The salt weight loss trend: facts for parents

Let’s talk about the salt water flushing trend

We know from speaking with lots of parents that you’re keen to stay informed about the trends your teens might be exposed to on social media. One such trend is salt for weight loss – more specifically, salt water fasting or salt water flushing.

What actually is salt water flushing?

Salt water flushing involves drinking salt water, often on an empty stomach. Proponents claim benefits like extreme weight loss, improved skin health, and an overall detox of the body.

But how does salt actually work for weight loss?

To understand this, let's get a bit scientific.

Salt is a combination of sodium and chloride, which are electrolytes that retain water and are naturally present in your blood.

If your teen drinks salt water, the sodium holds more water than needed in their colon (the longest part of the large intestine). This excess water causes the bowel to move, essentially making them have a bowel movement.

In essence, salt water flushing acts like a laxative, a type of medicine taken to relieve constipation.

But while laxatives can clear out the bowel, there's no scientific evidence that they lead to long-term weight loss and they can be harmful if used frequently without medical supervision.

In short, is salt water for weight loss safe?

As a DIY method, salt water flushing is without a doubt unsafe unless recommended by a doctor. It can create an imbalance in electrolytes due to excessive salt intake, leading to:

• Dehydration
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• In severe cases seizures

Despite what some social media influencers might claim, their short-term successes are often highlighted without showing the long-term health impacts.

What can your teen do instead?

For improved skin and weight loss, there are safer, more effective methods:

Skin care

A simple 3-step routine can work wonders.

This includes using a cleanser, moisturiser, and SPF in the morning, and a cleanser and moisturiser at night.

For a medically backed approach to skincare, this guide on the best teen skincare routine provides practical, dermatologist-approved advice.

And for teens navigating viral beauty hacks, this guide on TikTok skincare trends can help you distinguish between effective routines and harmful advice.

Weight loss

luna does not recommend losing weight unless someone is actually overweight – the child BMI calculator on the NHS can be used as a guide for this.

If weight loss is necessary, a long-term exercise plan combined with a balanced, healthy diet is the best approach – a doctor can also advise further on this.

For actionable strategies to encourage physical activity, check out this guide to helping teens develop an interest in exercise.

Try to encourage your teen to be sceptical of quick fixes and to understand that sustainable health and beauty practices are key. Remind them as well that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If your teen seems affected by unrealistic beauty standards, this guide on recognising low self-esteem in teenagers can help you provide support.

Hopefully now, if they have questions about such trends, you can provide them with the knowledge to make informed decisions. 

Finally, you’re really not alone in this journey – luna’s here to help!

Our app, luna, has dedicated advice on navigating the digital landscape and how to manage this – from cyber bullying to damaging social media trends, we have our finger on the pulse and reactively support your teen with what’s genuinely front of mind for them.

You can think of luna as a modern, digital approach to wellbeing – it’s cost-effective, verified by doctors and safeguarding experts, and has a direct line into the biggest concerns facing teens today – so it’s actually addressing what they need advice on, when they need it.

If you’ve been looking for an antidote to the misinformation and negativity shared on social media or forums, you can get luna for your teen via our luna premium page for the price of a coffee each month or manage their subscription by downloading luna yourself and signing up as a parent (it's "we are luna" in app stores).