Celebrity health advice

Recently, more and more celebrities have been appearing in the media offering advice on how to have a healthy lifestyle.

Depression impossible: Tom Cruise made the medical community angry when he told a TV host that depression cannot be treated with medicine. Doctors quickly denounced the actor´s comments as “dangerous and irresponsible”. They suggest that if you suffer from depression, you should seek help from your GP, and not from the star of Mission Impossible.

A warm cup of health: Gwyneth Paltrow has been strongly criticised about the health advice she offers on her website GOOP.com. Her support for “cupping” is particularly controversial. In this treatment, a practitioner places warm glass cups on the skin to reduce stress. Experts have explained that the therapy causes bruising, that is, brown or purple marks on your skin. Gwyneth, stick to what you do best: acting…

Dreamdiet: When Beyoncé needed to lose weight for her role in Dreamgirls, she went on a rapid programme to lose weight called “The Master Cleanse”. This diet consists of consuming nothing more than a glass of pure water mixed with lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. Although you can lose weight this way, the side effects include fatigue, dizziness, dehydration and nausea. Experts say that it is not only dangerous, but also weight is quickly regained when the diet ends.

Magic tape: Not all celebrity health advice is dangerous. Some of it is just plain silly. David Beckham and Serena Williams have been wearing coloured sports tape to treat muscle injuries for years. Lance Amstrong said the tape has “special powers”. Experts, on the other hand, say there is no research to support this theory: “The tape has nothing more than a placebo effect”.

A bit of common sense: On a positive note, England cricketer Stuart Broad has spoken out against dietary supplements. He says, “A balanced diet provides our bodies with all the nutrients we need”.