Health Products You Thought Were Good For You But Actually Aren't

We all know someone who got really into body building and "Keeping up with the Kardashians" and decided that waist trainers are the "it" device to make all of your physical concerns just melt away. However, corsets fell off the face of the earth for a reason. Why must we reinvent these torture devices? 

The notion behind waist trainers is that they train your waist to be slimmer and create a more apparent hourglass shape (via Healthline). These restrictive garments train your waist to be smaller in the same way that training bras train preteen girls breasts to ... oh right, they don't get trained to do anything. Initially, a waist trainer might encourage a loss of water weight because of how stifling they are. You are likely to drop water weight by sweating. Furthermore, because the boning and closure systems can be so compressive, you might eat less because your stomach is literally being forced to share real estate with your spleen and large intestine — and this internal rearrangement, incidentally, can cause damage to your organs over time. Wearing a waist trainer during exercise might inhibit your oxygen intake, too, which isn't conducive to having a good workout at all. 

In sum, wearing a waist trainer to lose weight might cause breathing problems, internal organ damage, and digestive complications. This is in addition to them having the same efficacy as taking your pet betta fish to puppy training lessons. 

Though the height of the gluten-free fad seems to have lost a bit of fervor, avoiding gluten is still thought by some to be a healthier way to eat. However, this isn't always the case, as gluten is not harmful for all bodies, especially when consumed in moderation (Mayo Clinic). The trouble starts when people begin swapping a glutenous snack for a gluten-free one. Commercially made gluten-free baked goods are just as unhealthy as their gluten-containing equivalents. The gluten-free options often contain just as much fat, highly-refined sugar, and carbohydrates. They also tend to have lower quantities of protein and vitamins. Gluten-containing products come with a slight redemption in the form of B vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid. Furthermore, gluten flour usually contains some iron, an element that most gluten-free products are lacking. Overall, moderation is key when it comes to indulging in sweets, no matter the type of flour they are made out of. But don't let #glutenfreelife fool you, it isn't inherently healthier than enjoying the occasional butter croissant.

At this point, we've all heard about putting butter in our coffee, though no one has been able to specifically say why this is supposed to be healthier than regular coffee. Well, it isn't. True bulletproof coffee is made by blending black coffee, unsalted butter, and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil in a blender and enjoying this diarrhea propellant beverage instead of breakfast (via Healthline). There is not harm in enjoying this concoction as a treat on occasion, though why you wouldn't opt for a latte like the rest of us is unfathomable. If consumed consistently, though, this coffee fad might not be a healthy choice. The sheer amount of fat in this beverage is likely to suppress your appetite, which is cool and useful since it's supposed to replace your breakfast. But drinking bulletproof coffee instead of a nutritious meal will provide your body with less of the healthful nutrients that it needs to truly thrive. Mathematically speaking, if you typically eat three healthy meals a day and then start skipping one, you'll be decreasing your total nutrient intake by a third. 

Additionally, the jury is out on whether or not saturated fat is the root of all evil, but most experts agree on one thing — the amount of saturated fat you consume should be limited, as it is unhealthy in large doses. Additionally, butter has been proven to contribute to increases in "bad" cholesterol, also known as LDL, more than other dairy products. So, bulletproof coffee might not be a health trend after all. 

The Master Cleanse is a fancy starvation diet that devout followers rant and rave about (per Healthline). However, this "cleanse" does more harm than good. The Master Cleanse is a 10-day (at least) situation in which you don't eat. Instead, whenever you feel hungry — which must be constantly — you imbibe in some spring water doctored up with maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. At least six servings are required per day. Herbal teas and laxatives are allowed, if not encouraged, in addition to drinking a quart of salt water every morning to stimulate bowel movements. 

The Master Cleanse rose to popularity because people believed it worked for weight loss, which is does because — newsflash! — starvation is a very effective temporary weight loss tactic. By creating such a dramatic calorie deficit, weight is lost, and you'd better believe you'll save a few bucks on groceries. But following such a strict plan means that your body will not be receiving the micro and macro nutrients it needs to sustain life. On the Master Cleanse, you'll mostly be getting calories from the maple syrup, which is yummy, but is only sugar. Six servings per day is the equivalent of about 138 g of sugar, far more than the recommended amount. Negative side effects abound from starvation and the Master Cleanse alike. These side effects include, but are not limited to, gallstones, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, electrolyte imbalances, and blood sugar complications. This is definitely a trend that should be politely declined by one and all.

If you have not yet been inducted into #bachelornation, welcome. The arc goes like this — go on a reality TV show, gain a ton of followers, and start pushing detox teas. Unfortunately, the problem with these teas runs deep, and it's not just former Bachelor franchise contestants trying to hock this stuff (ahem, Kylie Jenner).

Since detox teas tend to fall into the "supplements" category in the eyes of the FDA, they are far less regulated than things that fall into the "medications" category (via Bustle). From Flat Tummy Tea to FitTea, these thinly veiled weight loss supplements are targeted toward women who are already actively dieting. Detox teas appear to follow the same blueprint when it comes to preying on women's insecurities advertising: They use buzz words like "wellness" and "toxins" coupled with a photo of a young woman's flat and airbrushed abs beneath her alabaster smile. It is highly fictionalized, aspirational marketing at its finest.

When boiled down (pun intended), the teas combine caffeine with laxative-like substances that culminate in a "lighter" feeling, though the main thing being lost is water weight. Over time, laxative use can harm a handful of bodily systems and functions, leading to gastrointestinal problems and potential deficiencies in essential nutrients. In general, we should all collectively swear off of the word "detox" as it is — it's misleading. Our livers and kidneys work really well to keep our bodies clean and functional. There is no need to supplement with an expensive tea sold by someone with a team of fitness professionals and unlimited access to FaceTune. 

Sure, yoni eggs existed before Gwyneth's Paltrow started using them, but most of us didn't know about them, and likely for good reason. Yoni eggs are egg-shaped rocks that are meant to be inserted into the vagina for reasons that don't really make any sense. But hey, Gwyneth once stated on her blog that they used to be used by Chinese royalty and they were strictly guarded because of their incredible benefits (via BuzzFeed). The statement has since been removed, but we remember, Gwyneth, we remember. 

Yoni eggs are meant to be worn (?) anywhere from a few minutes to overnight because they guide the body into an "involuntary Kegel," thereby helping to tone the pelvic floor (via Healthline). Though a stronger pelvic floor is associated with a slew of benefits, according to Healthline, the yoni egg isn't likely to help you achieve that end — indeed, the contraction required to keep it in place is more likely to cause bowel strain and pain in the pelvis, back, and abdomen. Goop also claims that yoni eggs can help balance the female hormones, which is glaringly untrue. Utilizing a yoni egg overnight is a good way to encourage the growth of bacteria within the vagina. Yoni eggs sound like another great "health" product to avoid like plague. 

Diet sodas are often touted as a healthy alternative to full-sugar sodas. However, evidence to support that diet soda might actually be harmful is emerging (per Medical News Today). Specifically, this evidence points toward the artificial sweeteners, often called low-calorie sweeteners or LCSs (via Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). The ongoing research names the LCSs as the main culprit that lead to metabolic issues (per Healthline). Scientists suggest that artificial sweeteners could stimulate your appetite and wind up causing you to eat more. LCSs might also arouse the sweet receptors in your brain, and since the diet sodas themselves have zero calories, you might eat more of something sweet later to satisfy those recently awoken receptors. Scientists are quick to state that they are not pointing fingers at diet soda and artificial sweeteners as causes of weight gain, which is more likely caused by other dietary complications. While more research is necessary to confirm the relationship between soda and poor health outcomes, the correlations are clear: Drinking too much diet soda has been linked to heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, dementia, stroke, and nonalcoholic fatty liver syndrome. How is that for a lineup of health consequences? 

In the end, the only benefit diet soda consumption offers is that it can help ease your transition away from a habit of drinking regular soda, thereby cutting down on your daily sugar intake. But this benefit can only be reaped if you then kick the diet soda habit entirely in favor of sparkling water (via Medical News Today).