Random Common Placebo Products That Don't Actually Do Anything (12 items)

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  (#1) Skechers Shape-ups

  Skechers advertised that its "Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs, and abdominal muscles,” and their ads featured celebs Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke. Yet they had to pay out a $40 million lawsuit to angry customers because the shoes didn't work as advertised.

  None of Skechers's claims about the benefits of Shape-ups were supported by scientific evidence. 
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  (#2) The Shake Weight

  Not only does the Shake Weight look more than slightly NSFW, it's also ineffective. You're better off saving yourself the embarrassment and just using a regular dumbbell. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, a regular dumbbell was found to be much more effective than the Shake Weight.

  Those outrageous claims that the Shake Weight is "seven times more effective" are pure nonsense. 
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  (#3) Airborne

  Think Airborne helps protect you from colds by boosting your immune system? Think again. Airborne settled a class-action lawsuit for $23.3 million over their claims that their product could help prevent colds. Save your money wash your hands more often instead.
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  (#4) Weight Loss Wraps

  You've likely seen ads for these pop up at some point while scrolling through Instagram. But save your money, because it's all in the fine print: "These claims have not been clinically proven or evaluated by the FDA." That means there haven't been any clinical trials which support the claims these products make.

  To be fair, there haven't been any clinical trials that disprove their claims, either, but many experts believe that any weight loss resulting from a body wrap is temporary.
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  (#5) Sports Drinks

  A study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) explored the claims many sports drink manufacturers make about the constant need to stay hydrated. They found that there is actually no need to "stay ahead of your thirst." In fact, the study concluded that overhydration can be far worse for you than dehydration. It also called out the hypocrisy of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), a Gatorade-owned research facility. Here's how GSSI describes itself:

  "GSSI scientists study the effects of nutrition on the human body before, during and after exercise. For more than two decades, hundreds of amateur, elite and professional athletes have participated in testing with GSSI and in studies with university research partners around the world. GSSI’s headquarter lab, mobile and satellite laboratories and on the field testing enable GSSI to do leading research with the aim to provide athletes with advice and products that help their performance and achieve their goals."

  But don't believe their benevolent claims. The Center for Food Safety reports, "With this sophisticated operation, Gatorade is seeking to legitimize its products as a necessary component to sports and for athletes, whether pro or amateur. It’s probably one of the most successful examples of marketing-driven science, given how prevalent Gatorade products are in sports."

  So next time a sports drink advertisement tries to tell you that you need to immediately replace all the electrolytes you sweat out when you exercise, don't believe it.
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  (#6) Shea and Cocoa Butter Creams for Stretch Marks

  There's no such thing as reducing the appearance of stretch marks with cocoa or shea butter, either in oil or lotion form. A double-blind study found no difference in the appearance of stretch marks on women who used cocoa butter lotion and those who used a placebo. Laser therapy and a prescription topical cream called Tretinoin have shown early signs of possible stretch mark improvement, but there is not enough scientific evidence yet to conclusively prove either method reduces their appearance.

  The single most effective way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks? Let them fade with time.
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  (#7) Magnet Therapy

  Magnet therapy is touted as a method of pain relief, supposedly increasing blood flow through tissues. Yet according to EMF Science, "Many well-conducted studies [like this one and this one] over the past three decades have shown that static magnetic devices offer no more or no less benefit than sham devices devoid of a magnet, in essence demonstrating the placebo effect magnets have on their users."

  If you suffer from chronic pain, there are legitimate options out there - but magnet therapy isn't one of them.
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  (#8) Green Coffee Bean Extract

  You've probably seen ads for green coffee bean extract (GCBE) all over the Internet, claiming that it causes significant weight loss. Shockingly, it doesn't. In 2014, Applied Food Sciences, Inc. (AFS) was fined $3.5 million by the FTC for its involvement in commissioning a study about GCBE that was so flawed it was retracted. AFS used the overwhelmingly positive results of its very bad study to market its green coffee bean extract product to retailers, who in turn used those results to market GCBE to consumers.

  Just because a company claims the benefits of its product are supported by scientific research doesn't mean that research is any good.
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  (#9) Barefoot Running Shoes

  In 2014, Vibram, makers of FiveFingers running shoes, paid out $3.75 million in a class action lawsuit which accused the company of deceptive marketing. Vibram marketed its FiveFingers shoes as being able to help reduce foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles. Those claims were not backed up by any proven science.

  In fact, one study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal showed that transitioning too quickly from regular running shoes to minimalist running shoes could actually cause foot injuries.
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  (#10) Ionic Foot Baths

  Ads for ionic foot spas seem like they've been on TV forever. They're a staple of late-night infomercials, and they purport to pull toxins out of your body through your feet. One common claim is toxins flow through your body and pool in your feet, because gravity, maybe? Anyway, it's hard not to be sucked in by those ads. Just look at all those gross stuff in the bath. It's gotta be doing something, right?

  There's no conclusive proof that ionic foot baths don't work, but there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. Only one scientific study has been done on ionic foot baths, and while the scientists concluded that there is no factual basis to the claim that toxins can be pulled from your body through your feet, the study also had a number of flaws, including the fact that their sample size was only six people.

  Also, Andrew Barron, chairman of chemistry and professor of materials science at Rice University, shared his thoughts on ionic foot baths with the Los Angeles Times:

  "Barron recently tested the water from an ionic foot bath after a 30-minute session. The water was murky, but it didn't show any traces of heavy metals or industrial chemicals other than a few chunks of rust that may have flaked off the electrodes. 'If there was a way to pull that through the skin, I'd be shocked,' he says. 'They're saying things that sound good, but they have absolutely no validity on this planet.'"

  The claims about ionic foot baths detoxifying your body are are murky at best, so it's probably best to just avoid them. 
  
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  (#11) PC or Mac 'Cleaning'

  Don't be fooled by these cleaning downloads that claim to make your computer run faster; both Mac and Windows already come with all the necessary cleaning tools. Don't click that download button - it's the opposite of smart!
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  (#12) Rental Car Insurance

  You should check with your insurance agent to be sure you're covered, but many times, you don't need to pay for rental car insurance. If you have comprehensive and collision auto insurance, your policy should cover rental cars as well. 

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