Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed promoted health products despite earlier anti-ad stance
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed earned six-figure income from ads for supplements and a metabolism-tracking device, even after publicly rejecting health product promotions.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, previously monetized his podcast with lucrative ad reads for a range of wellness products, including supplements and a breath-based metabolic tracker from an Israeli startup. Although he once posted that he broadly rejected advertisements making health claims and denounced Mehmet Oz for leveraging his doctor title, El-Sayed later promoted items like Thrive Market’s “Moon Juice Brain Dust” and “Royal Jelly Brain Fuel,” which claim to boost cognition despite limited scientific support.
He also endorsed Lumen, a handheld device marketed as a metabolic coach, a product that researchers have criticized for overstating its efficacy. Public records show El-Sayed holds a medical degree and a PhD in public health but has never been licensed or completed a residency. The campaign did not respond to inquiries about the endorsements, and Thrive Market declined comment when approached for comment.
Why it matters
Voters need to know if a candidate’s health-product promotions conflict with his public statements and credibility.
In this story