Supposed ‘health’ products like collagen creams and detox teas can be a waste of your money, according to a review.
Consumer champion Which? also took aim at vitamin shots, finding that their main ingredient is ‘typically fruit juice’.
This is despite the products that claim to boost energy and fatigue costing around £2 for 60ml – roughly the same price per litre as Moët & Chandon champagne.
Which? examined the ingredients, price and health claims peddled by six types of wellness products and supplements.
It also asked experts for a verdict on the items’ effectiveness.
Consumer champion Which? also took aim at vitamin shots, finding that their main ingredient is ‘typically fruit juice’. This is despite the products that claim to boost energy and fatigue costing around £2 for 60ml – roughly the same price per litre as Moët & Chandon champagne. Which? said popular brand Moju’s immunity drink ‘contains a range of vitamins that you could get much cheaper elsewhere’
Its review said: ‘While the slick packaging might promise a world of health benefits, our research suggests in many cases there isn’t currently robust enough evidence to justify the price.
‘Or, you can just as easily get the same benefits elsewhere for less.’
The review concluded that vitamin shots were unnecessary for people who already follow a healthy and balanced diet.
Additionally, the vitamins the juices contained, including vitamin C and zinc, can be purchased at a more affordable price elsewhere.
It said popular brand Moju’s immunity drink ‘contains a range of vitamins that you could get much cheaper elsewhere’.
Detox teas are also not worth your cash, the review ruled. The ASA, which regulates advertising claims in the UK, says there is no herbal tea that can ‘detox your body’.
Our kidneys, liver and digestive system ‘do that for us already’, Which?’s review says in regards to detoxing our bodies. It named Twinings for continuing to market its detox tea.
Experts have also said it’s ‘impossible’ to create targeted painkillers that are able to help specifically headaches, period pain or joint pain and often you are paying a premium price for ‘packaging’.
Pain specialist Dr Andrew Moore, a former Oxford University senior research fellow, explained that paying extra for ibuprofen lysine could be worth it but stressed there was no need to pay more for branded products marketed for a specific pain.
Which? found Tesco own-brand ibuprofen lysine costs £2.25 for 12.
The supermarket’s Migraine Relief is £2.35 for the same thing, while the equivalent pack of Nurofen migraine relief pills with the same active ingredient is £4.
In regards to functional mushrooms such as reishi, lion’s mane and chaga, Which? said ‘there isn’t enough evidence yet to suggest they work’.
Which? noted some health claims are allowed to be made about reishi mushrooms because this ingredient is currently under review.
However, claims made about other types of mushroom are ‘often based on different common proven ingredients, such as omega-3 and vitamins B12 and D, rather than the mushrooms themselves’.
Expensive vitamin shots that claim to boost immunity are far from a panacea for all your health issues
For example, Dirtea Lion’s Mane powder (£39.99 for 30 servings) doesn’t contain any added extras and the packaging claims it ‘may support nerve and brain health’.
Last year, the ASA banned a number of the brand’s social media ads for implying its product could prevent, treat or cure conditions such as anxiety and dementia, said Which?.
Dirtea said that it was committed to ‘supporting rigorous scientific research to further understand and validate the health benefits of [functional mushroom] products.’
Although there are some studies that support claims that collagen creams and supplements are good for healthy bones, joints and skin, on large these trials are funded by brands and many of the benefits are unproven by large-scale independent studies.
Experts also informed Which? that when collagen is applied to the skin, molecules are too big to even penetrate the outer layer of skin.
Even when the products are broken down into peptides, it is unlikely to reach the deeper layers of skin to have any long-lasting effects.
Research also highlighted that collagen creams often contain other ingredients, such as glycerin for hydration and retinol for rejuvenation, which could explain any viable improvements to the skin.
Hair loss shampoos have also come under fire in the Which? review.
Because hair loss can be caused by a range of factors from genetics, illness and stress to pregnancy, hormonal changes and poor diet, there cannot be one solution that helps everybody.
For example, caffeine shampoo claims to be able to help people whose hair is sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone, which can shrink hair follicles and stilt growth.
However, large-scale studies have not proven the effectiveness of caffeine shampoos.
Source: Mail Online
