Will apple cider vinegar gummies help you lose weight? Influencers and their lies exposed, part 2

I thought this series was due a revival, where I explain the truth behind some of the ‘health’ supplements influencers sell on Instagram. You can read part 1 here, I do like Instagram but it’s full of misinformation, and someone needs to tell the truth.

I’ve picked a few examples of products being sold by influencers that just don’t work.

Lauren Goodger and BoomBod (again):

When I wrote part 1 of this series in 2020, Lauren was selling BoomBod’s weight loss drinks. She’s back again but this time selling BoomBod’s apple cider vinegar gummies. She claims these will get her back on track and help her meet her New Year’s resolutions.

Acetic acid is what makes vinegar acidic and have that sharp flavour. There’s lots of research in rats that confirm that acetic acid can lead to fat loss. But we’re not rats so this has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

A human study found that obese adults taking acetic acid supplements had significant weight loss. These people were taking either 750mg or 1500mg of acetic acid a day. Boombod says each serving of their gummies contains 50mg of acetic acid. So, it’s nowhere near enough to have an impact. And while I don’t recommend it, you’d be better off doing shots of vinegar to get enough acetic acid to lose weight.

These gummies are also quite pricy, with a 1 month supply setting you back £15. And BoomBod write, in very fine print, that results may vary. All in all, not very promising. On the other hand, creating healthy eating habits is free of charge.

Kady McDermott and Ivy Bear Hair gummies:

Kady is selling the Women’s Hair gummies which are claimed to have high doses of biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9) and zinc. It also contains other B vitamins and vitamin A, C, and D.

While we know that biotin is an essential nutrient, its effects on hair and nail growth may have been overestimated. A study found that biotin supplements did improve hair and nail growth. But this is in people that had biotin deficiencies, or a hair/nail disorder. There’s little evidence to show that biotin supplements in healthy people will have any affect.

You’re also likely to get enough biotin from a balanced diet, so extra supplements are likely not needed.

The Ivy Bear website also states that their products contain ‘the right dose’ of vitamins and minerals. But after looking at their products, they don’t actually provide information on the dosage. I’m sure the actual bottle will have a nutrition information table on the back of the label, but I’m not a fan of buying supplements blindly.

Chloe Brockett and Trimbellla shakes:

The Trimbella shakes are a ‘meal replacement for weight control’ shake. Each shake provides 203 calories when made with water. Which is quite a small number of calories for a meal.

It’s also not very clear how to use the product. Do you have 1 shake a day and 2 other healthy meals? Do you have 1 shake and do whatever you want for the rest of the day? Do you replace all meals with the shake?

They say each shake keeps your health and body goals on track, but I’m not sure how. The whole site is very vague in what the product actually does. Yes, if you replace a meal with a 200 calorie shake, you’re likely to lose weight. But will you be doing this forever? Is this a healthy habit you can afford to maintain? It’s £28 for 12 servings and it teaches you to drink a shake instead of eating whole foods so it’s not getting my vote.

Chloe says since drinking the shakes she’s noticed lots of benefits, but she doesn’t say what exactly this is. I can’t think of any benefit she would be getting either.

On top of that, the shakes claim to be formulated specially for women. But after looking at the nutrition information table, none of nutrients it contains meet the recommended intake for women. So, it doesn’t really hit the mark and could be for anyone.

 

As you can see, these products sold by influencers don’t really have much promise. And they’re not worth the money.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post; I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Bye for now! 👋

Key points:

• Don’t take nutrition advice from unqualified influencers, they likely don’t even try the products they’re trying to sell you.
• BoomBod, Ivy Bear, and Trimbella make claims that don’t add up and they’re not a helpful way to improve health.
• I know it’s boring, but a healthy balanced diet really is the best way to maintain your weight and improve your health.

References:

https://boombod.co.uk/products/apple-cider-vinegar-gummies

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19661687/

https://ivybears.com/en/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5582478/

https://trimbella.com/collections/shake-it-up/products/banana-meal-replacement-shake#tab_id