While most have come to accept Gwyneth’s lifestyle and wellness brand - Goop - for what it is, namely a brand that markets itself on luxury products most can only ever find aspirational, and which never shies away from controversy but rather leans into it with advice that should only ever be taken with a grain of salt, you still have to hand it to the actress and entrepreneur: her self-belief and confidence in her own words is almost enough to convince you of such things, too.
Now, in her latest post offering Covid-19 advice, the actress suggested long Covid could be treated with “intuitive fasting”, herbal cocktails and regular visits to an “infrared sauna”. Not surprisingly, the medical director of NHS England has urged the actress to stop spreading misinformation. In her latest blogpost, Gwyneth revealed that she caught Covid-19 early and had since suffered “long-tail fatigue and brain fog.”
She said that after turning to the advice of a “functional medicine practitioner,” she was told “this was a case where the road to healing was going to be longer than usual.” She then embarked on a “keto and plant-based” diet, which involved fasting until 11am every day, “lots of coconut aminos” and sugar-free kombucha and kimchi. She went on to recommend her brand’s Madame Ovary supplement and Seedlip, “the incredible herbal nonalcoholic cocktails.”
Gwyneth then added that she’s doing an infrared sauna as often as she can, all in service of healing. While the Hollywood star said she had been doing research into her diet and “finding some great stuff to support what I’m doing,” it goes without saying that her unproven advice has been met with criticism, particularly from those on the front lines battling the spread of coronavirus.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, urged influencers like Gwyneth Paltrow to stop spreading misinformation. “In the last few days I see Gwyneth Paltrow is unfortunately suffering from the effects of Covid. We wish her well, but some of the solutions she’s recommending are really not the solutions we’d recommend in the NHS.”
He added, “We need to take long Covid seriously and apply serious science. All influencers who use social media have a duty of responsibility and a duty of care around that. Like the virus, misinformation carries across borders and it mutates and it evolves. So I think YouTube and other social media platforms have a real responsibility and opportunity here.”
