Dr. Andrew Huberman is a prominent figure in the health and wellness space. He is an established neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University of Medicine in the Department of Neurobiology, making him an expert in the field. Huberman’s professional research mostly focuses on understanding how the brain responds to various environmental stimuli and conditions. He is well known for his research on brain function and plasticity and has numerous peer-reviewed publications.
In 2021, Huberman launched a podcast, Huberman Lab, to share his expertise on various scientific topics, mainly focusing on neuroscience, health, fitness, and overall wellness. With a goal of making knowledge more accessible, he often has expert guests on the show to fill in any gaps, present different views, and initiate discussions.
The Huberman Lab's success is mostly due to in-depth discussions focusing on evidence-based information, his ability to break down complex topics into actionable insights, his focus on relevant health and wellness concerns, and his strong engagement with his audience on various topics. There is also a related website where you can find all episodes divided by topic with show notes and other resources attached.
It's not a secret that the podcast has had a big influence on health, wellness, and fitness communities. However, like most influencers, Huberman collaborates with brands and endorses products for financial gain, which can be problematic due to the lack of transparency, lack of regulation in the supplement industry, and the overall unnecessary nature of certain products.
Product endorsement in Huberman Lab
Although Huberman claims to promote evidence-based practices and a holistic approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of various bodily systems, the podcast has had some controversial backlash due to product endorsement.
Like most podcasters, Huberman promotes products to earn additional income. His recommended products are mostly marketed to improve sleep, enhance cognitive function, reduce stress, and increase nutrient intake. While Huberman Lab focuses on evidence and science-backed practices, some listeners wonder if all product recommendations have enough scientific evidence to be put in such a context.
Ethical concerns
No matter how reputable, scientific, or fact-focused an influencer is, product endorsements always come with some ethical concerns.
Dr. Andrew Huberman claims to only promote products he uses himself or that have strong scientific evidence. However, when it comes to financial profit, influencers may be tempted to highlight only the best aspects of the product or recommend products that are unnecessary for their audience.
People like Andrew Huberman are highly trusted by their audience and are used as a source of credible scientific advice; thus, mentioning products during the podcast has a high chance of translating to sales. The endorsed products are often painted as life-changing and necessary to uplevel a certain aspect of your life, whether it be gaining muscle mass or improving your sleep quality. If the audience starts feeling like products are being recommended for financial gain without delivering the promised results, it can lead to backlash and erode trust.
Dr. Huberman tries to minimize ethical dilemmas by stating whether a product mentioned is a sponsor or not. Transparency is highly appreciated, but some of the endorsed products still may seem too good to be true. This leads to some doubt as to whether the scientific evidence used to endorse the products is made to look more credible.
The Huberman Lab tends to be very factual and authoritative. However, we know that there are often caveats, especially when it comes to supplements, which may be conveniently not mentioned.
Community reactions
The Huberman Lab’s audience consists primarily of health and fitness enthusiasts looking to take their wellness to the next level or people starting out on their wellness journeys, looking for guidance, or wanting to address specific concerns.
Many listeners report seeing significant improvement in their lives after implementing Huberman's recommended protocols. These mostly relate to reducing stress, improving sleep quality, prioritizing morning sun exposure, and boosting cognitive performance.
The audience also appreciates how Huberman manages to break down complex topics into actionable steps. That being said, some say that certain aspects might be oversimplified to promote a certain product. Some listeners are concerned about the lack of transparency when it comes to recommended products, making it hard to discern between sponsored and unsponsored content. There are several Reddit threads suggesting that certain products do not hold up to the health claims.
All in all, the audience seems to agree that the Huberman Lab podcast is a great resource for understanding and improving well-being and performance. However, most listeners report seeing benefits after implementing lifestyle changes rather than blindly purchasing the endorsed products. In fact, there are Reddit threads for cheaper alternatives to Huberman-recommended products that seem to deliver the same results as described on the podcast. No matter how reputable Huberman is, you should think critically and cross-reference products and supplements.
Controversial products in Huberman Lab
We have read several Reddit posts and found a few Huberman-endorsed products that continue to raise discussion and controversy. Below, we address some of the concerns regarding the products.
Thorne
Thorne sponsored the Huberman Lab Podcast for a while until, one day, they stopped being mentioned on the show. Given that Huberman has praised Thorne for being of great quality, one of the best on the market, and a brand he personally uses, this is pretty weird.
After looking into this, we figured out that Thorne is no longer a sponsor of the Huberman Lab podcast and, hence, is no longer mentioned. In fact, even if you search for Thorne on the podcast website, you get a list of all current sponsors instead.
This suggests that recommendations and what is considered “the best” are highly influenced by financial gain. It seems that Thorne supplements were replaced by Momentous on the show, as they are the new sponsors of the podcast. Whether the change happened due to a difference in supplement quality or due to a better contract is hard to determine. Either option puts Huberman’s credibility in question.
Thorne is a reputable brand that is well-known for its quality and use of premium ingredients. It collaborates with various professional athletes, organizations, and lifestyle influencers. Thorne preaches the need for a personalized approach to improving athletic performance and overall wellness. It is also quite affordable, making it attractive to many consumers. Thorne claims that their supplements are thoroughly researched to ensure the quality of the ingredients and overall formulation. To ensure adherence to the label, the products are also third-party tested and have cGMP, NSF, and TGA certifications.
A drawback is that they only seem to ship in the U.S., which is problematic for Huberman’s audience, who live in other parts of the world. Some Reddit users seem to think that was the main reason why Thorne was replaced with other brands on the show. However, Andrew never mentioned or addressed this fact.
We would appreciate a bit more transparency when a praised brand suddenly gets dropped from the show. We understand that contracts and partnerships expire, yet simply stating that would be a nice way to curb speculation.
Momentous
Momentous is the brand that essentially replaced Thorne. In fact, they offer very similar products and are introduced as high-quality, the best on the market, and the only place Huberman trusts to buy his supplements from. They sound almost identical to Thorne, showing how fickle being labeled “the best” is.
Several Reddit users have noticed this and are a bit surprised as many have not even heard of the brand before, let alone it being the best on the market.
Momentous claims to make high-quality supplements targeted at athletes and health-conscious individuals. To make it more convenient, they even have a page on their website with all Andrew Huberman-recommended products, which we have reviewed. Momentous supplements adhere to standards set by prestigious fitness organizations such as the NBA and the Olympic Committee. To ensure label accuracy, all Momentous products are third-party tested and certified by NSF and Informed-Sport. This also ensures Momentous products are safe to use for professional athletes who get tested for doping.
Some Reddit users find Momentous products to be too expensive, especially for products like creatine and Omega-3. Several listeners of the Huberman Lab podcast state they will stick to using Thorne or find an alternative brand.
There is nothing wrong with Momentous per se; however, Andrew Huberman is endorsing their products as the best on the market, even though he has said the same about Thorne. He might have truly changed his opinion, or Momentous simply offered a better deal financially.
Despite being a science man, Andrew Huberman has also become a wellness influencer, endorsing products for financial gain. While some of his recommendations and protocols might seem sensible, you should be critical when it comes to supplement brands. Today, Thorne may be his top choice, tomorrow it could be Momentous, and it's uncertain which affiliation will be next.
AG1
The most controversial product endorsed by Andrew Huberman has to be Athletic Greens (AG1). The product is marketed as an all-in-one nutrition supplement that supposedly covers your daily nutrient needs in one serving. To ensure label accuracy the supplement is third-party tested.
AG1 is highly critiqued for its steep price and as unnecessary “grass-powder.” AG1 does not address any specific health concerns and is proposed to provide the same health benefits as a healthy, vegetable-filled diet would with the addition of probiotics. The lack of any extraordinary ingredients or benefits may make the price a bit hard to justify.
While AG1 probably will not make you worse off, especially if you can easily afford it, and are liked by many users, it is by no means essential or the most optimal way to boost your nutrient intake. Greens powder might be more useful for those who do not have access to fresh produce or are traveling a lot.
Many Andew Huberman fans are disappointed that he endorses AG1 as a miracle supplement, stating that daily use of AG1 is a non-negotiable for him. Because of his partnership with AG1, Andrew tends to recommend this supplement for improving your nutrient intake instead of improving your overall diet, which is contradictory to his holistic approach to wellness. This raises some concerns about whether other products endorsed and praised by Andrew Huberman are replaceable.
The problem with product endorsement
The main issue is that many supplements, including those that sponsor The Huberman Lab podcast, are promoted to support health in many different and overexaggerated ways.
Huberman, as a scientist and science communicator, contributes to the spread of misinformation by claiming that these supplements have many different benefits and effects that have not been previously evaluated in studies and lack or have no supporting evidence.
So, while sponsorships from brands are acceptable, it is not okay for a person or institution of authority to spread misinformation in order to meet the demands of a financial partnership.
The role of advertising and sponsorships
As in any media, advertising, and sponsorships in health podcasts typically work by companies proposing a commission to creators in exchange for mentions on their show. This can be a traditional ad played during the episode, a script given to the creator that needs to be read and integrated into the episode, or simply asking to mention the brand an agreed-upon number of times.
Advertisements and sponsorships allow creators to keep producing content, as well as enable them to put out higher quality and more frequent episodes, as they can buy better equipment, hire help, and, in some cases, make podcasting their full-time job instead of a side hustle.
Creators need to be transparent about their affiliations and sponsorships to balance producing valuable content with gaining financial profit. Influencers should also thoroughly research products before endorsing them, keeping in mind their audience's values and needs.
In the case of Huberman Lab, we do not condemn product endorsement, as it allows Andrew to produce high-quality content, making science more accessible to a wider audience. However, with his level of influence and authority in the wellness and fitness field, he should be more transparent about his sponsors and not paint them in an all-glorious light, discussing the drawbacks as well.
Regulations in the supplement industry
Unlike drugs, supplements are not subject to the most stringent production and marketing regulations and do not require approval by the FDA before reaching the market. The FDA only regulates supplements after they have reached the market, requiring the manufacturers to ensure their products are safe and properly labeled. Although the FDA can take action and ban certain supplements, this usually only happens after the products have been released into the market and have caused significant side effects. A product can also be recalled for including overexaggerated health claims not suitable for dietary supplements, being adulterated, or containing undeclared medications.
Due to the lack of FDA regulations in the supplement industry, it is crucial to be a conscious and well-informed consumer. To ensure product safety, quality, and adherence to the label, look for third-party tested supplements with analysis certifications issued by an independent lab. Other common quality certificates include NSF International, USP, and ConsumerLab.
You should also buy supplements from reputable providers to ensure quality. Signs of a reputable manufacturer are transparency about pricing and third-party testing, no history of product recall, and well-rounded customer reviews. When reading reviews, you should check sites like Amazon, Reddit, and Trustpilot. A well-established brand should have some negative feedback available, not just picture-perfect positive reviews.
Critical evaluation of supplement recommendations
To make sure you are not wasting your money on unnecessary or poor-quality products, we provide some factors that can help you critically evaluate product endorsements.
- Research the brand. Look up the supplement brand to see if it has a good online reputation, no history of call-backed products, and is generally reputable.
- Third-party testing. Look for third-party testing certifications to ensure you are getting what is indicated on the label.
- Customer reviews. Look up customer reviews about the product and the brand on sites like this Trustpilot, Reddit, and Amazon to get an idea of the overall experience. Look at negative reviews as well.
- Scientific evidence. If you have some scientific knowledge, look up the supplement in PubMed or another scientific database to see if there are scientific studies supporting the marketed benefits.
- Consult a healthcare professional. The best approach to starting a new supplement is to consult your physician. Ideally, you should get routine bloodwork done to determine if you have any deficiencies that need to be addressed with supplementation. Unnecessary overconsumption of bioactive substances can do more harm than good.
Given the lack of regulations in the supplement industry, you should always take a critical approach. Product endorsement by an authoritative and influential figure does not ensure quality or safety, and claims should be cross-referenced with other sources.
Conclusion: navigating health advice in the digital age
Andrew Huberman has done excellent work in making complex science comprehensible, accessible, and applicable in daily life through his podcast, Huberman Lab. His explanations, protocols, and discussions with expert guests have been game-changers for many wellness and fitness enthusiasts. However, with success comes more responsibility. Hence, Dr. Huberman has been receiving some critique for endorsing questionable health products.
We always aim to educate our readers and encourage them to be more critical about marketing claims. The supplement industry is poorly regulated, and while influencers have a responsibility not to promote poor quality or harmful products, they may get tempted by financial gain or simply by being unaware. It is your responsibility to stay critical and do a bit of research before believing all claims made by influencers, even if they come from a man of science like Andrew Huberman.
The digital age comes with an abundance of information, especially regarding health. Nonetheless, sometimes, you are better off with an apple a day rather than an overpriced supplement. Stay informed, be critical, cross-reference, look up reviews, and consult your healthcare provider to ensure you are actually optimizing your health instead of wasting your money.
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