How to Spot a Misleading Health Claim: Seven Questions Everyone Should Ask

“Clinically proven.”

“Doctor recommended.”

“Backed by science.”

“Revolutionary breakthrough.”

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet, you’ve probably encountered claims like these. They appear on social media, in magazine articles, on television, in online advertisements, and even on the packaging of products sitting on supermarket shelves.

Some of these claims are perfectly legitimate. Many are not.

The challenge is that misleading health claims rarely look misleading. In fact, the most persuasive claims often borrow the language of genuine science. They use technical terminology, impressive statistics and references to research to create an appearance of credibility.

This doesn’t necessarily mean someone is lying. Sometimes a product genuinely has some evidence behind it. Sometimes the research is preliminary. Sometimes the science is solid but the marketing stretches the conclusions far beyond what the evidence actually supports.

The good news is that you don’t need a medical degree to recognise many of the warning signs.

As the internet loves a numbered heading, I decided to create my own to help you make a decision when encountering new information. Whenever you encounter a health claim, ask yourself these seven questions.

1. What exactly is being claimed?

This sounds obvious, but it’s remarkable how many health claims remain vague when you stop and examine them.

Think about these examples:

“Supports immune health.”

“Promotes healthy ageing.”

“Boosts vitality.”

“Optimises wellbeing.”

What do any of these actually mean? How would you measure vitality? What counts as wellbeing? How much improvement should you expect?

Vague language gives marketers enormous flexibility. If a claim isn’t clearly defined, it’s very difficult to prove wrong.

Good science relies on precise definitions while good marketing often prefers ambiguity.

Whenever you see a broad claim, ask yourself: “If I used this product for three months, how would I know whether it had worked?”

If you can’t answer that question, then neither can the advertisement.

2. Where is the evidence?

Many advertisements mention research without actually showing it. You might read claims along the lines of:

“Clinical studies have shown…”

“Research demonstrates…”

“Scientists have discovered…”

That’s all very well, but which studies? Published where? Conducted by whom? How many participants were involved? Were the findings independently replicated?

Imagine someone telling you they have won several international awards but refusing to tell you which awards. I would hope that you would become suspicious and treat the claim with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Scientific evidence deserves the same level of scrutiny. Credible research should always be traceable.

If a company makes bold claims but provides no way of verifying the underlying evidence, that’s a reason to be cautious.

3. Does the claim sound too good to be true?

Human biology is wonderfully complicated but unfortunately, many advertisements pretend it isn’t. I'm sure you've come across those wonder products that claim to improve:

• energy

• sleep

• concentration

• joint pain

• digestion

• immune function

• skin health

• stress

• weight management

• ageing

all at the same time. Amazing! But whenever one product claims to solve a long list of unrelated problems, your scepticism alarm should start ringing loud and clear.

Real medicine tends to become more specialised as our understanding improves.

Miracle cures tend to become more ambitious.

4. Is the evidence coming from people or from research?

Testimonials are very powerful.

“I tried this cream and my arthritis disappeared.”

“This supplement changed my life.”

“I’ve never felt better.”

Stories are memorable because as humans we naturally think in narratives rather than statistics, but the problem is that individual experiences cannot tell us whether a treatment actually works.

Perhaps the person’s symptoms would have improved anyway, or maybe they were also receiving other treatment. Perhaps the very powerful placebo effect played a role. Maybe they genuinely improved for reasons that had nothing to do with the product.

This isn’t because people are naturally dishonest, it’s because personal experience is surprisingly unreliable evidence when trying to establish cause and effect.

Scientific studies attempt to control for these possibilities. Testimonials cannot.

5. Who benefits if you believe this?

This question isn’t about assuming bad intentions. Businesses are allowed to make money: in fact, if they didn't they'd soon find that they were no longer in business. Researchers apply for grants, universities compete for funding. Journalists compete for readers. Influencers compete for views.

Everyone has incentives.

The important question isn’t whether or not someone benefits, it's whether those incentives might influence how information is presented.

For example, does an advertisement highlight only the positive findings while ignoring limitations? Does an article quote only experts who agree? Does an influencer receive commission from every sale?

Financial incentives don’t automatically invalidate a claim, they simply remind us to examine the evidence carefully.

6. Are precise numbers being used to impress rather than inform?

Specific numbers often sound convincing. Consider these examples:

“Increases energy by 47%.”

“Reduces discomfort by 63%.”

“Used by 98,742 satisfied customers.”

The more precise a number appears, the more scientific it often feels, but as we know precision is not the same as accuracy.

Where did the number quoted come from? Was it measured in a well-designed double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial?

Was the study large enough, was the difference meaningful in real life, or was the number simply selected because it sounds impressive?

One of the oldest tricks in persuasion is wrapping uncertainty in impressive decimal places.

7. Is uncertainty being acknowledged?

Perhaps the biggest difference between genuine science and misleading marketing is how they handle uncertainty. Compare the types of phrases routinely used by scientists like:

“The evidence suggests…”

“Further research is needed…”

“These findings should be interpreted with caution…”

With the phrases often preferred by marketers:

“Proven.”

“Guaranteed.”

“Breakthrough.”

“Revolutionary.”

Science becomes stronger by recognising its limitations, while pseudoscience often becomes louder.

Ironically, a source that openly discusses uncertainty is often more trustworthy than one claiming absolute certainty.

Confidence is easy: evidence is harder.

The goal isn’t cynicism.

Learning to question health claims doesn’t mean rejecting every new treatment or becoming suspicious of all scientific advances. Quite the opposite. Good scepticism is about remaining open to evidence while refusing to be persuaded by appearances alone.

Some health innovations genuinely transform lives, some supplements genuinely help certain people under specific circumstances. Some treatments that once seemed extraordinary later become standard medical practice.

The question isn’t whether something is new, natural, traditional or revolutionary.

The question is always: what does the evidence actually show?

A simple habit that changes everything

The next time you encounter an exciting health claim, resist the urge to ask whether you believe it or not. Instead ask:

• What exactly is being claimed?

• Where is the evidence?

• Does it sound too good to be true?

• Am I being shown stories or research?

• Who benefits if I accept this claim?

• Are impressive numbers being used appropriately?

• Is uncertainty being acknowledged?

You won’t always reach an immediate answer, and that’s both perfectly acceptable and perfectly normal.

One of the most valuable lessons in critical thinking is becoming comfortable saying that you don’t know yet. That is not a weakness.

It’s often the first step towards finding out what is actually true.

Coming soon:

• What Does “Clinically Proven” Actually Mean?

• Why Testimonials Are Not Scientific Evidence

• Red Flags in Wellness Marketing