Health claims: the words that trip moderation

Health and food creators get limited more than almost anyone, and it is rarely because they are doing anything wrong. It is because moderation systems read certain phrases as claims, and claims need evidence.

The phrases

These show up in our checks constantly:

• "melts belly fat", "burns fat", "lose 10 pounds in a week"
• "detox", "flushes toxins", "cleanses your liver"
• "boosts your immune system", "boosts metabolism"
• "cures", "reverses", "heals" + any condition
• "clinically proven", "scientifically proven"
• "stop taking your meds"

The first five groups are distribution problems: the post stays up, but it is kept out of recommendations and away from younger users. The last two are policy problems. Claiming to cure a disease or telling people to stop treatment is medical misinformation on every platform and can bring a strike.

Why the systems are strict

Platforms do not evaluate whether your smoothie is actually healthy. They classify language. "Boosts your immune system" is a guaranteed outcome with no source, so it is treated like any other unverified claim. Intent does not enter into it.

How to say what you mean

The fix is almost always to move from a promise about the reader to a description of the thing, or to your own experience.

• "melts belly fat" becomes "is a nutritious option"
• "boosts your immune system" becomes "is part of how I look after myself in winter"
• "detoxes your body" becomes "feels refreshing"
• "cures anxiety" becomes "helps me manage my anxiety"

Same post. Same enthusiasm. No claim for a classifier to catch.

The one line to remember

Describe the food, the habit, the routine. Leave the outcome to the person eating it.