Freakonomics Radio 658. This Is Your Brain on Supplements
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Jan 9, 2026 
In this insightful discussion, physician and longevity expert Peter Attia shares his perspective on the booming brain supplement market, emphasizing potential risks due to mislabeling and contamination. Harvard's Pieter Cohen highlights the lack of FDA oversight and alarming safety issues with common supplements. They explore the limited efficacy of popular brain boosters and stress that a solid lifestyle—sleep, exercise, and nutrition—trumps quick-fix solutions. Attia also offers recommendations for specific supplements while urging evidence-based use.
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Supplements Are Regulated As Food
- The FDA treats dietary supplements as food, not drugs, so they avoid premarket approval and rigorous efficacy requirements.
- That legal classification lets manufacturers make broad memory or brain-health suggestions without proving benefit.
Labels Often Don't Match Contents
- Many supplements are either underdosed, overdosed, or contaminated because there's no required FDA premarket testing.
- Contaminants can include heavy metals or bacterial impurities that pose real health risks.
ER Doctor Rebuilt Her Brain With Lab-Guided Supplements
- Danielle Douglas, an ER physician, depleted nutrients during COVID and recovered cognitive function via lab-guided supplements.
- She sourced GMP/NSF-certified products through vetted distributors to restore performance.
