POM Wonderful
The claim: POM Wonderful pomegranate juice treats, prevents, or reduces the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction.
✓ Evidence agrees · Well sourced (5 sources)
By PixPause Editorial · 2 min read · Verified September 13, 2026
POM Wonderful's claims that its pomegranate juice treats or prevents heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction were found deceptive by the FTC, upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2015, and left standing after the Supreme Court declined to review the case in 2016.
Make your guess on the slip to reveal the answer- "POM Wonderful pomegranate juice treats, prevents, or reduces the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction."✕ FALSE
BUYING THE HYPE
▸ HYPE VS REALITY
POM Wonderful's advertising claimed its pomegranate juice and supplements could treat, prevent, or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction, positioning the juice as having drug-like therapeutic effects.
An FTC Administrative Law Judge ruled that expert testimony showed insufficient competent and reliable scientific evidence to support these disease-related claims, and the full FTC Commission subsequently found POM had made deceptive claims across 36 separate advertisements and promotional materials. The FTC's Final Order barred POM from claiming any product treats or prevents disease unless backed by two randomized, well-controlled human clinical trials. POM appealed, but the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the FTC's decision in January 2015, and the US Supreme Court declined to review the case in 2016, letting the ruling against POM stand as final.
This claim didn't just get challenged once -- it was tested through an FTC administrative judge, the full FTC Commission, a federal appeals court, and ultimately the Supreme Court's refusal to disturb the finding. Every single stage of that multi-year legal process agreed: the specific disease-treatment claims weren't backed by adequate science. Few marketing claims get this thorough and this consistently negative a legal verdict.
This verdict would change if new, independently verifiable evidence emerged directly supporting the claim "POM Wonderful pomegranate juice treats, prevents, or reduces the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction." — evidence stronger than what's currently on record contradicting it.
▸ CLAIM CHECK
- FTC official press release — An FTC Administrative Law Judge, the full FTC Commission, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court's refusal to review all upheld the finding that POM's disease-related claims lacked adequate scientific support.
Scorecard AI opinion ⓘ
▸ THE EVIDENCE ON YOUTUBE
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▸ FAQ
Did POM Wonderful's health claims hold up in court?
No. An FTC judge, the full FTC Commission, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals all found POM's disease-treatment claims lacked adequate scientific support, and the Supreme Court declined to review that finding in 2016.
What is POM Wonderful now required to do when advertising health benefits?
Under the FTC's Final Order, POM cannot claim any product treats or prevents disease unless the claim is backed by at least two randomized, well-controlled human clinical trials.