Healing effect of nutritional supplements cannot be advertised in the EU

The presence of a healing effect of taking plant -based nutritional supplements may not be part of their advertising, the EU court ruled on Wednesday. The senior magistrates of the Union indicate that an exception can only be made if this is explicitly authorized by virtue of a transitional regime in a European country, which was made before 2006.

The court ruled on a dispute between a German supplement producer and a trade association over a saffron nutritional supplement and melon juice, which the manufacturer claims to improve mood and reduces the feeling of stress and fatigue.

According to a European Regulation of 2006, the use of allegations of a therapeutic effect of food and nutritional supplements is prohibited for advertising purposes. It can only be authorized if the European Commission has recognized the presence of such an effect in the lists of health claims it has made.

So far, however, the European Commission has not included such scientific -reasoned allegations relating to the consequences of the adoption of botanical substances.

The register states, for example, that the cocoa flavanols contained in the cocoa beans help maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow. This effect is observed if they are taken at a dose of 200 mg daily, and only in the form of capsules or tablets. Or that biotin contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system if taken in a formula of vitamins and minerals.

At the same time, the register claims that the encouraging effect of caffeine or the beneficial effects of zinc on the thyroid gland have not been proven.