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What are the steps to do Dr Ania's salt trick?
Executive summary
The “Dr Ania pink salt trick” is a viral recipe circulating on TikTok and YouTube that mixes warm water with Himalayan pink salt (and often lemon) and is promoted online as a quick weight‑loss or detox hack; reporting finds the trend is not medically supported and Dr. Ania Jastreboff of Yale has no connection to it [1] [2]. Multiple fact‑checking pieces say the name “Dr Ananya” is likely fictional or misattributed and that AI‑generated clips falsely show Dr. Jastreboff endorsing the drink [3] [2].
1. What the viral “salt trick” steps usually look like — the recipe people share
Most posts labelled the “Dr Ania/Dr Ananya pink salt trick” show a very simple sequence: dissolve a pinch or teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt in a glass or mug of warm water (sometimes with added lemon juice or a dash of honey), stir and drink it in the morning; creators claim improved digestion, a flatter belly, or faster fat loss [1] [4]. Several lifestyle blogs and trend writeups reproduce this basic formula and variation—some call it “sole water” and note the recipe has circulated in wellness circles long before the meme [1] [4].
2. Who “Dr Ania”/“Dr Ananya” actually is — and why the attribution is misleading
Investigations by multiple websites found no evidence that a credentialed “Dr Ananya” originates this trick; the trend frequently misattributes the method to Dr. Ania Jastreboff of Yale, but Yale and Dr. Jastreboff state she has never endorsed the recipe and that videos showing her endorsement are fraudulent, some AI‑generated [3] [2]. In short, the name attached to the trend is a viral tag rather than a verified medical endorsement [5].
3. What medical professionals and institutions say about safety and evidence
Available reporting emphasizes there is no clinical evidence this salt‑in‑water ritual causes fat loss; Yale’s profile for Dr. Jastreboff explicitly calls the pink salt trick “misinformation,” not medically supported, and unconnected to her or Yale [2]. Trend explainers also warn that regular consumption of salty water can raise sodium intake and may cause bloating, dehydration, and raise blood pressure—risks especially relevant for people with kidney or heart disease [6] [1].
4. Why the trend spreads: psychology, short videos, and AI amplification
The meme’s reach owes to short‑form platforms and simple, repeatable actions that promise big results. Reporting shows creators reuse names and visuals (like “Dr Ania/Ananya”) to borrow authority; worse, some videos were likely AI‑generated to show well‑known figures endorsing the drink, which amplifies credibility even when false [6] [3] [2]. That combination—easy DIY steps + apparent expert backing—explains rapid adoption despite a lack of science [1].
5. If someone wants to try a mild version — harm‑minimization and alternatives
Coverage suggests treating the drink like a flavored warm water habit rather than a medical intervention: if you try it, keep salt amounts small, account for total daily sodium, and avoid if you have hypertension, heart, or kidney disease; but the sources stress this is not a weight‑loss treatment and shouldn’t replace proven approaches or medical care [6] [2] [5]. For weight loss, experts highlighted in these pieces point readers toward evidence‑based strategies (diet quality, physical activity, and clinically supervised options), rather than viral hacks [5].
6. Misinformation dynamics and what to watch for next
The pink salt trick story is a cautionary example: viral health tips often recycle old home remedies, use invented or misattributed expert names, and now can be amplified by realistic AI video fakes—so verifying with institutional pages (e.g., Yale) or direct statements from named clinicians is crucial [3] [2]. Articles tracking the trend repeatedly call out the misattribution to Dr. Jastreboff and flag safety concerns tied to excess sodium [3] [6].
Limitations: available sources do not include peer‑reviewed clinical trials testing this specific “pink salt trick,” and no source in the set endorses it as an evidence‑based weight‑loss method; where claims are not covered in current reporting, they are not asserted here [1] [2].