**Cardiff GP Under Scrutiny for Promotion of Pricey Health Supplements**
A locum GP working in Cardiff has landed in the spotlight after concerns were raised over his involvement in advertising high-priced health supplements. Dr Paul O’Connell, who is registered with the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, co-founded a supplement firm known as Nutritional Sciences Ltd, trading as Physical Nutrition. Although Dr O’Connell is not a director, his prominent role in social media adverts has drawn significant criticism from medical experts, health charities, and regulatory bodies.
Physical Nutrition experienced a dramatic surge in profits last year, reportedly increasing nearly fourfold to almost £1 million. Much of this growth has traced back to engaging—but highly controversial—online videos where Dr O’Connell, often clad in medical scrubs, makes bold claims about everyday foods and their links to ailments such as joint pain. These videos frequently segue into purported solutions offered by the company’s supplement range, which includes products marketed for blood sugar control, prostate health, and joint care.
Experts have expressed alarm at the content and implications of these advertisements. Among them is Dr John Cormack, a GP based in Essex, who became concerned after repeatedly encountering ads for Physical Nutrition’s blood sugar supplement on Facebook. The supplement, priced at nearly £70 for a three-month supply, is positioned as a way to support healthy blood sugar levels with “superfood” ingredients. While these promotions avoid directly mentioning diabetes, Dr Cormack argued they could easily be interpreted as treatments, potentially encouraging people with diabetes to substitute their prescribed medication for over-the-counter pills.
Upon being approached, the company and Dr O’Connell strongly denied making any direct claims related to diabetes management and attributed misleading content to errors in marketing oversight. Physical Nutrition stated it is continually reviewing its materials to ensure regulatory compliance, acknowledging that some ads and website content had slipped through the cracks. Some references, for instance, described Dr O’Connell as a “leading diabetes expert”—a label the firm has pledged to remove, attributing it to staff error.
In addition to concerns over diabetes, Physical Nutrition’s Activ8 Joint Complete has also drawn substantial criticism. The supplement’s marketing leans heavily on Dr O’Connell’s personal testimonies about overcoming chronic pain after multiple vehicle accidents. Some videos describe “secrets of the salamander” claimed to be the inspiration for the formula, referencing research on the amphibian’s ability to regenerate limbs.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority ruled against the company last year after finding its marketing “dangerously misleading,” noting unfounded suggestions that its supplement could “reverse years of arthritis and joint damage.” Despite agreeing to remove the offending content, follow-up investigations suggest similar claims persisted on social media and the company’s website months after the ruling. Physical Nutrition has since admitted its marketing team failed to meet expected standards and pledged tighter quality control.
Rheumatology consultant Dr Wendy Holden provided a scathing assessment of the supplements’ ingredients, challenging their scientific merit. She highlighted that core elements like collagen and hyaluronic acid, when ingested orally, are unlikely to reach joints in a form that would aid repair, and noted that some ingredients have been explicitly discouraged by national clinical guidelines. Dr Holden suggested any anecdotal improvements reported by users could likely be attributed to the placebo effect.
Physical Nutrition has defended its products, pointing to reviews and customer testimonials as evidence of their efficacy, while maintaining that it is not selling medicine and thus not bound by medical guidelines. Regarding another product aimed at men’s health, critics including Prostate Cancer UK have raised fears that marketing could misleadingly imply supplements are viable substitutes for essential diagnostic checks for prostate cancer. The charity warned that such messaging could put lives at risk if men delay or avoid professional screening.
The controversy has extended to the unauthorised use of prominent media logos such as those of The Guardian, The Independent, and Sky News in its promotional materials. After inquiries, Physical Nutrition said it believed it had the right to use these logos based on advertising agreements but has launched an internal investigation to clarify the matter.
Regulatory authorities remain vigilant, with the Advertising Standards Authority indicating that “ongoing problems” with the company’s advertising could prompt enforcement action. However, industry observers note that the voluntary nature of the ASA’s code limits its power without support from trading standards, whose resources are increasingly stretched.
Meanwhile, the Cardiff and Vale health board has confirmed it is reviewing Dr O’Connell’s conduct in light of his public-facing role as a GP. Dr O’Connell’s legal representatives stress his intention to continue NHS work and indicate that his association with Physical Nutrition remains under active review.
As these regulatory inquiries proceed, Physical Nutrition claims it is adjusting its marketing and pledges that its formulations are built on a foundation of reputable scientific research. However, this situation raises broader questions about the intersection of private health entrepreneurship, professional medical roles, and the regulatory protections necessary to ensure public safety in the burgeoning supplements market.