- Since the launch of Goop in 2008,
Gwyneth Paltrow has continued to make headlines
with her controversial
and sometimes ridiculous takes
on wellness and health.
Granted, most people, when they see a headline
about vaginal eggs or steaming groins,
tend to chuckle and just move on.
And while you might, unfortunately, not everyone does.
So let's talk about why this $100 billion wellness industry
continues to thrive
and the actual danger it poses to their customers.
Let's start with the art of persuasion.
- I have used ozone therapy, rectally,
what is it?
- [Presenter] Unscientific, unproven,
potentially harmful therapies.
- That's a razor thin line to have to tread across
between scientific evidence
and just merely entertaining.
- It's been known to make
some slightly pseudosciencey claims.
- [Presenter 2] Goop is taking advantage
of people at their most vulnerable positions
and it's really just not acceptable.
- When an influential celebrity enters the scene,
our reptilian brain begins to take over.
It's actually a known psychological phenomenon
that familiar faces, like those of celebs,
tend to be more trusted.
This is likely a survival mechanism
to distrust strange enemies
and instead, trust those in our tribes.
However, I can assure you
these celebrities are far from your tribe.
- So one of my bathrooms has to be different
because you took my 10 marble slabs.
(static hissing)
- Celebrities will pose their advice
as simply what they do
or what works for them,
while simultaneously building enormous businesses
that profit off their innocent storytelling.
- It's not meant to be advice for anybody else,
it's really just what has worked for me.
- But still, buy your product using link in bio, right?
But Dr. Mike, what's the harm
if they're just sharing what works for them
and making a profit?
There's nothing wrong with making a profit
except if it's profiting off of misinformation
under the guise of questionable anecdote, at best.
At worst, it delays people
from getting actual medical treatment.
Think about it.
It's not unreasonable to have a person with stomach problems
seek help from unproven supplements
while cancer spreads throughout their body.
This isn't an exaggeration either.
In 2017, a study published
in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute"
showed that people with cancer
who had used alternative medicine
instead of conventional treatment
had a greater risk of dying.
It's not just the delay in getting real medical care.
These unregulated treatments potentially create harm,
like medication interactions,
liver inflammation, heart arrhythmias,
or even an increased risk of getting cancer.
Yes, cancer.
Yet somehow, this industry is expected to grow
to 400 plus billion dollars by 2030.
And honestly, I think it's my fault,
well, not my fault,
but modern medicine's fault.
Truly, our healthcare system has provided us
with nothing short of a garbage experience.
We have shrinking appointment times,
burnt out physicians,
and corrupt insurance plans that leave people
wanting an alternative to regular medicine.
I get it.
But you know what bothers me even more?
Is that many of these companies
target women in their advertising.
My theory as to why?
They know women have been hurt
even more by the traditional healthcare system.
They get misdiagnosed more often,
even in life or death moments like heart attacks.
Their bodies are poorly understood
as a result of less inclusion in research and education.
And their physical pain
is not taken nearly as seriously.
And it doesn't stop there.
These companies prey on known insecurities.
They promise unrealistic beauty outcomes
that most of the time, at least on social media,
are achieved through plastic surgery,
injections, and Facetune,
not their miracle product.
Let's not skim over that detail
- Bombastic side eye. (graphic booming)
- So now let's look at
some of Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness claims and Goop products
that landed her in hot water with doctors
and agencies like the NHS.
(graphics whooshing)
The infamous jade egg.
Goop claimed that inserting
this egg-shaped stone into the vagina
could improve sexual health, balance hormones,
and even prevent uterine prolapse.
The problem?
There's absolutely no scientific evidence
to back these claims.
In fact, using a jade egg can lead to infections
and even toxic shock syndrome.
So this product got destroyed by the medical community
and Goop ended up paying $145,000
to settle the false advertising claim,
and reimbursed any customer who actually bought the product.
(graphic whooshing)
Just last month, Gwen appeared on a podcast
where she admitted
one of her very helpful wellness treatments
had been rectal ozone therapy,
a process of having gas injected into the rectum
in the hopes of reducing oxidative stress
and a whole host of other miraculous health benefits.
However, according to the FDA,
ozone is a toxic gas
with no known useful medical applications
in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapies.
Even the US Code of Regulations
isn't shy about the proven effects of ozone on humans.
"Although undesirable physiological effects
"on the central nervous system,
"heart, and vision had been reported,
"the predominant physiological effect of ozone
"is primary irritation of the mucus membranes."
So irritation of the rectum,
I'd think twice.
(graphic whooshing)
In 2021, Gwen FCI was suffering
lingering effects of COVID-19,
and a year later, was still noticing symptoms
like brain fog and fatigue.
Long COVID is a serious and deeply complex condition
that certainly requires more research,
but not if you're Gwen,
who went on to describe her recovery routine
designed by Will Cole, her chiropractor,
who criticizes pharma for being profit driven
and sells $197 gut supplement
and a $724 toxin home test.
(bomb booming) (screen beeping)
Gwen detailed every step
of her long-COVID recovery process,
enthusiastically listing the products for sale
alongside her writing on Goop's website,
such as the Goop Wellness Box for $265,
or her infrared sauna blanket, in stock for $600.
Free shipping though.
When asked about Gwen's long-COVID cure,
Dr. Stephen Powis,
the National Medical Director for England's NHS,
stated that, like a virus,
"Misinformation carries across borders
"and it mutates and it evolves."
Goop's editors were quick to point out that,
"This was one person's story
"and recounts an individual experience.
"It is not meant to be a diagnosis
"for healing or treating any specific disease,
"symptoms, or side effects."
At least that was honest.
(graphics whooshing)
Goop has written favorably
about the stickers that promote healing.
One of their blog posts promotes
wearable stickers from Body Vibes,
such as the Anti-Anxiety 10 Pack,
which fill in the deficiencies in your reserves,
creating a calming effect.
Goop blog writers did leave a warning though, saying,
"Leaving them on for the prescribed three-day period
"left a few Goop staffers with marks on their skin,
"so be careful to stick them on somewhere concealable
"if you got an event coming up."
Well, as a practicing physician,
I would've put a warning that this is complete horseshit
and that anxiety can be a real problem
that has legitimate solutions
you can pursue with your doctor.
And unless, "Trust me, bro," is a form of evidence,
there is zero evidence that wearing stickers
will reduce your anxiety.
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Goop currently sells $135 Implant O-Rama coffee enema.
This device is used in the bathroom
to shoot coffee up into your rectum
and colon via the anus,
with claims that the coffee can be used
to clean out your digestive system.
There is no evidence of any medical benefit to this product,
and they actually know that too
because their website clearly states,
"No claims are made about this product
"or anything we sell on this website.
"When using any new procedure that you do not understand,
"always check with a competent medical doctor."
Which surprise, surprise, I am.
And why I am pleased to inform you
that this is a complete waste of money.
Just when you thought your coffee
couldn't get any more expensive.
(graphics whooshing)
Goop has proudly promoted vaginal steaming,
a process of sitting above a steaming pot of water,
attempting to cleanse your uterus.
In 2015, Goop said,
"You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne,
"and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam
"cleanses your uterus."
Several problems with this.
First, the vagina is self-cleaning,
it doesn't need any help.
If you happen to develop an infection,
you should visit a doctor to diagnose and treat the issue.
Next, added moisture to the vagina
in the form of steam
can actually lead to the growth of bacteria,
actually increasing your risk of infection.
And sadly, some women have actually burned their vaginas
due to the steam being too hot.
(graphics whooshing)
In 2015, Goop published a piece
written by Dr. Habib Sadeghi, who introduced a link
between underwire bras and breast cancer,
a long-debunked claim by numerous medical organizations.
Dr. Sadeghi wrote a long quote
that ended with, "Accumulated toxins anywhere in the body
"increase the risk for cancer."
The American Cancer Society disagreed,
confirming, "There is no scientific
"or clinical basis for this claim."
Goop has since removed the article.
(logo beeping)
Look, not all natural remedies are snake oil.
I made a video where I discussed
the ones that actually work and are evidence based.
Click here to check that out.
And as always, stay happy and healthy.
(upbeat music)