too much credit, and giving proven habits too little.

“The good news is that once people become aware of this pattern, they can catch themselves,” Dr. Culler says. “We can retrain our brains to pause, read critically, and make supplement choices that truly support our health, without giving them more power than they deserve.”

The takeaway for you

Next time you pick up a bottle, pause for a second. Ask yourself:

• Is this claim telling me what the product actually does?

• Or am I filling in the blanks with what I want it to mean?

Supplements can support your health, but they’re not magic bullets. Stay cautious, stay curious, and don’t let a label do more work than the science behind it.

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Study from this article

Assadourian JN, Peterson ED, Navar AM. Label Statements and Perceived Health Benefits of Dietary Supplements. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(9):e2533118. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.33118

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