In the age of social media and quick fix health remedies, viral claims of herbal concoctions which promise to clean the uterus from diseases have grabbed much attention. One such viral claim has made its way through the Instagram reels suggesting that a simple herbal tea, made with red onion and shilajit capsules, removes uterine cysts, fibroids, and even controls the menstrual cycle. How accurate are these claims? Let's dig into the science of these claims, and sort out fact from fiction.

The Instagram reel claims to boil red onion in its skin and drink this concoction empty stomach or just before bed that will cleanse the uterus of cysts, fibroids, and so on. It is also promoting supplementary shilajit capsules. Some videos feature alternative medicine enthusiast Deepak Chopra who is preaching in this video. It promises women results right away-for example, how it can straighten out one's periods, get rid of reproductive health concerns, and other such benefits.

Medical experts refute all these claims vigorously. The uterus, they note, is a self-cleansing organ that doesn't need extraneous assistance to "detoxify" or "cleanse." Such claims lack scientific evidence, and in most cases, it's a matter of misinformation or even manipulated content, at times even generated with the help of AI.

It is important to understand why these claims fall short by grasping the nature of uterine cysts and fibroids.

Cysts

Fluid-filled sacs that develop in different areas, including the ovaries. Ovarian cysts are mainly benign and disappear over time without a need for surgical intervention.

Fibroids

These are abnormal growths found in the uterus. They appear in different sizes and cause the following symptoms; heavy bleeding, pelvic pain among others.

Both have to be diagnosed properly and receive adequate treatment. Medication or surgical methods may occasionally be necessary. Herbal teas and remedies, though helpful for general well-being, do not have the capacity to dissolve cysts or fibroids.

Lack of evidence and adequacy on the use of herbal preparations to the study done on uterine fibroids was concluded. That is, more studies of higher quality are needed to fully understand if herbal remedies can possibly contribute any positive effects on the health of the uterus.

Some medicinal plants and herbs are actually capable of exhibiting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities; however, their contribution toward addressing issues like those in fibroids and cysts had not yet been proven.

Foods That Can Promote Uterine Health

Although no food or beverage can prevent, eradicate, or kill fibroids or cysts, a healthy diet can be a useful tool in the reduction of possible risk factors and control of symptoms. Foods high in the essential nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins can have a general benefit for the reproductive organs.

Fruits and Vegetables: Produce such as apples, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, and citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit) are rich in antioxidants and may reduce the risk of developing fibroids.

Calcium-Rich Foods: Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and fortified alternatives (soy, almond, or oat milk) are good sources of calcium and vitamin D, which studies suggest may reduce the risk of fibroids.

Vitamin D-Containing Foods: Some of these include light tuna, salmon, and rainbow trout, which provide immune health as well as balance to hormones.

Herbs and Spices for Uterus- Related Ailments

Even though red onion tea and shilajit cannot cleanse the uterus, a few herbs and spices may ease symptoms of disorders such as endometriosis or premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

1. Curcumin: This is a compound found in turmeric that has shown anti-inflammatory effects and may be able to suppress the production of estradiol, a hormone associated with endometriosis.

2. Chamomile: Chamomile tea has been used to alleviate PMS symptoms, and its active compound, chrysin, has been reported to inhibit the growth of endometrial cells.

3. Essential Oils: A combination of cinnamon, clove, rose, and lavender oils applied during aromatherapy massage reduces menstrual pain and bleeding.

4. Ashwagandha: This is an adaptogenic herb used to reduce stress, which can indirectly benefit women with hormonal imbalances or chronic conditions like endometriosis.

While the allure of natural remedies is strong, especially when presented as quick and easy solutions, it’s essential to rely on evidence-based healthcare. Self-diagnosing and experimenting with unproven remedies can delay necessary medical treatment and lead to complications.

Consulting a healthcare provider is critical for accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment plans. Doctors can also provide guidance on incorporating safe and effective complementary therapies into your routine.

There is no scientific basis to support the fact that a simple herbal concoction can cleanse the uterus of "any disease," which misleads the individuals to follow some ineffective remedies. The uterus does not require any kind of external "cleansing" for it to work at its best, and cysts and fibroids are usually treated by proper medical care.

Generally speaking, a proper diet with essential fruits, vegetables, and supplements can help develop overall reproductive well-being, however, it shall not replace other medical treatments and interventions. Also, herbs and plants such as chamomile, turmeric, and ashwagandha have been confirmed to be efficient in treating most related conditions.

Always be up to date, follow trusted health care professionals, and beware of fads that promise miraculous improvements in health with less scientific proof. Your health deserves nothing less.

Herbal preparations for uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009

Curcumin inhibits endometriosis endometrial cells by reducing estradiol production. ran J Reprod Med. 2013

Comparison of the effects of Matricaria chamomila (Chamomile) extract and mefenamic acid on the intensity of premenstrual syndrome. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2014

The effect of aromatherapy abdominal massage on alleviating menstrual pain in nursing students: a prospective randomized cross-over study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013

A Systematic Review of Human Trial Results Reported for the Ayurvedic Herb Ashwagandha. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2014

Prolactin and cortisol levels in women with endometriosis. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2006

Walk through a grocery store today and even chips and pastries come in "protein-boosted" versions. Nutrition experts at Stanford Medicine say this trend, often called "protein-maxxing," has outrun the science behind it.

The real picture is more nuanced. Some people do need more protein than official guidelines once suggested, but for most, the bigger problem lies elsewhere in the diet, not in a shortage of protein. Here's what the research actually shows.

1. Your body does need protein

Protein is one of three macronutrients, along with carbs and fat, and your body can't skip it. Dietary protein breaks down into amino acids, the building blocks used to make your own body's proteins.

"Protein can take the form of your muscles, your hair, your skin, everything has protein in it," said Jonathan Long, an associate professor of pathology at Stanford. Of the 20 amino acids your body needs, nine can only come from food.

2. The official recommendation just changed, and the old number was debated for decades

Until early 2026, the US RDA for protein was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, a figure that had stood for over 80 years, according to nutrition writer Shannon Keefe.

New federal dietary guidelines released in January 2026 raised that to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. For a 150-pound adult, that moves the daily target from about 55 grams, roughly an 8-ounce steak, up to 80-110 grams.

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Whether this matters for you depends on who you are. Christopher Gardner, Stanford's director of nutrition studies, says the old RDA already covers most healthy adults.

But other experts interviewed by Today's Dietitian, including sports dietitian Angie Asche, argue the 0.8g figure is too low for people trying to build muscle, adults over 65, and anyone on a weight-loss diet. The gap is partly because the original RDA was built on decades-old nitrogen-balance studies that may underestimate real needs, Keefe writes.

3. Protein matters most when you're cutting calories

Stanford Medicine notes protein becomes more important specifically when someone eats fewer calories, since a calorie deficit raises the risk of losing muscle along with fat.

This is especially relevant now, given rising use of weight-loss medications. Outside a calorie deficit, piling on extra protein doesn't offer the same payoff.

4. Fiber is the real gap in most diets

While protein gets the spotlight, fiber doesn't. Gardner points out that antioxidants which lower inflammation and help prevent cancer "don't come in meat and cheese and protein bars," per Stanford Medicine.

Only 5% of Americans meet recommended fiber intake, despite its role in gut and heart health. Beans, legumes and whole grains deliver both fiber and protein, but Americans eat less than 10 grams of legumes a day on average, Gardner says.

5. "Incomplete protein" is a myth

The old claim that plant proteins are 'incomplete' and must be paired with specific grains doesn't hold up, Gardner says. Plant proteins contain all 20 amino acids. Legumes run only slightly lower in one of them. Gardner co-authored a 2019 paper comparing amino acid profiles across animal and plant foods and found them nearly identical.

Other myths don't hold up either. There's no need to spread protein evenly across meals, says Stanford dietitian Marily Oppezzo, though older adults may need more per meal to trigger muscle growth. The post-workout 'anabolic window' is also longer than assumed, closer to 24 hours, so a protein shake right after the gym isn't essential.

More isn't automatically better. "I don't think a high-protein diet is necessarily bad, but what are you not eating?" Oppezzo asked. Chasing protein can crowd out the fiber, vitamins and antioxidants in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts.

A compound your body makes after eating pomegranates, walnuts and some berries has improved heart function by up to 80% in lab models of a form of heart failure that's notoriously hard to treat. The finding comes from King's College London, and it's early, but it points at a problem doctors have struggled with for years.

The Condition With Few Treatments

The heart failure in question is called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF. Here, the heart still pumps blood normally, but becomes too stiff to relax and fill properly between beats. It causes breathlessness, fatigue and a poorer quality of life, and accounts for roughly half of all heart failure cases in the UK, affecting nearly half a million people, according to King's College London's release, carried by ScienceDaily.

HFpEF has long resisted treatment because it's driven by many overlapping factors, including ageing, high blood pressure and diabetes, King's College London says. One class of diabetes drugs, called SGLT2 inhibitors, has recently changed that picture. Large trials named EMPEROR-Preserved and DELIVER found that the drugs empagliflozin and dapagliflozin cut deaths and hospital visits in HFpEF patients, and empagliflozin became the first SGLT2 inhibitor approved in the US specifically for HFpEF, according to TCTMD. But researchers still call the field wide open.

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What The New Study Found

Researchers led by Dr. Joseph Burgoyne found that a compound called urolithin A activates a protein named PKGIα, which helps blood vessels and heart muscle relax, King's says. In animal models of HFpEF, urolithin A improved heart function measures by as much as 80%, helped heart tissue relax better, and reduced fibrosis, the scarring that interferes with normal heart function. It also limited harmful enlargement of heart muscle cells.

The team then tested the compound in engineered human heart tissue grown from stem cells, a lab model that closely mimics real heart muscle. Urolithin A significantly improved relaxation there too, according to King's, suggesting the animal results might carry over to humans.

Notably, urolithin A has already been studied in people and has shown a good safety record, King's says. But your body doesn't get it directly from food. Instead, gut bacteria produce it by fermenting compounds found in pomegranates, walnuts and berries, according to the Global Prebiotic Association, a nutrition industry group. That means how much urolithin A a person makes can depend on which gut bacteria they have, not just what they eat.

Not A Reason To Stock Up On Pomegranates Yet

Burgoyne was careful about what the findings mean. "While there isn't enough evidence to suggest that people should eat pomegranates to treat heart failure, these findings raise the possibility that dietary approaches that enhance urolithin A production may help alleviate this condition," he said, per King's.

Professor James Leiper of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, struck the same note: "These findings are promising, but the benefits have so far been seen in animals and engineered human tissue, so clinical trials involving people are needed." He added that a healthy, balanced diet is still one of the best ways to protect the heart, but "no single food can prevent or treat heart disease on its own."

There is a reason why when we think about coffee, we only see ‘caffeine’ in big, bold letters. It helps up wake up, stay energetic, alert, sharpens our attention and helps us fight the midday grogginess at work. So, little attention has been paid to other components of coffee.

But new research suggests some of coffee’s effects on the brain may have little to do with caffeine.

A study published in Nature Communications found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were linked to changes in the gut microbiome, mood and stress. But improvements in learning and memory were seen specifically among people who drank decaffeinated coffee.

The findings suggest that coffee’s effects on the brain could involve its many other compounds and the gut-brain connection, rather than caffeine alone.

How Was The Study Conducted

Researchers from APC Microbiome Ireland at University College Cork studied 62 people. Thirty-one were regular coffee drinkers, while 31 did not normally drink coffee.

The regular coffee drinkers first stopped consuming coffee for two weeks. Researchers then collected stool and urine samples and monitored their mood, stress, cognition and other measures.

Coffee was subsequently reintroduced, with participants receiving either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee for three weeks. The researchers found that both forms of coffee were associated with changes in gut bacteria and metabolites. But when it came to cognitive effects, there was a striking finding.

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Decaffeinated Coffee Improved Memory

Participants who drank decaffeinated coffee showed significant improvements in learning and memory. For example, they made fewer errors on a test examining learning and memory. They also showed improvements in episodic memory, which involves remembering information and experiences.

The caffeinated group did not show the same results. This helped researchers find out that the non-caffeine components of coffee may have some positive cognitive effects.

But the researchers also acknowledge that some of the improvement could have happened due to participants becoming more familiar with the tests over time.

Also read: Gut Microbiome Linked To 3x Higher Type 1 Diabetes Risk In Children

Decaf Coffee's Effect On Brain

Coffee contains thousands of chemical compounds, including polyphenols. These compounds can interact with gut microbes and influence the production of metabolites, which can then affect the body and brain. This is where the gut-brain axis comes into the picture.

The gut and brain are in constant communication through several processes involving the nervous system, immune system, hormones and chemicals produced by gut bacteria.

The study found that coffee consumption altered the composition and activity of gut microbes and changed certain metabolites. Some bacteria, including Eggerthella species and Cryptobacterium curtum, were more found in more quantity among coffee drinkers.

Researchers believe these microbial changes could help explain some of coffee’s effects on mood and cognition.

Effects Of Caffeinated Coffee

Participants drinking caffeinated coffee experienced reduced anxiety and other psychological effects, while some measures of attention and cognitive performance also improved.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee showed lower signs of stress, depression and impulsivity.

So the study does not suggest that decaf is universally better for the brain. Instead, it shows that different components of coffee may produce different effects.

It also adds another layer to the increasingly complicated story of coffee and health. Coffee may be more than a delivery system for caffeine. Its polyphenols and other compounds may interact with gut bacteria, influencing metabolism, inflammation, mood and brain function.