Does Prevagen Really Work?
Why did the makers of Prevagen settle a class action lawsuit in 2020 with the FTC over deceptive business practices and false advertising?
A couple of weeks ago, I released a video on a controversial Alzheimer’s drug that used the same scam: Controversy Around FDA’s Approval of Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug, Aducanumab ( ).
With supplements these days, it’s the Wild West. See, for example, Supplement Regulation and Side Effects: Efforts to Suppress the Truth ( ).
For more on how to live your longest, healthiest life, preorder my new book How Not to Age ( ). (As always, all proceeds I receive from all of my books ( ) are donated to charity.)
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-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
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Thank you so much for keeping us enlightened to the underworkings of big pharmacies and the realities of research studies! 🙏
I wish he would do a video on vaccines.
There is a lot of money to be made scamming old people.
So rare to have a nutrition expert on youtube. It’s a needle in a haystack. Thank you, Dr. over the counter drugs are still not tested by the USDA.
Never heard of it but I hope the makers of it are behind bars some day.
“A 2019 survey by Pew found that more than half believed that the Food and Drug Administration requires supplements be tested for safety, BUT THAT ISNT TRUE.” Are vaccines considered supplements? safe and effective.
Eat whole foods and take B12. Everything else is unnecessary.
Maybe also D3, based on geographical location.
Iodine
Definitely need B12, D3 and Iodine supplementation regardless of location or diet. D conversion from sunlight is inefficient, irrespective of location and dangerous too (skin cancer, rapid skin aging, etc).
But the commercial features an actor dressed as a pharmacist recommending it, so it must work! HA!
It’s outrageous that the makers of products like this, both pharmaceuticals and supplements, can outright LIE about the efficacy of their product and still rake in the profits. Pharmaceutical companies especially should not be publicly traded entities beholden to shareholders–that’s almost certainly a main motivation for deceit like that from the makers of Prevagen–and should be heavily regulated. They apparently are not, currently. Thanks for posting NF team!
I get this question probably like once a month with some of my clients. The answer is no, they’re all also corporate studies. Also these are older seniors with limited incomes they target.
Is there a way to assure you are buying the real, unadulterated thing when buying supplements?
The video begs the question: are there any supplements that boost cognition or memory?
2:32 Wait, what!?
How is that even possible, unless there were people in their pocket in court?
👍 Whole food plant based for the environment and health; vegan for the victims!
This was so timely! I was tempted to get this for my aging mother for the holidays after hearing the drumbeat of ads from the company on the radio. Also, I was recently arguing with a writer who submits fitness and exercise columns regarding the supplements he was recommending. I was trying to explain that the supplement market is woefully under-regulated and could be dangerous advice for our readers, but he was so dug in that I thought he may be getting a kickback from one of the companies.
I love this channel!
Thank you for your vigilance ❣️
Now we know the Dr. isn’t a regular Jeopardy watcher 😁, there are adverts for Prevagen every episode
Reminds me of a wrinkle-reducing cream my friend used. She said it was “scientifically proven” to work. I pulled the ONLY paper the manufacturer cited on their website. The p value between the cream and placebo was 0.4 (not 0.04, but yes, 0.4), but it did not prevent them from advertising their “scientific evidence”.
Ok, so proteins are too large to get past the digestive system but what about peptides? I’ve recently heard about ones like Dihexa, RG3, FGL and a few others that are creating a stir.
Hi, @paulcohen6727! It’s not that the proteins are too large to get past the digestive system, but that the normal process of digestion breaks them down, as it’s supposed to do. With regard to peptides, according to the authors of this article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33965441/, “Many studies have provided potential data concerning the characteristics and structure-activity relationships of memory-enhancing peptides. When considering the proof of efficacy of these plant-based peptides in humans as neurological treatment options, it is necessary to accumulate evidence concerning their bioavailability and permeability through blood-brain barrier (BBB).” Basically, as Dr. Greger likes to say, “We don’t know, until we put it to the test.” You can find everything on our site related to brain health here: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/brain-health/ I hope that helps!
—Christine Kestner, MS, CNS, LDN, MPH, NutritionFacts.org Health Support Volunteer
I would love to hear Dr. Gregor do a similar analysis of NMN and NAD supplements!