A health supplement company co-founded by controversial podcast host Joe Rogan is being sued over “misleading” advertising that one of its products can actually improve brain function. I was woken up.
According to a complaint filed April 23, Onnit Labs Inc. claims that its supplement Alpha BRAIN supports memory, concentration, and processing speed, but clinical trials it funded did not It claims this is not the case, and that this creates “false, misleading and deceptive advertising.” product.
The lawsuit alleges that the supplements performed as well as placebos in most clinical studies, and that in many cases, the placebos were more effective than the actual products.
According to the complaint, Onnit was co-founded by Logan, who promotes the product on a controversial podcast. joe rogan experience, was sold to Unilever in 2021, so neither Rogan nor his podcast is named as a defendant. independent person.
Aubrey Marcus, another podcaster and YouTuber, is also believed to be the founder of Onnit, as stated in his article. WebsiteHowever, it is not mentioned in the lawsuit.
For many years, Logan has used his podcast to promote and promote Alpha Brain, a supplement product developed by Onnit.
In the posted clip Posted on YouTube by Onnit in 2022, Logan spoke on a podcast during the promotion of “Alpha BRAIN Black Label” and said that Logan is fascinated by nootropics and doubled the funds when they created the product together. “Aubrey and I started Onnit,” he said. -Blind, placebo-controlled study that showed “increased verbal memory” and “increased reaction time.”
“This isn’t horse oil or snake oil or a placebo, it’s the real thing,” Logan said.
According to the complaint, Onnit frequently cited a 2016 self-funded clinical study to support his brain function claims, which showed that people who used “Alpha BRAIN” had delayed oral It has been shown that students have shown “significant improvements” in tasks such as recall and execution skills. It’s working.
However, the lawsuit alleges that the full study found only small improvements in one aspect of memory and “no improvements in other cognitive areas.”
The group taking Alpha BRAIN outperformed the group taking the placebo supplement on a long-term delay test of language learning, but the placebo group also outperformed the group taking the actual product on a short-delay test, the complaint states. It is written in
In the remaining 25 of the 26 tests conducted in the study, there was no “statistically significant difference” between the Alpha BRAIN and placebo groups, with the placebo group performing better in many areas. That’s good, the lawsuit alleges.
Therefore, the complaint says, supplements cannot claim that “Alpha BRAIN generally improves memory, even though independent research has not found that Alpha BRAIN generally improves memory.” Says.
The complaint also states that the product’s claims to improve focus, mental speed, and overall memory are false “as demonstrated in independent research funded by Onnit.” It has been stated.
Onnit sells many products, including proteins, oils, training programs and equipment, apparel, and a wide range of supplements, but the lawsuit focuses on Alpha BRAIN.
The product description on the company’s website says the nutritional supplement “helps support cognitive functions such as memory, mental alertness, and focus.”
He also says it helps with a “flow state,” which he describes as “the feeling of being in the zone.”
Onnit claims that more than 3 million copies of this particular supplement have been sold, and also lists studying students, working professionals, gamers, artists, and entrepreneurs as target audiences.
Ingredients listed on the website include supplements such as vitamin B6 and L-theanine, an amino acid that is stated to support the release of dopamine and serotonin.
However, Onnit clarifies in the section below the product that various statements in the product description have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The plaintiff, who identified himself as Jean-Paul Lotz, said he purchased Alpha BRAIN products five times between February 2020 and August 2021, and claimed he did not see any improvements in memory, concentration, or mental processing speed.
Lotz claimed he was “deceived” by the marketing surrounding the supplement and said he aims to represent all New Yorkers who have purchased the product.
The lawsuit accuses Onnit of violating the New York General Commercial Code for false advertising, and the plaintiffs are seeking monetary and statutory damages on behalf of the class, but it is unclear how much they are seeking. .
independent person Mr. Lotz’s attorneys, Mr. Onnit and Denley & Carton LLP, have been contacted for comment.
