Goli To Remove Misleading Claims About Ashwagandha Functions, NAD Recommends

The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs is cracking down on claims surrounding another Goli product, after a controversy was settled regarding its Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) gummy last month. The group released a statement today recommending that the supplement maker remove messaging from labels and advertising materials that claim or imply its Mixed Berry-flavored ashwagandha gummies will improve sexual function, weight loss and physical performance.

The review of Goli’s adaptogenic gummy messages comes after Church & Dwight Co., maker of Vitafusion gummy vitamins, filed a complaint with NAD challenging the purported efficacy of ashwagandha. Vitafusion also produces a berry-flavored ashwagandha gummy which it markets as aiding in stress reduction.

Within its associated web copy, advertising campaigns and on-pack labels, Goli claims that ashwagandha extract, KSM-66, is clinically proven “to provide weight loss and weight management benefits;” “increase testosterone levels, sperm motility and sperm count in men;” “improve physical endurance, strength, muscle size, and overall physical performance;” and “improve sexual function and arousal in healthy women,” among a range of other related effects.

In Wednesday’s report, NAD said Goli has “not provided sufficient competent and reliable scientific evidence to support its claims.” The agency found “several methodological flaws” in the supplement maker’s study about the efficacy of its ashwagandha extract, undermining “the reliability of the results.” Additionally, NAD said the results of this study indicate that the product is a “poor fit” for its “weight loss and weight maintenance claims.”

The board is recommending that Goli discontinue the use of these specific claims as well as dozens of other similar, unsubstantiated function-related callouts.

The complaint also looked beyond on-pack callouts and advertising copy, targeting the gummy brand’s promotion marketing strategy. Church & Dwight Co. asserts that Goli was misleading consumers into believing the product was in “limited supply remaining” or that “supplies limited” during promotional periods. The NAD’s investigation concluded that the product was never in short supply, despite it frequently going on sale, and recommended that Goli discontinue this practice.

However, the NAD did not find evidence to support an allegation in the complaint that stated Goli’s influencer partners did not express their honest, original opinions about the product without materials or prompting by the company.

Goli said in a statement to the board that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s recommendations” although it “disagrees with certain aspects of the NAD’s decision.” The brand “intends to make further voluntary changes to its advertising which will provide greater clarity to consumers regarding the benefits of the ingredients in Goli’s ashwagandha gummies, consistent with the evidence-based science.”

The review comes on the heels of a controversy between the emerging gummy maker and longtime ACV producer Bragg Live Food Products. Last month, NARB finalized its decision after both companies appealed NAD’s review of Goli’s ACV gummy claims, which were challenged on grounds ranging from misleading dosing claims to the efficacy of the ingredient’s functionality.

Goli could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.