Over the past few years wellness trends have exploded, and the concept of wellness has evolved to embrace a holistic approach to mind, body and emotions, instead of just focusing on physical health.
Love her or hate her, Gwyneth Paltrow is no stranger to unconventional wellness trends, as she revealed on the “Art of Being Well” podcast With Dr Will Cole that rectal ozone therapy was the “weirdest” wellness trend she has tried.
What is ozone therapy?
Ozone therapy refers to medical practices that use ozone gas.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, ozone therapy is a type of treatment that involves giving the body ozone as a gas to increase the levels of oxygen.
According to devotees, it improves healing, strengthens the immune system, decreases inflammation, lowers bacteria and viruses, and fosters cell regeneration.
However, in 2019 the FDA issued a strong caution against using it because “ozone is a toxic unstable gas with no known useful medical applications in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy”. And “in order for ozone to be effective as a germicide, it must be present in a concentration far greater than that which can be safely tolerated by man and animals”.
Though there isn't enough information to establish that ozone is safe or beneficial, some researchers do think it may have therapeutic effects in medical settings.
Ozone gas can be administered in a variety of ways, but according to Cleveland Clinic research, it shouldn’t be inhaled. Your lungs may become severely irritated and filled with fluid as a result. Ozone therapy can be administered using safer techniques like:
Applying it to your skin: exposing a portion of your body to ozone gas (also called ozone sauna)
Blowing gas into your body: usually through the vagina, rectum, or ears.
Mixing your blood with it: ina procedure known as autohemotherapy, ozone gas can be dissolved in a sample of your blood and then reintroduced into your body via an IV.
The Jade Egg, popularly known as the Yoni egg
By inserting the jade egg/yoni into your vagina, women were supposed to be able to “balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, avoid uterine prolapse, strengthen bladder control, and improve their orgasms”, according to the jade and rose quartz eggs that Goop marketed. However, Goop was forced to pay a monetary settlement due to unsubstantiated claims regarding its health advantages.
Ice baths
The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow on Netflix features Wim “The Iceman” Hof, a self-proclaimed healer whose primary techniques are breathing and exposure to freezing temperatures. There are numerous advantages to cold therapy, proven by decades of scientific research on the effects of the common ice bath, including speedier recovery after exercise, reduced inflammation, and general pain reduction.
Hangover cure? IV fluids!
While most of us treat them with coffee, Grand-Pa, and some greasy spicy cuisine, wellness uses IV therapy, which involves injecting large doses of vitamins into the circulation in an effort to treat hangovers.
Crystal-Infused water to fight anxiety
According to Gwyneth, it’s possible to combat anxiety using crystal-infused water. The idea is that the rose-quartz-infused water bottle can help you relax, feel less anxious, and be protected from negative energy.
“The team made me take a milk bath and I didn’t hate it.”
During the promotion of her new GOOPGLOW Dark Spot Exfoliating Sleep Milk, Gwyneth shared snaps of her milk bath on social media, writing in the caption: “The team made me take a milk bath and I didn't hate it.”
She keeps proving that when it comes to her wellness lifestyle, Gwyneth Paltrow is nothing if not committed, even though caution is advised in some cases.
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