NuBest Height Growth Supplements for Kids and Teens

Targeting parents concerned about their child’s stature, NuBest advertises that its supplements fill in nutritional gaps to help kids reach their “full growth potential.”

Skeptical about the ability of supplements to help your child grow? In a recent Facebook post, NuBest claimed its supplements are “clinically proven to help kids grow tall,” citing a 6-month clinical trial that found “[s]tatistically significant improvements in height,” among other parameters tested including focus, for those who took its protein powder.

“Regarding your child’s growth, you deserve full transparency, real science, and products that genuinely work,” the company wrote. “That’s NuBest’s commitment, and we’re just getting started.”

But after receiving a consumer tip, TINA.org found and reviewed the touted study, which is the only one listed on a clinical studies page that examined the company’s products, as opposed to an ingredient in its products. And here’s what the actual company-sponsored study had to say about the findings:

The results of this study suggest that the effects of NuBest Tall Growth Protein Powder on cognitive function, weight, height, immune function, digestive function, or energy levels, in children are inconclusive. … Overall, the results of this study indicate that the efficacy of the test product and the placebo product were similar.

In other words, participants (ages 12 to 16 for boys, 10 to 14 for girls) who took the company’s protein powder performed about as well on a variety of tests as those who didn’t take the protein powder (i.e., the placebo group).

Also worth noting, the study excluded “fussy” eaters, even as NuBest’s ads often target parents of picky eaters. And the study only tested one of NuBest’s products.

Company responds

In response to a request for comment, NuBest said it was not its “intention” to market its products as “clinically proven.”

“NuBest products are only intended to support healthy development,” the company said.

Following TINA.org’s inquiry, NuBest took down the Facebook post that claimed its supplements are “clinically proven to help kids grow tall” and removed a “clinically proven” claim from its homepage, replacing it with the claim that its products are “science-backed.”

NuBest said fussy eaters “only represent a portion of our user base.”

The bottom line

Upon closer inspection, NuBest’s touted clinical study didn’t support its “clinically proven” claims. Meanwhile, the FTC is no stranger to marketers making unsubstantiated claims about height increases for children. In 2006, the agency reached a $375,000 settlement with the marketer of HeightMax over alleged false claims its supplements made kids taller.

Find more of our coverage on products aimed at parents.