Last weekend, I flew to Stockholm for the Super Human Event — a buzzing hub of biohackers, health tech startups, and wellness pioneers. I was excited. These events are where ideas collide, where optimism meets experimentation, where the future of health often reveals itself in rough drafts.
But amidst the excitement, one thing kept pulling me back down to earth:
Wellness grifters. And they're multiplying.
The dream they sell
They're easy to spot, once you know what to look for.
They speak in absolutes. They promise overnight results. They sell overpriced supplements wrapped in vague pseudoscience. They exploit the same formula: take a sliver of truth, wrap it in marketing magic, and sell it as a silver bullet.
- A peptide that "rewires your brain in 7 days."
- A red light helmet that "guarantees neurogenesis."
- A detox protocol that "eliminates all stress from your mitochondria."
The packaging? Beautiful. The pitch? Smooth. The proof? Missing.
And the worst part? These products don't just fail to help people. They erode trust in the entire movement toward proactive, root-cause, longevity-focused care.
Why this keeps happening
There's a simple reason: wellness is booming. And wherever there's hype, money follows.
But this isn't just a business problem — it's a narrative problem. As a culture, we're craving quick answers to complex problems:
"I'm tired all the time." "I can't focus." "I want to prevent disease before it hits."
And instead of systems, we're given shortcuts.
What real health looks like
Here's the thing: true health optimization is often boring.
It's sleep hygiene, micronutrient sufficiency, movement quality, glucose control, emotional regulation, and yes — time. It's making small decisions, consistently, for years.
No one goes viral selling consistency. But that's what works.
And ironically, many of the real breakthroughs — like blood diagnostics, personalized protocols, brain health tracking — get overshadowed by the noise. Because they don't promise magic. They promise nuance.
My call to action
If you care about your health — and the health of this industry — here's what I'd ask:
- Stay curious, but stay critical. Not every new idea is a scam. But not every new idea deserves your money either. Learn to hold both thoughts.
- Ask for receipts. What's the evidence? Where's the data? Is the founder transparent, or just persuasive?
- Support what's honest. Back the companies, clinics, and creators who value long-term trust over short-term virality.
Because the goal isn't to chase hacks. It's to build systems that actually work. For you, and for the people around you.
And if we don't push for higher standards, someone else will keep selling snake oil in a shiny bottle.
Stay sharp,
Niko