"Notox® Anti-Hangover" Claims Challenged
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
In April 2004, the National Council of Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division (NAD) recommended that A.D. Pharma stop making a long list of advertising claims for its alleged hangover remedy notox.® The company, which is located in of Satellite Beach, Florida, had begun marketing the product in 2002 with television advertising and a Web site. According to the company's Web site:
A.D. Pharma has introduced an exciting new product unlike anything previously available. More than just a simple hangover remedy or "energy" product, notox(R) is a breakthrough discovery. Alcohol intoxication research has led to the development of notox, the first all natural herbal supplement designed specifically to help combat the effects of alcohol consumption. notox is the result of eighteen years of research into medicinal plants and the effects of alcohol on the human body. notox is a proprietary formulation of standardized extracts of Ginseng and Orange. FDA classified as an herbal food supplement, notox is a welcome development for health-conscious people.
Test results show that notox will help combat the effects of alcohol intoxication based upon various factors: sex, weight, height, metabolism, level of alcoholic consumption, and overall physiology. . . . Two capsules taken 30 to 45 minutes before drinking any alcoholic beverage, notox helps to restore internal balance and vitality [1].
At the time NAD investigated, the company's Web site had also claimed:
notox® is formulated to help the body rid itself of the unpleasant effects of intoxication.
- 1. In the liver, it activates alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase to break down alcohol into acetic acid and lower blood alcohol levels.
- 2. It has a powerful component to aid motor coordination and memory functions impaired by alcohol.
- 3. It protects vital organs and the central nervous system from potentially damaging effects of alcohol. This can translate into feelings of renewed energy , better maintenance of blood pressure, and more consistent sleep patterns [2].
NAD officials investigated because they believed that the claims were extraordinary and if unsupportable could encourage dangerous conduct [3]. The company submitted documents that described a clinical study of ten men [4] and a laboratory experiments on mice [5], both conducted by members of the traditional medicine faculty at Shenyang Pharmaceutical University in China. NAD concluded that that the human study was too small, too skimpily described, and not necessarily applicable to women and that the animal studies could not be legitimately applied to humans. NAD recommended that that the company stop stating or implying that notox®:
- Has been “clinically tested” and “clinically proven” to “combat,” “eliminate,” “ counteract,” or “significantly reduce,” or otherwise aid in restoring the ill effects of alcohol consumption as detailed in its advertisements.
- Combats, reduces and/or eliminates the ill effects of alcohol consumption such as impaired motor skills/coordination and balance, memory loss or impairment, stress, fatigue and drowsiness
- Aids in lowering blood alcohol levels (and does so in a short period of time).
- Combats or reduces the toxicity alcohol consumption to (or protects/maintains the integrity of) the nervous system and vital organs (stomach, liver, etc.)
- Relieves consumers of any societal anxiety associated with “drinking too much” or of second thoughts regarding when and how much alcohol to consume.
- Is approved of by bartenders or drinking establishments (or that they need not be concerned about liability for patrons' actions after leaving a bar when that customer has taken notox®)
- Enables the user to drink and drive safely.
- Is “premised upon decades of … alcohol intoxication research…,” “two decades of clinical research…,” or “5,000 years in the making.”
NAD also recommended that A.D. Pharma stop using testimonials containing any claims that are not independently supported by it own evidence [3]. The company has modified some of its language, but the basic sales pitch has not changed. The key question, of course, is whether notox® is likely to make drinking alcohol significantly safer or prevent or relieve its adverse effects. I do not believe that A.D. Pharma can substantiate such claims..
References
- A.D. Pharma introduces notox®, the all-natural herbal way to combat the effects of alcohol consumption. News release, Oct. 3, 2002.
- Questions and answers. A.D. Pharma Web site, archived Dec 8, 2002.
- NAD Case Report: A.D. Pharma, Inc., April 2004.
- Yuping P and others. Effect of notox, a ginseng containing preparation, on blood alcohol level. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 3(Supp 1):S315, 2000.
- Deqiang D and others. Effect of herbal medicines on motor incoordination of mice induced by alcohol. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 3(Supp 1):S315, 2000.