Most Advertised Supplements Using Dr. Oz’ Name

waffles

April 29, 2013

Dr. Oz hosts a popular daytime medical show where he has discussed many weight loss and dietary supplements over the years, some of which he has touted as “miracles” or a “Holy Grail.” The mere mention a new supplement by Dr. Oz prompts online marketers to quickly flood the internet with advertisements, often using the doctor’s name or likeness. Today we’re taking a look at the most advertised supplements by online marketers attempting to cash in on Dr. Oz’ name.

Advertised Supplements

The list below has been compiled using three methods.

1. Internal statistics. Using our own traffic figures, we considered search queries, comments, and page views for products discussed by Dr. Oz and marketers associating these products with him.
2. Third party tools. We used several third-party tools to research various keywords being advertised over the past 3 months. We considered not only high-volume and high-priced keywords for the supplements, but also advertising which directly included Dr. Oz’ name.
3. Affiliate websites. We examined how many affiliate websites are actively selling a given product and how many of these websites use videos or images of Dr. Oz.

Based on the criteria above, we have come up with our list of the most advertised supplements attempting to cash in on Dr. Oz’ name over the past 3 months. The date in parentheses is when we first discussed the product here.

1. Garcinia Cambogia  (January 2013) – A surge in websites appeared in October through December 2012 after Dr. Oz gushed about this “miracle supplement.” It continues to be heavily advertised.
2. Raspberry Ketone (May 2012) – With nothing more than a tentative report by Dr. Oz, marketers have been touting this supplement nonstop since early 2012.
3. African Mango (November 2011) – Although this product has been marketed in Dr. Oz’ name for a couple of years, we’re starting to see a resurgence in mid-2013.
4. Green Coffee Bean Extract (June 2012) – This product surged in mid-2012, but its popularity appears to be waning in recent months.
5. Acai Berry (January 2009) – For nearly two years, the internet was rife with fake blogs and phony news sites peddling acai products using the Dr. Oz name. There are still some remaining websites out there selling this product.
6. 7-Keto-DHEA (February 2013) – This is one of the more recent entrants in the field, and its popularity is only moderate at this point.
7. Saffron Extract (April 2013) – Dr. Oz promoted this as a “miracle appetite suppressant” in early 2012. Since then, hundreds of websites have cropped up selling this product. This one is currently on the rise.
8. Forskolin (February 2013) – Despite being promoted as a fat-burning supplement by Dr. Oz, Forskolin is currently only recognized as possibly effective for  congestive cardiomyopathy and asthma.
9. Relora (April 2013) – Though not one of the more highly-touted products, this blend of Magnolia officinalis bark extract and Phellodendron amurense bark extract appeared on Dr. Oz’ “Best Belly-Blasting Supplements” in 2012.

It should be noted that while Dr. Oz endorses the use of certain products, he does not typically endorse specific brands. This has perhaps inadvertently aided those marketing these supplements  by shamelessly mentioning Dr. Oz in their advertising or websites.

Further, the glowing endorsements heaped onto some of these products by Dr. Oz is often based on incomplete research. This hasn’t stopped his legion of viewers from scooping up whatever supplement the Great and Powerful Oz has touted recently. As one vitamin store manager recently told Forbes, “We devote six shelves to everything Dr. Oz recommends and it’s almost impossible to keep most of the items in stock.”

Bottom Line

Our user reviews for most of these products is mixed at best. If you want to try any of the items in the list above, we recommend going through a trusted retailer rather than an unknown website which sells only one product.