Wellness trends are fun until you’re standing in your kitchen wondering why you own three powders, a face tape and something called “cellular sparkle”. This isn’t here to ruin the fun. It’s here to help you spot which trends might fit a real routine, which need a little care, and which can stay on your For You page.
Creatine, magnesium, ashwagandha and supplement stacking are all getting plenty of attention right now, alongside electrolyte-enhanced hydration and other buzzy ideas. Here are eight worth knowing about.
1. Greens powders: worth a look for convenience
Greens powders aren’t the same as a plate full of fruit and veg, and they don’t count towards your five-a-day. But if you’re travelling, have a restricted diet or find a powder helps you remember to make a more balanced choice, it can be a convenient extra.
The research behind broad greens-powder claims is still growing and tends to be small. So enjoy one if it suits your routine, but let real plants, meals and snacks do the starring role.
Verdict: worth a look for convenience, not a food swap.
2. Electrolyte-everything: smash in the right situation
For long, hot, high-sweat sessions, electrolytes can be excellent kit. Defined carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks can contribute to endurance performance during prolonged endurance exercise and help water absorption during activity (Commission Regulation 432/2012).
For a short gym session, water is often enough. The easy win is matching the drink to the day rather than sipping electrolyte water from breakfast to bedtime. Drink to thirst and avoid overdoing fluids during long events.
Verdict: smash in the right situation.
3. Creatine: smash for strength and training support
Creatine has earned its mainstream moment. Research guidance commonly uses 3 to 5g a day, and a loading phase is optional rather than required (JISSN creatine review).
It’s not an anabolic steroid, and the same review reports that recommended doses have not been shown to cause kidney damage in healthy people. It’s a straightforward option for people interested in strength and performance, with one simple caveat: if you have kidney disease, check with a clinician first.
Verdict: smash, especially if strength training is your thing.
4. Magnesium for sleep: maybe, with realistic hopes
Magnesium is popular for evenings because it contributes to normal muscle function, electrolyte balance and a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Sleep studies are mixed, so it’s best seen as a possible supporting tool, not a reliable lights-out button for everyone.
If you like it as part of a wind-down routine, keep the dose sensible. The NHS says 400mg a day or less from supplements is unlikely to cause harm.
Verdict: maybe, with realistic hopes and a good bedtime routine.
5. Ashwagandha: maybe, with care
Short trials have reported interesting changes in sleep quality and stress measures, often at 250 to 600mg a day. The research is still short-term, though, and the safety conversation matters because liver-injury cases have been reported, particularly in people with existing liver disease (ashwagandha review).
If you’re curious, a pharmacist is a sensible sounding board, especially if you take medicines or have any liver concerns.
Verdict: maybe, with care.
6. NAD boosters: worth watching, not our first pick yet
NMN and NR sound futuristic because they affect NAD levels in the body. The practical outcomes are less clear so far, so this is a watch-this-space category rather than a must-have.
That doesn’t make the field boring. It simply means it’s one to keep an eye on, rather than a must-have for your gym bag.
Verdict: worth watching, not our first pick yet.
7. Berberine: maybe, but keep it medical-minded
Berberine has been discussed everywhere from podcasts to weight-loss chats. Studies in clinical populations have found changes in some glucose and lipid markers, but that doesn’t make it a casual over-the-counter route to weight loss for healthy people (berberine meta-analysis).
It’s better treated as something to discuss with a pharmacist or clinician, not an alternative to medical care or a quick-fix trend.
Verdict: maybe, with professional advice.
8. Mouth taping: not our first pick
Mouth taping looks simple, but sleep isn’t always simple. A 2025 review found small, poor-quality studies with mixed findings and safety concerns where people have nasal blockage or regurgitation (PLOS One mouth-taping review).
If you snore, wake unrefreshed or someone notices pauses in your breathing, it’s much more useful to speak to a GP than to add tape to the shopping list.
Verdict: not our first pick.
The smart trend filter
Before you try any wellness trend, ask three quick questions:
- What is it meant to help with in real people?
- Does it fit my routine, budget and health situation?
- Is there a simpler food, sleep, hydration or training habit that would help too?
Supplements can make routines easier, and quality matters. If you compete, third-party testing is a useful confidence check because it helps reduce contamination risk.
The bottom line
You don’t need to dodge every trend, and you don’t need to try them all. Creatine and targeted electrolytes are strong practical options; greens powders can be convenient; magnesium and ashwagandha deserve a thoughtful approach; and mouth taping is one to leave to a health conversation. Stay curious, keep the basics strong and choose the trends that make your real life easier.
Fuel My Life perspective: we make the boring-but-useful end of this list — creatine, magnesium, electrolytes and friends — with honest labels, sensible doses and price-per-serving you can actually check. No cellular sparkle. Have a browse of the full range and see what fits the life you’re actually living.
This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you take medicines or have a health condition, speak to your GP or pharmacist before adding new supplements.