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What was evidence-based—and what was just internet hype?
What was evidence-based—and what was just internet hype?
By Ormand & Cook Wellness
By Ormand & Cook Wellness
Every year, health and wellness trends move faster—and louder—than the science behind them. In 2025, social media once again shaped how people thought about their health, from IV hydration lounges to cold plunges, hormone “balancing” supplements, and costly wearable tech promising to unlock all the health secrets.
Some of these trends were grounded in solid clinical reasoning. Others were oversimplified, over-marketed, or missing critical context.
As healthcare providers, our role isn’t to dismiss trends outright—but to interpret them responsibly. Here’s a thoughtful look back at the most talked-about wellness trends of 2025, through an evidence-informed lens.
IV Hydration Therapy: Evidence-Based (When Used Correctly)
IV Hydration Therapy: Evidence-Based (When Used Correctly)
IV hydration continued to grow in popularity this year—and for good reason. When used appropriately, IV therapy has legitimate clinical benefits.
Where the evidence supports it:
Acute dehydration
Migraine management
Recovery from illness
Support during periods of high physical or cognitive demand
Where social media went too far:
Framing IVs as daily wellness maintenance
Marketing “detox” claims (your liver and kidneys already do that)
Our clinical perspective:
IV hydration is a powerful tool when it’s personalized, medically appropriate, and supervised. We have had some excellent patient feedback after their hydration therapy. It’s not a replacement for daily oral hydration or lifestyle habits—but it can be incredibly supportive in the right context. With our extensive experience in IV infusion centers prior to starting Ormand & Cook Wellness, we are uniquely positioned to provide you with a truly evidence-based, health-supportive IV therapy regimen.
Cold Plunges & Ice Baths: Evidence-Adjacent
Cold Plunges & Ice Baths: Evidence-Adjacent
Cold exposure dominated wellness content in 2025. From backyard plunges to ice bath memberships, cold therapy was often presented as essential for mental toughness and inflammation control.
What research suggests:
Potential mood and stress-response benefits
Reduced muscle soreness after physical activity
Increased metabolic activity , which may aid weight loss
What’s missing online:
Not everyone tolerates cold exposure well
Overuse may interfere with muscle recovery
Cardiovascular considerations are often ignored
Clinical perspective:
Cold therapy can be beneficial for some people—but it’s not universally appropriate and can be unsafe if used too frequently or in the wrong patient.
Do NOT use cold plunges/ice baths if:
You are pregnant
You have a heart condition
You are diagnosed with Raynaud's syndrome or cold urticaria
You have sickle-cell disease
Red Light Therapy: Emerging but Promising
Red Light Therapy: Emerging but Promising
Red and near-infrared (NIR) light therapy gained a lot of traction this year, particularly for skin health, pain relief, and recovery.
What the evidence shows:
Growing support for skin rejuvenation and joint or muscle discomfort
Proven benefits for photoaging, acne, wrinkles, and overall skin texture; mixed evidence for scarring and dark spots/sun spots
Promising results when proper wavelengths and dosing are used
Where expectations became unrealistic:
At-home devices marketed as instant cures
Lack of education on consistency and treatment parameters
Clinical perspective:
This is a trend worth watching, especially considering it has minimal overall risk to your health. Red light therapy can be beneficial—but results depend on correct use, realistic expectations, and time. Many at-home masks don't deliver appropriate dosing. It may be worth investing in a quality mask or using commercial light therapy treatments, instead of wasting money on more economical options.
Hormone “Balancing” Supplements: Often Unfounded
Hormone “Balancing” Supplements: Often Unfounded
Hormone health was one of the most searched wellness topics of 2025. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most misrepresented.
Common issues we saw:
Supplements claiming to “balance hormones” without lab testing
One-size-fits-all solutions for complex endocrine systems
Symptoms treated without identifying root causes -- blaming everything on hormone imbalance!
Clinical perspective:
Hormones are nuanced. Effective hormone management requires proper labs, individualized interpretation, and professional oversight. Supplements may have a role—but they are poorly regulated and can interact with medications.
Gut Health Everything: Evidence-Based, but Over-Marketed
Gut Health Everything: Evidence-Based, but Over-Marketed
Gut health has been a foundational topic—and rightly so. However, it was often positioned as the solution to everything. From irritable bowel syndrome to mental health conditions, the gut may (or may not) be the root cause of all your problems.
What’s well supported in science:
Fiber intake
Diverse, whole-food diets
Treating confirmed GI conditions (we are not full of parasites all the time!)
Where marketing went too far:
Expensive testing without symptoms
Claims that gut healing alone fixes all chronic conditions
Claims that we are all living with active parasitic infections
Clinical perspective:
Gut health matters—but it’s one piece of a much larger health picture. Your time and money is better spent working up more common conditions before purchasing specialized testing and treatments you likely don't need.
Wearables & Biohacking: Helpful, Not Diagnostic
Wearables & Biohacking: Helpful, Not Diagnostic
From sleep scores to heart rate variability, health wearables continued to evolve in 2025. Honestly? These are a personal favorite of ours. We both live in smartwatches and love health tracking apps.
Where they shine:
Tracking trends over time
Increasing awareness of sleep, movement, and stress
Where caution is needed:
Over-interpretation of single data points -- trends are more important!
Anxiety driven by “imperfect” metrics -- there is great variability in what is considered "normal" or "healthy" from one person to another.
Clinical perspective:
Wearables are tools—not diagnoses. Data should guide informed conversations, not replace clinical evaluation. We love it when our patients can provide us with consistent data that can help us identify patterns or trends, but we never want it to cause anxiety.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: wellness works best when it’s grounded, individualized, and evidence-informed.
The healthiest approach moving forward isn’t chasing every trend—it’s asking better questions:
Is this supported by research?
Is it appropriate for me?
Is it being recommended within proper medical context?
As we move into 2026, our focus remains the same: providing you with the best care & education possible.
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