90% of Americans believe at least one conspiracy theory

Does false health or wellness beliefs fall count as a conspiracy theory?
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…….That methods like cleanses, juice fasts, supplements and sauna sessions can detoxify the body is among the most misleading wellness claims.

“Detox” practices might feel good, have a place in someone’s personal routine, lead to weight loss or create a placebo effect, but experts have repeatedly debunked claims that they meaningfully remove toxins from our bodies.

In fact, in some cases, they may do the opposite by harming our built-in detoxification systems; nutritional supplements account for 20% of toxic liver damage in the US.

Aside from medical interventions prescribed for specific conditions, there’s almost nothing we can do to help our bodies detox more effectively.

Instead, it’s good practice to stay hydrated, get adequate rest, exercise and maintain good nutrition with a balanced diet high in vitamin-rich plants, all of which support the function of our kidneys, liver and other organs.

Yet the idea of clearing out our bodies has captivated the public imagination for millennia. “We’ve been doing some version of detoxing since antiquity,” says Dr Christopher Labos, a cardiologist, epidemiologist and the author of 2023’s Does Coffee Cause Cancer? And 8 More Myths about the Food We Eat.

Only with the development of modern medicine and germ theory have we realized “that much of that rationale of detoxing doesn’t actually hold true”, he says

The current moment is no different. In fact, we may be talking about, believing in, and spending more money on detoxing than ever.

Research estimates the global market for detox wellness products will rise from $49bn in 2019 to $80.4bn by 2030. In 2018 alone, Americans spent more than $62m on detox teas. And with “detox” on the label, even basic products are sold at a premium.

Social media is a breeding ground for detox content. On TikTok, more than 132m posts use the hashtag #detox, detailing how to fill your belly button with castor oil or drink dangerous borax highballs.

Influencers can earn income through affiliate links to dubious detox products on TikTok or Instagram.

Users can grow their audience by sharing health “hacks” that span from pointless to harmful, broadcasting their beliefs that lemon water revolutionized their health or that most Americans have a stomach full of parasites.

Why are we so susceptible to detox claims? It doesn’t help that most detox hacks bear a sheen of logic, making them psychologically appealing even when spurious (I once bought liquid chlorophyll because it seemed correct that drinking pure green plant essence would bolster my health).

Nor that mainstream medical institutions leave many people feeling dismissed, making them more receptive to unverified health advice.

Almost a decade ago in the Guardian, the German physician Edzard Ernst described commercial detox products, like prefab cleanses and tinctures, as a “criminal exploitation of the gullible”, claiming they promised “a simple remedy that frees us of our sins”.

“When most of us utter the word ‘detox’, it’s usually when we’re bleary-eyed and stumbling out of the wrong end of a heavy weekend,” the article stated, and it’s true that online searches for “detox” reliably surge in January, after weeks of holiday indulgence.…….

https://www.theguardian.com/wellnes...se-health-myth-science?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other