Dr. Mark Hyman may take the cake, but Katie Couric Media and the University of Miami's medical school also demonstrate why "longevity literacy" is now a mandatory skill.
This is great reporting, Paul! I’m so happy that I’ve met you here on Substack. I really admire your curiosity and how fair you are in your investigations. Your idea of “longevity literacy“ is a vital one, sadly. You really should trademark the idea. Mark Hyman is one of the most brazen and embarrassing, which says a lot given how shameless the field is. And sadly, a lot of medical centers, including academic ones have jumped on the promotion bandwagon, eager to get clicks and attention.
Dr. Stein, thank you for that vote of confidence. It means a lot to know that others are also tired of being treated like stooges by people to whom much is trusted. I’m glad the fairness, as you called it, comes through the reporting. Like accuracy, fairness is essential to investigative journalism, because you may not know what you don’t know, and assuming you do leads nowhere good. So you always want to give the object of your examination a fair shake and a chance to respond.
Really appreciate your outing these shameful actions by people who should know better, and take better care of their reputations. Yes many people can tell this is BS but there are many more who are taking these known individuals or institutions at their word.
Disgusting money grab and symptomatic of our greed culture these days.
I agree, it's shameful. Sometimes it feels almost like, "well, that's how the world works nowadays...." But: no. That's not the way a very large part of the world, hopefully the majority of it, works. Small lies that trade on your medical degree and trust factor conferred by that degree are not acceptable.
To whom much is given, much is expected. I believe that and expect you, me and those around me to operate with essential truth. That influential physicians are intentionally grifting their own customers is pathetic and should be called out.
Well, it seems I'll be keeping at it. Thanks for writing.
This is the kind of post that should be required reading for anyone who’s trying to “do longevity” without getting fleeced! What really lands is your core concept of longevity literacy; not “knowing the right supplements,” but being able to spot the recurring tricks: a doctor voice that quietly becomes a sales funnel, a citation list that’s mostly animal data dressed up as human certainty, and disclosure pushed into fine print where trust is already spent. The fatty15 example is a masterclass in that pattern: the product pitch is framed as personal clinical curiosity, while the commercial relationship is not made transparent in the moment it matters. 
I also appreciated that you didn’t limit this to influencers. The Katie Couric Media “advertorial” and the University of Miami headline show how the same incentives (attention, clicks, revenue) pull institutions into the same behavior, blurring journalism and marketing, or floating a scary association and only later admitting the signal disappears when you control for obvious confounding. That’s not just annoying; it’s how public trust gets quietly ground down. 
The bigger point you’re making feels exactly right: the most dangerous scams aren’t the obvious ones. They’re the plausible ones, wrapped in credentials, warm tone, and just enough “science words” to make skepticism feel rude. Your post doesn’t tell readers to become cynics; it teaches them to become adults: ask “human RCT or not?”, “effect size or vibe?”, “who profits?”, and “what would change my mind?”
Thank you for summarizing the multiple avenues of this article so articulately. The "wrapped in credentials" scam is everywhere, and each of the three examples in the article, and in your comment above, are examples of people, companies or institutions intentionally trading their credentials to make money in a way that isn't transparent. I think that's what galls people the most, because it's not an honest sale but, to one degree or another, a scam.
I bought a Human book maybe a year or 2 ago. Almost immediately began to push his cure which of course was some vitamin he sold. Would love to get you take on Dr Mercola. Seems to work much like Hyman
Sorry you had to wade through all this BS to write this not-fun but valuable piece. Like the above commenters, I appreciate it. Especially knowing to be wary of things from Katie Couric, someone I used to admire. That’s sad.
I guess the ads for beef tallow to erase facial aging need a skeptical eye too.
Vicki, I appreciate you and your encouragement. I don't think I can help myself. Hadn't heard of the beef tallow trick for wrinkles. My not very rigorous face-anti-aging regimen is limited to retinol, when I remember to use it.
Please keep up your work in providing a counter balance to the unregulated supplement/longevity medical industry. It is important work even if your voice is lonely sometimes
AJ, I appreciate that very much. Thank you. It's good to hear from you and others who find this reporting helpful and additive, potentially even valuable. Onward.
You are definitely not alone. Hyman's emails, and his brand persona overall, is a sophisticated blend of bonhomie — like you're having a latte with him, just talking health and longevity — and hard sales pitches disguised as being just part of what he was chatting with you about. That's intentional, and it probably works very well.
Read the citations of the research he cites, or ask AI to read it and tell you if it shows the junk for sale actually has a clinical impact on humans, not lab animals. Keep going.
Every time I read one of these longevity miracle pitches, I briefly worry I’m falling behind in the race to live forever. Then I remember, I can’t bear to live through another Sonos setup.
Thanks for the sanity check. It’s oddly comforting to know I’m not missing out on immortality, just marketing.
Thanks for the insightful article Paul. I have been wondering for a while if I should follow a simple heuristic: if a health practitioner sells anything other than their services then they are not credible enough. Why does a doctor need to sell supplements and other stuff when they could simply just sell their knowledge and services? I am sure there are good exceptions to this rule but it seems a good default to me (unless this means nobody passes the bar! 😱)
Enrico, I believe many other countries have laws that prohibit doctors from selling supplements to the public. Perhaps Canada is among them, if memory serves. In the United States, it's, as always in the supplement space, up to the consumer to avoid being scammed. Which is unfortunate. It speaks to the industry groups that have the most influence, in the form of financial donations to members of Congress.
Great article! Simon Hill did a great breakdown of Fatty 15 that is well worth a look, too. It does nothing. I had already heard that was marketed before it was even tested on humans.
In clinic (in Canada) this week, a patient asked me what I thought about a prominent physician influencer in the Menopause space. I told her that I appreciate the quality of her interviews in general but advised that she be careful about being sold supplements or a weighted vest.
Many medical influencers are doing these things because selling their endorsement is easier than dealing with the exhausting administrative burden of practicing actual medicine in the United States. I imagine that a significant number of American physicians would trade prior authorizations for product endorsements if given the opportunity.
I’m not offering an excuse for this behavior. Just saying that it’s important to examine why it’s happening.
Dr. Hull, thank you for making that point. I agree it's really important context. The structural problems with American, or, perhaps, North American healthcare, create these opportunities, from the physician/entrepreneur side as well as the patient/eager buyer side. As you say, nothing excuses misrepresenting research data or relentlessly marketing stuff for sale under the guise of offering friendly advice.
Licensed physicians in BC generally cannot publicly endorse health products, as it breaches ethical standards meant to maintain public trust. The Canadian Medical Association | CMA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC forbid using medical expertise to promote products, including drugs, devices, and natural health products. They may, however, recommend non-health products, provided they adhere to ethical standards and avoid conflicts of interest.
If the United States wanted to, they could develop similar professional standards. But the physician lobbyists would kill any such measures before the proverbial the ink dried.
I had not seen NYT story yet. Thanks for sharing it here. It is as gutwrenching as it is stomach turning. All these people who either knew or should've known what Epstein was doing with these girls has a similar excuse, about not having known and, had they known, they certainly wouldn't have ever associated with him. It's getting a little thick. Dr. Dubin's professionally scripted excuse, as quoted in the Times article – “Each referral was made in good faith and without any awareness of wrongdoing,” the statement said. She “never witnessed, suspected or had any knowledge of Mr. Epstein’s criminal conduct,” it said. - sounds pretty much exactly like Peter Diamandis's after I published an article earlier this month showing he'd had a years long business relationship with Epstein long after Epstein's conviction for procuring a child for prostitution. https://agingwithstrength.substack.com/p/peter-diamandis-epstein-files?r=88kaf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Mary Claire Haver? She is selling more and more stuff, so it does make me skeptical of her. She seems to make clear that she's making money and doesn't seem to hide her ownership of the supplements?
Melinda, it was written this week, and the date of publication appears in the post. I’m not sure I understand your question. Lots of people have “ties” to Attia, and that alone wouldn’t be noteworthy.
Paul, I meant no criticism or disrespect. I bristle at duplicitous people and Attia seems to be selling longevity, and I don’t trust his recommendations either!
Melinda, I didn't infer any criticism (which I generally welcome, in any case—the more honest debate the better, I say) or disrespect at all. I honestly didn't understand the significance of when the article was published. Don't worry. I bristle at duplicity, too.
Fatty 15 is an interesting supplement, but it's not quite ready for prime time. I would first focus on getting your AA/EPA ratio between 1 and 3 before considering Fatty 15.
This ratio determines if your pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lipids are properly balanced. Most people need to supplement with a high-quality omega-3 supplement to get the right balance. I take OmegaRx from Barry Sears.
Putting on my lawyer hat, the note on Dr. Hyman is particularly interesting because Function Health just sued Superpower for false advertising and here we have Hyman pushing something with, at best, minimal disclosure. I'd be awfully careful of engaging in anything even close to questionable if I were him in light of that lawsuit.
The Couric post is interesting as well since the FTC has repeatedly singled out advertisements masquerading has news articles. I'd have to look at their guidance again to know if a disclosure at the end is sufficient, but to your point, it's at least questionable from an ethical perspective.
Putting on my consumer hat, I am very interested in the longevity space, but find it really hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Articles like this highlight why. I appreciate your efforts to make that easier.
Timothy, you raise very interesting questions. I hadn’t known about the Function Health allegations and lawsuit against Superpower. But it seems there could be two standards for Function Health: if they’re co-founder shades the truth by saying a supplement he makes money by selling is effective in humans, even when there’s no proof that such a claim is true, it’s okay. But if a Function Health competitor isn’t completely above board, then that’s illegal.
For anyone interested, here’s what Gemini (Google’s search bar AI app) offers on the subject:
on January 26, 2026, Function Health, Inc. filed a lawsuit against rival health-tech startup Superpower Health Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit alleges that Superpower engaged in a "sweeping campaign of deception" regarding its consumer lab testing services.
SmartCompany +1
Key Details of the Lawsuit:
False Advertising Claims: Function alleges that Superpower misleads consumers by marketing its service as including "100+ biomarkers" or "100+ lab tests." Function contends that only about 55 are direct lab measurements, while the remainder are AI-derived or calculated, which it claims is an "embellishment" to attract customers.
Clinical and Marketing Misrepresentations: The complaint alleges that Superpower makes misleading claims about its clinical support, the availability of test locations, and uses manipulated social media content for advertising.
Allegations of Regulatory Disregard: The suit cites a 2025 incident in which Superpower's co-founder appeared to inject the host of a podcast with prescription compounds "for research purposes".
Relief Sought: Function is seeking a permanent injunction to restrict the marketing claims, damages, and corrective advertising.
Fitt Insider +4
Context and Response:
Industry Context: Both companies operate in the direct-to-consumer, diagnostic-led preventative health space, offering subscription-based, AI-powered health tracking.
Superpower’s Response: Superpower’s co-founder, Max Marchione, has denied the allegations, calling them "factually untrue and meritless".
Legal Standing: Superpower has engaged law firm Paul Weiss but had not filed a formal response to the lawsuit as of mid-February 2026.
Fitt Insider +2
The case is Function Health, Inc. v. Superpower Health Inc. et al (2:26-cv-00810).
We are on the same page. I am grateful to you for putting into words what I struggle to do. The word “longevity” seems to hold such promise for the future and it is being abused as the marketing word of choice now.
I hope you will continue this kind of reporting. Kudos.
April, thank you for reading and for the punch in the arm. I don't think I can help but continue reporting these stories. Someone has to.
This is great reporting, Paul! I’m so happy that I’ve met you here on Substack. I really admire your curiosity and how fair you are in your investigations. Your idea of “longevity literacy“ is a vital one, sadly. You really should trademark the idea. Mark Hyman is one of the most brazen and embarrassing, which says a lot given how shameless the field is. And sadly, a lot of medical centers, including academic ones have jumped on the promotion bandwagon, eager to get clicks and attention.
Dr. Stein, thank you for that vote of confidence. It means a lot to know that others are also tired of being treated like stooges by people to whom much is trusted. I’m glad the fairness, as you called it, comes through the reporting. Like accuracy, fairness is essential to investigative journalism, because you may not know what you don’t know, and assuming you do leads nowhere good. So you always want to give the object of your examination a fair shake and a chance to respond.
Really appreciate your outing these shameful actions by people who should know better, and take better care of their reputations. Yes many people can tell this is BS but there are many more who are taking these known individuals or institutions at their word.
Disgusting money grab and symptomatic of our greed culture these days.
Keep at it!
I agree, it's shameful. Sometimes it feels almost like, "well, that's how the world works nowadays...." But: no. That's not the way a very large part of the world, hopefully the majority of it, works. Small lies that trade on your medical degree and trust factor conferred by that degree are not acceptable.
To whom much is given, much is expected. I believe that and expect you, me and those around me to operate with essential truth. That influential physicians are intentionally grifting their own customers is pathetic and should be called out.
Well, it seems I'll be keeping at it. Thanks for writing.
This is the kind of post that should be required reading for anyone who’s trying to “do longevity” without getting fleeced! What really lands is your core concept of longevity literacy; not “knowing the right supplements,” but being able to spot the recurring tricks: a doctor voice that quietly becomes a sales funnel, a citation list that’s mostly animal data dressed up as human certainty, and disclosure pushed into fine print where trust is already spent. The fatty15 example is a masterclass in that pattern: the product pitch is framed as personal clinical curiosity, while the commercial relationship is not made transparent in the moment it matters. 
I also appreciated that you didn’t limit this to influencers. The Katie Couric Media “advertorial” and the University of Miami headline show how the same incentives (attention, clicks, revenue) pull institutions into the same behavior, blurring journalism and marketing, or floating a scary association and only later admitting the signal disappears when you control for obvious confounding. That’s not just annoying; it’s how public trust gets quietly ground down. 
The bigger point you’re making feels exactly right: the most dangerous scams aren’t the obvious ones. They’re the plausible ones, wrapped in credentials, warm tone, and just enough “science words” to make skepticism feel rude. Your post doesn’t tell readers to become cynics; it teaches them to become adults: ask “human RCT or not?”, “effect size or vibe?”, “who profits?”, and “what would change my mind?”
Thank you for summarizing the multiple avenues of this article so articulately. The "wrapped in credentials" scam is everywhere, and each of the three examples in the article, and in your comment above, are examples of people, companies or institutions intentionally trading their credentials to make money in a way that isn't transparent. I think that's what galls people the most, because it's not an honest sale but, to one degree or another, a scam.
I bought a Human book maybe a year or 2 ago. Almost immediately began to push his cure which of course was some vitamin he sold. Would love to get you take on Dr Mercola. Seems to work much like Hyman
Tom, I assume you mean Hyman? Although a Human book sounds like it could be worthwhile.... Have not heard of Dr. Mercola but will take a look.
Yes, Hyman. Damn autocorrect
Sorry you had to wade through all this BS to write this not-fun but valuable piece. Like the above commenters, I appreciate it. Especially knowing to be wary of things from Katie Couric, someone I used to admire. That’s sad.
I guess the ads for beef tallow to erase facial aging need a skeptical eye too.
Vicki, I appreciate you and your encouragement. I don't think I can help myself. Hadn't heard of the beef tallow trick for wrinkles. My not very rigorous face-anti-aging regimen is limited to retinol, when I remember to use it.
Please keep up your work in providing a counter balance to the unregulated supplement/longevity medical industry. It is important work even if your voice is lonely sometimes
AJ, I appreciate that very much. Thank you. It's good to hear from you and others who find this reporting helpful and additive, potentially even valuable. Onward.
Oh darn! I´ve been intrigued by Hyman´s 10 day detox, but this makes me think it´s scammy.
You are definitely not alone. Hyman's emails, and his brand persona overall, is a sophisticated blend of bonhomie — like you're having a latte with him, just talking health and longevity — and hard sales pitches disguised as being just part of what he was chatting with you about. That's intentional, and it probably works very well.
Read the citations of the research he cites, or ask AI to read it and tell you if it shows the junk for sale actually has a clinical impact on humans, not lab animals. Keep going.
Every time I read one of these longevity miracle pitches, I briefly worry I’m falling behind in the race to live forever. Then I remember, I can’t bear to live through another Sonos setup.
Thanks for the sanity check. It’s oddly comforting to know I’m not missing out on immortality, just marketing.
Mike, you're right. It's just marketing. Knowing what you want from life also helps, so you've got that going for you…
Thanks for the insightful article Paul. I have been wondering for a while if I should follow a simple heuristic: if a health practitioner sells anything other than their services then they are not credible enough. Why does a doctor need to sell supplements and other stuff when they could simply just sell their knowledge and services? I am sure there are good exceptions to this rule but it seems a good default to me (unless this means nobody passes the bar! 😱)
Enrico, I believe many other countries have laws that prohibit doctors from selling supplements to the public. Perhaps Canada is among them, if memory serves. In the United States, it's, as always in the supplement space, up to the consumer to avoid being scammed. Which is unfortunate. It speaks to the industry groups that have the most influence, in the form of financial donations to members of Congress.
Great article! Simon Hill did a great breakdown of Fatty 15 that is well worth a look, too. It does nothing. I had already heard that was marketed before it was even tested on humans.
In clinic (in Canada) this week, a patient asked me what I thought about a prominent physician influencer in the Menopause space. I told her that I appreciate the quality of her interviews in general but advised that she be careful about being sold supplements or a weighted vest.
Many medical influencers are doing these things because selling their endorsement is easier than dealing with the exhausting administrative burden of practicing actual medicine in the United States. I imagine that a significant number of American physicians would trade prior authorizations for product endorsements if given the opportunity.
I’m not offering an excuse for this behavior. Just saying that it’s important to examine why it’s happening.
Dr. Hull, thank you for making that point. I agree it's really important context. The structural problems with American, or, perhaps, North American healthcare, create these opportunities, from the physician/entrepreneur side as well as the patient/eager buyer side. As you say, nothing excuses misrepresenting research data or relentlessly marketing stuff for sale under the guise of offering friendly advice.
Licensed physicians in BC generally cannot publicly endorse health products, as it breaches ethical standards meant to maintain public trust. The Canadian Medical Association | CMA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC forbid using medical expertise to promote products, including drugs, devices, and natural health products. They may, however, recommend non-health products, provided they adhere to ethical standards and avoid conflicts of interest.
If the United States wanted to, they could develop similar professional standards. But the physician lobbyists would kill any such measures before the proverbial the ink dried.
Curious if you saw this little gem today: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/us/jeffrey-epstein-doctors.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PlA.yyWY.TjVpG51neGfZ&smid=url-share
I had not seen NYT story yet. Thanks for sharing it here. It is as gutwrenching as it is stomach turning. All these people who either knew or should've known what Epstein was doing with these girls has a similar excuse, about not having known and, had they known, they certainly wouldn't have ever associated with him. It's getting a little thick. Dr. Dubin's professionally scripted excuse, as quoted in the Times article – “Each referral was made in good faith and without any awareness of wrongdoing,” the statement said. She “never witnessed, suspected or had any knowledge of Mr. Epstein’s criminal conduct,” it said. - sounds pretty much exactly like Peter Diamandis's after I published an article earlier this month showing he'd had a years long business relationship with Epstein long after Epstein's conviction for procuring a child for prostitution. https://agingwithstrength.substack.com/p/peter-diamandis-epstein-files?r=88kaf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Mary Claire Haver? She is selling more and more stuff, so it does make me skeptical of her. She seems to make clear that she's making money and doesn't seem to hide her ownership of the supplements?
Was this written before the Epstein files revealed his ties to longevity guru/best-selling author Peter Attia?
Melinda, it was written this week, and the date of publication appears in the post. I’m not sure I understand your question. Lots of people have “ties” to Attia, and that alone wouldn’t be noteworthy.
Paul, I meant no criticism or disrespect. I bristle at duplicitous people and Attia seems to be selling longevity, and I don’t trust his recommendations either!
Melinda, I didn't infer any criticism (which I generally welcome, in any case—the more honest debate the better, I say) or disrespect at all. I honestly didn't understand the significance of when the article was published. Don't worry. I bristle at duplicity, too.
Fatty 15 is an interesting supplement, but it's not quite ready for prime time. I would first focus on getting your AA/EPA ratio between 1 and 3 before considering Fatty 15.
William, thank you. As a physician, can you describe was an AA/EPA ratio is, and why it should be between 1 and 3? Here’s a brief definition of both things, for people (incl me) who don’t know: https://omegaquant.com/frequent-question/what-does-my-aa-epa-level-mean/
This ratio determines if your pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lipids are properly balanced. Most people need to supplement with a high-quality omega-3 supplement to get the right balance. I take OmegaRx from Barry Sears.
Putting on my lawyer hat, the note on Dr. Hyman is particularly interesting because Function Health just sued Superpower for false advertising and here we have Hyman pushing something with, at best, minimal disclosure. I'd be awfully careful of engaging in anything even close to questionable if I were him in light of that lawsuit.
The Couric post is interesting as well since the FTC has repeatedly singled out advertisements masquerading has news articles. I'd have to look at their guidance again to know if a disclosure at the end is sufficient, but to your point, it's at least questionable from an ethical perspective.
Putting on my consumer hat, I am very interested in the longevity space, but find it really hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Articles like this highlight why. I appreciate your efforts to make that easier.
Timothy, you raise very interesting questions. I hadn’t known about the Function Health allegations and lawsuit against Superpower. But it seems there could be two standards for Function Health: if they’re co-founder shades the truth by saying a supplement he makes money by selling is effective in humans, even when there’s no proof that such a claim is true, it’s okay. But if a Function Health competitor isn’t completely above board, then that’s illegal.
For anyone interested, here’s what Gemini (Google’s search bar AI app) offers on the subject:
on January 26, 2026, Function Health, Inc. filed a lawsuit against rival health-tech startup Superpower Health Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The lawsuit alleges that Superpower engaged in a "sweeping campaign of deception" regarding its consumer lab testing services.
SmartCompany +1
Key Details of the Lawsuit:
False Advertising Claims: Function alleges that Superpower misleads consumers by marketing its service as including "100+ biomarkers" or "100+ lab tests." Function contends that only about 55 are direct lab measurements, while the remainder are AI-derived or calculated, which it claims is an "embellishment" to attract customers.
Clinical and Marketing Misrepresentations: The complaint alleges that Superpower makes misleading claims about its clinical support, the availability of test locations, and uses manipulated social media content for advertising.
Allegations of Regulatory Disregard: The suit cites a 2025 incident in which Superpower's co-founder appeared to inject the host of a podcast with prescription compounds "for research purposes".
Relief Sought: Function is seeking a permanent injunction to restrict the marketing claims, damages, and corrective advertising.
Fitt Insider +4
Context and Response:
Industry Context: Both companies operate in the direct-to-consumer, diagnostic-led preventative health space, offering subscription-based, AI-powered health tracking.
Superpower’s Response: Superpower’s co-founder, Max Marchione, has denied the allegations, calling them "factually untrue and meritless".
Legal Standing: Superpower has engaged law firm Paul Weiss but had not filed a formal response to the lawsuit as of mid-February 2026.
Fitt Insider +2
The case is Function Health, Inc. v. Superpower Health Inc. et al (2:26-cv-00810).
Justia
We are on the same page. I am grateful to you for putting into words what I struggle to do. The word “longevity” seems to hold such promise for the future and it is being abused as the marketing word of choice now.
It seems that “longevity” is spelled in dollar signs these days, Marianne.