Following
an investigation, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the
Council of Better Business Bureaus has determined that advertising
claims made by Procter & Gamble concerning the cholesterol-lower
capacity of its Metamucil dietary supplement are supported.
As
part of its ongoing monitoring efforts, NAD had requested substantiation
for the claim "Metamucil can help lower your cholesterol",
made in print advertising.
The
aim for NAD is to weed out companies making false or exaggerated
claims, so as to protect the interests of consumers. On a similar
note, the dietary supplement industry itself has been looking to
self-regulate and monitor so as to enhance the credibility of its
own industry.
According
to NAD, the advertiser explained that Metamucil contains soluble
fiber from psyllium, and that the US Food & Drug Administration
(FDA) has approved health claims pertaining to this fiber source
- including claims for cholesterol reduction.
To
this argument, Procter & Gamble added that the standard for
FDA approval of health claims is the highest of any claims standards.
FDA
stipulates that to qualify for the health claim, a psyllium product
must provide at least 1.7 grams of soluble fiber per reference amount
and that the level of daily consumption of psyllium fiber associated
with lower disease risk is seven grams per day.
Procter
& Gamble answered to FDA accordingly that Metamucil contains
2.4 grams of soluble fiber per reference amount and is labeled for
three doses per day.
The
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has undertaken to take part
in similar monitoring in order to help industry police itself.
The
organization has been amassing grants destined for the NAD with
the purpose of allowing it to increase by three-fold the number
of dietary supplement-specific case reviews opened each year.
The
Council for Responsible Nutrition will have no role in determining
which advertisements NAD chooses to review or whether the claims
are determined to be truthful and accurate.
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