Online health trends move fast—usually faster than the speed of science. One week it’s chlorophyll water, the next it’s ice baths or chia water. And because social platforms reward confidence over accuracy, the loudest voices often drown out credible ones. A recent University of Chicago study led by Rose Dimitroyannis, MD confirmed the blurring of facts with clickbait: nearly half of TikTok health videos contain inaccurate information, and the majority of misleading posts come from non-medical influencers.
In short, don’t confuse your news feed with best health practices. We recommend weighing whatever health information you come across on social media and the internet carefully, with many grains of salt. Here’s some tips on how to vet the deluge of information.
Helpful or harmful? How to vet health advice
- Check the source. Is the person offering the advice a physician, registered dietitian, physical therapist, or researcher? Or are they an influencer whose qualifications are based on number of likes.
- Look for evidence. Legit recommendations cite research or consensus from established medical organizations. “I tried this for two weeks and it changed my life” is not evidence.
- Beware absolutes. Anyone claiming a single food, product or ritual will detox, heal or extend lifespan, is selling aspirational projection.
- Watch for sales pitches. If the advice ends with “use my promo code,” that’s a hint.
- Consider risk vs. reward. Some trends are harmless experiments. Others can burn your skin, cause body dysmorphia, or empty your wallet. Know which is which.
20 common myths about heath & wellness – debunked
Here are 20 of the most pervasive myths making the rounds on the internet and social media.
1. Thin is synonymous with healthy
A smaller body doesn’t automatically mean good metabolic health, just as a larger body doesn’t automatically mean disease. Blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, fitness and mental health tell you far more than weight alone.
Verdict: Harmful
2. Detoxes and cleanses make you healthier
Your liver and kidneys work continuously on mission detox. Juice fasts don’t pull “toxins” from your body; they mostly remove calories, fiber and blood sugar stability from your day. Some cleanses can actually cause dehydration and electrolyte issues, not to mention an inability to focus.
Verdict: Potentially harmful
3. Eating before bed leads to weight gain
Your body doesn’t magically store nighttime calories as extra fat. What does happen is behavioral and hormonal. When you’re tired, your hunger and satiety signals get scrambled—ghrelin rises, leptin drops—making you more likely to reach for higher-calorie, fast-reward snacks. And if your sleep is already disrupted, that hormonal imbalance compounds the next day, pushing you toward even more late-night grazing. It’s not the time of day that causes weight gain; it’s the combination of fatigue-driven choices and the way poor sleep meddles with appetite regulation.
So there are good reasons to be cautious about eating at night. Because you are tired, your defenses are down, and it’s way too easy to overdo it. Besides the issue of unnecessary extra calories, eating too close to bedtime can cause indigestion and sleeping problems, and disrupted sleep patterns, in turn, can be a cause of weight gain.
Verdict: Partially valid
4. “Natural” means healthy
“Natural” has become a cornerstone of modern greenwashing. The term implies purity and safety, but it has no regulatory definition in most contexts. Plenty of naturally occurring substances are toxic: think arsenic, hemlock, or certain pathogenic bacteria. At the same time, many medications, supplements and food ingredients developed through synthetic processes are rigorously tested, tightly regulated, and far safer than their so-called “natural” counterparts. Safety is determined by the chemistry of the substance, the dose, and the evidence behind its use—not whether it originated in a lab or a field.
Verdict: Potentially harmful
5, More supplements equals more health
Most people don’t need copious supplements unless a deficiency is confirmed. Overdoing vitamins, especially fat-soluble ones, can cause toxicity as well as dangerous interactions with prescribed medications. Discernment is a better wellness strategy than quantity.
Verdict: Potentially harmful
6. You need to drink eight glasses of water a day
Hydration needs vary by climate, diet, and activity level. The 8-glass rule was never scientifically validated. Your body gives you two more reliable indicators: thirst (the obvious one) and urine color (aim for pale yellow, not clear-as-glass or dark-as-tea). These signals adjust in real time, which makes them far more accurate than any one-size-fits-all rule ever could.
Verdict: Harmless but inaccurate
7. Gluten-free foods are automatically healthier
The gluten-free aisle has become a sanctuary for people convinced that a diet without gluten is a panacea for wellness. But unless you have celiac disease or a medically confirmed gluten sensitivity, gluten-free products offer minimal health advantages. In fact, many of them are more processed than their regular counterparts, relying on refined starches, gums and added sugars to mimic the texture of wheat-based foods.
Verdict: Harmless for most, potentially harmful if it replaces nutrient-dense foods
8. Low-fat is optimal
Healthy fats support hormones, brain function and nutrient absorption. When fat is removed, sugar or fillers usually take its place. The goal is better fats, not no fats.
Verdict: Outdated and sometimes harmful
9. “Feed a cold, starve a fever”
Illness increases metabolic demand. Restricting food during a fever deprives the body of the energy it needs to repair tissue, fuel immune cells, and regulate temperature. Hydration and balanced intake matter for both, since fighting an infection burns through fluids and nutrients faster than usual.
Verdict: Potentially harmful
10. Some sugars are “better” than others
Your body breaks honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and table sugar into similar molecules. Although the natural ones do contain trace minerals, the amounts are not enough to change health outcomes. Added sugars, regardless of whether heavily refined (white sugar) or less refined (honey) still should be limited to no more than 50 grams a day. However, if you side-eye high fructose corn syrup you are not entirely wrong. Corn-syrup-heavy foods tend to be calorie-dense, nutrient-poor, and easy to eat mindlessly.
Verdict: Harmless if understood
11, Potatoes are empty carbs
Potatoes offer potassium, vitamin C, fiber and satiety—they’re one of the most nutrient-dense staple foods humans have ever grown. Their reputation suffers because of frying (yes you, French fries) and calorically-dense (hello, bacon bits) toppings, not the potato itself.
Verdict: Harmless if healthily prepared and served
12. Plant milk is more nutritious than cow’s milk
Plant milk isn’t automatically more nutritious than cow’s milk. These products vary hugely: some are fortified with calcium, vitamin D and protein, while others are mostly starch and added sugar. Cow’s milk, on the other hand, is naturally nutrient-dense, delivering complete protein, calcium, and several key vitamins in a reliable medium.
Verdict: Mixed. Some plant milks match or exceed cow’s milk nutritionally, but many fall short. It depends entirely on the formulation.
13. Your favorite chocolate is loaded with harmful heavy metals
Some chocolate contains trace metals absorbed from soil, but for most people, typical intake remains well below levels associated with harm. Paying attention to sourcing, choosing reputable brands, and varying what you eat are reasonable steps, but the evidence doesn’t support alarm over ordinary chocolate consumption.
Verdict: Exaggerated claim, harmless in normal amounts
14. Seed oils cause obesity, diabetes and other diseases
Current research doesn’t support the claim that seed oils, on their own, drive chronic disease. Oils like canola, soybean and sunflower aren’t inherently inflammatory, and in many studies they actually improve cholesterol profiles when they replace saturated fats. The bigger health risks come from overall dietary patterns, especially ultra-processed foods that happen to include seed oils, not the oils in and of themselves.
Verdict: Internet hype
15. Avoid all processed foods
“Processed” is a huge category. Frozen veggies are processed. Whole-grain bread is processed. The problem is ultra-processing: foods high in salt, fat, sugar, additives, and low in nutrients. Demonizing all processed foods is unhelpful; it’s more accurate to target ultra-processed foods.
Verdict: Misleading oversimplification
16. Ice baths are essential for muscle recovery
Cold immersion can reduce soreness and swelling, as icing restricts blood flow and slows nerve signaling. It can also be a mood lifter: One study showed a five-minute dip in cold water boosted feelings of alertness and attentiveness and decreased perceived distress and anxiety. But in excess, as in every day, ice baths can hinder strength and muscle growth.
Verdict: Harmless in moderation
17. Facial icing improves skin health
Icing reduces puffiness and redness temporarily. It won’t tighten skin long-term, produce collagen or reverse aging.
Verdict: Harmless but ineffective
18. Chia water helps with weight loss
Chia seeds offer fiber and hydration, which can create temporary fullness, but they don’t burn fat or boost metabolism.
Verdict: Harmless
19. Dry scooping pre-workout is more effective
Taking pre-workout powder without water increases the risk of choking and rapid caffeine absorption, which can trigger heart issues. There is no performance benefit.
Verdict: Potentially harmful
20. Fire cider boosts immune health
Fire cider is a spicy, herbal tonic made by infusing ingredients like garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion and cayenne pepper in raw apple cider vinegar. While it may clear sinuses or feel energizing, it doesn’t prevent infection or strengthen immunity. And too much can irritate the stomach and teeth.
Verdict: Mostly harmless, needs more research to confirm health benefits
The wellness world is full of trends that sound scientific but collapse under basic scrutiny. Most viral advice is oversimplified, overexaggerated, or simply false. The fundamentals of health still are relatively consistent: balanced nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and guidance from qualified professionals. Everything else is often just hype dressed up as expertise.
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