With billions of views on TikTok under hashtags like #healthtips and #wellnesstrends, it’s no surprise that many feel overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice.

Recent studies, along with guidance from leading nutritionists, reveal that many popular wellness beliefs are myths. From breakfast routines to fruit consumption and step goals, some commonly accepted guidance simply doesn’t hold up scientifically. Misconceptions like these can lead to unnecessary stress, missed opportunities for better health, or even counterproductive behaviours.

“With so much conflicting advice online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about what’s actually healthy,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton, award-winning dietitian. “Many strict ‘rules’ you see on social media about diet aren’t supported by evidence. Instead of chasing trends, focus on simple practical habits that can make a real difference.”

Five nutrition myths – debunked:

1. Skipping breakfast helps with weight loss

Contrary to popular belief, skipping breakfast does not necessarily lead to weight loss. In fact, research suggests that skipping breakfast can actually disrupt blood sugar control and increase cravings later in the day. Regular, balanced breakfasts, which include a mix of whole grains, protein, healthy fats, and fruits or vegetables, will help to stabilise blood sugar levels and keep you feeling energised throughout the day.

Tip from Dr Ruxton: Even a simple breakfast can be powerful. Focus on balance and a daily routine rather than restriction to start your day right.

2. Detoxes and juice cleanses “reset” your gut

Detoxes and cleanses are a popular trend online, but the body already has a natural detoxification system. “Detox” practices might make you feel virtuous by creating a placebo effect, but they don’t remove extra toxins from the body. In fact, in some cases, they can do the opposite by starving our gut barrier of essential nutrients. As detox products are not scientifically proven, supporting your body through balanced nutrition, hydration, and limiting alcohol are far more effective.

Tip from Dr Ruxton: Focus on natural antioxidants found in foods and healthy hydration instead of fad cleanses.

3. All ultra-processed foods are bad for you

Ultra-processed foods often get a bad reputation, but the category includes a range of foods – from healthy plant milks, vegetable sauces and high fibre cereals to unhealthy sugary sodas, snacks and confectionery. Many foods badged as UPF are not harmful when eaten as part of a balanced diet and are affordable, convenient and nutritious. Studies suggest that the health risks linked to ultra-processed foods are more about overall dietary patterns and calories than the processing itself.[1]

Tip from Dr Ruxton: Read labels and choose products higher in fibre and vitamins and lower in sugar, salt and saturated fat. It’s better to focus on nutrients, portion sizes and variety and forget UPF.

4. Orange juice spikes blood sugar

100 % orange juice does not cause harmful blood sugar spikes. Research in Nutrition & Diabetes found that people with type 2 diabetes could safely drink a glass of orange juice with no adverse effects on blood sugar or insulin levels, showing no significant difference compared to eating whole oranges. [2] Other studies in healthy adults also show no negative impact on blood sugar control after weeks of daily consumption.[3]

Tip from Dr Ruxton: With nearly half of UK adults falling short on daily vitamin targets, a glass of 100% orange will help intake of Vitamin C, Folate and Potassium.

5. ‘Low fat’ and ‘fat free’ are the healthier option

Just because something says “low fat” or “0 % fat”, doesn’t mean it’s better for you. To make up for lost flavour, many low-fat or fat-free foods add extra sugar or fillers — which are no better for your health. Your body needs healthy fats from nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, and olive oil which protect the heart, provide antioxidants and support brain function. So, low fat doesn’t always mean healthy — what matters is the type of fat you eat.

Tip from Dr Ruxton: Choose natural sources of healthy fats over “low-fat” or “fat-free” marketing claims.

How to avoid misinformation

Dr Carrie Ruxton’s top tips for navigating online health advice:

1. Check the source: Follow registered dietitians and nutritionists, not influencers without credentials.
2. Keep it simple: Focus on small, manageable changes.
3. Don’t demonise foods: All foods can fit in a varied healthy diet.
4. Be wary of quick fixes: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
5. Stay consistent: Long-term habits matter more than viral trends.

¹Monteiro, C. A., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936–941; Srour, B., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study. BMJ, 365, l1451.
²Verboven K et al. (2025). Acute glycaemic response of orange juice consumption with breakfast in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over trial. Nutrition & Diabetes. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41387-025-00385-8
³Murphy MM et al. (2017). 100 % Fruit juice and measures of glucose control and insulin sensitivity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Nutr Sci 6: e59.

New study explores the impact of EU Sustainability Regulations and the implications of the new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for global commodity supply chains and consumer markets

• EUDR aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and help limit biodiversity loss by influencing global action on climate change targeting commodities linked to deforestation
• EUDR will require companies trading in certain commodities who wish to trade with the EU to prove that their product and its value chain are deforestation-free
• EUDR compliance premiums for companies operating in the supply chain for oil palm products and their derivatives and rubber could be in excess of USD 1.5 billion for these two commodities alone. This could lead to price increases as companies are likely to pass on the extra costs of EUDR compliance to consumers
• Food, drink and personal care categories likely to be most affected by retail price hikes due to the EUDR include coffee, chocolate, soy-based meat alternatives and oil palm products and their derivatives including hundreds of personal care products such as shampoo

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which comes into force at the end of the year, is the latest round of EU sustainability regulation which attempts to influence global regulatory policy and value-chain practices as part of the bloc’s effort to achieve key aims of The European Green Deal such as no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

The EUDR is arguably one of the most far reaching and impactful pieces of EU sustainability regulation, targeting commodities linked to deforestation, which includes cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood as well as some of their derived products, such as paper/paperboard, leather, shampoo, chocolate, tyres, and furniture.

EUDR Compliance

Under the EUDR companies that trade in these commodities and their derived products in the EU market or who export them from the EU will need to follow mandatory due diligence reporting of the goods and supply chains they wish to trade in and demonstrate that their products are not linked to deforestation, or to forest degradation through, for example, the expansion of agricultural land. The regulation will require companies and industries in countries that supply the EU to transition to a sustainable, deforestation-free supply chain and legal agricultural value chain if they wish to trade in the EU.

USD 1.5 billion potential cost to EU consumers

Agribusiness Consultants at GlobalData a leading data and analytics company estimate that EUDR compliance premiums for companies operating in the supply chain for just two of the targeted commodities, oil palm products and their derivatives (such as crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (KPO)), and rubber could be in excess of ^*USD 1.5 billion alone. Whilst companies operating in these supply chains will be able to absorb some of the costs themselves a good proportion of these compliance premiums are likely to be passed onto EU consumers in the form of food and drinks and product price increases.

EU Sustainability Regulations study

GlobalData Food & Beverages Consultants’ new study: ‘EU Sustainability Regulations: How the EUDR and other Sustainability Regulations will impact consumer markets’, explores some of the EUs key sustainability regulations focusing on the aims of the EUDR and the compliance challenges ahead for farmers, companies, and manufacturers trading in the commodities targeted by the regulation.

The study also looks at what the EUDR could mean for the global supply chain of the target commodities, the potential impact on consumer markets and pricing within the EU and how the EUDR could affect the bloc’s future competitiveness with China.

With the EUDR coming into full force on 30th December 2024 for large companies (2025 for SME’s), the new study is also a timely reminder for large companies operating in the Food & Beverages, Foodservice, Retail and Packaging sectors to finalise their EUDR compliance strategy over the next six months to avoid being late in aligning their operations with the new EUDR rules.

It could be argued that the EU aims to use the ‘Brussels effect’ to direct global policy on sustainability. This is the idea that the global landscape responds to the EU ‘externalizing’ its laws because the bloc is such a significant global consumer market. According to ^**Eurostat, the EU has a population of over 448.7 million people, one of the biggest consumer markets in the world.

The European Investment Bank predicts that the EUs various climate actions could result in a potential hit to EU-wide GDP of – 0.4 % by 2030, taking into account all of the EUs sustainability initiatives, but says the costs of not acting would be greater.

Fred Diamond Senior Food & Beverages Consultant and Analyst at GlobalData comments: “The aims of the EUDR are understandable and cutting greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity is essential. However, there could be some disruption ahead. The extra demands of the EUDR could lead some commodity suppliers in what the EU terms ‘third countries’ to move away from the EU and increase trade with countries that impose fewer regulatory requirements such as China. Some food categories, such as plant-based meat, may have to reformulate and switch to other protein sources, such as pea protein if the result of the EUDR is an increase in the price of soya for food production.

“The gap between big and small companies could get wider as larger companies are more able to shoulder the additional regulatory burden. The exact impact on consumers will depend on a variety of factors, including how companies choose to respond to the regulation, the extent to which the regulation is enforced, and how much assistance EU member states are willing to give to supplier countries to help them align with the new rules. However, with recent news reports confirming that the world’s top climate scientists expect global heating to go well beyond the current 1.5C target, sustainability regulation associated with cutting greenhouse gas emissions, such as the EUDR which targets deforestation, remains an urgent priority for the planet.”

To read GlobalData Food & Beverages Consultant’s new study ‘EU Sustainability Regulations: How the EUDR and other Sustainability Regulations will impact consumer markets’ in full please download your free copy here

^*The USD 1.5 billion EUDR compliance premium figure is based on GlobalData Agribusiness consultants understanding of current commodity pricing and the likely impact of increased costs of EUDR compliance on the supply chain of these commodities. However, the company recognises that EUDR compliant commodity premiums are still being agreed confidentially between buyers and sellers so some uncertainty remains over the final numbers.
^**Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union.

In times of instability, crisis and major global events, how do we make sense of trends which are likely to influence the beverage market?

While it is too early to predict the full impact of the conflict in Ukraine, when considering the trends within the beverage industry, it is important to take the macro drivers influencing the global economy into consideration.

Even before the latest current events, the global economy continues to be in a state of flux with recovery moving at varying speeds across regions and nations because of the pandemic.

In a report published in 2021, PwC reported that by the end of 2021, early 2022, they expect the global economy to revert to its pre-pandemic level of output. Noting however, that the recovery will be uneven across sectors, countries, and income levels.

As 2022 gets well underway, and the world pivots from pandemic to recovery, consumer behaviour and purchasing power remain highly dependent on economic realities, and perhaps now more than ever, understanding some of the key factors impacting the economic landscape is crucial for business strategy.

In its report „5 economic factors influencing the global beverage market“ Treatt takes a closer look at:

1. Economic recovery post Covid-19
2. Public debt levels
3. Globalisation
4. Higher value-add activities
5. Generation Z

Please download the full report as pdf-file under: www.treatt.com