Background
This ruling forms part of a wider piece of work on prostate health. The ad was identified for investigation following intelligence gathered by our Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses AI to proactively search for online ads that might break the rules. See also related rulings published on 10 December 2025.
Summary of Council decision: Two issues were investigated, both of which were Upheld.
Ad description
Two paid-for Meta ads and the website for Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim UK, seen in July 2025:
a. The first ad included the text “Do you go to the bathroom more often than you go out with friends? This is a typical symptom of prostate problems PROstate support helps with problems with enlarged prostate and frequent urination. Extremely effective formulation with natural extracts”. The ad included a picture of a man wearing trousers. The right leg had a large wet patch around the groin area, and the left leg was dry. An arrow pointed to the right leg and text stated, “PROBLEMS WITH PROSTATE?”. An arrow pointed to the left leg and to a blue drink and included text that stated, “GONE WITH THIS SIMPLE DRINK”. The image included a photo of the Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim PROstate Support product. Text then stated, “BENEFICIALLY AFFECTS MEN’S HEALTH”. Text underneath stated, “NUTRISSLIM.UK For prostate function and urinary comfort! Supports peak urine flow” and included a button consumers could click on, with text that stated “Shop now”.
Clicking on the link took consumers to ad (c).
b. The second ad included text that stated, “PROstate support combines the power of 9 natural ingredients to manage problems with an enlarged prostate. This recipe changed everything”. The ad included a short video, which showed two packs of the Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim PROstate Support product next to two blue drinks and included text that stated, “IMPROVED URINARY FLOW” and “INCREASED ENERGY”. Text underneath stated, “WWW.NUTRISSLIM.UK Beneficially affects men’s health! No more sleep interruptions” and included a button consumers could click on, with text that stated “Learn more”.
Clicking on the link took consumers to ad (c).
c. The third ad, the landing page on the Nature’s Finest website, www.nutrisslim.uk, included a photo of a man in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck, and text that stated “Doctors now agree: This new ‘Prostate Shrinking’ Formula is 27 TIMES More Effective Than Others Discover how men of all ages are stopping frequent bathroom visits, sleeping better, and fully emptying their bladder.”
The ad included a photo of a man holding a pack of Nutrisslim PROstate Support, and text in tick bullet points which stated, “NO MORE nighttime bathroom visits NO MORE dribbles or stops and starts. NO MORE leaks and weak stream NO MORE ‘full bladder’ feeling just a short time after you pee 100% Natural & proven by scientific research Takes less than 3 minutes a day”.
Another photo of the man in the white lab coat was accompanied by the text “Hey, my name is Dr. Simon Nolan […] Did you know that by age 50, more than HALF of all men have an enlarged prostate? Well, by age 85, that number jumps to 90% […] This causes: Frequent nighttime urination Weak urine flow”. Text underneath stated, “Luckily there’s now a simple, natural solution that can eliminate prostate problems. After reading a dozen studies on enlarged prostates I found a ‘Prostate Shrinking’ method. This scientifically backed method has transformed the lives of British men. […] Regain control over your bladder and wave goodbye to constant bathroom trips. […] Feel the confidence of fully emptying out, each and every time”.
The ad included further text underneath which stated, “in a two-month study with 52 men, those taking the formula reported: […] 66% improvement in urine flow. Meanwhile, the placebo group saw no changes. As you can see this formula worked wonders. And do you know what’s even better? It will only take you a couple of minutes a day to start shrinking your prostate. And until this day this ‘prostate shrinking method’ has helped over 139,291 men (some of them in their 80s) put an end to agonizing prostate issues. Introducing: PROState – Doctor-Formulated Solution That Shrinks Enlarged Prostate and Eliminates Urgency and Frequency of Urination.”
Issue
The ASA challenged whether:
- the claims in the ads that stated or implied that the PROstate Support supplement could help to treat or cure symptoms of prostate enlargement, including urine incontinence or urine flow problems, were in breach of the Code; and
- by including health professional endorsements or recommendations, ad (c) breached the Code.
Response
1. Nutrisslim d.o.o. t/a Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim UK stated that the claims used in their ads were based on ‘on hold’ health claims relating to botanical ingredients, which they understood could be used in advertising. They said that the claims listed on their website were based on the following claims: “Supports peak urine flow”; “For the maintenance of normal urinary function for men from the age of 45”; “Beneficially affects the prostate” and “Supports prostate health”.
2. Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim UK said that the visual materials featuring a doctor and any related references had been removed from their website, including the reference to the product being “doctor-formulated”. They had also deleted any claims related to enlarged prostates.
Nutrsslim d.o.o. added that all other ads and related claims referenced in the report had been removed from circulation.
Assessment
1. Upheld
The CAP Code stated that claims which stated or implied a food could prevent, treat or cure human disease were prohibited for foods; including food supplements. It also stated that medicinal claims may be made for a medicinal product that was licensed by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) or under the auspices of the EMA (European Medicines Agency). Medicines must have a license from the MHRA or under the auspices of the EMA before they were marketed. These requirements applied regardless of whether a claim with the same meaning was listed on the ‘on hold’ list for botanical ingredients.
Ads (a) and (b) stated that Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim PROstate Support “helps with problems with enlarged prostate and frequent urination” and “supports peak urine flow”. Ad (a) also stated, “PROBLEMS WITH PROSTATE […] GONE WITH THIS SIMPLE DRINK”. Ad (c) stated, “Doctors now agree: This new “Prostate Shrinking” Formula is 27 TIMES More Effective Than Others”. Ad (c) also stated, “in a two-month study with 52 men, those taking the formula reported: […] 66% improvement in urine flow. Meanwhile, the placebo group saw no changes. As you can see this formula worked wonders”. It also made a number of stated or implied references to “enlarged prostates”, frequent and/or urgent need to urinate, difficulty in urinating, leaks, weak flow, and feeling like the bladder wasn’t fully emptied. We considered that consumers would understand from those claims that the PROstate Support product could alleviate symptoms of prostate problems such as urine incontinence, frequency and flow problems, and cure an enlarged prostate.
Claims to relieve symptoms, or to cure, or to provide a remedy or heal a specific disease or adverse condition of body or mind were regarded as medicinal claims. Urine incontinence and urine flow problems were symptoms of adverse medical conditions in males, including for example prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate. We considered the claims outlined above, and other similar claims in the ads, including the name “PROstate Support” in the context of the ad, implied that the product had medicinal properties and that the product would be understood by consumers as medicinal, by its presentation.
The PROstate Support product was, in general terms, marketed as a food supplement. The Code, reflecting legislation, prohibited claims that a food, which included food supplements, could prevent, treat, or cure human disease. For the purposes of the legislation reflected in the Code, that included medicinal claims. The claims implying the product could alleviate symptoms of prostate problems therefore were prohibited claims that a food could prevent, treat or cure human disease. Additionally, because the ad made medicinal claims for the PROstate Support supplement, it was defined as a medicinal product for the purposes of medicines legislation. Claims that a product had medicinal properties may only be made for a medicinal product that was authorised by the MHRA or under the auspices of the EMA. We understood Nutrisslim d.o.o. did not hold such authorisation for PROstate /support. The ads were therefore in breach of the Code’s requirements relating both to food supplements and to medicinal products.
On that point, ads (a), (b) and (c) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 12.1, 12.11 (Medicines, medical devices health-related products and beauty products), 15.6 and 15.6.2 (Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims).
2. Upheld
The CAP Code prohibited marketers from using health professionals to endorse medicines. In addition, ads for food products were prohibited from making health claims that referred to the recommendation of an individual health professional.
Ad (c) included a photo of a man in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck, and text that stated, “Doctors now agree: This new “Prostate Shrinking” Formula is 27 TIMES More Effective Than Others”. The ad then presented further claims about the medicinal and health effects of the supplement as being addressed directly to the reader by “Dr. Simon Nolan”, such as “Luckily there’s now a simple, natural solution that can eliminate prostate problems”. The ad also included the claim that the product was a “Doctor-Formulated Solution That Shrinks Enlarged Prostate and Eliminates Urgency and Frequency of Urination”. We considered consumers would understand from those claims that the product was endorsed and recommended by doctors generally, and by “Dr. Simon Nolan” specifically.
As set out in point 1, the product was in general terms marketed as a food supplement. We concluded the ad therefore breached the Code because it included health and medicinal claims that referred to the recommendation of an individual health professional, “Dr. Simon Nolan”. We considered that the references to doctors collectively (such as “Doctors agree […]” and “Doctor-Formulated”) would be understood by consumers to relate to the recommendation of more than one health professional, and as such would have a similar impact on their purchasing decisions as an ad which included the recommendation of only one health professional. In the context of the health and medicinal claims in the ad, we concluded those claims also therefore breached the Code.
As also set out in point 1, due to the use of medical claims, the product would also have been understood by consumers as medicinal, by its presentation. The ad also therefore breached the Code because it used health professionals to endorse a medicine.
On that point, ad (c) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 12.18 (Medicines, medical devices health-related products and beauty products) 15.6.3 (Food, food supplements and associated health or nutritional claims).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the form investigated. We told Nutrisslim d.o.o. t/a Nature’s Finest by Nutrisslim UK not to state or imply their food supplements could prevent, treat or cure human disease, which included claims to treat or cure enlarged prostate and the symptoms of prostate problems. We also told them not to make medicinal claims for products that were not authorised by the MHRA. We told them not to make health claims for food products that referred to the recommendation of an individual health professional, or use health professionals to endorse a medicine.
CAP Code (Edition 12)
12.1 12.11 15.6 15.6.2 12.18 15.6.3
