Function Health’s New Erewhon Smoothie Was Designed to Highlight Nutritional Gaps and Promote Telehealth Lab Testing

Why It Matters

The launch ties real‑world product experience to Function's lab‑derived insights, accelerating user enrollment and reinforcing the business case for data‑driven nutrition interventions in telehealth.

Key Takeaways

• 65% users have high insulin levels
• 70% lack key nutrients like vitamin D
• Smoothie priced $16, includes coupon for new members
• Function valued $2.5B, 500k users, 160 tests
• Erewhon partnership expands retail presence for telehealth

Pulse Analysis

Function Health’s new Erewhon smoothie illustrates how telehealth firms are turning biometric data into tangible consumer products. By analyzing over 500,000 lab results, Function identified a striking prevalence of metabolic and micronutrient gaps—65% of users exhibit high insulin, a marker often missed in routine exams. This data-driven insight underscores a broader shift toward preventive care, where continuous monitoring and early detection become the foundation for personalized health strategies, challenging traditional episodic medical visits.

The collaboration with Erewhon leverages the retailer’s premium positioning to bring a science‑backed beverage to the grocery aisle. At $16 per bottle, the smoothie combines blueberries, greens, plant protein, omega‑rich oils, chia, flax and prebiotic fibers, directly addressing the deficiencies highlighted in Function’s reports. The added $25 discount for new members creates a seamless acquisition funnel, converting grocery shoppers into telehealth subscribers. This cross‑channel approach reflects a growing trend of health brands using retail touchpoints to expand their user base and gather additional lifestyle data.

Industry analysts see this partnership as a bellwether for the convergence of nutrition, technology, and retail. As consumers demand more actionable health insights, companies like Function are poised to monetize data through product collaborations, while retailers benefit from differentiated, health‑focused offerings. The model could spur further alliances, encouraging food manufacturers to embed clinical data into product development. In a market where 80% of users have at least one out‑of‑range biomarker, such integrative strategies may become a competitive imperative, reshaping how preventive health services are delivered and monetized.

Function Health’s new Erewhon smoothie was designed to highlight nutritional gaps and promote telehealth lab testing

By Glossy Staff · February 2026

The telehealth platform launched in 2022 with direct‑to‑consumer medical testing, including labs for nutritional deficiencies, hormone irregularities and other biomarkers it says are often missed in traditional medical visits. Today, it’s raising awareness of nutritional deficiencies identified in lab tests of Function’s nearly 500,000 telehealth users through the launch of a limited‑edition Erewhon smoothie.

“We have almost half a million members now, and we’re seeing 65 % have really high insulin levels, 54 % have high ApoB that’s related to cardiovascular risk, and 70 % are low in many nutrients like vitamin D, B vitamins, omega 3s, iron and magnesium,” Mark Hyman, MD, co‑founder and chief medical officer of Function, told Glossy. “The smoothie is designed to address a lot of the gaps … and to get people to think about food and their biology together.”

Function Health’s Erewhon smoothie was released on Tuesday in brick‑and‑mortar Erewhon locations and will be available for one year. It includes blueberries, greens, plant protein, omega‑rich oils, chia, flax and prebiotic fibers. It is bottled, found in the juice section, and will retail for $16. The smoothie comes with a $25‑off coupon for new Function members in an effort to boost customer acquisition.

Function offers around 160 lab tests to its members, as well as medical imaging through its 2023 acquisition of elective MRI provider Ezra. Function membership starts at $365 per year and includes AI‑powered medical data analysis and storage. According to Function, about 80 % of its users have at least one biomarker outside the healthy range. Function Health was valued at $2.5 billion last year.

According to Dr. Hyman, the average American eats around 135 pounds of sugar and 130 pounds of flour per year, which he says is driving up the occurrence of acne, fertility issues, diabetes, cancer, dementia and many more issues. Dr. Hyman told Glossy that, according to its lab partner Quest, testing blood‑sugar levels is being widely ignored.

“Nobody’s testing insulin — less than 1 % of doctors will measure an insulin level when they check your labs,” he said. “[We’re testing everyone we treat] and we’re seeing this massive problem; sixty‑five percent of the population has this [high blood sugar] problem, but nobody’s looking for it, nobody’s diagnosing it, and nobody’s treating it — and it’s the biggest killer in America.”

This marks the second food‑based partnership this year for Function. In January, Sweetgreen unveiled a new‑year‑focused salad designed by Dr. Hyman. He told Glossy the Function team is open to more partnerships, as well.

“We’re able to help people understand what’s going on, what to do about it and what the root causes are — not just do the old medicine better, but really do a different type of medicine,” Dr. Hyman said. “It’s based on understanding your body as a system and a network, and optimizing and creating health.”

Erewhon operates 10 locations in Los Angeles. They sell hot and prepared foods; juice, coffee, and smoothies, as well as beauty and wellness products, and groceries. The company declined to be interviewed for this article. According to Forbes, Erewhon generated more than $171 million in profit in 2023.

Function joins the growing cohort of celebrities and brands that have partnered with Erewhon on the collab‑smoothie trend. This includes Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Kendall Jenner, plus brands like Salt & Straw, Dedcool, and YSE Beauty.