The best and worst health and wellness fads in India during the past decade
Health trends aren’t always healthy. For every trend or product that helps us get healthier, there are hundreds that are simply a flash-in-the-pan fad. Some may just put a big dent in your bank account with no reward, while others may harm you. However, when it comes to health and wellbeing people often end up following the trends that each new season brings with it. Health is an incredibly individualized thing. Some people are drawn to unconventional health treatments for legitimate reasons, like feeling disbelieved by doctors or lacking access to affordable healthcare, for example. But the problem is, when so many people get on board with a specific trend, we often end up trusting it as gospel. And that's not always a good thing, because these trends aren't always harmless. Below we reminisce some of the best and the worst wellness fads in India during the past decade.
Ayurveda originated in India about 5,000 years ago and translates to “knowledge of life”. It’s not a single method of living, but a healing and lifestyle approach that includes the awareness of how the mind and body are connected. Certainly, Ayurvedic principles can be beneficial, but as with most things, it requires balance, moderation, and a personalized medical recommendation to ensure its right for you.
Blood sugar or blood pressure cannot be cured by just consuming Ayurvedic medicines, there is biggest misconception about it. It can be kept in control but none of the above diseases are curable.
Some women have their placentas "encapsulate" after giving birth and consume the pills, which are thought to help speed recovery from pregnancy and diminish postpartum depression. However, there's no data supporting the pills' impact. Yes, the placenta is filled with nutrients, but it remains unproven that humans derive any benefit from ingesting it.
One of the biggest fads among women is that cranberry juice cures UTIS. It is tasty but it does not help in curing UTI’s.
It is absolutely a myth that breast cancer can only occur when you have a family history. About 75% of women with breast cancer have no family history. Also, breast injury does not cause breast cancer. Miscarriages are not always caused by stress or lifting a heavy object. Most miscarriages occur because of genetic abnormalities in the embryo and are not the result of anything you did or did not do. Other causes of miscarriage include chronic health conditions like diabetes, physical disorders affecting the reproductive system, and lifestyle habits like alcohol use during pregnancy.
Juice of papaya leaves does not cure Dengue fever. However, if not sterilised properly it can do more harm to the patient.
Basil leaves cannot cure Blood sugar. People often end up stopping medications for blood sugar and starts consuming basil leaves.
However, if we see the other side of the coin there are some ancient practices in India which had proven benefits on the health and wellness of individuals. For an instance, cooking in clay pots adds calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sulphur and several other minerals to food. Clay pots are also alkaline in nature, so they mix well with acidic food and balance its PH level. Cloves are good for cough and cold. Walking is good for health however there is a misconception that walking over dew drops keeps our eyes healthy. Nowadays due to increasing pollution, doctors recommend everyone to take a stroll in the evening as it is much better for our lungs as compared to walking in the morning.
Summing up, there are several other health and wellness fads in India which had created a huge buzz in the life of every individuals. However, none of these fads have been scientifically proved.
