If supplements can't treat diseases, why do people take them?

There are thousands of studies demonstrating the benefits of dietary supplements for health, and it is important to understand the difference between what reputable companies are allowed to say versus what has been shown in published research. Although for the most part, supplement manufacturers are not allowed to refer to this research when discussing specific products, consumers can and should consult reputable websites and databases such as pubmed.gov to learn more. A stop at the local public library for research assistance can be very helpful if you need pointers to find this information.

Can I sue a supplement company for not answering my health question?

No. Supplement companies are required by law to avoid providing medical advice and making disease claims—so declining to do so is both legally compliant and ethically appropriate. A supplement company that confidently answered your question with specific medical recommendations for your named condition would actually be operating illegally and potentially putting you at risk. The right resource for personalized health guidance based on your specific condition and medical history is always a licensed healthcare provider.

What is the difference between a structure/function claim and a disease claim?

A structure/function claim describes how a supplement supports the body's normal biological functioning: "supports healthy blood pressure levels," "promotes emotional balance," "helps maintain joint mobility." A disease claim describes treating, curing, diagnosing, or preventing a specific medical condition: "lowers blood pressure," "relieves depression," "prevents arthritis." Structure/function claims are permitted for supplements . Disease claims are prohibited because they place the product in the legal category of a drug, which requires FDA pre-market approval that supplements don't have. Every health claim on a supplement label requires an asterisk (*) linked to the standard FDA disclaimer.

What is DSHEA and when was it passed?

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in 1994. It established the regulatory framework that classifies dietary supplements as a subcategory of food—not drugs—and defines what supplement companies can and cannot claim about their products. Under DSHEA, supplements can make structure/function claims describing their effect on the body's normal function, but cannot make disease claims. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and their claims are truthful and substantiated before they begin selling them. Unlike drugs, which must have FDA approval before being sold, dietary supplements are generally assumed to be safe – remember, in the eyes of FDA they are more like food - and therefore do not need FDA approval before being sold.

Can supplement companies compare their products to drugs?

No—this is explicitly prohibited under DSHEA and FTC guidelines. Supplement companies cannot claim their product works "like" or "better than" a prescription or over-the-counter drug, cannot reference specific drug names in promotional claims, and cannot suggest their product as a drug substitute. To do so would be a serious violation of the laws regarding marketing and advertising dietary supplements .

Why do supplement companies always say "consult your doctor"?

Supplement companies cannot make personalized health recommendations or advise on treatment of specific medical conditions. Directing you to a healthcare provider is genuinely in your best interest. A healthcare provider can evaluate your complete health history, current medications, lab values, and individual circumstances in ways that a supplement company's customer service team cannot. For any health concern involving a medical diagnosis, a qualified healthcare provider is the right choice.

Supplement education

Why supplement companies can't give medical advice: An honest explanation

Jennifer Hansgate master's degree in library and information science from St. John's University in New York

June 02, 2026 5 min read

1994 When DSHEA was passed — the law that defines what supplement companies can and cannot say

2 claims Structure/function claims are allowed. Disease claims are not.

1 asterisk The asterisk (*) on every label is required by law — it's the FDA disclaimer

Summary

Ever asked a supplement company for a product recommendation and gotten a frustrating non-answer? Here's the honest explanation: it's not indifference — it's federal law. This guide walks through DSHEA, the difference between structure/function claims and disease claims, what supplement companies can and cannot legally tell you, and why Terry Naturally's commitment to clinical research is the workaround that actually matters.

Summarize with:

If you've ever contacted a supplement company—including Terry Naturally—with a question like "what should I take for my knee pain?" or "my doctor says I have high blood pressure, which product do you recommend?" and received a response that felt incomplete, you're not alone in your frustration. And you deserve a real explanation, not a brush-off.

The short answer is this: supplement companies in the United States are legally prohibited from giving medical advice, recommending products for specific health conditions, or suggesting that a supplement can treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. This isn't a choice—it's the law. Understanding why this law exists, and what it actually means for how supplement companies can talk about their products, helps make those conversations much less frustrating.

The law behind the limitation: DSHEA and FDA regulation

The framework governing how dietary supplements can be marketed and discussed in the United States was established in 1994 by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), and is supplemented by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advertising guidelines. Under this framework, dietary supplements are classified as a subset of food—not drugs. That distinction carries significant consequences for what supplement companies are permitted to say.

Drugs are products that have been reviewed, tested, and approved by the FDA specifically to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent named diseases. Dietary supplements have not gone through that approval process—and therefore, by law, they cannot make those claims. A supplement company saying "take Product X if you have condition Y" would be making a disease claim that places their product in the legal category of a drug—without following the same official steps required of prescription drugs.

This creates a frustrating situation for companies selling supplements and consumers alike. Although many natural products have abundant scientific evidence for their health benefits, because of the classification of these products as more akin to food than medicine, it is not legal for sellers to present the results of these studies to consumers if the studies touch on what would be considered a health problem in any way.

Food

How dietary supplements are legally classified — not as drugs

Law

No drug claims — Supplement companies can't say a product treats, diagnoses, cures, or prevents any disease

Facts

What they can do — Describe ingredients, sourcing, structure/function benefits, and the science behind the formula

Healthcare provider — The right resource for personalized medical guidance based on your specific condition

Healthcare provider and patient in thoughtful conversation across a wooden desk.

What this means in practice: a clear breakdown

What supplement companies cannot do: They cannot give personal medical advice, recommend a specific product for a named illness or injury, suggest a product as a replacement for or comparison to a prescription medication, or tell you how or when to use a prescription drug alongside a supplement.

Concrete examples of questions that fall outside what a supplement company can legally respond to:

— "I have irritable bowel disease. What should I take?" (Names a disease condition—supplement company cannot respond with a product recommendation.)

— "I hurt my back in a car accident. What product should I use?" (Describes an injury requiring medical diagnosis and treatment.)

— "My mom was diagnosed with early onset dementia. What can she take to help?" (Names a medical condition—outside the scope of what supplement companies can address.)

— "My doctor prescribed a new medication but I'd rather try something natural instead. What do you suggest?" (Implies substituting a supplement for a prescription medication—strictly prohibited.)

What supplement companies can do: They can describe what makes their products unique and what ingredients they contain and where those ingredients come from. They can explain the health benefits their products support through what are called structure/function claims—as long as those claims describe the supplement's effect on the body's normal structure or function, without connecting the benefit to a named disease. And they can help you find information to educate yourself.

How DSHEA shapes what supplement companies can say

Supplements are classified as food

Under DSHEA (1994), dietary supplements are legally a subset of food — not drugs. Drugs go through FDA approval to treat diseases. Supplements don't, which means they can't legally claim to treat diseases either.

Structure/function vs. disease

"Supports healthy joint function" is allowed (structure/function). "Relieves arthritis" is not (disease claim). Both describe similar outcomes — but only one falls within what a supplement company can legally say.

Why the science still matters

Within those legal limits, Terry Naturally invests in clinically studied ingredients (BCM-95®, Saffron EP15™, Imunoglukan P4H®) because the research is what makes credible structure/function claims possible in the first place.

The difference between structure/function claims and disease claims

This is the technical heart of the regulatory framework—and understanding it reveals why supplement company communications can sometimes feel indirect.

A structure/function claim describes how a supplement supports the body's normal functioning: "supports healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range," "promotes restful sleep," "helps maintain healthy joints." These are permitted claims that describe what the supplement does for a healthy body.

A disease claim describes treating or preventing a named medical condition: "lowers cholesterol," "prevents insomnia," "relieves arthritis." These claims are prohibited for supplements because they imply the product has been tested and approved as a drug treatment.

The line between the two can feel subtle—but it's legally significant. "Supports healthy joint function" is a structure/function claim. "Relieves arthritis" is a disease claim. Both describe similar outcomes, but the latter implies a medical diagnosis and treatment protocol that supplement companies cannot legally provide. Every asterisk (*) you see on a supplement label is legally required to remind consumers that the claim has not been evaluated by the FDA and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

What Terry Naturally can help you with

Within these legal boundaries, there is still a great deal Terry Naturally can offer. The customer service team can explain what's in every product and where each ingredient comes from. They can describe the health benefits of each formula as long as they don’t exceed allowed structure/function claims. They can help you understand what makes the Terry Naturally products unique. What they genuinely cannot do—not because of indifference, but because of law—is make personal health recommendations for your specific condition, or tell you which product to take for an illness. For that level of guidance, the right person is your healthcare provider, who can evaluate your individual health history and make personalized recommendations.

Terry Naturally's health resources blog and quality and research page offer extensive educational content about ingredients, benefits, and the science behind their formulas—which you can then discuss with your healthcare provider to make the decisions that are right for you.

Why Terry Naturally still chooses to be science-backed and transparent

Understanding the regulatory framework helps explain something important about how Terry Naturally approaches its products and communications. Because supplement companies can't make disease claims, the evidence for their products' value must speak through the quality of the research behind each ingredient and the transparency of their formulations.

Terry Naturally invests in clinically studied ingredients backed by published research, not generic commodity ingredients bought at the lowest possible cost. When a Terry Naturally formula includes BCM-95® curcumin or Saffron EP15™ or Imunoglukan P4H® pleuran, it's because those specific forms are the ones the clinical literature supports. That commitment to evidence is what makes it possible to make credible structure/function claims—because the research actually supports them.

There are thousands of studies demonstrating the benefits of dietary supplements for health, and it is important to understand the difference between what reputable companies are allowed to say versus what has been shown in published research. Although for the most part, supplement manufacturers are not allowed to refer to this research when discussing specific products, consumers can and should consult reputable websites and databases such as pubmed.gov to learn more. A stop at the local public library for research assistance can be very helpful if you need pointers to find this information.
No. Supplement companies are required by law to avoid providing medical advice and making disease claims—so declining to do so is both legally compliant and ethically appropriate. A supplement company that confidently answered your question with specific medical recommendations for your named condition would actually be operating illegally and potentially putting you at risk. The right resource for personalized health guidance based on your specific condition and medical history is always a licensed healthcare provider.
A structure/function claim describes how a supplement supports the body's normal biological functioning: "supports healthy blood pressure levels," "promotes emotional balance," "helps maintain joint mobility." A disease claim describes treating, curing, diagnosing, or preventing a specific medical condition: "lowers blood pressure," "relieves depression," "prevents arthritis." Structure/function claims are permitted for supplements . Disease claims are prohibited because they place the product in the legal category of a drug, which requires FDA pre-market approval that supplements don't have. Every health claim on a supplement label requires an asterisk (*) linked to the standard FDA disclaimer.

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in 1994. It established the regulatory framework that classifies dietary supplements as a subcategory of food—not drugs—and defines what supplement companies can and cannot claim about their products. Under DSHEA, supplements can make structure/function claims describing their effect on the body's normal function, but cannot make disease claims. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and their claims are truthful and substantiated before they begin selling them. Unlike drugs, which must have FDA approval before being sold, dietary supplements are generally assumed to be safe – remember, in the eyes of FDA they are more like food - and therefore do not need FDA approval before being sold.
No—this is explicitly prohibited under DSHEA and FTC guidelines. Supplement companies cannot claim their product works "like" or "better than" a prescription or over-the-counter drug, cannot reference specific drug names in promotional claims, and cannot suggest their product as a drug substitute. To do so would be a serious violation of the laws regarding marketing and advertising dietary supplements .
Supplement companies cannot make personalized health recommendations or advise on treatment of specific medical conditions. Directing you to a healthcare provider is genuinely in your best interest. A healthcare provider can evaluate your complete health history, current medications, lab values, and individual circumstances in ways that a supplement company's customer service team cannot. For any health concern involving a medical diagnosis, a qualified healthcare provider is the right choice.