- Science-washing is when a company markets itself as science-backed without proper research.
- Some companies attach doctors to a product to give it credibility or cherry-pick research.
- A nutritionist who works in the industry explained how to notice these tricks.
A nutritionist who works in the food industry broke down the marketing tricks companies use to make them seem more grounded in science than they are.
The global wellness industry is now estimated at $6.3 trillion, giving companies lots of incentives to draw in consumers even if the science behind their products isn't solid — a process called science-washing.
Emily Prpa, a nutrition lecturer at King's College London who also works in the food industry, described them in a call with Business Insider.
Trick 1: Skipping proper research
Prpa said the first thing you should do when deciding if a product is worth buying is check if the company is doing its own research.
Firsthand research is expensive, and companies often cobble together existing studies to back up their products.
For example, they could cite the benefits of individual ingredients without actually assessing whether the combination in their product is effective.
This is especially prevalent with greens powders, which contain lots of different vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
"A lot of the time, I see that they have vitamins and minerals that compete for the same absorption channel, so actually you're not going to be getting the exact dose that they say you will on the packet," she said.
Companies can also cherry-pick which studies they include, she said, ignoring unfavorable research.
If a company has funded independent clinical trials to test their product, they're likely to make that clear on their website, Prpa said. "They'll often be very proud to state that because it's giving them that distance and showing that this isn't biased."
Trick 2: Flashy endorsements
Sometimes a company will attach a doctor or other professional to a product. They might bring them on as a scientific or medical advisor or publicize that they endorse the product.
This can give the consumers the impression that the company is credible, but that's not always the case, Prpa said. "Does that product really hold up to the claims on the website?"
It isn't necessarily a red flag if a doctor is the face of a product, Prpa said, but that alone does not mean a product has health benefits.
"You are not buying the medic as your private consultant, you are buying a product," she said.
Trick 3: Promises that sound too good to be true
It sounds simple: if a product is marketed as a fix for stacks of health problems, it's probably overpromising.
"I don't know a product or an app on the market that can simultaneously lower blood sugars, improve sleep, improve cognition, and focus," Prpa said. "If it is sounding too good, it probably is."