His personal life is in the spotlight – with accusations of multiple affairs and sexually irresponsible behavior, including passing on an STD to one lover.
Now the situation has worsened for popular wellness influencer Andrew Huberman, who is facing the wrath of skeptical doctors who say his health claims are “distracting from the truth.”
The podcaster, who denies all accusations of promiscuity, including giving one woman an STD, has 5.2 million subscribers to his podcast Huberman Lab – where he makes recommendations on a variety of health topics, from oral health to autism.
But experts are calling much of his content “pseudoscientific” and accusing him of encouraging questionable herbs to induce fear, promoting “dangerous” views that demonize benign ingredients and cast doubt on the effectiveness of the flu shot.
Dr. Andrea Love, a microbiologist and immunologist, has accused Andrew Huberman of ‘filling his podcast with confident displays of pseudoscience’
Huberman with fellow podcaster Lex Fridman who attracts 3.9 million followers to his channel where he talks about science and technology
In one clip, Huberman can be seen saying, “The flu shot is completely ineffective at fighting other forms of the flu virus (strains not currently circulating), the common cold, or other types of upper respiratory infections.”
However, the CDC contradicts this, saying that the flu shot “may still provide some protection,” while recommendations from East Carolina University say that “antibodies made in response to the vaccine may provide some protection (cross-protection) against several, but related strains of the influenza virus.’
The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older, with rare exceptions, get a flu vaccine every season.
Between 4,900 and 51,000 Americans die from the flu each year, the agency estimates, and 1,100 lives are saved annually because of the recordings.
Dr. Andrea Love, a microbiologist and immunologist, said: Andrew Huberman “fills his podcast with confident displays of pseudoscience.”
“It contains kernels of truth, but those kernels of truth are overly exaggerated, even to the point of distracting from the truth,” she wrote in Slate.
One of the claims being questioned, made in a podcast episode titled “How to Prevent and Treat Colds and Flu,” is that the flu shot only works if it protects against the dominant strain.
Neurobiology professor Andrew Huberman speaking at a conference in Boston in 2023
He further states that this is one of the main reasons why he doesn’t get the flu shot – which is recommended by health officials, including the CDC.
He claimed that the flu vaccine can be “completely ineffective” if it does not protect against the flu circulating that year.
But regardless of the circulating strain, flu shots still provide protection against illness, hospitalization and death from flu viruses because of the broad immunity we generate in response, Dr. Love said.
As explained by the CDC, flu forecasts are made to anticipate which flu viruses are most likely to circulate and cause the most illness during the season, using data from other countries on current strains. The recordings are then adjusted from year to year.
Huberman recommends that people with “family members who have compromised immune systems” or people who are “concerned about transmitting the flu to an individual or group of individuals” talk to their doctor before deciding whether or not to get the flu shot .
Another claim from Huberman, made in the podcast titled “Using Cortisol & Adrenaline to Boost Our Energy & Immune System Function,” is that ashwagandha, a supplement made from an evergreen shrub, “has a profound effect on anxiety” and can reduce stress . cortisol and even depression.
He makes “bold claims,” including that ashwagandha can cause multiple knock-on effects, improving cardiovascular health of vision, sleep and memory.
But the evidence is equivocal, with small sample sizes and self-reported data, Dr. Love said.
Dr. Love reviewed the literature and said she found the human data presented a “conflicting and more limited picture.”
One 2012 study suggested it can improve chronic stress, but there were only 64 participants.
A meta-analysis looking at five small randomized controlled trials concluded that it may promote sleep, especially in people with insomnia, but found ‘no significant effect on quality of life’.
There is also evidence of the supplement causing liver damageaccording to a 2020 study, which looked at five cases of liver damage attributed to ashwagandha-containing supplements.
All patients developed jaundice and symptoms such as nausea, lethargy, severe skin itching and abdominal pain.
“I wouldn’t suggest that anyone base their health on this stuff,” Dr. Love said.
But Huberman said ashwagandha “emerges as the heavy hitter,” while making sure to add the liability warning: “You are responsible for making sure (supplements) are safe for you if you decide to use them.” ‘
In another case, Huberman said a study was done on humans when in fact it was done on rats.
In the episode, titled “How Sugar and Processed Foods Affect Your Health,” Huberman was joined by pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, who has a history of making extreme claims about food, such as calling sugar a “poison” .
Critics included The Academy of Health Scienceswho train nutritionists have said it is ‘dangerous’ to demonize a single nutrient, such as fructose, as it could mislead the public into reducing fruit intake.
Dr. Lustig quotes a study to support his claim that consuming ultra-processed foods slows bone growth.
Huberman asked him, “Was this in vitro or in vivo?” Lustig replied: ‘In vivo.’
Huberman then said, “So these are people who eat large amounts of highly processed foods; How exactly did (the researcher) find it in the Middle East?’
Lustig replied, “In Israel.”
In vivo means a study conducted on a living organism, and while it can refer to studies on humans, the study Lustig was talking about was conducted on rats.
“To claim that the results are directly relevant to humans is a wild misinterpretation of data,” Dr. Love told Slate. “…Huberman presents his conclusions as if they were facts, and that’s why his listeners trust him.”
Mr Huberman did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.