A new study led by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has examined how commonly made claims, such as “supports heart health” or “supports brain health,” affect our beliefs regarding the health benefits of dietary supplements. Under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, three types of label claims are allowed on dietary supplements: nutrient claims, health claims, and structure/function claims. Health claims refer to any statement associating a supplement ingredient with the treatment or prevention of a specific disease. The problem is, though, that these sorts of claims can use language that’s ambiguous, including phrases like “heart health” or “brain health”. By law, structure/function claims, such as “Supports Heart Health”, aren’t supposed to imply disease prevention or treatment.