BBB National Programs National Advertising Division Inquiry of Tru NIAGEN Dietary Supplement Closes Without Review of Discontinued Product; Advertising Claims Permanently Discontinued

For Immediate Release

Contact: Laura Brett, Director, NAD

212.705.0109 / lbrett@bbbnp.org

New York, NY – Jan. 9, 2020 – ChromaDex, Inc., the maker of Tru NIAGEN dietary supplement, has advised the National Advertising Division that the advertising claims at issue in a May 1, 2018 inquiry letter were permanently discontinued, and the 250 mg product then-advertised has not been marketed since late 2018, when a 300 mg product entered the market.

The National Advertising Division is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation and is a division of the BBB NP’s self-regulatory and dispute resolution programs.

As part of the National Advertising Division’s routine monitoring program, the National Advertising Division requested substantiation for the following claims:

Express Claims:

• “NAD is as essential to our cells as food, water or oxygen, so higher NAD levels can help support better overall health as we age.”
• “Our cells need NAD to regulate circadian rhythm and increase energy production at the cellular level. Higher NAD levels can help our cells function at their best, so we can too.
• “While many factors contribute to aging, scientists believe one primary reason is the depletion of a key cellular resource called NAD.”
• “When NAD levels are low, our cells can’t produce the energy they need to maintain our health as we age. Tru NIAGEN® is a groundbreaking supplement that provides your cells with the vital nutrient they need to increase NAD levels. Our key ingredient, NIAGEN®, is a specific form of vitamin B3 proven to significantly increase NAD levels.”
• “Discover the nutrient that can change the way you age, straight from the scientists who uncovered it.”
• “Backed By Science – With more than 130 research partnership studies and a team of esteemed scientists, we’re committed to uncovering the full potential of NAD to enhance your cellular health.”
  

Implied Claims:

• Tru NIAGEN® is scientifically proven to slow down or reverse aging.
• Tru NIAGEN® regulates circadian rhythm and increases energy.
• Tru NIAGEN® membership terms are not disclosed (including how to cancel).
  

Testimonial:

• “My memory and concentration are great. I even think the ‘difficult’ Sudoku puzzles are easy.” – Anne, 59, Louisville, Kentucky.
  

The advertiser informed the National Advertising Division that the product at issue was no longer marketed. The current dose of Tru NIAGEN (300 mg of NR) is 50 mg greater than the product referenced in this inquiry. The advertiser also permanently discontinued the challenged advertising claims for the product at issue in this proceeding.

Given that the 250 mg product is no longer being offered for sale, and in reliance on the advertiser’s representations that the claims for the product at issue have been permanently discontinued, the National Advertising Division did not review the claims on their merits. However, the voluntarily discontinued claims will be treated, for compliance purposes, as though the National Advertising Division recommended their discontinuance and the advertiser agreed to comply.

###

About the National Advertising Division: National Advertising Division (NAD), a division of BBB National Programs, provides independent self-regulation overseeing the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for truth and accuracy.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs fosters trust, innovation, and competition in the marketplace through the development and delivery of cost-effective, third-party self-regulation, dispute resolution and other programs. The programs were formerly administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. BBB NP is the home of industry self-regulatory and dispute resolution programs that include the National Advertising Division (NAD), National Advertising Review Board (NARB), BBB EU Privacy Shield, BBB AUTO LINE, Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), Children’s Confection Advertising Initiative (CCAI), Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), Digital Advertising Accountability Program (Accountability Program), and the Coalition for Better Advertising Dispute Resolution Program (CBA DRM). The programs are designed to resolve business issues and advance shared objectives by responding to marketplace concerns to create a better customer experience. To learn more about industry self-regulation, please visit: BBBNP.org.