NAD Refers Advertising by Elements of Health Care to FTC for Further Review After Company Declines to Participate

New York, NY – March 14, 2014 – The National Advertising Division has referred to the Federal Trade Commission advertising claims made by Elements of Health Care, LLC, for the company’s L’Arginine Plus dietary supplements.

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation and administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. As part of an initiative with the Council for Responsible Nutrition – designed to expand NAD review of advertising claims for dietary supplements – CRN challenged certain advertising claims made for the product.

Challenged claims included:

•  “L-arginine Plus is based on a Nobel Prize winning medical breakthrough that some consider to be one of the most important advancements in the fight to naturally lower High Blood Pressure, Stroke, High Cholesterol, and Heart Attack in the last 50 years!”
• “Arginine, also known as L-arginine, is involved in a number of different functions in the body.  They include:

•  wound healing
•  helping the kidneys remove waste products from the body
• maintaining immune and hormone function” including:

• “L-arginine is thought to reduce blood pressure as well as lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol, making it ideal for helping with cardiovascular disease.”
• It is also highly effective at helping wounds to heal faster, which in cases of extreme injuries and major burns could prove to be invaluable during the patients recovery.”
•  “Sharper and improved memory, restful sleeping and morning alertness, increased metabolism, reduction in menopause and PMT symptoms and a whole range of other benefits have all been linked to L-arginine.””I started taking L-arginine Plus about a month ago for my angina. Not only is the angina gone, but the additional energy I now feel is unbelievable. I am riding my bicycle for the first time in over 5 years! Thank you for the extra boost in my life.” Mark, Missouri

The advertiser chose not to participate in the NAD proceeding.  NAD noted in its decision that it was “extremely concerned that the challenged claims have the potential to influence consumers to forego necessary medical treatment for serious medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, wound healing, high blood pressure or glucose/insulin management, which could lead to serious health consequences for consumers.”

Pursuant to Section 2.10 of the NAD/NARB Procedures, NAD has referred this matter to the FTC for further review.