HoldsUp

Mark Hyman, MD · 2025-09-03 · Mark Hyman (host), Nolan Williams

One Dose That Heals Addiction, PTSD, and Brain Injury | The Science of Ibogaine

42 research-tied claims examined: 5 overstated 3 context 30 supported 4 unverified

5

Overstated

0:17:34Mark Hyman (host)overstatedmoderate

The state of Texas allocated $50 million in funding for ibogaine research.

"and I think in Texas there's $50 million allocated for research effort on ibogaine, which is like—I was sort of shocked to see." (said at 0:17:34)

While legislation has been introduced in the Texas Legislature to establish a consortium to sponsor and conduct clinical trials for ibogaine to pursue FDA approval for opioid use disorder and related conditions, the state of Texas has not enacted an approved $50 million appropriation for ibogaine research. High-profile proposals exploring significant public funding for ibogaine research (such as a proposed $42 million allocation from opioid settlement funds in Kentucky and legislative consortium proposals in Texas) have been actively debated, but treating a $50 million state allocation as enacted funding overstates the status of state legislation.

0:40:39Nolan Williamsoverstatedlow

In a study of veterans undergoing ibogaine treatment, participants exhibited a sustained reduction in alcohol consumption that approached zero despite not seeking treatment for alcohol use.

"So, our data, we we also collected alcohol use. Um, and what we found was, and we're going to publish this soon, that uh people's alcohol use really precipitously dropped almost close to to zero. And so just almost everybody just really dramatic improvements in alcohol um and uh and maintained it." (said at 0:40:39)

While prospective observational data on Special Operations Forces Veterans receiving combined ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment showed a statistically significant reduction in alcohol misuse scores through 6 months post-treatment, the claim overstates the magnitude of effect and proportion of participants who benefited. Rather than alcohol use dropping 'almost close to zero' for 'almost everybody', only 24% of veterans with baseline risky drinking achieved total abstinence at 1 month (16% at 6 months), and 53% remained risky drinkers at 6 months. Additionally, these open-label observational findings lack a control group.

0:54:15Nolan Williamsoverstatedvery low

Survivors of the October 7th festival attack in Israel who were under the influence of MDMA exhibited a statistically significantly lower incidence of PTSD onset compared to those who were not.

"There's an analysis of the, you know, events that happened in Israel with the with the rave, right? And in that situation, there was a certain percentage of those people that were actually on MDMA. I don't know if you know about that. ... They actually saw a statistically significantly lower PTSD onset in individuals that were on MDMA compared to people that weren't for that experience" (said at 0:54:15)

Studies examining survivors of the October 7, 2023 Nova festival attack who were under the influence of psychoactive substances (including MDMA/empathogens and classic psychedelics) have explored peritraumatic experiences and psychological outcomes. Preliminary mixed-methods and observational survey data suggest that survivors frequently reported subjective benefits in acute emotional coping and functionality during the attack, alongside complex post-event integration. However, claiming a definitive or established protective effect against PTSD onset overstates the evidence, which consists of retrospective, uncontrolled observational and qualitative data subject to substantial recall bias, self-selection, and confounding.

0:42:35Mark Hyman (host)overstatedmoderate

Food- and diet-related chronic disease kills over one million people annually in the United States.

"chronic disease related to food is, you know, killing a million-plus people a year in America." (said at 0:42:35)

While chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes collectively account for over 1.5 million deaths annually in the United States, epidemiologic modeling indicates that suboptimal diet is attributable to roughly 300,000 to 500,000 deaths per year—not more than one million. In a nationwide comparative risk assessment published in JAMA, suboptimal intake of 10 dietary factors was associated with an estimated 318,656 cardiometabolic deaths (45.4% of total deaths from heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes) per year in US adults.

1:03:40Nolan Williamsoverstatedmoderate

In the 1700s, many European physicians rejected citrus fruit as a treatment for scurvy, and members of the British Royal Society argued that limes and lemons might make scurvy worse.

"Many of them thought these were-- you know, there weren't that many limes and lemons in Europe at the time, right? This this was considered a South American or an African exotic plant. And so most of the physicians of the day actually rejected uh citrus fruit as a treatment for scurvy. And so as you know the story of anti-fruiters, right? There were lots of people in the British uh Royal Society that said that the that the limes and lemons may actually be making scurvy worse." (said at 1:03:40)

Historical medical literature confirms that in the 18th century, academic physicians and institutions like the British Royal Society largely ignored, dismissed, or delayed adoption of James Lind's 1747 trial demonstrating the efficacy of citrus fruit. Key figures, such as Royal Society president Sir John Pringle, heavily promoted competing theoretical treatments (including malt wort, elixir of vitriol, and purgatives) based on prevailing theories of putrefaction and humoral imbalance. However, claiming that European physicians viewed citrus as an exotic South American/African plant (citrus had been cultivated in Mediterranean Europe for centuries) or that Royal Society members formally argued citrus made scurvy worse overstates and embellishes the nature of 18th-century medical resistance, which was characterized by adherence to alternative theoretical frameworks rather than a claim that citrus actively aggravated the disease.

3

Needs context

0:02:05Mark Hyman (host)needs contextmoderate

Approximately one in four people have experienced sexual abuse.

"Because, you know, the truth is one in four people have had sexual abuse, which is crazy." (said at 0:02:05)

Prevalence estimates for sexual abuse and sexual violence vary widely depending on the specific definitions used (such as childhood sexual abuse, completed rape, or broad contact sexual violence), methodology, and sex. In large representative surveys such as the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), an estimated 43.9% of women and 23.4% of men reported experiencing forms of sexual violence during their lifetime (including unwanted sexual contact, sexual coercion, and being made to penetrate), while 19.3% of women (approximately 1 in 5) and 1.7% of men reported completed or attempted rape. Global meta-analyses of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) find self-reported rates of approximately 18% in females and 7.6% to 8% in males (an overall global rate of ~12.7%). Thus, while approximately 1 in 4 (25%) accurately reflects lifetime experiences of non-rape sexual violence among men and approaches lifetime rape or childhood abuse estimates among women, it conflates differing definitions and sex-specific prevalences.

0:19:58Nolan Williamsneeds contextmoderate

Ibogaine causes QT interval prolongation for a short period of time.

"But, you know, it it prolongs the QT quite a bit for a very short period of time." (said at 0:19:58)

The claim is partially accurate but requires qualification. Ibogaine consistently causes clinically significant QT/QTc interval prolongation (often exceeding 500 ms, with average increases near 95 ms) by blocking hERG potassium channels. However, describing this prolongation as occurring for a "very short period of time" is misleading: while the parent drug's peak effect occurs acutely, QTc prolongation frequently persists beyond 24 hours and can last for several days due to slow clearance and the formation of its active metabolite, noribogaine.

0:41:41Nolan Williamsneeds contexthigh

A New England Journal of Medicine study comparing knee surgery to a sham incision procedure found no difference in clinical outcomes between the two groups.

"So like, I know you probably have seen this New England Journal of Medicine uh total knee replacement study where they they did a total they either did an incision and did nothing or did a total knee, and the um total knee patients in the in with kind of the fake surgery incision folks had no difference in outcomes." (said at 0:41:41)

A landmark randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Moseley et al., 2002) compared arthroscopic knee surgery (lavage or débridement) to a sham procedure (skin incisions and simulated surgery) in 180 patients with knee osteoarthritis, finding no significant differences in pain or functional outcomes between the surgical and sham groups at any point during 24 months of follow-up. A subsequent NEJM trial (Sihvonen et al., 2013) found similar results comparing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy to sham surgery. However, the speaker incorrectly described the procedure as a total knee replacement (arthroplasty); the trials evaluated arthroscopic procedures, not total joint replacements.

30

Supported by research

0:00:30Mark Hyman (host)supportedmoderate

According to the World Health Organization, one out of two people will have a DSM diagnosis at some point in their lifetime.

"there was a WHO statistic that really struck me, which is one out of two people will have a DSM diagnosis at some point in their lifetime." (said at 0:00:30)

A major cross-national analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys across 29 countries (n = 156,331) evaluated the lifetime morbid risk of 13 DSM-IV mental disorders. The study found that by age 75, the estimated lifetime morbid risk of developing at least one mental disorder was 46.4% in males and 53.1% in females, confirming that approximately one out of two individuals is projected to meet criteria for a DSM mental disorder across the lifespan.

0:06:11Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

Ibogaine interacts broadly with essentially all neurotransmitter systems.

"If you look at the pharmacology of ibogaine, it's very broad-acting, right? So it actually interacts with a with a lot of—I mean, essentially all of the neurotransmitter systems in in a unique way." (said at 0:06:11)

Pharmacological radioligand binding screens demonstrate that ibogaine exhibits broad polypharmacology, binding directly to receptors, transporters, and channels across virtually all major neurotransmitter systems. In vitro radioligand binding studies targeting over 50 receptors, ion channels, and transporters showed that ibogaine interacts at micromolar concentrations with opioid receptors (mu, delta, kappa), serotonin receptors (5-HT2, 5-HT3) and transporters, dopamine uptake sites, norepinephrine uptake sites, muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1, M2), and NMDA glutamate receptor channels (PMID: 7568622, PMID: 8995326).

0:09:40Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

Glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) upregulates dopamine neuron health.

"glial-derived neurotrophic factor is a neurotrophic factor that that's involved with dopamine neuron kind of health, right? And so it upregulates dopamine neuron health." (said at 0:09:40)

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was initially identified and characterized for its ability to promote the survival, morphological differentiation, and dopamine uptake of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Extensive in vitro, animal, and translational studies have firmly established GDNF and its receptor signaling pathway (GFRα1/RET) as key neuroprotective and neurotrophic regulators of dopaminergic neuronal maintenance.

0:10:14Nolan Williamssupportedlow

Administering ibogaine to rodents trained to self-administer alcohol causes them to stop self-administering alcohol.

"And if you take a mouse like that and you give them ibogaine, you can actually reverse it. They'll stop self-administering alcohol, which is cool." (said at 0:10:14)

Preclinical studies in rodents demonstrate that ibogaine administration reduces or suppresses alcohol self-administration and consumption. For example, He et al. (2005) demonstrated that ibogaine decreased ethanol intake in rats using both two-bottle choice and operant self-administration models, as well as in a relapse model. Similarly, Glick et al. (2000) showed that ibogaine reduced oral self-administration of ethanol in rats. Evidence is limited to animal (rodent) models and early preclinical research.

0:10:26Nolan Williamssupportedvery low

Injecting glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) directly into the ventral tegmental area of rodents causes them to stop self-administering alcohol.

"If you take a mouse and you inject glial-derived neurotrophic factor into the ventral tegmental area, which is the dopamine-producing area that's involved with more of the reward system, you can also produce the same effect. They will stop self-administering." (said at 0:10:26)

Animal research supports the claim that microinjection of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) directly into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) rapidly and selectively suppresses alcohol intake and operant self-administration in rodents. In rodent models of alcohol consumption and relapse, intra-VTA infusion of GDNF dose-dependently reduced operant self-administration of ethanol without altering sucrose intake, and blocked reacquisition after extinction. Because the evidence is derived entirely from preclinical animal models, certainty is rated very low.

0:10:47Nolan Williamssupportedvery low

Injecting ibogaine directly into the ventral tegmental area stops alcohol self-administration in rodents.

"Inject just ibogaine just into that area, you can recapitulate the effect, right?" (said at 0:10:47)

Preclinical animal research demonstrates that direct microinjection of ibogaine into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) significantly reduces operant ethanol self-administration in rats. This effect is anatomically site-specific (it does not occur when injected into the neighboring substantia nigra) and is mediated via the local upregulation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Because the evidence is derived exclusively from rodent models, the GRADE certainty is very low.

0:11:18Nolan Williamssupportedlow

In a clinical trial published in Nature Mental Health, ibogaine administration produced a general slowing of EEG power spectra that correlated with the strength of the subjective psychedelic experience, PTSD symptom reduction, and cognitive improvement.

"The the the next piece of data that we have, we published in Nature Mental Health, I don't know, a week ago or something, which is a really interesting study where people with that in our trial that received ibogaine had had EEG, like brainwave tests, before, after, and one month after they received ibogaine. And what we saw is this kind of general slowing of all of the the kind of different power spectra of the the EEG, right? So people had a general kind of physiologic slowing of their brain after, and the slowing actually was correlated with the the strength of the trip, like the amount that they had a psychological effect... But also, interestingly, the reduction in PTSD symptoms and the improvement in cognition." (said at 0:11:18)

Evidence from an open-label study evaluating a magnesium-ibogaine protocol in 30 Special Operations Forces veterans with traumatic brain injury found that ibogaine administration was associated with post-treatment EEG slowing (including persistent reductions in peak alpha frequency) that correlated with the intensity of subjective mystical experiences and reductions in PTSD symptoms. The parent trial demonstrated marked improvements in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and functioning. However, evidence is limited by the open-label, uncontrolled study design and small sample size.

0:19:37Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

Geodon (ziprasidone) causes a significant degree of QT interval prolongation.

"Lots of drugs do that. Antipsychotics do that, right? Geodon in particular does that at a great degree." (said at 0:19:37)

Ziprasidone (Geodon) is well-established in systematic reviews, clinical trials, and real-world pharmacovigilance studies as carrying one of the highest risks of corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation among atypical antipsychotics. Network meta-analyses and comparative cohort studies consistently rank ziprasidone near the top among second-generation antipsychotics for mean QTc prolongation and associated hazard.

0:22:24Mark Hyman (host)supportedhigh

Tikosyn (dofetilide) carries an approximate 1-in-100 risk of inducing torsades de pointes.

"And Tikosyn is used for like atrial fibrillation and for for for other kinds of arrhythmias, and so people say, "Well, this has a 1-in-100 risk of of a torsades event" (said at 0:22:24)

Clinical trial data and large observational studies confirm that Tikosyn (dofetilide) carries an approximate 1% to 2% (roughly 1-in-100 to 1-in-50) risk of inducing torsades de pointes (TdP), particularly during inpatient drug loading. In a large cohort study of 1,404 patients undergoing dofetilide loading for atrial fibrillation at the Cleveland Clinic, the incidence of TdP was 1.2% (17 patients). Similarly, in the DIAMOND clinical trials involving patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, the incidence of TdP was 2.1%.

0:24:53Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Ibogaine was listed on the French pharmaceutical formulary from 1930 to 1966 under the brand name Lambarène as a daily microdose medication.

"The French started discovered this in the Western world in about 1900. It was on the French French formulary from 1930 to 1966. And it was actually a at lower doses called Lambarène and was a like a daily microdose essentially." (said at 0:24:53)

Historical literature on the pharmacology of ibogaine confirms that French researchers isolated the alkaloid in 1900 and that low-dose ibogaine was subsequently commercialized as a pharmaceutical product under the brand name Lambarène, alongside other retail formulations, during the 20th century.

  • supports: The long roots of ibogaine: A journey from plant to pharmaceutical (Journal of Psychedelic Studies 2026)
    "isolation of ibogaine from the Tabernanthe iboga plant in 1900 and the early pharmaceutical research on its effects and uses, mainly in the French scientific community, and iii) the commodification of ibogaine in several pharmaceutical products and their international diffusion throughout the 20th century. Drawing on a historiographical approach rooted in postcolonial perspectives on colonial botany, biopiracy, and the intellectual property system, our analysis foregrounds the power-relations that have structured each of these three phases of ibogaine's early development, use, and commercialization as a pharmaceutical. Results Throughout this historical investigation, we present evidence that ibogaine was commercialized in several retail medicines beyond the well-known Lambarène." (abstract, background and results, passage verified)
    openalexfull study (doi)
0:25:33Nolan Williamssupportedlow

Animal studies show that animals do not self-administer ibogaine.

"It is neither people don't self-administer it. There there's no there's no animal data to suggest that there's a self-administration." (said at 0:25:33)

Preclinical animal research demonstrates that ibogaine lacks reinforcing and rewarding properties, and animals do not self-administer it. Instead, animal models consistently show that ibogaine and related iboga alkaloids blunt or reduce the self-administration of other reinforcing substances, including opioids, cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine.

0:29:10Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Intravenous magnesium is recommended by American Heart Association guidelines as the treatment for torsades de pointes.

"magnesium is actually the treatment and the American Heart Association guidelines treatment for um for torsades, the fatal arrhythmia that's the result of of ibogaine." (said at 0:29:10)

Intravenous magnesium is established in clinical practice and cardiology resuscitation guidelines (such as those from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology) as the first-line pharmacologic therapy for torsades de pointes (TdP). In clinical studies and reviews, intravenous magnesium terminates episodes of TdP in approximately 78% of patients, though observational studies emphasize that defibrillation readiness remains necessary.

0:29:35Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Ibogaine interacts with hERG potassium channels to produce cardiac arrhythmias.

"when the ibogaine interacts with the um with the potassium um channels that are involved in the hERG potassium channels are involved in this arrhythmia, that they won't throw the heart into the rhythm." (said at 0:29:35)

Electrophysiological studies in cell models and clinical toxicology literature demonstrate that ibogaine and its primary active metabolite, noribogaine, directly bind to and inhibit human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channels. Because hERG channels conduct the rapid delayed rectifier potassium current (IKr) essential for cardiac repolarization, their blockade delays repolarization, prolongs the QT interval, and can trigger potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias such as torsades de pointes.

0:10:47Nolan Williamssupportedvery low

Direct electrical brain stimulation of the ventral tegmental area can suppress alcohol self-administration in rodent models.

"People have also shown that you can produce this effect by directly stimulating into those areas, right?" (said at 0:10:47)

Preclinical studies in rodent models demonstrate that direct stimulation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) can reduce voluntary ethanol self-administration and alcohol-seeking behavior. Specifically, optogenetic stimulation mimicking tonic firing patterns in VTA dopamine neurons significantly attenuates ethanol intake and appetitive seeking in rats, whereas phasic stimulation can produce opposite effects. Because evidence is limited to animal models, GRADE certainty is very low.

0:25:44Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

Ibogaine is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act.

"but it was lumped in uh to the US Controlled Substance Act, Schedule I substance, which is where it's stayed uh, you know, since then and really prevented folks from using it." (said at 0:25:44)

Under federal law, ibogaine is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act (enacted in 1970). This classification designates it as having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, placing strict regulatory and legal restrictions on its possession, clinical use, and research.

0:28:30Mark Hyman (host)supportedhigh

Intravenous magnesium is used clinically to treat preeclampsia and preterm labor.

"We use it all the time in medicine for preeclampsia or hypertension in pregnancy, for preterm labor" (said at 0:28:30)

Intravenous magnesium sulfate is a standard, widely established clinical therapy in obstetrics. Large systematic reviews and clinical evidence confirm that intravenous magnesium sulfate is used for seizure prophylaxis and treatment in preeclampsia/eclampsia, as well as administered in preterm labor for fetal neuroprotection against cerebral palsy and as a tocolytic agent.

0:35:45Nolan Williamssupportedvery low

An analysis using an AI-based MRI brain age pipeline showed that patients treated with ibogaine had brains that appeared an average of 1.5 years younger at one month post-treatment.

"And what this what this is showing is um, as a group average, people have about a year and a half younger-looking brain at one month." (said at 0:35:45)

A prospective observational study evaluated structural MRI changes in Special Operations Forces veterans with blast-induced traumatic brain injury undergoing a magnesium-ibogaine protocol. Using T1-weighted MRI scans to estimate predicted brain age, researchers found a statistically significant reduction in predicted brain age of 1.3 years at 1-month post-treatment compared to baseline (n = 22). While this matches the speaker's statement of "about a year and a half younger-looking brain," the evidence comes from a small, open-label, uncontrolled cohort study.

0:37:57Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Noribogaine exhibits a cardiac risk profile similar to ibogaine, and ibogaine is metabolized into noribogaine via the CYP2D6 enzyme over roughly 8 to 12 hours.

"So, the noribogaine does have a similar cardiac profile. Ibogaine is metabolized into noribogaine through 2D6. And so you see people with getting ibogaine and they they metabolize um to noribogaine uh in in roughly 12 hour, 8 to 12 hours or something like that." (said at 0:37:57)

Published pharmacological and clinical pharmacokinetic evidence supports the speaker's assertions. Ibogaine is primarily metabolized via O-demethylation to its active metabolite noribogaine by the hepatic cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6. Pharmacokinetic studies in humans demonstrate that ibogaine has an elimination half-life of roughly 8 to 12 hours (reported as ~10.2 hours in extensive/intermediate metabolizers, though highly variable based on CYP2D6 phenotype). Furthermore, toxicological reviews and cardiac studies indicate that noribogaine possesses a cardiotoxicity profile similar to ibogaine, both mediating hERG potassium channel blockade and carrying risks of QT interval prolongation.

0:38:34Nolan Williamssupportedlow

In EEG research on ibogaine, the magnitude of the subjective psychological experience correlated with the degree of PTSD symptom improvement.

"What we found with the EEG stuff that I published a week ago is the degree of that subjective effect is correlated with the degree of the of the PTSD improvement." (said at 0:38:34)

A published open-label study evaluating magnesium-ibogaine therapy in 30 male veterans with traumatic brain injury examined subjective experience using the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30), electroencephalography (EEG) measures, and PTSD symptom severity. The study found that greater intensity of the subjective mystical experience during ibogaine treatment significantly correlated with larger reductions in PTSD symptom severity both immediately (p < 0.001) and one month post-treatment (p = 0.007), as well as with persistent reductions in EEG peak alpha frequency.

0:39:30Mark Hyman (host)supportedhigh

Globally, over 2.5 billion people are overweight, and in the United States, 75% of adults are overweight and 42% are obese.

"There's over 2.5 billion people overweight in the world. Uh obesity is exploding across the planet. And, you know, America where, you know, 75% of us are overweight, 42% are obese." (said at 0:39:30)

The speaker's claims accurately reflect global and US epidemiological data on body weight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and global analyses, approximately 2.5 billion adults (aged 18 and older) worldwide were overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m²) as of 2022, with over 1 billion living with obesity. In the United States, nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) demonstrate that approximately 42% of US adults are obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m²; 42.8% in 2017–2018) and, when combining overweight (BMI 25–<30 kg/m², ~22-31%) and obesity categories, approximately 65-74% of adults have excess body weight (BMI ≥25 kg/m²).

0:40:00Mark Hyman (host)supportedmoderate

According to the Yale Food Addiction Scale, 14% of the global population, including 14% of children, meets the criteria for food addiction, comparable to the roughly 14% rate of alcohol addiction.

"The Yale Food Addiction Scale is a way of measuring food addiction, uh and Kelly Brownell and others developed it, and 14% of the global population is addicted to food, including 14% of kids. Yeah. You know, that's about the same as alcohol; alcohol addiction is about 14%." (said at 0:40:00)

The speaker's statement is closely aligned with published meta-analyses and systematic reviews assessing food addiction via the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) and child versions (YFAS-C). A systematic review and meta-analysis of youth populations (Yilmaz et al., Obesity Reviews, 2021) found an estimated food addiction prevalence of 15% overall (95% CI: 11–19%) and 12% in community samples among children and adolescents. Meta-analyses in broader populations report weighted prevalence estimates ranging from 14% to 20% (e.g., Praxedes et al., 2022; Burrows et al., 2018), and peer-reviewed syntheses (such as Gearhardt et al., BMJ, 2023) benchmark the global prevalence of ultra-processed food addiction at 14% in adults and 12% in children, noting it is comparable to the ~14% prevalence of alcohol addiction.

0:45:20Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

In pivotal clinical trials for oral antidepressants such as Prozac, the difference between active drug and placebo was only 2 to 3 points on a 60-point scale, matching the inter-rater reliability margin of error.

"I mean, if you look at oral antidepressant differences between active and placebo for some of the pivotal trials that led to approval for something like Prozac, you're you're talking about a two-to-three-point difference on a 60-point scale, and the inter-rater reliability um on that scale is two points." (said at 0:45:20)

Comprehensive analyses of clinical trial datasets submitted to the US FDA for antidepressant licensing (including fluoxetine/Prozac) confirm that the mean overall difference between active drug and placebo on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) is modest, typically ranging between 1.75 and 2.5 points. For instance, an individual participant data analysis of 232 randomized placebo-controlled trials submitted to the FDA between 1979 and 2016 found an overall random-effects mean difference of 1.75 points (95% CI: 1.63 to 1.86) favoring antidepressants.

0:47:21Nolan Williamssupportedlow

Ibogaine treatment has produced 20- to 30-point improvements on the 60-point Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

"Yeah. I mean, we're seeing, you know, in some cases a 20- or 30-point change on a 60-point scale, where that scale as a generality people don't really score above mid-30s on on the on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale." (said at 0:47:21)

A prospective open-label observational study of magnesium-ibogaine therapy in 30 Special Operations Forces veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries evaluated depressive symptoms using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The study reported large and statistically significant improvements in depression at one month post-treatment (Cohen's d = 2.80), with individual and mean reductions in MADRS scores aligning with the 20- to 30-point drop described. Because the published evidence comes from an uncontrolled, open-label trial, certainty is graded as low, and randomized controlled trials are required to confirm efficacy.

  • supports: Magnesium-ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (Nature medicine 2024) · cited 70x in the literature
    "Additional secondary outcomes included changes in PTSD (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5), depression (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) and anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale). MISTIC resulted in significant improvements in functioning both immediately (P corrected < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.74) and 1 month (P corrected < 0.001, d = 2.20) after treatment and in PTSD (P corrected < 0.001, d = 2.54), depression (P corrected < 0.001, d = 2.80) and anxiety (P corrected < 0.001, d = 2.13) at 1 month after treatment." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
0:48:25Nolan Williamssupportedhigh

Cannabidiol (CBD) has received regulatory approval for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy syndromes, specifically Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

"GW Pharmaceuticals was as it relates to cannabinoids, you know, and so there's an approval, I don't know if it's like a full approval or an orphan approval, but there's an approval for um CBD, cannabidiol, for uh pediatric epilepsy syndromes. So, Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome, right?" (said at 0:48:25)

Cannabidiol (CBD oral solution, formulated as Epidiolex by GW Pharmaceuticals) received regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2019 for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in pediatric patients, supported by phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

0:56:58Nolan Williamssupportedlow

Veterans treated with ibogaine exhibited a statistically significant improvement in measures of cognition, specifically in frontal executive control.

"So, what we observed in the veterans was that they had an improvement in cog-- statistically significant improvement in some aspects of cognition, particularly around frontal control." (said at 0:56:58)

Published observational studies investigating ibogaine (including the Stanford MISTIC protocol of magnesium-ibogaine and clinic programs in Special Operations Forces veterans with traumatic brain injuries) reported statistically significant improvements in functional disability, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive measures from baseline to follow-up. However, the available evidence is from open-label, uncontrolled observational cohorts and retrospective surveys, warranting cautious interpretation until validated in randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

  • supports: Open-label study of consecutive ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT assisted-therapy for trauma-exposed… (The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse 2023) · cited 31x in the literature
    "There were significant and large improvements in self-reported PTSD symptoms ( p < .001, d = .414), depression ( p < .001, d = .275), anxiety ( p < .001, d = .276), insomnia severity ( p < .001, d = .351), and post-concussive symptoms ( p < .001, d = .389) as well as self-reported satisfaction with life ( p < .001, d = .371), psychological flexibility ( p < .001, d = .313) and cognitive functioning ( p < .001, d = .265) from baseline to one-month follow-up." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
  • supports: Magnesium-ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (Nature medicine 2024) · cited 70x in the literature
    "In the present study, we report a prospective observational study of the Magnesium-Ibogaine: the Stanford Traumatic Injury to the CNS protocol (MISTIC), provided together with complementary treatment modalities, in 30 male SOVs with predominantly mild TBI. We assessed changes in the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule from baseline to immediately (primary outcome) and 1 month (secondary outcome) after treatment... MISTIC resulted in significant improvements in functioning both immediately (P corrected < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.74) and 1 month (P corrected < 0.001, d = 2.20) after treatment" (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
0:42:23Mark Hyman (host)supportedhigh

Opioid addiction and overdoses kill approximately 70,000 people per year in the United States.

"I mean, you're talking about opioid addiction killing 70,000 people a year" (said at 0:42:23)

Epidemiological data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Vital Statistics System and CDC WONDER database confirm that opioid-involved overdose deaths in the United States reached and exceeded 70,000 deaths annually in recent years (surpassing 80,000 deaths in 2021).

1:04:10Mark Hyman (host)supportedvery low

In a study of 30 special operations veterans with brain injury treated with ibogaine, PTSD dropped by 88%, depression dropped by 87%, anxiety dropped by 81%, and disability ratings dropped from moderate disability to no disability.

"I think you when you look at the 30 special ops, you know, special forces veterans who had brain injury, you know, you found really large effect sizes, you know, like the disability ratings drop dramatically from moderate disability to like no disability. You had PTSD drop by 88%, depression drop by 87%, anxiety by 81%, improved cognition." (said at 1:04:10)

The speaker accurately recounts the results of a prospective, open-label observational study published in Nature Medicine (2024) evaluating the Magnesium-Ibogaine: the Stanford Traumatic Injury to the CNS (MISTIC) protocol in 30 male Special Operations Forces veterans with traumatic brain injury. At one month post-treatment, the study reported an 88% reduction in PTSD symptoms (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5), an 87% reduction in depression scores (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale), an 81% reduction in anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale), and a significant reduction in disability on the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-2.0), shifting average impairment from moderate disability at baseline to no disability. Because this was an open-label, uncontrolled observational study with a small sample size (n = 30), certainty in the therapeutic efficacy of ibogaine itself remains very low until randomized controlled trials are completed.

  • supports: Magnesium-ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (Nature medicine 2024) · cited 70x in the literature
    "In the present study, we report a prospective observational study of the Magnesium-Ibogaine: the Stanford Traumatic Injury to the CNS protocol (MISTIC), provided together with complementary treatment modalities, in 30 male SOVs with predominantly mild TBI. We assessed changes in the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule from baseline to immediately (primary outcome) and 1 month (secondary outcome) after treatment. Additional secondary outcomes included changes in PTSD (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5), depression (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) and anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale). MISTIC resulted in significant improvements in functioning both immediately (P corrected  < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.74) and 1 month (P corrected  < 0.001, d = 2.20) after treatment and in PTSD (P corrected  < 0.001, d = 2.54), depression (P corrected  < 0.001, d = 2.80) and anxiety (P corrected  < 0.001, d = 2.13) at 1 month after treatment." (abstract, results, passage verified)
    pubmedfull study (doi)
1:07:45Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Clinical OCD data shows that large therapeutic effects can be achieved by isolating and modifying a single brain circuit.

"It looks like from our OCD data, that you can get big effects from just isolating one brain circuit and modifying it." (said at 1:07:45)

Clinical data from targeted neuromodulation in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—including deep brain stimulation (DBS) and circuit-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting specific cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical pathways—demonstrate large therapeutic effects. Meta-analyses of DBS trials targeting defined nodes and white matter tracts (such as the anterior limb of the internal capsule and inferior thalamic peduncle) demonstrate substantial symptom reductions on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), with response rates around 60% and significant differentiation in clinical efficacy based on specific anatomical circuit targeting.

1:11:01Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

Johns Hopkins psilocybin trials demonstrated personality changes that persisted out to one year.

"the Hopkins group demonstrated this profound personality change that um they observed out to a year, I think, uh early on with their trials with psilocybin." (said at 1:11:01)

Early psilocybin trials conducted at Johns Hopkins University evaluated personality changes across the five-factor model and demonstrated significant increases in the personality trait of Openness following high-dose psilocybin sessions. In participants who had a 'complete' mystical experience during their session, these increases in Openness persisted and remained significantly elevated above baseline at more than one year follow-up.

1:13:06Nolan Williamssupportedmoderate

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 2 people will receive a DSM psychiatric diagnosis or dementia diagnosis at some point in their lifetime.

"there was a WHO statistic that really struck me, which is one out of two people will have a DSM diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Purely psychiatric or dementia. One out of two." (said at 1:13:06)

A 2023 cross-national analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health surveys across 29 countries (n = 156,331) published in The Lancet Psychiatry estimated that approximately 50% (1 in 2) of individuals will develop at least one DSM mental disorder by age 75. The lifetime morbid risk was estimated at 46.4% for males and 53.1% for females across 13 common DSM-IV disorders.

4

No source found (not proven false)

0:25:11Nolan Williamsunverifiedvery low

Ibogaine was placed on France's list of controlled substances in 1966.

"and then placed on the French version of the Controlled Substances Act in '66." (said at 0:25:11)

No published record matching the claim that ibogaine was placed on France's list of controlled substances in 1966 was located; this does not prove the claim false.

0:58:11Nolan Williamsunverifiedvery low

Ibogaine was listed on the French pharmaceutical formulary as a medication for approximately 36 years between the 1930s and 1966.

"why did the French think this was helpful for 36? ... to have a drug on the formulary for 36 years that, you know, wasn't doing anything for the French, it seems unlikely-- it's possible, but unlikely-- that that would have stuck around and been sold for 36 years." (said at 0:58:11)

No published record matching the claim that ibogaine was listed on the French pharmaceutical formulary as a medication for approximately 36 years between the 1930s and 1966 was located; this does not prove the claim false.

1:05:45Nolan Williamsunverifiedvery low

Follow-up data out to one year in special forces veterans treated with ibogaine shows that most participants maintain their clinical improvements.

"So we have data out to a year. It isn't published yet. It's kind of in review now, actually, and uh that looks really good. Uh most people hold it." (said at 1:05:45)

No published record matching one-year follow-up clinical outcome data for ibogaine treatment in Special Operations Forces veterans was located; this does not prove the claim false, as the speaker noted the one-year data was unpublished and under review. Published prospective observational studies in this population have reported significant improvements in functional disability, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and alcohol misuse maintained up to 1 month (Williams et al., Nature Medicine 2024) and 6 months (Davis et al., 2023, 2024) post-treatment.

1:11:59Nolan Williamsunverifiedvery low

As of the time of the discussion, no published studies had administered a standardized personality inventory to assess personality changes following ibogaine administration.

"nobody's done a personality inventory study with ibogaine." (said at 1:11:59)

No published record matching the claim that no studies had administered a standardized personality inventory to assess personality changes following ibogaine administration was located; this does not prove the claim false.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.