As we dive into the new year, the wellness industry is buzzing with the latest trends promising to transform our health and well-being. But with so much noise, it can be challenging to distinguish the science-backed practices from the overhyped fads. The team at the NPR science desk has done the hard work, sifting through the wellness craze to identify the trends worth adopting and those that are best left behind.
The Return of Full-Fat Dairy
One surprising trend making a comeback is the embrace of full-fat dairy products. For decades, public health messaging warned against high-fat dairy, but recent evidence suggests that the concerns over saturated fat may have been overblown. In fact, some studies have even shown benefits of higher-fat dairy over lower-fat alternatives when it comes to raising HDL, or "good" cholesterol. As food scientist Benoit LaMarche explains, "the argument against it is largely 'circumstantial,'" and experts are increasingly saying that the focus on dairy fat may have been a distraction from larger dietary issues like excess salt, refined carbs, and sugar.
Debunking Dietary Dogma
The NPR team also took a critical look at other wellness trends, including the rise of intermittent fasting and the proliferation of trendy supplement stacks. As registered dietitian Maddie Pasquariello warns, many of these fads touted on social media can actually be counterproductive or even harmful. "My number one tip is actually to just get off social media," she says, "I find that a lot of the reason people overthink their meals or go on crash diets is because they're following all of these different health influencers and wellness creators, and there's just a lot of noise."
Wellness as a Religion?
What this really means is that the wellness industry has become a complex ecosystem of spirituality, self-care, and capitalist consumerism. As NPR's It's Been a Minute podcast explores, the $6 trillion global wellness industry encompasses everything from CBD leggings to Soulcycle, all while blurring the lines between physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The bigger picture here is that we must be discerning consumers, separating the authentic, science-backed practices from the trends driven by hype and profit motives.
As we embark on a new year filled with wellness promises, the key is to focus on the fundamentals backed by decades of research - things like regular exercise, annual checkups, a balanced diet, quality sleep, and stress management. By grounding our health journey in evidence rather than chasing the latest fad, we're more likely to make sustainable changes that truly improve our well-being.