At the Naturally Informed conference Active Aging: Mastering the Market, which took place in December 2024, Asa Waldstein, Principal of Supplement Advisory Group, offered must-know insights on one of the top trends for 2025: GLP-1 regulatory compliance. A key question, Waldstein said, is: Where does the “compliance line” fall? To help gauge that, he advised considering two important points:
Comparison to drugs: What is the risk of not taking the drug? For example, he explained, heart disease medications may be essential to health.
What is the drug indicated for? Ozempic, he noted, is indicated for diabetes and heart disease. That puts claims in this area in the “high risk” realm. The term “Nature’s Ozempic” may have a catchy feel to it, he said, but it's a high risk claim.
Possible alternative claims that could be explored, if substantiated, include:
- Promotes satiety and lessens “food noise”
- Supports balanced blood sugar levels already within normal range
- Supports cognition and mood
- Helps support you on your weight loss journey
- Helps you feel your best
- Supports muscle mass integrity
Waldstein also discussed statements that will attract enforcement. View the full session, with a look at tools that can help brands stay compliant, on demand at no cost. Register to access the talk and review Waldstein's slides.
For a deeper dive into the science on GLP-1, The Herbal Pharmacist David Foreman shared his blog GLP-1 101: Class Is In with his LinkedIn followers. And don’t miss Beyond Ozempic: Nutrition and Dietary Considerations While Taking GLP-1 Drugs by Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN, who also spoke at the Naturally Informed event. Read her insights into the foods and supplements that those who take a version of these drugs may want to consider. For more from Kirkpatrick, view her Naturally Informed keynote session Regenerative Health: The Metabolic Liver Connection.
