vitamin
On May 27, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they are investigating a 3rd multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to moringa powder supplements in 2026. Moringa oleifera supplements (including green powders and capsules) are heavily marketed as a “superfood” and a natural multivitamin powerhouse. They are primarily promoted for:
- Nutritional Support: Providing high concentrations of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and E.
- Energy & Metabolism: Boosting daily vitality and supporting healthy weight management.
- Blood Sugar & Heart Health: Helping to regulate glucose levels, lower cholesterol, and manage blood pressure.
- Immune & Inflammation Support: Using rich antioxidant content (like quercetin) to combat cellular stress and ease joint pain or chronic inflammation.
The agencies re-opened an outbreak investigation originally closed on March 17 after discovering 22 new illnesses from 4 US states. The total now stands at 119 patients across 36 states infected with Salmonella Typhimurium or Salmonella Newport strains, including 32 hospitalizations and no deaths. Illness onset dates range from August 22, 2025, to April 26, 2026.
Among 79 interviewed patients, 70 reported consuming moringa leaf powder products. The recalled product list expanded to include TNvitamins-brand Ultra Potent Complete Green Superfood Moringa capsules and Doctor’s Pride Complete Green Superfood Ultra Potent Moringa capsules distributed by Total Nutrition Inc., plus Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa capsules and All Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powders.
The new investigation involves Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to MOGO-brand moringa powder capsules distributed by MOGO Moringa LLC of St. Louis. 18 people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from 14 states, with illness onset from February 3 to April 7, 2026. Of 8 interviewed individuals, 6 reported consuming moringa powder capsules, including 4 who specifically consumed MOGO-brand products. Seven hospitalizations occurred with no deaths reported. MOGO Moringa LLC has recalled specific lots (#15525AA EXP 6/2027 and #00926AA EXP 1/2028) of MOGO-brand Pure Moringa Oleifera capsules. The FDA is conducting traceback investigations to identify the contamination source and working with state partners to collect samples.
In April 2026, the FDA closed a separate outbreak investigation involving moringa supplements contaminated with “extensively drug-resistant” Salmonella. This outbreak linked to Rosabella-brand moringa powder capsules distributed by Ambrosia Brands LLC resulted in seven illnesses across seven states, with three hospitalizations.
Three moringa-related outbreaks in a single year underscore systemic issues affecting botanical ingredients in the global natural health industry, particularly regarding imported moringa leaf powder contamination. Health officials urge consumers who used moringa products and developed symptoms – diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever within 12-72 hours – to seek medical attention and inform doctors about potential Salmonella exposure. Healthy adults typically remain ill for 4-7 days. Severe diarrhea may require hospitalization.
Update, 7/6/26:
Following the May 27, 2026, announcements, Total Nutrition Inc. expanded its voluntary recall on June 2 to include Lot 2748 (Exp. 07/2027) for both TNVitamins and Doctor’s Pride brands after a traceability review linked it to previously contaminated raw materials. Meanwhile, the active investigation into MOGO-brand capsules remains unchanged with 18 reported illnesses, and the FDA continues to urge consumers to check their pantries for any remaining Rosabella-brand products from the closed April outbreak. Federal and state health officials are actively working with major online platforms—including Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop—to ensure all recalled moringa supplements are fully removed from the market, while reminding consumers to seek medical care if they experience Salmonella symptoms.
The US “Health Freedom Movement” (HFM) is a coalition of activists, alternative practitioners, supplement and device manufacturers, and libertarian or populist politicians who oppose strong government regulation of healthcare. They claim to defend the individual’s right to choose any treatment or product they consider beneficial, especially so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).
Its roots lie in resistance to medical licensing and in movements around homeopathy, naturopathy, and chiropractic, which often portrayed organized medicine as a cartel limiting patient choice. The John Birch Society and other conservative groups use the term to oppose fluoridation, vaccination mandates, and federal health programs. During 1990s–2000s, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, backed by a coalition of supplement companies and “health freedom” advocates, limited the FDA’s pre‑market control over supplements; libertarian politicians like Ron Paul and figures such as Prince/King Charles support aspects of this agenda. More recently, anti‑vaccination activism, opposition to the Affordable Care Act, and then COVID‑19 mandates and vaccines gave the HFM a major boost and re-grouped as “medical freedom” or “health freedom” across partisan lines, but with a strong right‑wing infrastructure.
The HFM’s main players include politicians (e.g. Ron Paul, Tom Harkin, Orrin Hatch, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) and media personalities (e.g. Gary Null, Kevin Trudeau, and many supplement‑selling influencers as well as SCAM doctors). Many of them have strong financial ties to supplement, wellness, or SCAM industry.
The HFM’s stated aims sound liberal: individual autonomy, informed and access to SCAM. In practice, however, its core goals are sharper and consistently deregulatory:
- Limit or abolish pre‑market safety and efficacy requirements for supplements and many SCAMs.
- Oppose or roll back mandatory childhood vaccination, COVID‑19 vaccination and mask rules, school-entry requirements, and sometimes even basic disease‑reporting obligations.
- Resist overarching government health programs, including water fluoridation, electronic health records, and population‑level data sharing, which they portray as surveillance or tyranny.
- Create broad legal shields for all types of SCAM practitioners and restrict the enforcement powers of medical boards and public‑health authorities.
While the rhetoric centres on “freedom” and “choice”, the policy is liberating commercial interests from evidence‑based standards and oversight. For this, the HFM uses a mixture of advocacy and classic populist agitation:
- Legislative lobbying: Drafting model bills that redefine or exempt SCAM practitioners, weaken vaccination requirements, and restrict state health departments’ emergency powers.
- Litigation: Groups such as the “Health Freedom Defense Fund” use lawsuits against mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and school or airline rules both as legal tools and as high‑visibility fundraising and mobilization devices.
- Electoral politics: Endorsing and funding candidates who promise to “reign in” public‑health agencies, defund WHO, or defy CDC guidance; in some places, anti‑vaccine activists have captured local hospital or school boards.
- Media ecosystems: Conferences, podcasts, Substack newsletters, and “documentaries” circulate narratives of regulatory capture, big‑pharma malfeasance, and heroic mavericks, often entwined with sales of supplements or courses.
These activities reinforce distrust of science and conventional medicine and thus create a host of issues and problems:
- Selective use of autonomy: Autonomy is invoked vigorously when opposing vaccines, fluoridation, or regulation of supplements, but tend to disregard it when patients are misled by misinformation, coercive marketing, or opaque conflicts of interest in the alternative sector itself. Yet protection against deception and unsafe products is essential for meaningful autonomy; “choice” among misrepresented options is not genuine choice.
- Systematic downplaying of risk and evidence: The HFM treats lack of evidence of benefit as if it were evidence of safety and legitimacy and often dismisses adverse‑event data. Regulators and critics must meet impossibly high standards, while proponents of SCAM face essentially none.
- Commercial conflicts of interest: Many leading voices within the HFM derive substantial income from selling SCAM. The HFM criticizes “Big Pharma” conflicts of interest while largely ignoring or concealing its own.
- Wilful ignorance of collective harms: Opposition to vaccination, masking, and quarantine treats infections as purely individual matters, neglecting that infectious disease risk is shared and that one person’s “choice” can impose morbidity and mortality on others. Yet any rights framework that leaves no space for legitimate public‑health constraints on individual choice is incompatible with controlling epidemics.
- Alliance with broader conspiracist and extremist currents: Sections of the HFM have fused with anti‑globalist, anti‑UN/WHO, and sometimes far‑right political currents, amplifying conspiracy narratives and distrust that spill over into many domains beyond health. Thus they corrode trust in institutions that are necessary for coordinating large‑scale health responses.
In a nutshell, the HFM is a deregulatory, commercially entangled project that uses the language of liberty to erode evidence‑based medicine and to normalise quackery as well as anti‑vaccination politics. To put it bluntly: the HFM does not seem to operate in the best interest of either the individual patient or the collective public health.
Trump and his allies have produced many claims that experts have flagged as false, misleading, or dangerously unscientific. Below is a (probably incomplete) selection:
- In April 2020, Trump suggested during a press briefing that scientists explore whether injecting or “bringing disinfectant inside the body” could treat COVID‑19. Medical experts immediately warned that this would be dangerous or lethal.
- At the same briefing, he also floated the idea of “hitting the body with a very powerful light,” including using UV light inside the body to kill the virus, a suggestion that clinicians stressed had no scientific basis and could be harmful.
- Throughout 2020, Trump repeatedly claimed the virus would “just disappear” like a “miracle,” even as case counts and deaths surged.
- He heavily promoted hydroxychloroquine as a “game changer” long after clinical trials had shown it to be ineffective against COVID‑19 and associated with serious adverse effects.
- In February 2020, Trump claimed the number of COVID‑19 cases in the US would soon be “down to close to zero.”
- Trump frequently claimed that COVID‑19 was “just like the flu,” despite the fact that its mortality rate and impact on health systems were substantially higher.
- In late 2025 and early 2026, the Trump administration falsely claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was linked to a much higher risk of autism, despite the lack of clear evidence and warnings from experts that this messaging was misleading.
- The administration also promoted leucovorin as a treatment for autism, a claim that has little robust evidence and is not supported by mainstream medical guidelines.
- Following the appointment of RFK Jr. to HHS in late 2024, federal vaccine guidance was rolled back in several areas, including flu recommendations for some groups and changes to how RSV and other vaccines were positioned. This created confusion and encouraged a further “decoupling” of some state health policies from traditional CDC guidance.
- Trump has claimed that the noise from wind turbines causes cancer, a statement that has no credible scientific basis.
- Trump has claimed that sea levels will rise by only “1/8 of an inch over the next 200 to 300 years,” contradicting widely accepted projections that show substantially higher rise even over the next 30 years along US coasts.
- Trump has also claimed that the human body is like a battery with a finite amount of energy, and that exercise is harmful because it “depletes” that energy, a view that runs counter to mainstream physiology and public‑health guidance.
- Trump claimed that drinking fizzy diet soda “kills cancer cells” because the drinks kill grass when spilt, implying they might do the same to cancer inside the body.
- In 2026, Dr. Mehmet Oz, as head of CMS, falsely claimed that 5 million New Yorkers were using Medicaid personal‑care services—nearly 75% of all enrolees—when the actual figure is far lower.
- RFK Jr. has spent decades claiming that thimerosal, a mercury‑based preservative in some vaccines, causes autism. Thimerosal was removed from nearly all childhood vaccines in 2001 as a precaution, yet autism rates continued to rise, and large studies have found no causal link.
- RFK Jr. frequently claims that no vaccines have ever been tested against a true saline placebo. In fact, many vaccines have been tested against saline placebos in clinical trials, and others were tested against earlier versions or standard care, in line with evolving ethical standards.
- RFK Jr. pushed for the removal of fluoride from all US water systems, falsely labelling it an “industrial waste” and a key cause of lower IQ, bone fractures, and cancer, despite the bulk of evidence supporting its safety and dental benefits at standard levels.
- RFK Jr. has also falsely claimed that polyunsaturated fats such as canola or soybean oil are toxic and the primary driver of obesity and inflammation in America, a view that contradicts large‑scale dietary and epidemiological data.
- RFK Jr. has falsely claimed that WiFi causes “leaky brain” and that 5G is a tool for mass surveillance and causes cancer, assertions that have no support from mainstream science.
- RFK Jr. has become an advocate for the federal legalisation of raw milk, downplaying the risks of Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. Yet pasteurization remains a cornerstone of public‑health measures to prevent foodborne illness.
- RFK Jr. has wrongly suggested a link between the use of SSRIs and the rise in mass shootings, a claim not supported by credible data.
- Janette Nesheiwat (JN), a Fox News contributor and Trump’s nominee for US Surgeon General, withdrew her nomination in May 2025 following allegations that she had significantly misrepresented her credentials. Her official bio and LinkedIn profile claimed she received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; in fact she attended the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten.
- JN repeatedly described herself as “double board‑certified,” but investigators found verified certification only in family medicine.
- Casey Means (CM), Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, is a Stanford‑educated physician who left surgical residency before completion and whose medical license has been inactive since 2019. She has not practiced clinical medicine in years and has limited experience overseeing large‑scale public‑health systems.
- CM has built a profile as a health‑tech entrepreneur and co‑founder of Levels, promoting “functional medicine” and the MAHA movement.
- CM has made strong claims that continuous glucose monitoring and metabolic optimization can prevent or “cure” a wide range of modern diseases, a view that overstates the evidence and oversimplifies complex chronic conditions.
As indicated in the title of this post: if you waant to say healthy, it is wise to ignore the incompetent president and his equally incompetent cronies.
You probably heard about American Academy of Pediatrics et al. v. Kennedy et al., the law suit brought by the AAP and several other medical organisations against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr). The case was ruled on March 16, 2026. Judge Brian E. Murphy of the US District Court for Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from overhauling the national childhood vaccine schedule. Judge Murphy’s decision addressed the US government’s deviation from historical and legal standards:
- “There is a method to how decisions about vaccine recommendations have historically been made—a method scientific in nature and codified into law through procedural requirements. Unfortunately, the government has disregarded those methods and thereby undermined the integrity of its actions.”
In reference to the controversial reconstitution of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), where 17 members were replaced by appointees chosen by RFK Jr., Judge Murphy noted:
- “The appointment process, in general, and thus the full committee was tainted.”
These are clear, strong and necessary statements. The harmful ideas and actions of RFK Jr. have become legion. Sadly, this also includes the area of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). RFK Jr. has long been a vocal proponent of SCAM. Here is a(n almost certainly incomplete) list of what, in the past, he said on this subject:
- “FDA’s war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric oxygen, chelating agents, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma.”
- “If you want to use alternative medicines, you should have the right to do that. The government shouldn’t be telling you that you can’t use a natural product that’s been used for thousands of years.”
- “We are seeing an explosion of chronic disease. We need to look at our food system and look at the way we’re treating our bodies, focusing on nutrition and holistic health rather than just a pill for every ill.”
- “I’m going to tell the NIH: We’re going to stop studying infectious diseases for a while and we’re going to start studying chronic diseases… We’re going to look at why our children are so sick, and we’re going to look at the environmental factors, including the toxins in our food and the lack of natural remedies.”
- “Regenerative agriculture and clean eating are the best ‘alternative medicines’ we have. We are literally poisoning our children with processed foods and then wondering why we have a mental health crisis.”
- “The evidence is overwhelming that substances like psilocybin and ivermectin—I mean, psilocybin and MDMA—can provide breakthroughs for PTSD and depression that traditional SSRIs simply cannot match.”
- “During the pandemic, the authorities should have been telling people to get sun, exercise, and take Vitamin D and Zinc. Instead, they told us to stay indoors and wait for a vaccine.”
- “The chiropractic profession has long sought greater recognition… Under [this] leadership, HHS is expected to promote greater integration of chiropractic care into federal health programs.”
- During his visits to institutions like Life University and Sherman College of Chiropractic, he has praised the field for its “vital role in addressing today’s healthcare challenges” without relying on pharmaceuticals.
- He has signalled support for initiatives like the “Data Lake project,” which seeks to provide scientific validation and evidence-based data for chiropractic treatments to help them become more “mainstream.”
- “FDA’s war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of… peptides, vitamins, clean foods, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma.”
- He has advocated for allowing supplement makers to make broader “disease-prevention claims” (e.g., Vitamin A for measles or Zinc for the common cold) without the same level of FDA oversight required for synthetic drugs.
- “I am a supplement enthusiast… [I] can’t even remember all the ones I take.” He has frequently promoted specific substances like Methylene Blue and high-dose Vitamin D as “best-kept secrets” of biohacking and longevity.
- “If you want to use alternative medicines, you should have the right to do that. The government shouldn’t be telling you that you can’t use a natural product that’s been used for thousands of years.”
- “We shouldn’t be telling people they can’t use a natural product just because it doesn’t fit the microbiological paradigm of the last 50 years.”
- “The best way to overcome depression is to wake up each morning and pray: ‘Please make me useful to another human being today.’ That is medicine.”
- We are going to prioritize non-opioid pain management. This means bringing therapies like acupuncture out of the ‘alternative’ fringe and into the center of our federal health strategy.”
- “The science is there for acupuncture, but the funding hasn’t been because you can’t patent a needle. We are going to change the NIH’s priorities to fund the studies that Big Pharma won’t.”
- “MAHA is about choice. If a patient finds relief through acupuncture rather than a bottle of Percocet, the system should support that, not penalize it.”
- “We have become a sedentary, indoor species. Qigong and mindful movement are essential for moving the ‘qi’—or what we might call the cellular energy—that prevents the stagnation leading to chronic disease.”
- “The FDA’s war on public health includes the aggressive suppression of… anything that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma. This includes natural products and traditional medicines used for thousands of years.”
- “Why do we treat TCM like a superstition while we’re importing 90% of our synthetic precursors from China? We should be looking at the wisdom of their traditional botanical medicine to help solve our own chronic disease epidemic.”
The incompetence of RFK Jr. could be hilariously funny. Yet, I’m afraid, considering the power he has, it is not funny at all. In fact, I find it frightening. As you probably know, I am not alone in criticising RFK Jr. Here are a few prominent people who seem to agree with me:
- “RFK Jr. is a fountain of misinformation… His claims about vaccines are not just wrong; they are dangerous and have led to real-world harm, including the deaths of children.” — Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
- “He takes a small grain of truth and surrounds it with a mountain of lies. He is an expert at cherry-picking data to support a predetermined, unscientific conclusion.” — Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
- “Kennedy was a significant part of the reason that the vaccination rate in Samoa dropped so low… When you have a celebrity coming in and telling people vaccines are dangerous, people listen, and in this case, children died.” — Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris, Vaccinologist and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland.
- “His rhetoric on ‘environmental toxins’ often lacks any grounding in toxicology or dose-response relationships. He uses the language of science to promote pseudoscience.” — David Gorski, MD, PhD, surgical oncologist and editor of Science-Based Medicine.
- “By attacking the integrity of the FDA and CDC without evidence, Kennedy isn’t just questioning policy—he is dismantling the very foundations of public trust necessary to manage a pandemic or any health crisis.” — Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator and Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.
- “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views on vaccines are not a ‘different perspective.’ They are a rejection of 70 years of established biological science.” — Dr. Richard Pan, Pediatrician and former California State Senator.
- “RFK Jr. preys on the anxieties of parents. He uses fear to fill the vacuum left by a lack of scientific literacy, which is the most cynical form of advocacy.” — Seth Mnookin, Professor at MIT and author of The Panic Virus.
- “To compare public health measures like masking or vaccines to the Holocaust is not only historically illiterate but a profound insult to the victims of actual atrocities. It disqualifies him as a serious voice in health policy.” — The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (Official Statement in response to Kennedy’s rhetoric).
- “The tragedy of RFK Jr. is that he uses his considerable platform and famous name to promote theories that have been debunked dozens of times over. In public health, facts save lives; his ‘facts’ do the opposite.” — Dr. Jerome Adams, former U.S. Surgeon General.
I CONGRATULATE JUDGE MURPHY FOR HIS COURAGE AND I DO HOPE THAT HIS RULING IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF KENNEDY’S MEDICAL VANDALISM.
Large-scale randomized trials have found that multivitamin–multimineral (MVM) supplements and cocoa flavanols may benefit several age-related chronic conditions among older adults, but it remains unclear whether these two supplements directly slow the biological aging process. This prespecified ancillary study evaluated the 2-year effect of a daily MVM (Centrum Silver) and cocoa extract (500 mg cocoa flavanols per day, including 80 mg (−)-epicatechin) on five DNA methylation measures of biological aging (PCHannum, PCHorvath, PCPhenoAge, PCGrimAge and DunedinPACE) among 958 participants (482 women and 476 men) in the Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS).
Compared with placebo, daily MVM supplementation modestly reduced the rate of increase of second-generation epigenetic clocks, with a between-group difference in yearly change of −0.113 years (95% confidence interval (CI) −0.205 to −0.020; P = 0.017) for PCGrimAge and −0.214 years (−0.410 to −0.019; P = 0.032) for PCPhenoAge. MVM had a stronger effect on PCGrimAge among those with accelerated biological aging at baseline (−0.236 [−0.380 to −0.091]).
Compared with those with normal or decelerated biological aging (−0.013 [−0.130 to 0.104]; P = 0.018 for interaction). Cocoa extract did not have an effect on the five epigenetic clocks tested. Although the statistically significant but small effects of daily MVM supplementation on slowing biological aging are encouraging, additional studies are needed to determine the clinical relevance of daily MVM supplementation on epigenetic clocks and whether such effects can help explain the beneficial effects of MVM supplementation on aging-related chronic conditions.
Experts who were not involved in the new study urged caution. While the researchers saw an effect with two epigenetic clocks, three other epigenetic clocks included in the study showed no statistically significant change to their speed. “The multivitamin produced small favorable changes in two epigenetic aging markers, but not across all the clocks that were measured,” says José Ordovás, a professor of nutrition and genetics at Tufts University. “That makes the finding interesting, but it is still far from showing that multivitamins broadly slow aging or improve longevity.”
One of the study’s strengths is that the researchers carefully matched the characteristics of people in the vitamin group to those in the placebo group, says Zachary Clayton, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz, who was also not involved with the research. “However, the magnitude of the observed differences was modest, and their clinical significance remains uncertain,” he says. The study doesn’t take a person’s exact diet or physical activity during the two-year period into account, and those factors can’t be ruled out as having an effect on biological aging, he adds.
Still, in nutrition science, randomized clinical trials of this kind are rare. They aren’t generally required to sell supplements like multivitamins, even if the makers claim specific health benefits. Additional trials, the authors note, “are needed to confirm these findings and determine the role of [multivitamins] in extending healthy aging not only among older adults, but also across the lifespan.”
In addition to these criticisms, I would add a few further points:
- Scientists emphasize that “biological age” as measured by DNA methylation is a biomarker, a surrogate endpoint, but not a direct health outcome. It is currently unknown if a 2-month reduction in an epigenetic clock actually translates into a lower risk of disease, disability, or a longer life.
- The 2-year duration of the study is a great achievement for such a trial; yet it still is considered relatively short for assessing biological aging, which is a process that accumulates over decades. Longer-term data is needed to see if these small changes persist or lead to meaningful health differences.
- The fact that those study participants who started “biologically older” saw the most benefit could be a statistical artifact known as “regression to the mean” rather than a true systemic effect of the supplements.
- The study participants were primarily of Caucasian descent and over the age of 60. This limits the ability to generalize the findings to younger populations or diverse ethnic groups.
- Epigenetic alterations are only one of several “hallmarks of aging.” Because the study did not measure other factors like DNA damage, protein stability, or cellular communication, it provides only a very narrow “snapshot” of the aging process.
- The multivitamin might not have “slowed aging” in a general sense, but could have corrected minor, undiagnosed nutrient deficiencies in some participants, which then reflected positively on their biomarkers. If that were true, supplementation of non-deficient volunteers would have no effect.
If there’s one thing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. knows how to do, it’s to turn public health into performance art. This year’s most expensive commercial—airing during Super Bowl LX—wasn’t about cars, beer, or even crypto. It was about butter. And beef tallow. The ad, titled “The Fight of My Life,” showed a misty‑eyed Mike Tyson reminiscing about his sister’s death, his own struggles with junk food, and his new “fight” for America’s health. Then came the punchline: “Processed Food Kills.” As the tear streaks dried, the nation was directed to Realfood.gov, the Kennedy‑backed campaign for dietary redemption.
It may have looked like a public‑service announcement but, in truth, it was a $10 million morality play written by the Make America Healthy Again Center, a nonprofit fundraising off the idea that kale and ketosis can save civilization. Tyson might have been in black‑and‑white, but Kennedy’s fingerprints—messianic, conspiratorial, and slightly greasy with butterfat—were everywhere.
The Realfood.gov guidelines mark Kennedy’s biggest policy move yet: an official endorsement of meat, lard, and “ancestral eating.” The new pyramid, or as Kennedy calls it “the Flipped Pyramid,” positions steak above grains—literally and figuratively. Sugar is treated like a biological weapon, while “seed oils” are branded the new nicotine. It’s a nutrition plan designed for the modern age—if the modern age were 1826. The rhetoric of “real food” has a populist ring, but the science behind it is as wobbly as a gelatin mold. Nowhere are there meaningful public‑health solutions for Americans who can’t afford grass‑fed ribeye or artisanal butter.
Then came the twist only 2026 could deliver: Kennedy’s nutrition crusade teamed up with Elon Musk’s AI, Grok, to help Americans “get real answers about real food.” What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, it turns out! Within days, Grok was trending for explaining which vegetables are safest for “alternative use,” prompting Musk to tweet that “vegetables are best enjoyed orally.” The government quietly deleted Grok’s name, a digital walk of shame across cyberspace. It was the perfect metaphor for Kennedy’s health vision: self‑righteous, tech‑obsessed, and totally incapable of predicting the obvious glitch.
When critics pointed out that 70% of the American food supply is ultra‑processed because people can’t afford fresh alternatives, Kennedy’s defenders shouted “Big Food propaganda.” When nutrition experts questioned the pseudoscientific obsession with “ancestral fats,” they were accused of suppressing the truth. The result is a movement that treats dietary policy like a crusade, replacing science with sanctimony and public health with personality cult. Kennedy isn’t reforming nutrition—he’s branding it.
In the end, the MAHA campaign isn’t really about saving Americans from junk food. It’s about saving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from irrelevance. By mixing Super Bowl spectacle, Silicon Valley tech, and nostalgia for the “real food” of an imagined past, Kennedy has served up his own special dish: a reheated and stale serving of populist showmanship seasoned with pseudoscience and self‑importance.
Aging trajectories are influenced by modifiable risk factors, and prior evidence has hinted that mult-ilingualism may have protective potential. However, reliance on suboptimal health markers, small samples, inadequate confounder control and a focus on clinical cohorts led to mixed findings and limited applicability to healthy populations.
With this analysis, researchers developed biobehavioral age gaps, quantifying delayed or accelerated aging in 86,149 participants across 27 European countries. National surveys provided individual-level positive (functional ability, education, cognition) and adverse (cardiometabolic conditions, female sex, sensory impairments) factors, while country-level multi-lingualism served as an aggregate exposure.
Biobehavioral factors predicted age (R2 = 0.24, r = 0.49, root mean squared error = 8.61), with positive factors linked to delayed aging and adverse factors to accelerated aging. Multi-lingualism emerged as a protective factor in cross-sectional (odds ratio = 0.46) and longitudinal (relative risk = 0.70) analyses. Mono-lingualism increased risk of accelerated aging (odds ratio = 2.11; relative risk = 1.43). The effects persisted after adjusting for linguistic, physical, social and sociopolitical exposomes.
The authors concluded that these results underscore the protective role of multi-lingualism and its broad applicability for global health initiatives.
Research into aging is understandably active. Thus plenty of factors have been idenfified that might slow down the process. Here is a quick summary.
Factors That Delay Aging
- Healthy Diet: Consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish, and lean proteins, while limiting red and processed meats, saturated fats, and added sugars.
- Calorie restriction: reducing total calorie intake while maintaining nutrient density, and intermittent fasting have shown promise in promoting longevity in some studies.
- Regular Physical Activity: Engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity (e.g., brisk walking, strength training) consistently. This helps preserve muscle mass, bone density, and cardiovascular function.
- Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Avoiding obesity and excessive body fat reduces strain on organs and limits chronic inflammation.
- Optimal Cardiovascular Health: Actively managing and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
- Quitting Smoking/Avoiding Tobacco Use: Completely abstaining from all forms of tobacco.
- Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Limiting alcohol intake or abstaining altogether.
- Quality Sleep: Getting sufficient, restorative sleep (typically 7-9 hours per night) with a consistent sleep schedule.
- Stress Management: Utilizing techniques like meditation or therapy to effectively manage stress and anxiety.
- Strong Social Connections: Nurturing healthy relationships and avoiding loneliness, which is linked to chronic stress.
- Life Purpose/Mental Stimulation: Having a sense of meaning or purpose and engaging in activities that challenge the brain (e.g., learning new skills).
- So-called alternative medicine (SCAM)? The evidence is mixed and often unconvincing. The most effective SCAMs for delaying aging might be a healthy lifestyle, the use dietary supplements based on sound evidence, as well as relaxation therapies where appropriate.
As you see, multi-lingualism, as suggested by the above paper, does not even feature in the list. Yet, the concept of cognitive reserve can explain why two people with similar age-related brain changes (like volume loss or plaque buildup) can have different cognitive abilities and patterns of aging. A higher cognitive reserve acts as a buffer against aging; specifically it can:
- Build Cognitive Reserve: Engaging in intellectually challenging activities throughout life, such as higher education, complex occupations, and continuous learning, creates a more resilient and flexible network of neural pathways. This reserve allows the brain to compensate for damage and maintain function longer.
- Promote Neuroplasticity: Learning new, complex skills—like another language, playing a musical instrument, or taking challenging courses—stimulates the creation of new neural connections and enhances neuroplasticity.
- Reduce Risk of Cognitive Decline: High levels of mental engagement lowers the risk of cognitive decline in older age.
So, the new study adds to and affirms the already existing knowledge: speaking several languages is likely to slow the aging process that we are all facing – a finding that, I have to admit, suits me fine!
The global aging population faces increasing risks of supplement-drug interactions due to rising polypharmacy and widespread use of nutritional supplements. Older adults, particularly those with chronic conditions, frequently combine prescription medications with dietary supplements, yet healthcare providers often overlook these interactions, leading to preventable adverse effects.
This review synthesized evidence from 16 international studies spanning nearly three decades, examining the intersection of supplement and medication use in older adults. Key findings reveal a high prevalence of concurrent use (23-82.5%), significantly increasing the likelihood of adverse interactions, particularly with antithrombotics (e.g., warfarin and ginkgo) and absorption-disrupting minerals (e.g., calcium and levothyroxine). A critical systemic failure in patient-provider communication exacerbates these risks, as clinicians often neglect to inquire about supplement use. Despite widespread potential interactions, actual clinical harm appears concentrated in high-risk combinations. The review calls for proactive clinical strategies, including standardized supplement screening, targeted patient education, and pharmacist-led medication management. Its limitations include cross-sectional study designs and self-reported data, underscoring the need for longitudinal and intervention-based research.
The authors concluded that future studies should prioritize causal evidence, standardized methodologies, and data from low- and middle-income countries to mitigate risks in aging populations.
All of this is true. Yet, I feel that several important points is missing:
THE RISKS OF SUPPLEMENT/DRUG INTERACTIONS ARE BY NO MEANS CONFINED TO THE AGING POPULATION!
On the contrary, many surveys suggest that middle-aged, affluent consumers use more of both and therefore are at an even higher risk than the eldely.
Communication with your physician seems a logical solution, but is it? There is plenty of evidence to show that doctors rarely know much about these interactions (and practitioners of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) know even less). It gets worse: there is a deplorable lack of research into this subject. Consequently, the knowledge in this area is woefully inclomplete.
If I am right, all this means that we need to
- do the necessary research as a matter of urgency,
- inform ourselves (this applies to healthcare practitioners as well as consumers)
- communicate the existing knowledge and warn consumers.
Failing to do this – as we now have done for many decades – means putting millions of consumers at risk.
Mehmet Oz has featured regularly on this blog, e.g.:
- Donald Trump nominated SCAM promoter, Mehmet Oz, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Columbia University cut ties with Dr. Mehmet Oz … or did they?
- Quackery promoter, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is running for the U.S. Senate
- Trump, Kennedy and Oz just announced plenty of untruths about autism and its treatment
Currently, he serves in Trump’s administration as “Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services” (CMS). He also is (or was?) a “Global Advisor & Stakeholder” for the company ‘iHerb’, and was appointed to that role in 2023. The company itself is a global e-commerce platform that was founded in 1996 and has its headquarters in California. iHerb specializes in health and wellness products. iHerb’s mission is to make health and wellness products accessible to everyone. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer retailer. iHerb sells a wide variety of products, including:
- Vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS)
- Sports nutrition
- Beauty and personal care products
- Grocery items
- Baby and pet care products
Crucially, iHerb sells several products with leucovorin, i.e. folinic acid, the drug that, even though unproven, is now officially used for autism in the US. As far as I can see, most of the products that Oz promotes are not based on sound evidence.
Based on available information from a financial disclosure analysis, Mehmet Oz’s work as an advisor for ‘iHerb’ has earned him as much as $25 million in company stock. The disclosure, which lists asset values in ranges rather than precise figures, shows that this stock was part of his overall financial portfolio.
Several experts have raised concerns that Oz’s financial interests in various healthcare and supplement companies, including iHerb, could create a conflict of interest. As the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a position that oversees a vast budget and a significant portion of the U.S. healthcare system, his past and present ties to the industry have been highlighted as potential issues. The concern is that a government official in such a powerful position could use their influence to benefit their own financial holdings or those of companies they are affiliated with. This is especially relevant given that Medicare Advantage, a program he would oversee, allows customers to use prepaid cards to buy over-the-counter medicines and supplements—a market that companies like iHerb are in.
Mehmet Oz has publicly disclosed his financial interests. A financial filing shows that his investments in ‘iHerb’ represented one of his largest financial holdings. In a filing with the Office of Government Ethics, Oz has committed to divesting his equity holdings in healthcare companies, including his iHerb stock, within 90 days of confirmation. He has also pledged to resign from his advisory role with ‘iHerb’. The Office of Government Ethics has stated that based on its review, it believes Oz is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations concerning conflicts of interest. The situation remains a point of public discussion and has drawn the attention of consumer advocacy groups. For example, the group Public Citizen has asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether Oz’s social media posts promoting iHerb violated FTC guidelines on undisclosed endorsements, as his posts did not always clearly state his financial connection to the company.
Based on current public information, there are serious questions and concerns about whether Mehmet Oz has divested all of his interests as pledged, particularly with respect to his holdings in ‘iHerb’. The latest publicly available filings detail his assets and his intent to divest, but do not show the final completed sale. iHerb itself has publicly stated that the company is no longer affiliated with Dr. Oz and is not working with him or the administration. However, this does not independently confirm the liquidation of his personal vested stock.
A failure to timely follow the pledge can and should trigger a chain of events that leads to serious civil and criminal penalties, as well as significant political repercussions.
It has been reported that the US surgeon general nominee, Casey Means, earned hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements and other health and wellness products, details likely to invite new scrutiny about potential conflicts of interest for the author and entrepreneur.
Means, a close ally of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the sister of White House adviser Calley Means, has not yet been scheduled to appear before Congress for her confirmation hearing. But a filing dated Sept. 10 and posted by the Office of Government Ethics suggests her nomination cleared conflict-of-interest checks within the federal government.
The supplements industry has ties with several members of the Trump administration, including Medicaid director Mehmet Oz and health adviser Calley Means. An AP investigation this summer found that Casey Means had repeatedly failed to disclose her partnerships with supplements companies and other businesses promoted in her
newsletter, social media accounts, and elsewhere.
Among the payments included in the new disclosures for newsletter sponsorship and partnership fees are $12,000 from herbal remedies firm Apothekary; $27,431 from algae supplements company ENERGYbits; $16,461 from fiber supplements company Florasophy; $27,000 from probiotics company Pendulum Therapeutics; $46,000 from
supplements company Pique; $536 from prenatal vitamin company WeNatal; and $16,104 from basil seed supplements company Basil Seed Works. Means received a total of more than $130,000 in sponsorship fees from supplement company Amazentis, including a $55,000 book tour sponsorship.
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In May this year, I wrote this about Means:
RFK Jr wrote on X: “The Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job. She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom, and gold-standard medical advice.” Yet her suitability for Surgeon General is a contentious issue.
Means holds a 2014 MD from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in human biology. She is an advocate for addressing chronic diseases through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Her book “Good Energy”, co-authored with her brother Calley, argues that metabolic dysfunction is a root cause of most chronic illnesses. As a “wellness influencer”, Means has demonstrated an ability to communicate health concepts to a broad audience.
Critics point out that Means dropped out of her residency at Oregon Health & Science University months before completion. This means she is not board-certified and has very limited clinical experience; for instance, she never saw patients without supervision. Her medical license has been inactive since 2024, and she has done as good as no own original research. Unlike past Surgeons General, who had extensive backgrounds in public health administration and infectious disease, Means has no government or public health leadership experience. Her focus is on functional medicine and wellness, both areas that lack rigor and are close to quackery.
It gets worse: Means has expressed skepticism about vaccines, suggesting in a 2024 newsletter that the current vaccine schedule contributes to the decline of pediatric health. Her endorsement of dangerous nonsense like energy healing and raw milk seems worrying. Moreover, Means also co-founded Levels, a company selling continuous glucose monitors to non-diabetics, and markets supplements and other dubious health products. RFKJr’s claim that Means will offer “ethical guidance” seems particularly odd: she has no training in medical ethics and some of her past actions are outright unethical. Physicians like Dr. Neil Stone have therefore called Means “grossly underqualified”.
The Surgeon General must provide science-based guidance, oversee >6,000 officers, and address diverse and serious public health issues. Means’ inexperience and narrow focus limits her effectiveness. Crucially, her history of promoting of vaccine skepticism and quack medicine undermines trust in science-based policies.
In summary, Means seems wholly unsuited for the job of Surgeon General. In the interest of the US public health, her appointment should not be confirmed by the Senate.
SAY NO MORE!
