Deciphering beneficial from deceptive wellness trends
Experts highlighted wellness habits for individuals to adopt and ignore in 2026.
Although many trends being promoted on social media may be ineffective, some have shown benefit, according to a report from NPR. For instance, the experts cited in the report suggested that fat-free, low-fat and full-fat dairy products may provide similar health effects. Additionally, whole milk could offer greater increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with skim milk; however, more research is needed to confirm the potential benefits of full-fat dairy products. In addition, creatine supplements could help individuals add lean muscle mass when paired with workouts.
Nonetheless, the experts noted that walking with a weighted vest may not improve bone health or muscle strength, consuming high-protein snack foods does not enhance their health benefits and drinking methylene blue dye could be ineffective in healthy individuals and comes with adverse effects such as serotonin toxicity. Further, some trends such as wearing a continuous glucose monitoring device among individuals without diabetes had variable outcomes — with data showing its benefit among some participants and no benefit among others. The device has also been shown to be inaccurate in day-to-day readings or miscalculate blood glucose levels compared with blood tests. Individuals were also advised to avoid substituting vegetable oils for unhealthy alternatives like beef tallow, which can lead to hypertension and clogged arteries, especially as the culprits in processed foods are refined grains, starches, sugars, sodium, preservatives and chemical additives.
Read more: NPR
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.