NAD Questions Shark Cartilage Product Claims

NEW YORKThe claim that Bell Shark Cartilage #1 from Bell Lifestyle Products Inc . Works in virtually all cases for 1. Osteoarthritis (worn cartilage), 2. Rheumatoid arthritis (chronic progressive), 3. Sciatica (lower back pain, leg pain, heel pain), 4. Neck pain and back pain, and 5.For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (wrist pain) more information see product #30" should be discontinued, according to The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. NAD, the advertising industrys self-regulatory forum, reviewed advertising claims for the product following a challenge by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

NAD also noted advertising featured additional detailed claims and testimonials at issue that tracked the five listed conditions. Those detailed claims included:

Bell Shark Cartilage #1 is a dietary supplement made from commercial shark cartilage. In this case, the question for NAD was whether Bell Shark Cartilage #1 contained and delivered the doses of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine recognized in a wide range of studies . NAD noted the advertiser acknowledged it had not tested and established the amount of glucosamine in its shark cartilage product and noted, as well, the advertiser's assertion that Bell Lifestyle is currently undertaking a chemical analysis of Bell Shark Cartilage to verify the presence of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in the concentrations found in chemical analyses by others ."  NAD concluded the evidence in the record was insufficient to support joint health claims for the product and recommended that the claims be discontinued.

NAD noted if the advertiser could establish through competent and reliable scientific testing, that Bell Shark Cartilage #1 delivers 1,500 mg of glucosamine in a daily dosage, it could rely on the existing body of research on glucosamine to support limited joint health benefit claims. However, NAD stated, many of the claims at issue could not be supported by additional research on glucosamine and chondroitin.

At the outset, the advertiser asserted that it had discontinued certain claims, including all claims and testimonials referencing treatment of a specific disease, claims comparing the relative efficacy of Bell Shark Cartilage to synthetic drugs, the performance claims referencing the absolute number of users helped by Bell Shark Cartilage, claims that reference a specific percentage efficacy, and testimonials referencing alleviation of serious rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and the statements of the consumers who wrote that they avoided surgery after using Bell Shark Cartilage, all actions that NAD found necessary and proper as there was no evidence to support the claims.

The company, in its advertisers statement, said it accepts the NADs decision and, pending verification of the product contents, will discontinue its joint health benefit claims including performance claims referencing treatment of disease and efficacy of the product in absolute terms and in comparison to medical treatments."