Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Many health influencers on the Internet extrapolate from laboratory studies to health and medical recommendations. This is wrong and is not likely to produce benefit and may cause harm (PMID 29394327).
Andrew Huberman, now the most prominent podcaster and health influencer online, does this often. And although he may be more persuasive, he does not do it any better than the other influencers.
Take vitamin D. In a recent advertisement to promote the products of his affiliates, Huberman claimed that vitamin D is necessary to many biological functions (true) and that many people do not get enough. He then asserts that “many, many people” need to be supplementing with vitamin D.
This is not based on any evidence. In fact the U.S. Preventive Task Force, an evidence synthesis panel, recommends against even screening for vitamin D, noting that current evidence suggests that vitamin D does not provide benefit for most major outcomes (PMID 33847711).
The USPTF recommendations are based on the latest evidence. Extrapolating from mechanisms to shill for a supplement that is your affiliate is not a reliable way to communicate evidence or recommendations.
If you want to know whether you should supplement with vitamin D, talk with you doctor. Vitamin D is a powerful biologically active compounds. Don’t make your decisions based on unreliable marketing from a podcast.
Donate by clicking here: thedietwars.com/support-me
Many health influencers on the Internet extrapolate from laboratory studies to health and medical recommendations. This is wrong and is not likely to produce benefit and may cause harm (PMID 29394327).
Andrew Huberman, now the most prominent podcaster and health influencer online, does this often. And although he may be more persuasive, he does not do it any better than the other influencers.
Take vitamin D. In a recent advertisement to promote the products of his affiliates, Huberman claimed that vitamin D is necessary to many biological functions (true) and that many people do not get enough. He then asserts that “many, many people” need to be supplementing with vitamin D.
This is not based on any evidence. In fact the U.S. Preventive Task Force, an evidence synthesis panel, recommends against even screening for vitamin D, noting that current evidence suggests that vitamin D does not provide benefit for most major outcomes (PMID 33847711).
The USPTF recommendations are based on the latest evidence. Extrapolating from mechanisms to shill for a supplement that is your affiliate is not a reliable way to communicate evidence or recommendations.
If you want to know whether you should supplement with vitamin D, talk with you doctor. Vitamin D is a powerful biologically active compounds. Don’t make your decisions based on unreliable marketing from a podcast.
Donate by clicking here: thedietwars.com/support-me
