OPC « BACCHUS

OPC

OPC Plus and the risk of chronic venous insufficiency

Read the following text and test your understanding on the questions below.

The application

Proposed wording

OPC improves venous microcirculation and increases capillary resistance and therefore may reduce the risk of chronic venous insufficiency.

Characterisation

The product is a grape seed extract described as containing 40 mg oligomeric procyanidins (OPC), 40 mg berry-blend per capsule and inulin (338 mg). The manufacturing process has been described.  No information was provided on the berry blend.

Beneficial effect

Improvement of venous microcirculation and increases capillary resistance and therefore reduction of risk of chronic venous insufficiency.

Scientific substantiation

20 references were provided as being pertinent to the claimed effect. No details concerning the search strategy were provided. No human intervention studies using the OPC were provided.

 

Question 1

Do you see the benefit in putting this claim on a product?

Correct answer:

 

Question 2

Why?

Correct answer:

 

Question 3

Do you think consumers would understand the wording of the claim?

Correct answer:

 

Question 4

Why?

Correct answer:

 

Question 5

What do you understand by ‘characterisation’ in this case? (i.e. What is it in the component of the product that has been identified as having the health effect and has this been sufficiently characterised?)

Correct answer:

 

Question 6

Do you agree that the effect in question is likely to be beneficial for the general population?

Correct answer:

 

Question 7

What do you think about the level of evidence provided for the scientific substantiation?

You could consider:

  1. Were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in humans included
  2. Were the studies performed with the product/compound of interest?
  3. Were the measures of the health effect valid?
  4. Was there a dose-response relationship?
  5. Was there evidence provided for a mechanism by which the product/component has the effect?

Correct answer:

 

Question 8

Do you think the claim was given a positive opinion?

Correct answer: