Starting off your day with orange juice might actually keep the doctor away, research suggests.  

Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, orange juice is lauded for its immune-boosting properties that ward off pesky winter viruses.

But a growing body of research suggests a glass or two of orange juice a day may have long-term benefits beyond flu season.

In one recent study, researchers found that people who drank two cups of 100 percent orange juice every day had significant changes in genes related to faster metabolism, better blood vessel function and lower inflammation. 

People who carried more weight also saw greater improvements in how their bodies processed fat after drinking orange juice, which could result in weight loss. 

Additional studies have shown similar benefits, including lower blood pressure, putting regular orange juice drinkers at a reduced risk of heart disease. 

Experts believe antioxidants in the juice called flavonoids may help trigger differences in genes related to inflammation and heart function. 

However, they emphasize that not all juices are created equal. Orange juice blends with added sugar have consistently been linked to a greater risk of heart disease, as they lead to blood sugar spikes and inflammation in the heart and blood vessels.

Recent studies show drinking orange juice once or twice a day may reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and excess weight

One hundred percent juice, meanwhile, only contains naturally occurring sugar and has no additional additives or preservatives.  

In one recent study, published last year in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, researchers divided 20 participants evenly into two groups: 10 normal-weight and 10 overweight adults. 

Before the study began, participants gave a blood sample after fasting. Researchers isolated a group of white blood cells called peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which include immune system cells, such as lymphocytes and monocytes. 

Every participant drank 17oz, or two cups, of pasteurized 100 percent orange juice each day for 60 days. 

After two months, another fasting blood sample was collected so researchers could see whether drinking orange juice had changed the activity of certain genes. 

Researchers found that the activity of 1,705 genes had changed significantly – 1,673 became less active, while 32 became more active. 

Several genes involved in inflammation became less active after participants drank orange juice daily, including one linked to the production of the inflammatory protein IL-1β. 

Researchers also found changes in genes involved in systems that control blood pressure, finding reductions specifically in NAMPT, NLRP3, NR4A2 and SGK1 – all which have previously been associated with high blood pressure. 

Orange juice also affected genes linked to how the body stores fat. Several genes involved in the formation of fat cells, including some previously linked to obesity, became less active, including KLF4, RIPK1, PLIN2 and CXCL8.

Previous studies have found similar benefits related to heart health. 

In one 2020 review, researchers found regular orange juice consumption was associated with lower blood sugar and insulin levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Similarly, a 2021 meta-analysis looking at 639 participants found that orange juice consumption lowered cholesterol, which is directly linked to heart disease risk, and insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

And a meta-analysis in the journal Food & Function found that overweight and obese adults had reductions in blood pressure and increases in HDL (good) cholesterol after several weeks of drinking orange juice regularly. 

These benefits may be due to structural changes in blood vessels. One recent study of 68 obese participants found that daily orange juice consumption improved endothelial function, or function of the lining of the blood vessels. 

Better endothelial function means the blood vessels are able to more easily relax and widen, lowering the risk of heart attacks. 

Researchers caution that before adding orange juice to your breakfast rotation, make sure you’re only picking up 100 percent fruit juice, as other varieties can include more added sugar than a Krispy Kreme donut or a chocolate chip cookie. 

In September 2023, my four-year-old son Billy started school. He was excited to be a big boy, make new friends and join the minis team at the local rugby club. His whole future was so incredibly bright. He was so incredibly happy.

Two months later I found myself in a hospital room while a doctor told me that my beautiful little boy had ‘a large mass’ in his brain. He was going to die.

Our world imploded. And the five months Billy had left were heartbreakingly difficult for me and my husband, Jamie.

Billy was happy-go-lucky. He loved superheroes, dinosaurs, rugby, riding his bike and scooting. He’d arrive at playschool on his trike wearing a different superhero costume every day.

He had looked forward to going to ‘big school’ for months, but almost as soon as he started, things began to change.

He became unsettled and frustrated. He had terrible night terrors. He complained that his legs ‘were too tired to walk’. I started leaving work early so I could get a parking space close to school because I’d often have to carry him from the gates to the car.

Our confident little boy became anxious about leaving our home in Surrey. He stopped wanting to play rugby and go swimming. He couldn’t explain why. His speech regressed – he seemed to lose the ‘big boy voice’ he’d developed. His eyes looked heavy and tired. They were such small things – things that maybe even his teachers wouldn’t notice. But we noticed.

We’d been back and forth to the doctors for months, knowing something wasn’t right. Blood tests were clear, ultrasounds revealed nothing. I was starting to feel like one of those mothers.

Ellie Thompson with Billy before his illness, which was discovered just after he started school

Billy was happy-go-lucky. He loved superheroes, dinosaurs, rugby, riding his bike and scooting

On October 25, I emailed his school: ‘I just can’t believe this is the same boy… we just want our old Billy back!’

Six days later, his headteacher called to say Billy had fallen over in the playground ‘out of the blue’ – it was the second time that week. He’d also fallen over at home, while going upstairs.

I got off the phone and told Jamie, who whispered something that stopped me in my tracks.

He had suffered an illness in his early 20s that had triggered encephalitis – swelling of the brain – and recognised that loss of balance could be a symptom of something neurological. ‘I think Billy might have a brain tumour.’

Ten minutes later, we were on the way to the GP. But after examining him, the doctor told me with confidence: ‘There’s absolutely no way he has a brain tumour.’ A brain tumour meant excruciating headaches or weakness down one side, he reassured me. Billy’s blood tests had been clear. His problems were likely to be mental health related – separation anxiety perhaps.

We were given the number of our local health visitor. We left but deep down I knew something wasn’t right. A week later, on November 7, we took Billy to A&E – with the GP seeming not to believe there was anything serious wrong, we had nowhere else to turn.

A doctor listened to us. Billy looked OK, she said, but because of our instincts and because we knew him best, she would order a CT scan. It found a mass in an area of Billy’s brain called the pons, which helps control unconscious processes such as breathing and sleep.

Twenty-four hours later, after an MRI, we had a diagnosis: diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, a devastating brainstem tumour with no cure.

His prognosis was described to us as ‘dismal’. Our little boy, who only weeks earlier had walked through the school gates with his whole life stretching ahead of him, was going to die.

The night after, Billy was lying in our bed talking about Ghostbusters. He said: ‘Mummy, I can’t wait to grow up!’

I matched his enthusiasm, kissed him and tucked him in. Then I walked out of the room and silently wept, gripping the bannister tightly so I wouldn’t collapse.

Billy didn’t know he was dying. It was the most heartbreaking secret we’ve ever had to keep.

I want to be careful about what I say next. This isn’t about claiming somebody could have magically saved him. DIPG killed Billy. It is a devastating paediatric cancer for which there is no truly effective treatment.

But accepting that Billy couldn’t be cured does not mean accepting that everything about his care couldn’t have been better.

Looking back, the shortcomings surrounding his care, especially in his final hours, poured trauma on top of trauma.

Billy’s diagnosis was a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG… a devastating brainstem tumour with no cure

Billy dressed as Iron Man for the fitting of the mask that would hold his head still while he underwent intense radiotherapy sessions

Within days of his diagnosis, Billy underwent a biopsy in the hope that understanding the genetic make-up of his tumour might open doors to experimental treatments. We were told he was theoretically eligible for an immunotherapy trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital. We were warned how hard it would be to get on the trial and how physically and mentally gruelling it would be.

But as we were scrambling to find the right way forward, his tumour was already growing.

Two weeks later Billy began the first of 13 sessions of intense radiotherapy – the only treatment offered for DIPG on the NHS. It exists just to buy time.

Billy dressed as Iron Man for the fitting of the mask that would hold his head completely still while the radiation was delivered. They placed a warm sheet of thermoplastic over his little face, covering his eyes, nose and mouth, and secured it to the bed while it hardened into his exact shape.

Radiotherapy was scary. Each day he was left in a room, bolted to a plinth so he didn’t move, with a huge machine whirring over his head.

He wore his little Christmas jumpers, or his beloved gingerbread man costume, and I read books from his Mr Men advent calendar to him over the tannoy.

He was terrified but did his best to smile. He’d adopted this mantra: ‘I am brave, I am strong, I can do scary things.’ And we said it together, often.

He was nicknamed Billy The Brave. Although he once told me, his bottom lip trembling, ‘I’m not brave, Mummy, cos I sometimes cry.’

Since Billy’s treatment, questions have been raised about whether delivering radiotherapy so intensively is the right approach for children, and I believe it was too much for our little boy.

He experienced intense head pain after the first session – he screamed and began vomiting.

Jamie and I enlisted friends and family to desperately try to work out a plan to save him. We contacted DIPG specialists and hospitals from around the world.

We chased hope wherever we could find it.

We discovered trials that combined radiotherapy with other drugs, only to find Billy was automatically excluded because he had already completed his treatment. We weren’t given options. We were told there weren’t any.

As the weeks wore on, I became increasingly frustrated. It seemed as though world-leading doctors specialising in DIPG in other countries were more accessible, more responsive and, frankly, more hopeful than our NHS team.

I don’t know whether any of those options would have changed Billy’s outcome.

But I do question why parents of a newly diagnosed child should have to spend the precious time they have left trawling the internet, contacting specialists around the world and trying to navigate clinical trials themselves. Surely there should be an easier way?

Billy’s symptoms outpaced the entire process of getting what little treatment there was available. He didn’t make the trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

‘The worst of the worst,’ our consultant explained. ‘Dealing with his tumour mutation is like trying to hold back a tsunami.’ We were told time was running out, but a drug called ONC201 had become available from the US on compassionate grounds. It might buy us a little time.

But by the time it arrived from America, Billy had lost the use of his legs. He’d experienced blindness and double vision. He’d lost the use of an arm. He was in such a bad way that we could not justify giving it to him, only to prolong his suffering. I was furious.

‘Why wouldn’t they listen to me weeks back, when I begged them to get plan B in place?’ I wrote on Instagram, where I’d been posting about Billy’s journey. ‘Why hadn’t this drug been ordered before?’

And all the while, Billy was changing. He was suffering with little to no respite. The steroids he was on to control the tumour’s swelling caused terrible side-effects, and they began taking their toll on our little boy. He became excessively bloated and uncomfortable. He was almost completely unrecognisable.

Just before Christmas, an attempt to reduce his steroids was followed by such rapid deterioration we were blue-lighted to St George’s Hospital in south London. Doctors talked about the possibility of a brain shunt, suspecting excess fluid and pressure within the brain.

Billy’s days and nights were impossibly hard. But underneath the tumour, the steroids, the anxiety, the perpetual hunger and the desperate need to feel better, he was still a normal little boy.

When one side of his body became weaker, he played Mario on his Nintendo one-handed. He made us laugh, even when he could barely speak. He worried about his sister. He wanted to go back to school. He missed his friends.

We tried so hard to give him pieces of his old life, but the tumour took more and more of it away. By the end of March, we knew we were losing him.

We had boxes of end-of-life medication and equipment in our house. They had arrived weeks earlier, and I hated looking at them. They were there for the moment when hope finally ran out. The end.

It came on Saturday, March 30. Billy woke up early, as he always did, and we carried him downstairs. By now he was mostly paralysed. He still had the use of one hand, but he couldn’t walk, turn over in bed or sit up himself.

He had some breakfast and was eating a bowl of broken-up chocolate from an Easter egg hunt the day before. He took his morning tablets. He was always so proud of how many he could swallow at once. But that morning, he threw them up.

By lunchtime he was struggling to swallow, and we couldn’t administer the steroids he so desperately needed to stay alive. We carried him to bed early that night. He was insistent on sleeping in his own bedroom, listening to Queen songs, so we put a mattress next to his bed so I could sleep beside him.

I lay there watching him, but he began to vomit. Billy could no longer speak, but managed to give us one last thumbs-up to tell us he’d stopped vomiting so we could lay him back down to sleep.

It wasn’t until the shock wore off days later that I realised I didn’t remember his last words.

His eyes closed for the last time, and I guess that’s when he left us, and slipped into a coma.

He was still alive, but he was gone.

We carried him downstairs so we could be with him. His suffering visibly continued throughout the night. We called the hospice, begging for help.

A nurse arrived. She was unable to administer the drugs Billy needed without a second colleague, and had to video-call the hospital for approval. She told us she did not believe Billy was at the end of his life. She then told us the pain medication Billy needed wasn’t in the locked boxes that had been left in our home for exactly this moment.

She left to retrieve the ‘missing items’, returning hours later to give Billy the medicine. And then she left again, promising to return first thing in the morning.

We felt abandoned.

The hours that followed were brutal. There are things that happened that I refuse to put into words, because they are too horrifying, too personal. The dying process, with no adequate medication, was traumatic. Billy had to fight to find peace.

Billy with his mother as his illness took hold. He died on March 31, just 15 days away from his fifth birthday

The family have raised £140,000 for Billy’s Battalion, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of his illness, to fund research, treatments and one day a cure

The hospice nurse finally arrived at 10.50am, just 20 minutes before Billy died. When she saw him, she announced loudly: ‘The situation’s changed. He’s dying.’

She left for the kitchen to get something from her medical bag. Her colleague was there, and they shared a joke – we could hear them laughing from the living room.

I whispered to Billy that he could rest and that everything was OK. I told him that he was so brave, the bravest, and so loved, but that he could sleep now, and not worry about a thing. I felt his breathing stop. My hand was on his chest when his little heart became still.

Billy died at 11.10am on March 31. Just 15 days away from his fifth birthday. Those final hours left us with questions that no complaint response has ever made up for, but I can only hope that, at the end, all Billy could feel was his Mummy and Daddy’s love.

When your child dies, your world shatters. The following night, sobbing, I called the symptoms team, wondering if they’d still take a call, knowing our child was dead. I wanted somebody to explain how our son’s final hours unfolded the way they did. ‘Was this right?’ I begged. ‘Should this have happened the way it did?’ I was told briskly: ‘I can’t answer that. I was not working last night.’ Case closed.

More than anything, I wanted somebody to reassure me that Billy had received everything he needed, but they couldn’t.

We can’t change Billy’s story. And so I write this not with an axe to grind, but in the hope these words can change another person’s experience. Because, for now at least, another family is going to receive this diagnosis. Another family will have to face the unimaginable reality that their child is going to die.

After Billy’s death we founded Billy’s Battalion, dedicated to raising awareness of DIPG, to fund research, treatments and one day a cure. A legacy in his name. Something good in the bad. We have been a registered charity for just over a year and have raised £140,000, and, since Billy’s death, another £85,000 for Abbie’s Army, the UK’s leading DIPG charity.

I support Brain Cancer Justice and have taken Billy’s story to Parliament, joining other families and campaigners to lobby MPs for greater investment in childhood brain tumour research and better access to clinical trials.

I’m also working alongside other bereaved parents and campaigners, including those behind Hugh’s Law, to push for better support for families facing serious childhood illness and better care when a child reaches the end of their life.

Billy never got the chance to get better. His miracle did not come.

After he died, I wrote something that still stands true: ‘And now I will fight for little ones like you. Because I’m not sure what else I am supposed to do if I can’t do that.’

Visit billysbattalion.org or donate via Just Giving. Follow Ellie on Instagram at @ellielexie, and the charity at @billysbattalion 

Not long ago, bowel cancer was not something that people in their 30s, like myself, had to worry about. But that’s all changed.

Just about everyone my age is now aware that the deadly disease is surging in under-50s – and that doctors have no idea why.

In Britain, anyone under 50 today is about 60 per cent more likely to develop bowel cancer than under-50s were in the early 1990s. Theories have abounded, ranging from nutrient deficiencies, chemicals found in sausages and bacon, the growing number of babies born via caesarian and even traumatic events in childhood.

But so far, no one has been able to come up with a clear answer. It is why, last week, researchers at King’s College London announced a major, first-of-its-kind study, with the goal of identifying the hidden triggers of bowel cancer. The ambitious £20million study, called Prospect, will track the lifestyle habits and health of more than 250,000 people over many years. They will be asked to fill in twice-yearly surveys on how they are living their lives and whether they have developed any diseases.

Perhaps what is so strange about the rising rate of bowel cancer in young people is the fact that many who develop it are seemingly healthy and active with no underlying medical problems.

And that is also how I would describe myself.

So what exactly is my bowel cancer risk? To find out, I signed up for Prospect, and then asked the leading researchers behind the study to analyse my lifestyle and health records to identify how likely I was to develop the disease before the age of 50.

The results were both surprising and deeply worrying. Moreover, they suggest that countless other young people who believe they are safe from bowel cancer could also be equally at risk… or worse. So what are the suspected hidden triggers of early-age cancer? And what can you do to protect yourself against the disease?

Most days Ethan eats a protein bar, usually before he goes to the gym… but experts warn they contain ultra-processed ingredients

Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek died earlier this year at just48 after a two-year battle with bowel cancer

Every year about 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK. The disease, also known as colorectal cancer, kills about 17,000 over the same period.

There are some lifestyle habits that are known to increase the risk of bowel cancer. These include obesity, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.

Crucially, another recognised factor is a lack of fibre.

Studies show the nutrient, which is found in root vegetables, seeds, nuts and wholegrain bread, is important for good bowel health.

Research shows that for each additional 10g of fibre per day people consume, they reduce their risk of bowel cancer by 10 per cent. Yet studies also conclude that around 90 per cent of Britons do not get their recommended daily fibre intake of 30g.

However, experts say these known risk factors alone cannot explain the marked increase in the number of people under the age of 50 developing the disease – not least because so many were seemingly healthy and active before their diagnosis.

One such case is that of Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek who died earlier this year after a two-year battle with bowel cancer at just 48 years old.

And the former teacher turned broadcaster, journalist and campaigner Dame Deborah James died in 2022 at the age of 40, after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at 35.

‘There are so many people who develop early-onset bowel cancer who don’t have any of the classic risk factors,’ says Dr Rosiered Brownson Smith, a King’s College London researcher working on the Prospect study. ‘These are often healthy, young people. Currently we can’t explain why they are getting the disease.’

The new study hopes to answer this question.

In order to do this, participants are meticulously quizzed on every aspect of their life. What they eat, where they live, what they do for work, their mental health.

And the questions – which number in the hundreds – don’t just focus on the present.

Broadcaster, journalist and campaigner Dame Deborah James died in 2022 at the age of 40, after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at 35. She became known as Bowelbabe

Participants are also asked to recount their childhood. Were they bullied? Did they move around often? Did they have any illnesses or injuries?

None of the questions are asked at random. They all relate to scientific research into the causes of early-age bowel cancer.

The bullying in childhood question, for example, relates to studies that suggest stress can damage the bowel, raising the risk of abnormal changes that become cancerous later in life.

The researchers say they are nowhere near close to saying whether any of these possible triggers is the culprit. Instead, the goal, explains Professor Sarah Berry, a nutritional science expert at King’s College London and the study leader, is to cast as wide a net as possible. No potential trigger is off the table.

‘That’s why we need a vast number of people involved,’ she says. ‘Our hope is that, with that many participants, we can begin to see a pattern emerge in the lifestyles of those who develop bowel cancer.’

Participants entering the study would not ordinarily receive feedback on their answers. This is, in large part, because much of the data is anonymised to protect the privacy of those involved.

However, the Prospect researchers agreed to analyse my answers and explain where, according to early studies, I may be increasing my risk of bowel cancer.

Before I sat down to fill out the questionnaire, I felt confident that I was at low risk of developing early-age bowel cancer.

I pride myself on having a good diet and I exercise regularly. Admittedly, I enjoy a drink and the occasional cigarette. I also have a form of spinal arthritis, for which I take medication. But, by and large, I consider myself a sensible, healthy person.

But within a few questions I encountered my first risk factor. I’m asked whether I was born via a natural birth or caesarian. As it happens, I was a caesarian baby.

‘We know there is a link between being born as a caesarian and developing bowel cancer,’ says Dr Brownson Smith. ‘The theory is that there are certain microbes picked up during a natural birth that may be crucial for good health. It’s something we are looking into.’

Another issue the study is looking at is the effect of microplastics: minuscule plastic particles that have been found in food, water and even human organs.

‘Studies show that people who eat more calcium are less likely to get bowel cancer,’ Professor Berry says. ‘Cheese is made with dairy, meaning it’s got plenty of calcium.’

The questionnaire asks whether participants store food in plastic containers or drink from plastic water bottles. I rarely do either.

But it isn’t only plastic packaging that is the problem. I chew gum every day and, apparently, this is packed with microplastics.

Then there is poor sleep. Early research suggests that patients with sleep disorders are three times more likely to develop the cancer within five years. As someone who regularly wakes in the night, this is alarming to hear.

But perhaps the most sobering moment comes when I discuss my daily eating habits with Prof Berry.

Participants are asked to fill out a food diary recording everything they consume over three days, including one day at the weekend. This is the section I expected to ace. I take my diet seriously.

Having read all the research into the benefits of fibre, I make sure to get my recommended 30g a day.

In fact, I was pleased to find out that on one of the days I ate a whopping 48g of fibre.

However, I was surprised when the researchers flagged other aspects of my diet as worrying.

Prof Berry pointed out that, on two of the three days, I had eaten processed meat: pork sausages one night, and chorizo in a stew on another.

The research linking processed meat to bowel cancer is among the strongest, and believed to be due to the nitrates it contains – a chemical preservative used to keep meat fresh for longer.

Some studies suggest that people who consume a diet rich in nitrates are as much as 25 per cent more likely to develop bowel cancer.

‘It’s fine to eat processed meat occasionally in small portions – such as using it to add flavour to a meal,’ says Prof Berry. ‘But eating it every day is not a good idea.’

It wasn’t all bad news. I usually try to avoid eating too much cheese because it contains high levels of fat. But when I tell Prof Berry I grated cheddar on to my Friday night stew, she tells me that this, in fact, could reduce my risk of bowel cancer.

‘Studies show that people who eat more calcium are less likely to get bowel cancer,’ she says. ‘Cheese is made with dairy, meaning it’s got plenty of calcium.’

But the most shocking moment was when Prof Berry took me to task on my snacking.

Most days I eat a protein bar between meals, often before I go to the gym. And while they come in unhealthy-sounding flavours, such as salted caramel, they all claim to be low in sugar and high in protein, a nutrient that helps muscle growth.

The moment Prof Berry spots the bars on my food diary, she pulls up the list of ingredients and goes through them. Protein blend. Cocoa mass. Humectant. Glycerol. Maltitol. Palm oil. Rapeseed oil. Bulking agent. Emulsifier.

These, she explains, are considered ultra-processed foods. UPFs have been increasingly linked with chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

In the case of cancer, there is research suggesting that emulsifiers in particular – added to snack bars and other ready-made meals to stop the various ingredients from separating – may damage the lining of the bowel, raising the risk of the disease.

‘All we know is that they are synthetic and contain nothing of nutritional benefit,’ says Prof Berry. ‘We don’t know yet what the impact of consuming synthetic ingredients day after day is, but it’s something people should be cautious of.’

Experts say it is important that patients do not obsess over their bowel cancer risk. In many cases, it can simply be down to bad luck. It is also possible for people to regularly consume things linked to cancer, such as alcohol, cigarettes and processed meat, and never develop the disease.

However, learning more about these risk factors has made me reassess my habits.

Of course, there are certain aspects you can’t change – not least how you were born or childhood experiences. And then some habits are harder to fix than others. I’m a bad sleeper, but no matter what I do, that doesn’t change.

But there are habits I know I can change right now: smoking, drinking, chewing gum and eating protein bars. These are all things that I could give up.

So perhaps it’s time I kicked the social cigarette and started eating a handful of walnuts when hungry instead of a chocolate chip salted caramel snack bar.

As for the Prospect study, the researchers say, if enough people sign up they could begin to find answers in the next few years.

‘We’re hoping that by 2028 we might be able to publish our first findings,’ says Dr Brownson Smith. ‘The more people we recruit, the more information we will get, and that will help us crack this question.’

To sign up for the Prospect study, visit: healthspanconnect.kcl.ac.uk/our-studies/sign-up-to-prospect-uk-here/

Scroll through TikTok on any given morning and you’re bound to spot wellness influencers stirring a pinch of trendy Celtic Sea salt or pink Himalayan salt into a glass of warm water. 

Promising ‘cellular-level hydration,’ instant energy and even a remedy for ‘adrenal fatigue,’ this viral biohacking trend claims that humble tap water just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Pink salt, influencers argue, is minimally processed and unrefined, making it seem like a more ‘natural’ alternative to regular table salt.  

But is sprinkling raw mineral salt into your morning routine a legitimate wellness upgrade, or is it simply a high-sodium health fad that could backfire on your cardiovascular system? 

The Daily Mail spoke to top nutrition experts to separate internet marketing hype from medical reality.

Unpacking the Social Media Hydration Hype

Pink Himalayan salt has become social media’s newest wellness trend, lauded for increased hydration

Advocates of the pink salt trend claim that sodium helps push water deeper into your cells faster than plain water ever could. 

However, experts explain that the average human body is already remarkably efficient at absorbing fluid when we wake up without any extra chemical assistance.

‘For the average healthy adult, drinking plain water in the morning is all you need for proper hydration,’ Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, told the Daily Mail.

Unless you have spent hours sweating heavily during an intense workout or are recovering from severe illness, your body does not require additional sodium to wake up its digestive and circulatory systems.

‘For someone who isn’t losing large amounts of fluid through sweating or illness, a pinch of salt is unlikely to provide any meaningful hydration benefit over plain water,’ Caroline Meehan, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition manager with Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, said. 

The Truth About Trace Minerals

A major selling point touted online is that unrefined mineral salts contain dozens of essential trace elements, including magnesium, potassium and calcium. 

While these minerals are present, clinical dietitians point out that the actual amounts delivered in a single pinch are functionally negligible.

‘Pink Himalayan and other mineral salts do contain trace amounts of minerals, but they’re present in such small amounts that you’re unlikely to get a meaningful nutritional benefit from adding a pinch to your water,’ Meehan said.

In fact, a 2023 study published in Nutrients confirmed that trace mineral concentrations in unrefined culinary salts are far too minimal to contribute meaningfully to daily dietary reference intakes or alter biological function. 

You can easily get higher doses of these key electrolytes from simple whole foods like bananas, leafy greens or berries, which also have a wealth of other nutrients. 

‘The amount in a pinch is salt is too low to provide health benefits or alter physiology in any significant way,’ explained Zumpano.

Debunking the Adrenal Fatigue Myth

People with diagnosed adrenal conditions may need additional hydration, but most adults can get by with regular water, experts argue

Perhaps the most alluring promise circulating on social media is that salted morning water feeds the adrenal glands and cures chronic fatigue. 

Medical science, however, draws a sharp line between online buzzwords and clinical endocrinology.

‘Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized medical diagnosis,’ Zumpano explains.

While true adrenal disorders like Addison’s disease do require specialized medical management and electrolyte monitoring, routine stress and morning tiredness do not mean your adrenal glands are starving for salt.

‘There isn’t evidence that healthy adults need to drink salt water in the morning to support normal adrenal function,’ Meehan added.

Hidden Health Risks and Red Flags

Far from being a harmless wellness ritual, starting your morning with a shot of salt poses genuine health risks, especially for individuals with underlying heart or kidney conditions.

‘Adding extra salt can increase blood levels of sodium, which causes the body to hold on to more fluid, which in turn increases blood pressure,’ warned Zumpano. 

To that point, a 2023 study published in the journal Hypertension cited that routine incremental additions to daily dietary sodium significantly elevate arterial stiffness and systemic blood pressure, even among healthy adults. 

Those living with high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure are strongly advised to avoid adding raw salt to their morning beverages, as excess sodium can lead to fluid retention, swelling in the limbs and heightened cardiac strain, per The American Heart Association.

Understanding Daily Sodium Limits

Most adults already consume far more sodium than their bodies require through standard daily meals. 

The FDA caps sodium at 2,300mg daily, but Americans average closer to 3,300mg. One teaspoon of unrefined salt on its own adds another 1,700-2,000mg before breakfast.

‘Adding salt to your morning water simply adds to your overall intake, and sodium can add up quickly throughout the day,’ Meehan cautions.

Medically Approved Morning Hydration Hacks

Experts told the Daily Mail to aim for one to two cups of water first thing in the morning to increase hydration early in the day

If you want to optimize your morning hydration routine without exposing your body to unnecessary cardiovascular risks, simple evidence-based habits are far superior to viral fads.

‘Start your day with plain water. Aim for 8–16oz (about 1–2 cups) of room-temperature or cool water upon waking,’ Zumpano told the Daily Mail. 

If plain water feels uninspiring, consider infusing your water with a bit of natural flavor, getting some extra antioxidants while you’re at it. 

‘If you want to jazz it up a bit, add lemon, lime, cucumber, mint or fruit for extra flavor,’ Meehan suggested. 

The Takeaway

While adding pink mineral salt to morning water continues to trend across social media platforms, medical consensus remains clear that plain water alongside a nutrient-dense diet is all your body needs to stay optimally hydrated. 

‘For most people, plain water and a balanced diet will get the job done,’ Meehan emphasized. 

So, in a nutshell, relying on whole foods and adequate fluids is a far safer and more effective path to long-term wellness.

For more than a decade, Vivien Lees-Hamilton struggled with painfully swollen legs that often felt unbearably heavy.

At times, says the 66-year-old, it felt ‘like I was walking around on tree trunks’.

In February of this year, after 12 years of symptoms, Vivien finally discovered the cause: she was diagnosed with lipedema – a little-understood condition that causes an abnormal buildup of fatty tissue, usually in the legs and sometimes the arms.

But she was reluctant to try the treatments commonly recommended to manage the condition, including tight compression garments and prescription painkillers.

‘And while I know some people find compression garments help with pain and swelling, even the thought of wearing them makes me uncomfortable,’ she says. ‘I’d be tearing them off my legs.

‘And anything prescription-wise always comes with side effects, which made me reluctant to take any strong painkillers.’

Instead, she began researching alternatives and came across a supplement containing two compounds derived from citrus fruits, diosmin and hesperidin.

Already used to treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids, the compounds are thought to improve circulation and reduce fluid buildup.

Within two weeks of starting to take them, alongside several other supplements, Vivien noticed a difference.

For more than a decade, Vivien Lees-Hamilton struggled with painfully swollen legs that often felt unbearably heavy

The 66-year-old faced her legs becoming painfully swollen at times – before she started taking a supplement which helped relieve her uncomfortable symptoms

‘The biggest thing I noticed was that my legs felt lighter,’ says Vivien, from West Yorkshire, England.

So could a relatively inexpensive supplement really help relieve some of the painful symptoms of lipedema – a condition that has no cure and is estimated to affect up to one in ten women? And what does the science say?

Unlike cellulite, which is largely a cosmetic concern, the abnormal fat buildup of lipedema can cause debilitating pain, tenderness, a feeling of heaviness in the limbs and easy bruising.

In advanced cases, it can also affect the lymphatic system – the network of vessels and organs that drains excess fluid from tissues and returns it to the bloodstream – causing additional swelling.

Treatment typically focuses on relieving symptoms and maintaining mobility, usually through compression garments, exercise, weight management and pain relief.

Specialized liposuction, which removes the abnormal fatty tissue, can provide lasting relief for some patients, but insurance coverage varies and patients may face substantial out-of-pocket costs.

Some people with lipedema also have chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which damaged valves in the leg veins allow blood to pool rather than flow efficiently back toward the heart.

Because the venous and lymphatic systems work closely together, researchers have begun investigating whether treatments traditionally used for vein disease, including diosmin and hesperidin, might also ease some lipedema symptoms.

However, experts caution that it remains unclear whether any benefits come from an effect on lipedema itself or from treating an overlapping problem with the veins.

Diosmin and hesperidin are thought to improve the function of veins, reduce leakage from tiny blood vessels and support the drainage of excess fluid through the lymphatic system.

They are available together as a supplement costing around $25 for a two-month supply.

Although there have been few studies specifically investigating their effects on lipedema, a 2021 US expert consensus guideline suggested diosmin could be considered as a treatment to help manage symptoms.

However, this recommendation was based on limited evidence rather than large, high-quality clinical trials.

Valerie Briggs, an occupational therapist and certified lymphedema therapist with more than 20 years of experience, says the compounds may be particularly useful for patients who also have problems with their veins or lymphatic system.

‘The fat tissue is accompanied by leaky, fragile blood vessels and sluggish lymphatic drainage, leading to intense fluid buildup, heavy legs and painful bruising,’ she says.

This means that easing fluid buildup might relieve some symptoms, even without affecting the abnormal fatty tissue itself.

Vivien said it felt like ‘walking around on tree trunks’ at times (pictured with her son Peter Lees)

Plastic surgeon Vasu Karri said: ‘There is no clinical evidence that diosmin and hesperidin treat lipedema, and they will not reduce lipedema fat.

‘However, they are low-cost and well tolerated, so a short trial to manage leg heaviness is a reasonable option.’

Briggs agrees that the supplements may help some patients, particularly those with overlapping venous insufficiency.

Dr Frank Agullo, a board certified plastic surgeon in El Paso, Texas, who treats patients with lipedema, is also cautious.

‘Diosmin and hesperidin have been used for decades for vein problems such as leg heaviness, aching and swelling from chronic venous disease,’ he says.

‘It appears to work by tightening the tone of the veins, making small blood vessels less leaky, and calming some of the inflammation in the vessel wall.

‘Since lipedema legs also feel heavy, swell and bruise easily, it makes sense that people would try it.’

However, he stresses that most of the evidence for these benefits comes from studies of venous disease, rather than lipedema.

‘A supplement like this may ease some of the swelling and heaviness for some patients, but there is no good evidence that it shrinks the abnormal fat itself, which is the heart of the condition.’

For now, experts say larger clinical trials are needed to establish whether diosmin and hesperidin can reliably ease lipedema symptoms and understand which patients are most likely to benefit.

By MARTI STELLING, HEALTH REPORTER

Published: 07:19 EDT, 11 October 2026 | Updated: 07:41 EDT, 11 October 2026

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Eating too much salt may contribute to development of a severe type of fatty liver disease even in people who are not overweight, a study has revealed.

Researchers said this suggests fatty liver disease may develop through different biological pathways in obese people and those who are a healthy weight.

They found that a diet that is high in salt produced relatively little fat accumulation in the liver but significant inflammation and scarring.

Scientists say the findings could help explain why treatments designed for obesity-associated fatty liver disease may not work as well in slim patients, and point toward more tailored approaches.

They added that some lean patients can have comparatively little liver fat yet still face a high risk of serious complications.

To investigate, scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and University College London developed the first diet-induced mouse model of lean fatty liver disease, feeding mice a fatty liver disease-inducing diet with added high salt.

Too much salt raises blood pressure, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes. The NHS advises adults to eat no more than a level teaspoon of salt a day

They found that excess dietary salt triggered liver inflammation and scarring in non-obese mice, suggesting it could play a role in fatty liver disease in people who are not overweight.

Dr Zhou Jin, from Duke-NUS Medical School, said: ‘Our findings suggest that lean fatty liver disease is not simply the same disease occurring in a thinner person.

‘While obesity-associated fatty liver disease is closely linked to excess fat accumulation, our model shows that high dietary salt can alter liver metabolism and activate inflammatory pathways even without obesity.’

In the UK, fatty liver disease affects about a third of adults and is linked to obesity, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Most people with the condition do not have symptoms.

The condition can progress to inflammation, scarring and, in severe cases, liver failure.

Too much salt raises blood pressure, increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes. The NHS advises adults to eat no more than a level teaspoon of salt a day.