COVID-19 Advisory
Concerns related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have spurred interest in dietary supplements and alternative therapies with purported “immune boosting” effects. These products and therapies are marketed as being able to promote or “boost” the body’s natural immune function. Consumers may be led to believe that by boosting immune function, these products or therapies help the body fight off infections such as COVID-19. However, there is no good evidence that "immune boosters" or other supplements can prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19 or other viral infections.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to issue warning letters to companies selling fraudulent products with claims to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose, or cure COVID-19. A list of firms that have been issued such warning letters from the FDA can be found at the following FDA website.
Below is a list of ingredients contained in products that have received warnings from the FDA for selling products with fraudulent claims related to COVID-19. To find out more about these ingredients, including potential safety concerns, click on the ingredient name to access the NatMed Pro ingredient monograph (subscription required).
Also known as:
- Essential Oils
Scientific name:
- Astragalus membranaceus
- Astragalus mongholicus
- Phaca membranacea
Also known as:
- Huang Qi
- Membranous Milkvetch
- Mongolian Milkvetch
Scientific name:
- Scutellaria baicalensis
- Scutellaria macrantha
Also known as:
- Baikal Scullcap
- Chinese Skullcap
- Huang Qin
- Scute
Note: This ingredient is not the same as skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora).
Scientific name:
- Eupatorium perfoliatum
Also known as:
- Thoroughwort
Note: This ingredient is not the same as gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum).
Also known as:
- 2-[(1R,6R)-3-Methyl-6-prop-1-en-2-ylcyclohex-2-en-1-yl]-5-pentylbenzene-1,3-diol
- CBD
Also known as:
- Buckyballs
- Buckminsterfullerene
- C60
- C60 Fullerene
- Fullerene
- Fullerene C60
Also known as:
- Iota-Carrageenan
- Kappa-Carrageenan
- Lambda-Carrageenan
Scientific name:
- Cinnamomum verum
- Cinnamomum zeylanicum
- Laurus cinnamomum
Also known as:
- Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Bark
- True Cinnamon
Scientific name:
- Inonotus obliquus
Also known as:
- Birch mushroom
- Chaga mushroom
Also known as:
- ClO2
Note: These products are often sold as sodium chlorite solutions with instructions to mix the solution with citric acid or another acid to form chlorine dioxide.
Also known as:
- Ionic Silver
- Silver Solution
Scientific name:
- Ophiocordyceps sinensis
- Cordyceps sinensis
Also known as:
- Chinese Caterpillar Fungus
- Dong Chong Xia Cao
- Jinshuibao Jiaonang
- Jinshuibao Pian
Scientific name:
- Salvia bowleyana
- Salvia miltiorrhiza
- Salvia przewalskii
- Salvia yunnanensis
Also known as:
- Chinese Sage
- Chinese Red Sage
- Chinese Salvia
- Red Root Sage
- Red Sage
Note: This ingredient is not the same as sage (Salvia officinalis).
Scientific name:
- Angelica sinensis
- Angelica polymorpha var. sinensis
Also known as:
- Chinese Angelica
- Dang Gui Shen
- Dang Gui Tou
- Dang Gui Wei
- Tang Kuei
Scientific name:
- Echinacea angustifolia
- Brauneria angustifolia
- Echinacea pallida
- Brauneria pallida
- Rudbeckia pallida
- Echinacea purpurea
- Brauneria purpurea
- Echinacea intermedia
- Echinacea serotine
- Echinacea speciose
- Helichroa purpurea
- Rudbeckia purpurea
Also known as:
- Coneflower
- Kansas Snakeroot
- Narrow-Leaved Echinacea
- Narrow-Leaved Purple Coneflower
- Pale Coneflower
- Pale Flower Echinacea
- Pale Purple Coneflower
- Purple Coneflower
Scientific name:
- Sambucus nigra
Also known as:
- Black Elder
- Black Elderberry
- Elder Berry
- European Elder
- European Elderberry
Also known as:
- Fulvic
Scientific name:
- Camellia sinensis
Also known as:
- Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)
- Green Tea Extract
Halotherapy
Also known as:
- Saline Therapy
- Salt Therapy
Also known as:
- Homeopathic Medicine
- Homeopathic Nosodes
- Homeopathic Remedies
- Homeoprophylaxis
- Nosodes
Scientific name:
- Polygonum cuspidatum
- Fallopia japonica
- Reynoutria japonica
Also known as:
- Fleece Flower
- Japanese Bamboo
- Japanese Knotweed
Also known as:
- Humate
- Humic
- Humic Extract
Scientific name:
- Pueraria montana var. lobata
- Pueraria lobate
- Pueraria montana var. chinense
- Pueraria thomsonii
Also known as:
- Ge Gen
- Japanese Arrowroot
Note: This ingredient is not the same as Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), Brazilian Arrowroot (Manihot esculenta), or Indian Arrowroot (Euonymus atropurpureus or Curcuma zedoaria).
Scientific name:
- Glycyrrhiza echinata
- Glycyrrhiza glabra
- Glycyrrhiza glandulifera
- Glycyrrhiza uralensis
Also known as:
- Chinese Licorice
- East European Licorice
- Gan Cao
- Russian Licorice
- Spanish Licorice
- Turkish Licorice
- Ural Licorice
- Yashtimadhu
Scientific name:
- L-2,6-diaminohexanoic acid
Also known as:
- L-Lysine
Also known as:
- Biomagnetism
- Electromagnetic Therapy
- Magnetic Stimulation
Also known as:
- Glycerin Monolaurate
- Glycerol Monolaurate
- Lauric Acid Monoglyceride
Also known as:
- Nasal Rinsing
- Nasal Saline
- Neti Pot
- Saline Irrigation
- Sinus Rinsing
Also known as:
- Natto Extract
- Soy Natto
Scientific name:
- Ceanothus americanus
- Ceanothus intermedius
Also known as:
- Indian Tea
- Jersey Tea
- Red Root
- Redroot
- Wild Snowball
Also known as:
- Nicotinic acid
- Vitamin B3
Also known as:
- Nicotinamide ribose
Scientific name:
- Rhodiola rosea
- Sedum rhodiola
- Sedum rosea
Also known as:
- Arctic Root
- Golden Root
- Hong Jing Tian
- Hongjingtian
- King's Crown
- Roseroot
- Rosewort
- Sundown Rose
Also known as:
- 3,3',4'5,7-Pentahydroxyflavone
- Meletin
- Quercetin Dihydrate
- Sophoretin
Scientific name:
- Crocus sativa
Also known as:
- Autumn Crocus
- Azafran
- Crocin
- Safran
Stem Cell Therapy (Direct-to-Consumer)
Also known as:
- Commercial Stem Cell Therapy
- Stem Cell-Based Interventions
- Stem Cell Treatments
Also known as:
- TCM
- Traditional Asian Medicine
Also known as:
- Ascorbate
- Ascorbic Acid
- Calcium Ascorbate
- Magnesium Ascorbate
- Selenium Ascorbate
- Sodium Ascorbate
Also known as:
- Zinc Acetate
- Zinc Acetylmethionate
- Zinc Acexamate
- Zinc Ascorbate
- Zinc Aspartate
- Zinc Carbobenzoxy-beta-alanyltaurinate
- Zinc Chelate
- Zinc Chloride
- Zinc Citrate
- Zinc Difumarate Hydrate
- Zinc Gluconate
- Zinc Glycinate
- Zinc Methionate
- Zinc Methionine
- Zinc Monomethionine
- Zinc Murakab
- Zinc Orotate
- Zinc Oxide
- Zinc Picolinate
- Zinc Pyrithione
- Zinc Sulfate
- Zn