Hope for Sale: Why the Wellness Industry is Obsessed with Your Lupus Diagnosis
- rosetakelli
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
Living with lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) often feels like managing a part-time job that you didn't apply for, with no salary and very few holidays. But for a certain feverishly growing corner of the internet, your diagnosis isn't just a medical condition—it’s a market demographic, and you just became a potential customer in their strategic business plan.
Because lupus is chronic, unpredictable, and currently has no cure, it creates a "perfect storm" for predatory marketing. When you're overwhelmed by medical information, confused with treatment options, exhausted with appointments, and the "standard" lupus treatments have side effects that feel as bad as the disease, a "miracle supplement or smoothie" or a "toxic-free lifestyle kit" starts looking less like a scam and more like a lifeline that is just a click or two away.
Not to say all companies are in it for the wrong reasons. I have tried my share of unconventional, complementary, and even homeopathic treatments. Some have helped a little (however, I had no way to measure with certainty). I also don't want to assume the worst from those who either genuinely believe they feel better from a product and/or lifestyle change and want to share the "good news" with others.
However, any friend (or influencer) who is presenting with a "buy now" offer, ad, or coupon code... is a business owner, and you are now their potential customer.
Here is a look at the "Lupus Sales Pitch" and why the wellness industry is so obsessed with your diagnosis and with flooding your inbox.
1. The "Root Cause" Bait
The most common way people sell to lupus patients is by promising to find the "root cause." While functional medicine has its place, sellers use this phrase as a hook. They suggest that your rheumatologist is just "masking symptoms" while their costly protocol will fix the underlying issue.
The Tactic: Using complex-sounding "science-y" language (think: leaky gut, heavy metal detox, or cellular inflammation) to make you feel like your doctors are missing something obvious.
The Reality: Lupus is a complex equation. There rarely is one "single" root cause that can be cleared up with a juice cleanse.
Modern marketing uses algorithms to identify "sensitive" health queries. A 2025 study on Search Engine Marketing found that predatory businesses often outbid legitimate medical sites for keywords like "stage 4 cancer treatment" or "lupus root cause."
2. The "Immune-Boosting" Paradox
Walk into any supplement aisle, and you’ll see bottles screaming about "boosting your immune system." For a Lupus patient, this is actually the last thing you want to do.
Note: lupus is an overactive immune system. "Boosting" it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Most legitimate lupus treatments (like immunosuppressants) actually work by lowering the response to prevent organ damage.
Sellers often ignore this nuance because "immune boosting" is a $35 billion global industry. They’d rather sell you a bottle of Elderberry or Echinacea (which can actually trigger flares in some autoimmune patients) than admit their product might be dangerous for you. Social media influencers are used to provide a "relatable" face to unproven protocols, often bypassing traditional medical disclosures.
3. The "I Cured Myself" Influencer
Social media has birthed a specific type of predator: the "Wellness Influencer." They often post high-definition photos of green smoothies and yoga poses with captions like, "I swapped my Plaquenil for essential oils, and I’ve never felt better!"
The Hook: They aren't selling a product; they’re selling a lifestyle. But usually, if you click the link in their bio, there’s a $49-a-month subscription or a "prescribed" list of supplements they just happen to sell.
The Danger: This creates a culture of medical gaslighting. If the product doesn't work for you, the implication is that you didn't "believe" hard enough or you weren't "consistent" enough with the $300-a-month regimen. This can be dangerous and even deadly.
I have had many people reach out to me over the years (who were legitimately at their wits' end) to try a nutritional protocol from the internet sold as a "cure." When it didn't work, they were told they were "doing it wrong." There was no accountability for the lack of peer-studied scientific data or the dangerous consequences, only insensitive and rude responses to their poor reviews.
The "Hidden Drug" Crisis: Tainted Supplements & Stem Cells
A major trend in the last two years has been "all-natural" supplements for pain and inflammation that are secretly spiked with pharmaceuticals. Also, the non-FDA-approved use of "stem cell" products. While stem cell research once promised groundbreaking medical treatments, the lack of a regulatory framework has allowed a predatory wellness industry to market unproven and dangerous stem cell therapies as cure-alls.
The Case of UMARY & Amazy: In late 2024 and throughout 2025, the FDA issued urgent warnings against these products. Lab tests revealed they contained diclofenac (an NSAID), omeprazole (a PPI), and sometimes dexamethasone (a potent steroid). The Federal Trade Commission recently banned the Stem Cell Institute of America and its founders from marketing regenerative medicine after they defrauded patients of over $5.1 million.
The Danger: For patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis who are already on prescribed steroids, these hidden ingredients can cause life-threatening kidney damage or adrenal crisis. Also, regarding stem cells, despite not having FDA approval, numerous stem cell therapies (most of which are not of human origin) are being offered and promoted by influencers and others.
"In the wellness world, it's often billed as a cure-all and it sounds really science-y. This is the most malicious type of charlatan; taking science that does have legitimate uses and banking on people's basic awareness as a way to gain trust and sell services and therapies that aren't backed by science." - Katie Suleta, DHSc, MPH
Targeting the Butterfly: The Predatory World of Lupus Marketing
The red flags:
If you see these signs, keep your wallet closed and your skepticism high:
The Red Flag | What They Say | What They Mean |
The "Secret" Knowledge | "Your doctor doesn't want you to know about this..." | "I am about to say something that isn't FDA-approved." |
Testimonial-Only Evidence | "Sarah lost 20lbs and her butterfly rash vanished!" | "I don't have clinical trials to back this up." |
The "Detox" Narrative | "You just need to flush out the toxins." | "I am selling you an expensive laxative." |
Urgency Tactics | "Limited time offer for this healing protocol!" | "I want you to buy before you have time to ask your doctor." |
The Bottom Line
The reason people love selling to lupus patients is that hope is a powerful commodity.
When you are in a flare, you are vulnerable, and these companies know it. The heartbreaking truth is that the industry targeting the chronically ill is a multi-billion-dollar machine that thrives on the gap between conventional medicine and patient frustration.
Authentic wellness is about adding tools to your toolkit—like better sleep, anti-inflammatory movement, and stress management—not replacing life-saving medication with "magic beans." Your rheumatologist might not have a "miracle" for you, but they do have the data to keep your kidneys functioning.
Compiled By: Kelli (Casas) Roseta
**All resources provided by this blog are for informational purposes only, not to replace the advice of a medical professional. Kelli encourages you to always contact your medical provider with any specific questions or concerns regarding your illness. All intellectual property and content on this site and in this blog is owned by morethanlupus.com. This includes materials protected by copyright, trademark, or patent laws. Copyright, More Than Lupus 2026.
Sources:
To help you build out your blog or further your research, here are the direct links to the investigations, reports, and products mentioned:
Investigations & Government Reports
Stem Cell Therapies: The Truth Behind Wellness Scams | American Council on Science and Health
FDA Warning on Umary and Amazy (2024–2025): The official health fraud alert regarding products tainted with hidden drug ingredients like diclofenac and omeprazole.
FTC Action Against Stem Cell Institute of America (2025): Details on the $5.1 million settlement and permanent ban on marketing unproven stem cell "cures."
DOJ National Health Care Fraud Takedown (2025): The summary of the historic $14.6 billion enforcement action targeting medical fraud and patient exploitation.
"The Public Health Perils of Search Engine Marketing" (2025): The academic article exploring how predatory companies use search algorithms to target vulnerable patients.
Comments