Influencers are promoting $50 straws that they claim will protect against electromagnetic radiation

“Everyone asks me, “What’s up with that straw?” Sandra Fernandez says in the voiceover of November 2025 Instagram Reel.

the Influencerwho describes herself as a “detox coach,” “wellness leader,” and “holistic mom.” Instagram Bio, is drinking water with a strange appearance, Curved metal straw. With her lips stuck over a hole in the top, she looks a bit like one of those Myspace Girls who took Selfies of sore fingers In early 2010.

“It’s not just a straw,” the voiceover continues. “It’s my straw of hesitation.” Fernandez then explains her job, placing the straw between the phone charger and a small device that she says is an electromagnetic frequency detector. It claims that the electromagnetic field signal “stops instantly.” “When you drink with it, whether it’s juice, smoothie or water, you’re literally drinking protection,” she says. Those interested can comment with a “straw” below, she says in the caption.

Fernandez is promoting the “EMF straw,” a trendy health product that users claim can protect against supposedly dangerous electromagnetic frequencies that come from products such as cell phones, hair dryers and microwaves. Dozens of videos of women with wavy hair and curly hair are spreading on Instagram and TikTok totalitarian In their bio they sing the praises of these straws, claiming they can restore energy, heal the gut, and boost the immune system. The strange design, which features a hole in the middle of the straw rather than at the top, has gone viral Tik Tok A few years ago, some beauty influencers were claiming that the product prevented mouth wrinkles. (no.)

“It is equipped with 11 harmonic frequencies: one for grounding, one for immune support, and eight tuned to the body’s major organ systems,” Detox Mentor, an influencer with more than 300,000 followers, wrote on Instagram. mail from last October, adding that it not only “helps block EMF radiation” but “also harmonizes your cells and recharges your energy from the inside out.” (None of the Instagram influencers I reached out to responded to requests for comment.)

EMF straws are part of a broader industry of so-called “EMF blocking” or “neutralizing” products, including stickers, jewelry, clothing, eyeglasses and bags. Although none of these products have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the industry is gaining traction among health and wellness influencers, with NHL and UFC athletes. cooperation With EMF protection company AiresTech and Russell Brand to promote a $239.99 EMF-repellent “magic amulet” in 2024 video. According to Google, searches for the term “protection from electromagnetic radiation” have risen 1,300 percent in the United States in the past 12 months.

The Federal Trade Commission has repeatedly issued complaints against such products for deceptive advertising, saying in 2011 press release That there is “no scientific evidence that so-called shields significantly reduce exposure” from devices that emit electromagnetic fields. BBC 2021 investigation From phone stickers that supposedly block radiation, I also found that these products had no measurable effect.

As with most pseudoscience, there is a grain of truth in the concern about electromagnetic radiation. Prolonged exposure to High frequency Radiation from X-ray machines or UV rays from tanning beds is known to cause damage at the cellular level, which many researchers believe increases the risk of certain types of cancer.

But consumer panic is largely focused on the low-frequency, non-ionizing radiation used or emitted by everyday electronic devices. While research on the health effects of cell phones is still ongoing, according to… National Cancer Institute“A few studies have reported evidence” of a relationship between non-ionizing electromagnetic fields and cancer.