Wellness culture loves a good trend, especially one that comes with impressive-sounding scientific language. The problem? Many of these trends take a small grain of truth and blow it up into miracle cure territory without actual evidence to back up the claims.
Here are five wellness trends that sound convincing but don't hold up under scientific scrutiny.
1. Alkaline Water for "pH Balance"
The Claim: Your body is "too acidic" from modern life, and alkaline water (pH 8-10) helps restore balance, preventing disease and boosting energy.
The Reality: Your body maintains its pH within an incredibly tight range (7.35-7.45) using your kidneys, lungs, and buffer systems. This happens automatically, 24/7, regardless of what you drink.
If alkaline water actually changed your blood pH, you'd be in the emergency room, not feeling energised. Your stomach acid (pH 1.5-3.5) neutralises alkaline water within minutes anyway.
The Science: A 2012 study in the Journal of Environmental Health found alkaline water might help with acid reflux symptoms - but that's about reducing stomach acid, not changing your body's overall pH. There's no evidence it boosts immunity, or detoxifies anything.
Bottom Line: Your kidneys are better at pH regulation than expensive water. Save your money.
2. "Detox" Teas and Cleanses
The Claim: Your body accumulates "toxins" that need special products to flush out. These cleanses will reset your system and boost your health.
The Reality: Your liver, kidneys, lungs, and lymphatic system detox your body continuously without any help. They're remarkably efficient at filtering waste and neutralising harmful substances.
Most "detox" products are combinations of laxatives, diuretics, and caffeine. They make you lose water weight and have frequent bowel movements - which people mistake for "toxins" leaving their body.
The Science: A 2015 review found no evidence that detox diets remove toxins or provide health benefits. The weight loss is temporary water and waste, not fat or mysterious accumulated toxins.
What's Actually Happening: You're becoming dehydrated and losing electrolytes, which often makes people feel terrible after the initial "cleansed" feeling wears off.
Bottom Line: Your liver works for free, 24/7. These products are expensive placebos with uncomfortable side effects.
3. Celery Juice as a Cure-All
The Claim: Drinking 16 oz of pure celery juice on an empty stomach can cure everything from autoimmune conditions to mental health issues by providing "cluster salts" that heal your body.
The Reality: Celery juice is nutritionally similar to other vegetable juices - it contains some vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. There's nothing uniquely healing about it, and "cluster salts" aren't a real scientific term.
Juicing removes the fibre, which is actually one of celery's main nutritional benefits. You'd get more nutrients and feel more satisfied eating actual celery stalks.
The Science: No peer-reviewed studies support the specific health claims about celery juice. The trend started from one person's testimonials, not scientific research.
The Problem: People often feel better initially because they're replacing less healthy breakfast choices with a vegetable-based option, not because celery juice has magical properties.
Bottom Line: Celery is a healthy vegetable. Celery juice is just expensive celery without the fibre. Eat the whole vegetable instead.
4. Crystal-Infused Water
The Claim: Crystals transfer their healing "vibrations" or "energy" into water, creating structured water that provides various health benefits depending on the crystal used.
The Reality: Water molecules don't retain "memory" of crystals, and crystals don't emit healing vibrations that transfer to water. This contradicts basic principles of chemistry and physics.
Any perceived benefits are purely psychological - the placebo effect can be powerful, especially when you've invested money and belief in something.
The Science: Multiple studies on "structured water" and water memory claims (including those behind homeopathy) have failed to show any measurable effects.
What You're Actually Buying: Expensive water with rocks in it. The hydration benefits come from drinking water, not from the crystals.
Bottom Line: If you enjoy the ritual and it makes you drink more water, that's fine - but don't expect anything beyond hydration and placebo effects.
5. Oil Pulling for Everything
The Claim: Swishing oil (usually coconut or sesame) in your mouth for 10-20 minutes "pulls" toxins from your entire body through your mouth, curing everything from headaches to heart disease.
The Reality: Oil pulling might help with oral hygiene by trapping bacteria (similar to how mouthwash works), but it doesn't remove toxins from your bloodstream or cure systemic health issues.
Your mouth isn't connected to your detox organs in a way that allows oil swishing to cleanse your liver, kidneys, or bloodstream. That's not how anatomy works.
The Science: A few small studies suggest oil pulling may reduce oral bacteria and improve gum health - similar to regular mouthwash. However, there's no evidence it treats conditions outside your mouth.
The Confusion: People often start oil pulling as part of an overall health kick, then attribute other positive changes (better diet, more exercise, reduced stress) to the oil pulling.
Bottom Line: It might help your oral health, but it's not a full-body detox system. Regular brushing and flossing are more effective and less time-consuming.
The Pattern Behind These Trends
Notice what these trends have in common:
-
They take a grain of truth and exaggerate it - Hydration matters, liver health is important, oral hygiene helps, vegetables are nutritious
-
They use scientific-sounding language - "pH balance," "toxins," "structured water," "cluster salts"
-
They promise simple solutions to complex problems - One product fixes multiple health issues
-
They rely heavily on testimonials rather than peer-reviewed research
-
They often make you feel like you're doing something special - which can create placebo effects
Product Spotlight: Evidence-Based Support
While we're skeptical of wellness trends that promise miraculous results, we do believe in supplements that are backed by solid research and transparent about their mechanisms.
Essentials Plus contains ingredients with established research behind them - not because they're trendy, but because they work through well-understood pathways in your body.
Take L-Theanine in Essentials Plus: instead of claiming it "detoxifies" or "balances energy," we know it works by increasing alpha brain waves and modulating neurotransmitters like GABA. The research shows it can reduce stress and improve focus - a specific, measurable effect with a clear mechanism.
No miracle cures, no pseudoscientific language, no unrealistic promises. Just ingredients that do what they're supposed to do, backed by peer-reviewed research and transparent dosing.
Because the best wellness trend is understanding what you're putting in your body and why.
