The Predatory Scam of Memory Supplements
What the federal lawsuit against Prevagen says about the American supplement industry and the brain
About one month went by until Mary realized she no longer had trouble remembering other people’s names. Jim says it only took three weeks for him to notice an improvement in his memory. Meanwhile, Sue experienced perhaps the most profound effects: She’s less absentminded, a better multitasker, and her recall of people’s names and faces has only gotten better. Her co-workers have noticed, too.
Folks like Mary, Jim, and Sue have been highlighted in commercials, radio spots, social media posts, and earnest-sounding infomercials produced by Quincy Bioscience, a Wisconsin-based supplement company. The television spots have aired on prominent cable networks such as CNN and Fox News. They might even be familiar to you.
In most of the spots, a narrator makes an argument that people who take drugs and supplements for their hearts, joints, and digestion are missing a critical organ: the brain. Each TV spot then pivots to the testimonials of everyday people who claim they no longer forget names, repeat the same stories, or misplace their car keys. They’re held up as veritable—and verifiable—success stories, the chief beneficiaries of one specific supplement: Prevagen.
