About

Products made as part of the multitrillion-dollar wellness industry often rely on the placebo effect, which sounds harmless. But The Dream’s host, Jane Marie, sets out to prove that it’s not. Some consumers forgo medical treatment when they take supplements, many of which aren’t regulated. Marie stress-tests claims about vaccines, tinctures, and so-called therapies. She speaks with a scientist to address the quantum-physics claims surrounding gemstones. Sometimes the podcast gets personal—the host tries a Moon Juice product, which lands her in the hospital, and discusses how her grandmother takes colloidal silver, which has dangerous side effects. Marie conducts her investigation with vigor and honesty at every step. The season culminates in a combative exchange between a former FDA commissioner and the president of the supplement industry’s largest lobbying group, arguing about how much oversight the government should have over these products. Still, after debunking much of everyday wellness culture, Marie finds herself on a massage table with a tuning-fork practitioner, inexplicably “so blissed out” that she’s moved to tears.

Read more Read less