What’s Going On In Silicon Valley?

How far, is too far? When it comes to health and wellness communities, extremist behavior tends to appear and when mixed with unlimited funds and equitable resources, the possibilities are truly endless. But, at what moral cost? In California’s Silicon Valley, elites are paying upwards of $8,000 per treatment for the insertion of an IV that contains the blood of teenagers, aka what they believe to be the elixir of youth. 

In a region of saturated wealth, technology, creativity and apparently magic, Silicon Valley is the type of place where literally anything is possible. Tech gurus, CEOs, billionaires and elites alike have tried their hand at traditional plastic surgery, wellness retreats, IV fluid treatments and supplements all in an effort to appear more youthful and increase their lifespan. And while some of these methods did aid in presenting a more youthful glow, these consumers wanted more– they want immortality and are trial and error-ing their way to getting it. 

A startup company called Ambrosia has marketed young-blood plasma from donors between the ages of 16 and 25 to be the secret ingredient to reversing aging, rejuvenating vital organs, and combatting diseases such as Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, PTSD and heart disease. Though there is no data to support these claims, consumers are willing to shell over $12,000+ for double session treatments and re-booking on a weekly basis. The FDA caught wind of this practice and issued a formal statement to Ambrosia and its clients stating “We have a lot of public health concerns. This is not an appropriate use of plasma.” and “The agency is concerned with how much young plasma these clinics are pumping into patients. Large volumes of plasma can be associated with "significant risks," including infections, allergies, and respiratory and cardiovascular reactions.” The risks do not yet outweigh the potential benefits of this practice and the potential negative effects on these youth donors later in life are also unknown. 

This practice is not only pseudoscience as of date, but arguably morally corrupt and dangerous. We all want to look our best and stay youthful, but as consumers, we must ask ourselves– at what cost?