There seems to be a rapidly growing number of health-focused products out there. It can get confusing to know which ones will work and which are just get-rich-quick scams. Mark Cuban, a business guru and judge on the hit show Shark Tank, expressed his frustration with healthcare products promising results not backed by sound science, particularly when it comes to vitamins and supplements.

The “Promise” of Supplements

In an article in the New York Post, Cuban said, “Everyone wants to feel better, to be healthy, to be fit, to look good, and the promise of supplements plays right into that dream.” While critical of supplements in general, he is especially skeptical on the show. “It really bothers me when we have a product that could take advantage of the [people] who trust us.”

Things like “shaky scientific claims” and pseudoscience get Cuban so fired up, he’ll argue with guests, other judges, and even doctors if their products are not substantiated with real clinical results. “I’m all for people getting healthier, but more often than not, there are no studies that connect directly to the product being offered. And when there are studies, they are typically for something that doesn’t replicate how customers would consume the product.”

Frustration Based In Experience

While Cuban’s arguments on the show can appear hostile, it’s all stemming from emerging research finding that many supplements on the shelf are not all they claim to be. In 2015, DNA tests were conducted on several popular supplements and found that in 4 out of 5 cases, the pills contained nothing more than fillers like rice, asparagus, wheat, and even houseplants!

Similarly, in 2014, researchers tested a few popular AREDS 2 eye vitamins found in retail stores. The results showed that ingredients listed on the labels were not in the amounts listed or downright missing. One of the vitamins tested claimed to be an AREDS 2 formulation but was missing 4 of the 6 necessary ingredients! “It’s shocking how even the best-selling brand names not only have variability in their batches but often significantly vary in mix from their labels,” Cuban says.

The EyePromise^® Difference

EyePromise understands the hesitation to join the vitamin movement, especially with so many questionable products on the market. However, our products undergo rigorous quality and purity testing performed by third-party organizations like the FDA and NSF. This ensures our customers get exactly what they see on the label. As a part of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Ocular Nutrition Society, and the Better Business Bureau, we strive for excellence in every aspect of our business.

Beyond label requirements, EyePromise invests heavily in science and clinical research. Founded by a scientist, we whole-heartedly believe in proving effectiveness before claiming competency. Supported by 20+ years of eye care and nutrition science, we carefully choose each ingredient based on its ability to support healthy vision and conduct clinical trials to test our products' effectiveness as a whole.

Find out which vitamin is right for you! Take our product selector quiz.

Sources

1. Yong, Jennifer J. et al., “Ocular Nutritional Supplements”, Ophthalmology, Volume 122, Issue 3, 595 – 599
2. Duffy, Maureen. “A Class-Action Lawsuit Against CVS Yields a Decision: Not All Eye Health and Macular Degeneration Supplements Are Equally Effective.” A Class-Action Lawsuit Against CVS Yields a Decision: Not All Eye Health and Macular Degeneration Supplements Are Equally Effective - Vision Aware Blog - VisionAware, American Foundation for the Blind, 7 Aug. 2017, visionaware.org/blog/visionaware-blog/a-class-action-lawsuit-against-cvs-is-settled-all-eye-health-and-macular-degeneration-supplements-are-not-equally-effective/12.
3. Cronin, Jeff. “CVS Faces Lawsuit Over 'Advanced Eye Health' Supplement.” CVS Faces Lawsuit Over 'Advanced Eye Health' Supplement | Center for Science in the Public Interest, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, 3 Jan. 2015, cspinet.org/news/cvs-faces-lawsuit-over-advanced-eye-health-supplement-20150113.
4. Herman, Colman M. “CVS Agrees to Settlement over Sale of Eye Vitamin.” Boston Globe, 1 Aug. 2017, bostonglobe.com/business/talking-points/2017/07/31/cvs-agrees-settlement-over-sale-eye-vitamin/T9NkS80UWnpcYmsT2J8DMP/story.html.