The Return of the Snake Oil Salesmen: How Deceptive Health Claims Still Lurk in Today's Market
Exposing the New Breed of Health Hucksters
Back in the 1800s, traveling salesmen roamed dusty American towns, peddling bottles of “snake oil” with bold promises to cure everything from rheumatism to heartbreak. These elixirs, often just flavored water or alcohol spiked with questionable herbs, raked in cash from desperate folks until the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 began to end the fraud.
Fast forward to 2025, and that huckster spirit has resurfaced, now masked by sleek websites and the rising buzz of influencers pushing products like Methylene Blue. With its striking blue hue and claims of sharpening minds or staving off aging, this compound has become a hot topic on platforms these voices dominate, drawing crowds hungry for health fixes beyond the mainstream. Take Ben Greenfield, a well-known fitness influencer, who’s been vocal about Methylene Blue’s supposed benefits, often citing personal anecdotes over clinical proof on his platforms.
While methylene blue has a storied history as a dye and treatment for malaria, its modern hype as a brain booster or anti-aging elixir—often touted by influencers for enhancing memory, cognition, or longevity—lacks solid scientific backing, with experts warning that such claims are largely unproven and potentially risky.
A comprehensive review of available studies reveals no clinical evidence supporting its effects on memory, cognition, longevity, sleep, or preventing skin aging, despite some lab experiments showing minor cellular interactions that haven't translated to human benefits.
Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, emphasizes the gap, stating, "I can't say that there's no long-term risk, because no one has ever studied this over the long-term," while noting that proponents' evidence often boils down to superficial outcomes like blue-tinted urine.
Joe Schwarcz
Harvard Health echoes this caution, describing proposed benefits like anti-aging and memory enhancement as inconclusive at best, with insufficient data to justify off-label use beyond its FDA-approved role in treating methemoglobinemia.
One glaring example of modern day snake oil scams hit Florida in 2014. The Federal Trade Commission took action against Nicholas Congleton, Paul Pascual, and Bryan Walsh, operators of a scheme peddling Pure Green Coffee as a weight-loss miracle.
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According to the FTC’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on May 15, 2014, they capitalized on a Dr. Oz segment hyping green coffee bean extract, raking in over $1.5 million by 2017 through ads on fake news sites and stolen testimonials.
The court order, finalized in 2015, banned them from such deceptive marketing, but the damage was done—consumers were left with empty promises.
Then there’s the 2023 case in California, where the FTC sued Golden Sunrise Nutraceutical, led by Huu Tieu and Stephen Meis, for a “natural cure” for chronic pain and other diseases.
Filed in July 2020 and settled in January 2024, the complaint detailed plans costing $23,000 to $200,000, with price markups of up to 300% and no scientific backing, targeting vulnerable patients.
These cases mirror today’s Methylene Blue push, where figures like Greenfield hype unproven benefits—like memory enhancement or anti-aging—relying on anecdote over evidence. The FTC’s mid-2025 consumer complaint database, updated as of last week, shows thousands of reports on health products like these, where claims far outstrip proof.
The tactics echo the past. Modern hucksters lean on glossy ads, paid endorsements, or reviews that fall apart under scrutiny.
A 2021 FTC settlement with a supplement company revealed they paid influencers to tout unverified anti-aging pills, dodging disclosure rules.
Others bury fine-print risks or add hidden fees, a practice spotlighted in congressional hearings on deceptive marketing from earlier this year. With Methylene Blue, promoters like Greenfield often skirt the edge, pushing benefits without the clinical trials needed, a tactic straight out of the snake oil playbook.
“The public is being sold a bill of goods when companies make health claims without evidence,” said FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in a 2023 statement on the Golden Sunrise case, underscoring the agency’s fight against such deceit.
Why does this endure? The health market’s projected to hit $5 trillion globally by 2026, a bonanza for opportunists. Online sales are exploding, and regulators like the FDA and FTC can’t keep up, especially as products dodge scrutiny by labeling themselves “dietary supplements” instead of drugs.
This gap lets Methylene Blue’s boosters thrive, exploiting hope and distrust in big pharma—emotions that sold snake oil a century ago. “We see a pattern where desperation opens the door to exploitation,” noted Dr. Peter Lurie, former FDA associate commissioner, in a 2022 interview on health fraud trends, a sentiment borne out by rising complaint numbers.
So, what can you do? Question the pitch. Look for peer-reviewed studies on sites like PubMed or clinical trial registries to back claims.
Scrutinize reviews—generic five-star floods often signal fakery. The FTC advises asking companies for proof, a move that’s tripped up fraudsters like Congleton’s crew. Better yet, check consumer watchdogs like the Better Business Bureau or state attorney general alerts, where we’ve tracked recurring scams.
We’re digging into these marketplace shadows, using verified records to uncover the truth behind today’s hucksters, including those like Greenfield hyping Methylene Blue. This isn’t just a history lesson—it’s about spotting the frauds in plain sight. Stay tuned as we peel back more layers, ready to reveal what’s at stake. Your keen eye, teamed with our efforts, can stop this deception cold.