The $20,000 Microplastic Hoax and Other 'Wellness' Scams

Welcome to the first episode under the brand-new banner, Because Why?! The show where my curiosity gets the better of me, and I drag you along for the ride. (You're welcome?)

We’re still talking about the environment, but now the scope is much wider: science, ethical business, politics (even when it makes my eye twitch), and the weird, wonderful, and occasionally infuriating claims floating around out there.

In this episode, I’m kicking things off with wellness trends, dodgy health claims, and overhyped “miracle” fixes people keep getting sold.

From seed oil scaremongering to the microplastic “hoover,” cold plunges, cortisol face, and the mysterious world of “structured water,” let's dissect the pseudoscience to establish what’s true, what’s nonsense, and why these ideas catch on in the first place.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• ​Seed oils - are they really as bad as people say? (No)
• ​The actual science behind seed oils
• ​What the microplastic hoover is - and whether it works (It probably doesn't)
• ​How therapeutic apheresis really stacks up
• ​Practical tips to reduce your microplastic exposure
• ​Why cold plunges might carry more risks than you think
• ​Can you really tell your stress hormone levels just by looking in the mirror? (No)
• ​What cortisol actually does in your body
• ​Why “hormone balancing” is mostly myth and marketing
• ​The three biggest reasons anecdotal evidence tricks us
• ​Can water really be “structured” or “vortexed” to be better for you? (No)
• ​The truth about hydrogen water and the science behind it

If you want to keep doing cold plunges, I’m happy for you! Just... be careful. And if you’ve got $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket, maybe think twice before signing up for a microplastic blood cleanse.

The boring truth is usually what works: sleep, balanced diet, exercise, social connections.

Thanks for joining me on this first episode of Because Why?!

Mā te wā - see you next week.

You can get involved with the podcast online in the meantime, of course.

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Sources:

Seed oils: (word count prevents proper referencing.)

- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.029

- https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-8-36

- https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510

- https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3

- https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010236

- https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(17)30307-8