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Structure Function Claims: What the Asterisk Is For
Structure function claims are label statements about how an ingredient affects the body's structure or function, such as support wording. They cannot say a product treats or prevents a disease. The star sends you to a required FDA disclaimer. Melonex's three starred phrases are claims of this type, with no study of the capsule behind them.
Written by the Melonex numbers deskUpdated · 4 min read
01The claim
What are structure function claims?
Structure function claims describe the role of a nutrient or ingredient in the body's structure or function, or how it keeps that function going. They are not disease claims.
A claim like supports bone strength is a structure/function claim. A claim like treats a disease is not allowed on a supplement (21 CFR 101.93 (structure/function claims)).
If a product makes a disease claim, FDA regulates it as a drug. That is the line the star is built to keep.
Melonex shows three starred phrases on the front: "Heart Support*", "Circulation Support*" and "Natural Formula*".
02The star
What does the asterisk on a supplement label mean?
The asterisk links a claim to the required disclaimer: the statement has not been evaluated by FDA, and the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease (21 CFR 101.93 (structure/function claims)).
The disclaimer must sit next to the claim or be tied to it by a symbol like the star. It must be in bold type.
Why a star and not a footnote at the bottom? Because the rule wants the disclaimer joined to the claim, so you cannot read one without seeing the other.
The firm also tells FDA about the claim no later than 30 days after it first sells the product. We could not confirm a notice for Melonex.
Not evaluated by FDA means no one at FDA checked that the claim is true before sale.
03The line
Where is the line between support and treatment?
Support wording stays on the right side when it names a body function and says nothing about a disease or its symptoms.
| Type | Sounds like | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Structure/function | Supports a normal body function | Allowed with disclaimer |
| Disease claim | Treats or prevents a named condition | Makes it a drug |
| Symptom claim | Relieves signs of a disease | Treated as a disease claim |
Test your own eye on any label. Swap the claim for a disease name. If the sentence now sounds like a medicine, the original was too close to the line.
So the label says "Heart Support*" and never says it treats heart disease. That wording is the claim form, and it is not a result. No trial tested Melonex.
04Not a claim
Are the Melonex badges structure function claims?
No. The five badges are images the seller shows. They carry no disclaimer star and no certificate, so they are marketing, not claims of this type.
Badges and claims often sit side by side, so people blur them together. A claim is words. A badge is a picture.
A badge can still mislead if you read it as proof. Each one below comes with a note on what it does not show.
Matches the label's facility line. Registration lists a building with FDA; it is not approval of the product or the plant.
GMP is the federal rule every supplement maker must follow (21 CFR 111). The badge names no auditor.
The label agrees: made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. The countries are not named.
A seller badge. No certifier is named and the label itself prints no non-GMO claim.
The seller lists a 60-day money-back guarantee with at least 30 days of use and a 20% restocking fee. Confirm the live policy.
The badges are taken from the seller's image set. A badge is a claim, not a certificate: none names a certifier, lab or audit. FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold (FDA, Is it really FDA approved?), and every supplement maker must follow the GMP rule anyway (21 CFR Part 111 (CGMP)).
05How to read
How should you read a starred claim?
Read it as the maker's wording. Then look for the evidence, the dose and the interactions, which are separate questions.
FTC guidance says health claims need competent and reliable scientific evidence (FTC, Health Products Compliance Guidance). Support wording is not exempt from truthful advertising.
See how the claims and evidence page sets each phrase beside research, and the label page for the full panel.
Keep taking prescribed medicine, and tell your doctor about any supplement you add.
Prices listed on the seller's order page; confirm at checkout. The 2-bottle kit costs $158, with $9.99 shipping. Ask your doctor about your medicines first. 60-day money-back guarantee per the seller.
Melonex is not a treatment; it is a dietary supplement. Ask your doctor or pharmacist first if you take blood-pressure medicine, nitrates for chest pain, an erectile-dysfunction drug such as sildenafil or tadalafil, a potassium-sparing diuretic (amiloride, spironolactone, triamterene), a blood thinner, or diabetes medicine, or if you have had a recent heart attack. Arginine and citrulline can add to these. Keep taking prescribed medicine. See side effects and interactions.
06FAQ
Melonex questions people ask
What is the FDA disclaimer on supplements?
It reads: This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. A plural form is allowed when there are several statements, as on the Melonex label.
Does a starred claim mean the product was tested?
No. The star only links the claim to the disclaimer. A firm must have substantiation for its claim, but FDA does not check it before sale. Melonex has no trial of its own capsule on file.
Can a supplement say it supports heart health?
A supplement may use wording about a body function if it makes no disease claim and carries the disclaimer. Melonex quotes Heart Support and Circulation Support as label words. Those are claims of the maker, not findings.
Who checks structure function claims?
The firm substantiates them and notifies FDA within 30 days of first marketing. FDA does not approve them first. The FTC polices advertising for truthfulness. Readers should treat the claim as the maker's wording.
07Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the seller's materials and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, AHA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read how we write and how we check reviews. This website is run by Melonexheart, which describes itself as a U.S. authorized Melonex merchant. It is not the manufacturer or the label's distributor, and we cannot independently verify the 'authorized' status. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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