Cult vitamin brand JS Health has been slapped with a $26,000 fine for “unlawful” advertising.
The brand, which is loved by many major celebs and influencers, claimed some of its products could prevent “serious health conditions” including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
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The Therapeutic Goods Administration said, “these are restricted and prohibited representations that are not permitted to be used in advertising without permission from the TGA, which the company did not have.”
In order to advertise that a product can prevent “serious health conditions” the manufacturer needs to lodge an application with the TGA, with scientific studies to substantiate the claim.
JS Health did not do this.
Stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Phoebe Tonkin and Martha Kalifatidis are counted among customers of the brand which is heavily advertised on Instagram.
Founder Jessica Sepel defended their advertising in an Instagram story insisting that the claims about cancer and Alzheimer’s prevention related to an ingredient, C3 extract, and not the product itself.
“It was never our intention to suggest that those studies relate to our formula itself but simply the ingredient C3 extract alone,” Jessica wrote.
MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis has been a huge supporter of the brand, posting about it on instagram and crediting her flat stomach to JS Health’s ‘detox’.
She even went as far as to claim that the JS Health Stress + Anxiety vitamins stopped her from checking into a “psych ward”.
“Last week I was ready to check myself into a psych ward,” she wrote back in May. “Doing better thanks to the Stress + Anxiety.”
Fans and mental health advocates called her out for the post saying it was an “insensitive” endorsement.
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