The new trends to HELP YOUR HEALTH

Here’s what’s hot for 2020 – and how you can start fitting them into your life

- TANYA PEAREY

Wellbeing is big business. According to The Global Wellness Institute, the industry is worth around £3.3 trillion. From smelly candles to diet and fitness, wellness is a popular concept. But you don’t have to spend a fortune on the latest health trends. Here’s what caught our eye…

The rise of CBD oil

Last year it was touted as the ‘cure’ for almost everything! This year it’s a bit more targeted, as one of the biggest problems for CBD oil is that it has only recently become legal, therefore the data available on its effects is still limited. Plus, in many countries it remains a controlled substance, making research more difficult, so we’re still working out what it’s really good for.

So the good news is that medicines for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis have now been approved for use by the NHS for the first time. But some recent research claimed there’s less evidence that medicinal cannabis can relieve mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. The research, from Australia, was published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal and looked at the results of 83 studies. However, the data used wasn’t just results from CBD oil use, but also included the use of cannabis containing the active ingredient THC – absent from the oil. This confuses the issue, as there’s already plenty of evidence that non-medical cannabis could contribute to depression and anxiety. So the true picture remains unclear.

Don’t run!