Scientifically Proven vs Clinically Proven Claims

What are the differences between scientifically proven and clinically proven claims? Why it’s important it is for consumers to understand the differences in these claims.

By Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, PhD, MBA

With the new year, consumers are seeing more paid social media influencer testimonials, targeted online advertising, and print and broadcast ads for dietary supplements and products promoting health, wellness, and weight management.

We can assume that savvy, health-conscious and skeptical consumers tend to buy dietary supplements with scientifically or clinically proven health claims, with the assumption that they have proven benefits. However, it’s important for consumers to understand the meaning behind these claims.

"Scientifically proven" is a broader term that encompasses a range of scientific research methodologies, while "clinically proven" is more focused on evidence derived from clinical trials. Both can convey a high level of reliability and validity in supporting a particular claim. Still, the context in which they are used provides more specific information about the type of research or evidence backing the claim. Both play an important role in the development of safe and efficacious health products. However, they are not interchangeable in the validation process of nutraceutical ingredients, dietary supplements, or pharmaceuticals.

Scientifically Proven

Scientific evidence or results supporting a claim is a result of rigorous scientific research and experimentation. These studies are mostly conducted in controlled laboratory settings, where variables are carefully controlled to isolate specific factors, and test specific outcomes. It’s often based on empirical evidence and follows the scientific method, which involves hypothesis formation, data collection, analysis, and peer review.

Some companies invest in R&D to test and validate their ingredient and/or product claims, either using their in-house R&D resources or by outsourcing to contract research organizations. However, it’s common for dietary supplement companies, manufacturers, and ingredient suppliers to use research information about their ingredients and products from published literature sources such as Pubmed to support their claims without explicitly conducting research on their own ingredients and products.

Currently, when a company claims to be ‘scientifically proven,’ it is difficult to discern whether a company conducted research on its ingredients and products or is relying on literature sources such as Pubmed to make that claim.

Clinically Proven

Clinically proven specifically relates to evidence derived from clinical trials or studies conducted with human participants, typically in a medical or healthcare setting. Clinical trials are known as the “gold standard” and are designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of products, treatments, interventions, or therapies. Therefore, "clinically proven" suggests that the findings from these trials support the effectiveness of a particular treatment or intervention in treating a specific condition or wellness outcome. Similar to ‘scientifically proven,’ dietary supplement companies, manufacturers, and ingredient supplier companies may rely on the literature of published clinical trials to claim ‘clinically proven’ rather than explicitly conducting clinical trials using their own ingredients and products.

Canomiks science-based solutions

At Canomiks, we offer solutions to help companies create scientific-based evidence. We believe it’s critical to have solid scientific evidence prior to the clinical trial stage. This helps verify safety, efficacy, reduce additional R&D costs, and avoid the risk of clinical trial failure.