The Junk Science of Athletic Greens (AG1)

About this video

• Video Title: The Junk Science of Athletic Greens (AG1)
• Channel: Scott Carney
• Speakers: Scott Carney
• Duration: 00:22:26

Overview

This video critically examines the scientific claims made by Athletic Greens (AG1), a popular supplement. The presenter investigates AG1's marketing, its founder's history, and the validity of the research cited to support its purported health benefits, concluding that the science behind AG1 is largely unsubstantiated and potentially misleading.

Key takeaways

• Marketing vs. Science: AG1 heavily relies on influencer marketing and claims "clinically proven" results, but the video argues that the provided "science" lacks rigorous, peer-reviewed human studies to back these claims.
• Founder's History: The founder of Athletic Greens has a history of legal issues, including convictions related to fair trading, which raises questions about the company's ethical foundation.
• Lack of Transparency: AG1's website provides information about clinical trials with limited participants but does not link to the actual research, and their PR team cited ongoing peer review as a reason for not sharing results.
• Dubious Study Design: The single human study highlighted used maltodextrin as a placebo, a substance known to affect gut microbiome results, potentially skewing the findings in AG1's favor. This study found AG1 to be safe but did not demonstrate significant beneficial effects on the gut microbiome or quality of life.
• Conflict of Interest: Key AG1 promoters, like Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia, are also investors in the company, indicating potential conflicts of interest in their endorsements.
• Mental Health Impact: The video suggests that falling for AG1's marketing can make consumers more susceptible to other scams and negatively impact mental health by fostering a reliance on "miracle" products.