Conspirituality Podcast — Brief: MAHA is a Supplements Grift
Host: Derek Beres
Date: February 7, 2026
Episode Overview
In this Conspirituality Brief, Derek Beres critically examines recent legislative efforts in West Virginia and at the federal level aimed at deregulating supplements and integrating alternative health products into healthcare insurance coverage. The episode focuses on the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement’s shift from fear-based campaigns against mainstream medicine and food safety to a phase of profit-driven supplement marketing, enabled by key political allies and a lax regulatory environment. Beres scrutinizes the pseudo-scientific claims behind these proposals, exposes the conflicts of interest among Kennedy’s associates, and highlights the broader consequence of privileging supplements as a matter of public health policy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Legislative Backdrop: Opening the Gates for Supplements
- West Virginia House Bill 4760 and HR 7050:
- WV bill mandates insurance coverage for dietary supplements and “nutrition prescriptions.”
- Federal HR 7050 (Homeopathic Drug Safety Act) would exempt homeopathic products from meaningful FDA or FTC oversight.
- Quote:
“The bill explicitly shields health claims from FTC false advertising enforcement and blocks private rights of action based on lack of clinical trial evidence. So if you get fucked up from a homeopathic product ... there's no mechanism by which you can sue or hold the company accountable.”
— Derek Beres (01:31)
2. The MAHA Playbook: From Inducing Panic to Selling Solutions
- MAHA’s ongoing tactics:
- Phase 1: Fear-mongering about mainstream drugs, fluoridation, vaccines, processed foods, etc.
- Phase 2: Presenting themselves as the solution—now via legislation that opens the market for supplements.
- Key Insight:
“Sell the solutions, make people scared, and then say that you’re the ones who can cure that fear.”
— Derek Beres (04:10)
3. The Politicians Behind the West Virginia Bill
- Adam Burkhammer:
- Businessman-turned-politician; roots MAHA activism in personal anecdote about food dyes and foster children.
- Previously passed a sweeping ban on food dyes.
- Evan Worrell:
- Healthcare data consultant and legislative champion for the same food dye ban.
- Vocal critic of beverage industry-aligned governor.
- Legislative focus includes bans on vaccines, fluoridated water, PFAs, soda for SNAP, but lacks corresponding infrastructure for healthy options.
- Quote:
“From a structural perspective, you first make sure the solution is in place, then you tackle what you perceive to be the problem. But that's not how MAHA works.”
— Derek Beres (07:58)
4. The Pseudo-Scientific Claims of Supplement Legislation
- Bill’s language:
- Defines supplements as products to “enhance health, improve nutritional intake, strengthen the immune system, cleanse the body of toxins... and aid in resisting disease.”
- Mirrors wellness influencer rhetoric, not science or evidence-based medicine.
- Immune System “Boosting”:
- NIH and Harvard Medical School agree: supplementation only helps those deficient; “boosting” is a myth.
- Quote:
“For the general population, as the saying goes, it's probably just expensive piss.”
— Derek Beres (11:55)
- Detox/Cleansing:
- No scientific basis; organs already perform necessary functions.
- Some “detox” supplements actually cause harm (e.g., liver injury).
- Memorable phrase:
“This is pure marketing language. It has no scientific basis.”
— Derek Beres (13:20)
5. Structural vs. Performative Public Health
- Real public health improvement requires addressing food infrastructure and social determinants, not legislative optics or influencer-aligned bans.
- The MAHA approach is fundamentally about marketing, not solutions.
- Quote:
“I don't believe they have any real concern about infrastructure and supply chains. Kennedy avoids all talk of the social determinants of health.”
— Derek Beres (09:54)
6. The Grift: Who Profits from Deregulation?
- Key Kennedy Allies with Financial Interests:
- Cali Means: Co-owns True Med (makes supplements, classes, snacks eligible for Health Savings Accounts).
- Casey Means: Surgeon General nominee with major supplement industry income.
- Mark Hyman: Runs Function Health (valuation exploded since Kennedy in office) and sells supplements.
- Vani Hari (Food Babe): Co-founder of Truvani supplements; appears at Kennedy events.
- Gary Breca: Sells expensive “biohacking” devices and supplement lines.
- Paul Saladino: Runs organ meat supplement company; public Kennedy supporter.
- Mark McAfee: CEO of raw milk company; regular in Kennedy’s orbit.
- Others: Will Cole, Josh Axe, RO Nutrition.
- Quote:
“He's about to open the door for a whole lot of his friends to make a killing by forcing insurance companies to pay for their products.”
— Derek Beres (17:41)
7. Historical & Legal Context: How We Got Here
- DSHEA 1994 (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act):
- Passed after overwhelming supplement-industry lobbying.
- Manufacturers can sell products with minimal proof of safety/effectiveness.
- Industry now worth $70B (up from $4B pre-DSHEA).
- Quote (citing Arthur Allen):
“...the FDA can't even require that supplements be effective before they are sold... the dietary supplement industry [can] put its products on the market without testing and to tout unproven benefits.”
— Derek Beres reading Arthur Allen (19:58)
8. Misinformation, Contradictions, and the Absurdity of It All
- Kennedy spreads unsubstantiated health claims—sometimes comically self-contradictory:
- Cites a “Dr. Pollan at Harvard” that ketosis can cure schizophrenia (likely confusion with Dr. Chris Palmer).
- Advocates for eating protein while praising the low-protein keto diet.
- Quote:
“Why start making anything coherent at this point, Kennedy failed his way to the top… where he continues to spread misinformation on a daily basis.”
— Derek Beres (21:30) - On Wellness Influencer Rhetoric:
“Who needs science when you got vibes? And tons of state legislators willing to do your bidding so your buddies in the private market can make a killing. Why stop now?”
— Derek Beres (22:12)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On regulatory capture:
“So basically, everything Kennedy criticizes the pharmaceutical industry for, he's opening the doors wide open for his buddies in homeopathy, which again, is complete nonsense.”
— Derek Beres (02:36) - On the myth of supplement efficacy:
“It's ironic that wellness influencers always think that Big Pharma is hiding this evidence, because if there was clinical proof, drug companies would probably be making trillions of dollars on them at this point.”
— Derek Beres (13:57) - On Kennedy’s supplement advocacy:
“Kennedy has said in podcast interviews that he takes a ton of vitamins and has trumpeted stories of people using vitamins to treat infectious disease.”
— Derek Beres, citing the Wall Street Journal (20:58) - On audience approval vs. science:
“Besides, the crowd at that event started clapping when he said. Eat protein. I mean, who needs science when you got vibes?”
— Derek Beres (22:05)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:53 — Start of main content: Setting up legislative context
- 04:10 — Phase 2 of MAHA: Selling solutions
- 06:35 — Character study: Burkhammer and Worrell
- 09:54 — The infrastructure gap and the marketing agenda
- 11:18 — Dissecting supplement efficacy claims
- 13:20 — Detox/cleanse claims debunked
- 17:41 — Friends and conflicts of interest in the supplements grift
- 19:58 — Citing DSHEA, historical context
- 21:30 — Kennedy’s recent misinformation and contradictions
- 22:12 — The influencer playbook and its policy capture
Conclusion
This Conspirituality Brief methodically unpacks how MAHA and its legislative agenda represent a profound “supplements grift,” powered by fear, pseudo-scientific marketing, and lucrative insider deals. Derek Beres exposes the hollowness and hazard of supplement deregulatory efforts—emphasizing that real public health improvements require infrastructure and evidence, not just vibes, fear, and legislative capture by wellness profiteers.