Despite being one of the most heavily advertised memory supplements in America, Prevagen exemplifies how scientific-sounding claims and celebrity endorsements can sell products with no proven effectiveness.
Those “real people” in Prevagen commercials? Yes, they’re real humans—Barbara, Sally the flight nurse, and Norm and Szasz, the 80-something writers. Listen carefully though—they write for Prevagen.
Conflict of interest much?
Even accounting for the placebo effect, regulators have pursued Prevagen’s makers for years. In December 2024, the FTC and New York State Attorney General won a lawsuit prohibiting them from claiming the supplement improves memory or brain function—though somehow their commercials continue making these exact claims.
What about Balance of Nature?
This company was also temporarily shut down for false claims about both their supplements’ effects and contents. They mislead consumers into believing that taking 6 capsules daily (3 fruits, 3 veggies) counts meaningfully toward your recommended produce intake.
Reality check from ConsumerLabs.com: A 3-capsule daily serving provides only about 1/5th of a cup of fresh produce—approximately 10% of recommended fruit intake and just 7% of recommended vegetables.
The voiceover on their commercials advertise their “30-day Money Back Guarantee” and special pricing for “preferred” customers. You are preferred only if you sign up for a subscription. Only then do you get the money back guarantee. The cost per month for fruits and veggies is $69.95 + a $24.95 one time member fee if you subscribe and $89.95 if you don’t.
That’s some expensive plants.
Look, I get how tempting it is to reach for a pill as insurance against dementia or to boost a less than stellar diet. And money isn’t the only criteria for deciding on what to add to our daily routines. Nothing wrong with companies pricing their products as they see fit. But the price should reflect the value and the potential for a promise fulfilled.
Marketing aside, here’s how to be a smarter supplement consumer
- Trust your gut: Is it really plausible that a couple of pills could prevent dementia, cure diabetes, or dramatically boost energy?
- Look for third-party verification from:
- ConsumerLab.com (reviews for purity, accurate labeling, and value comparison)
- NSF (tests for contaminants and ingredient accuracy)
- US Pharmacopeia (verifies ingredients, potency, manufacturing quality)
- Consider physician-formulated products The best ones will be certified by one or more agencies and have been tested for efficacy before release.
The Bottom Line
Supplements can be powerful adjunct therapies to aging in good health. The key is the word supplement, in addition to, not putting all our hopes and dreams in a few pills. Our supplement needs will change depending on diet, life stage, illness and medication regimens.
W ork with a physician or practitioner who is fluent in testing and supplementation for personalized recommendations rather than trusting TV’s most aggressive advertisers.
