86% of Us Confused by Health Terms

Britain’s annual January reboot is back—gym memberships, matching sets, health apps barking reminders like overexcited sheepdogs—but new research suggests many of us are still stumbling over basic health terms while we’re at it. A study of 2,000 adults for Symprove found that, even with 80% of people embracing a healthier lifestyle this month, a hefty 86% feel baffled by the language of modern wellness.

If that sounds harsh, consider the most telling detail: the word that caused the biggest collective head-scratch was “synbiotics”. A whopping 96% admitted they had “no idea” what it meant—despite synbiotics simply describing foods (or supplements) that combine probiotics and prebiotics to support gut health.

The wellness dictionary we all pretend we’ve read

The survey paints a familiar picture: people are surrounded by glossy advice, confident influencers, and supermarket packaging that looks like it was written by a biochemist on double espresso. The result is a nation that can talk a good game—then quietly Google the basics in the car park.

Among the most confusing health terms were:

• Synbiotics (96% confused): probiotics + prebiotics together
• Polyphenols (95% confused)
• FODMAP (95% confused)
• Macronutrients (86% confused)
• Non-GMO (88% confused)
• Cortisol (80% confused)
• Serotonin (76% confused)
• Fermentation (75% confused)
• Superfood (74% confused)

Gut health, in particular, seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of British wellbeing chat. Two-thirds couldn’t explain the difference between probiotics (66%) and prebiotics (79%)—which is a bit like buying a satnav and refusing to learn what “left” means.

“Ultra-processed” — the buzzword nobody can actually define

The phrase “ultra-processed” is everywhere right now, delivered with the sort of certainty usually reserved for football penalties and tea-making. Yet two-thirds (65%) admit they don’t actually know what it means.

That confusion matters in practice because the modern health conversation is built on labels. If the labels aren’t understood, people end up hopping from one shiny promise to the next. More than half (57%) say they chop and change between health-kick fads even though they don’t fully understand the science behind them—and 86% wish they understood more about how to live a healthy lifestyle.

In other words, we’re not short on motivation; we’re short on translation.

A nutritionist’s verdict on the health terms everyone trips over

Rhiannon Lambert, Registered Nutritionist and Symprove ambassador says, “This research shows just how confusing health terms have become for people, particularly in January when motivation to look after our bodies is at its highest. With so many buzzwords in circulation, it is easy to feel like you are doing something wrong or to jump from one fad to the next.

“Gut health is one of the most misunderstood areas, but it does not need to be complicated. Understanding the basics around the role of good bacteria and how they can support digestion, immunity and even mood can help people make more confident, sustainable choices. Rather than chasing trends, focusing on evidence-based habits that support the gut can make a real difference and help people stick to their health goals beyond January.”

It’s a polite way of saying what many people feel in the pit of their stomach: half the battle is knowing what the words mean before you start rearranging your entire life around them.

The two-week January: where health kicks go to die

The research also found a familiar British pattern—hope, heroics, and then a quick return to the sofa. While one in three (32%) say they start every January being more mindful about their health, 84% struggle to keep it going, giving up after an average of just 14 days.

The top reasons for breaking a health kick read like a greatest-hits album of reality:

• Losing motivation after a stressful day (44%)
• No willpower (42%)
• Getting bored (35%)
• Being tempted by unhealthy food (35%)
• Craving sweet food (30%)

A quarter (24%) admit they “can’t be bothered” in dark evenings to eat healthily and go to the gym. Another 21% say they’re too tired to work out—even though 39% have bought all the gym gear. And when the plan collapses, 78% feel guilty.

If you’ve ever stared at an unopened tub of protein powder like it personally betrayed you, welcome to the club.

A plain-English cheat sheet for today’s most confusing health terms

Symprove says it has deciphered the 20 most confusing terms—so consider this a practical starter kit, using the same health terms highlighted in the research:

Showing 20 items

Expand all meanings

Rank ↕	Term ↕	Confusion ↕	Meaning (expand)
1	Synbiotics	96%	📘 Meaning Foods that combine probiotics and prebiotics to boost gut health.
2	Polyphenols	95%	📘 Meaning Plant compounds that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
3	FODMAP	95%	📘 Meaning Stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols — a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and ferment in the large intestine, potentially causing gas, bloating, and pain.
4	Bioavailability	94%	📘 Meaning The degree and rate at which a substance is absorbed into the circulatory system and becomes available at its target site of action.
5	Gut microbiota	93%	📘 Meaning The microorganisms (including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses) that live in the digestive tract.
6	Non-GMO	88%	📘 Meaning A food product does not contain ingredients that have been genetically engineered.
7	Microbiome	88%	📘 Meaning The community of microorganisms (like bacteria, fungi, viruses) and their genes living in a specific environment.
8	Macronutrients (macros)	86%	📘 Meaning The protein, carbohydrates, and fats that make up our diets.
9	Gut flora	84%	📘 Meaning Microorganisms (including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses) that live in the digestive tract.
10	Live bacteria supplements	84%	📘 Meaning Supplements containing beneficial live microorganisms that support gut health, digestion, immunity, and potentially mood by balancing gut flora and aiding nutrient absorption.
11	Cortisol	80%	📘 Meaning A steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands (“stress hormone”) that helps manage blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation, and the body’s fight-or-flight response.
12	Prebiotics	79%	📘 Meaning Non-digestible fibres and compounds in plant foods that feed beneficial gut bacteria.
13	Serotonin	76%	📘 Meaning A chemical messenger involved in regulating mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning, and memory.
14	Fermentation	75%	📘 Meaning A metabolic process where microorganisms break down carbohydrates into simpler substances to produce energy.
15	Superfood	74%	📘 Meaning Nutrient-dense foods packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre.
16	Dopamine	72%	📘 Meaning A neurotransmitter and hormone involved in reward, motivation, mood, movement, and attention.
17	Probiotics	66%	📘 Meaning Live microorganisms (beneficial bacteria and yeasts) that can provide health benefits, mainly by supporting the gut microbiome.
18	Ultra-processed foods	65%	📘 Meaning Industrial formulations made from substances extracted from whole foods (such as fats, starches, sugars) plus additives.
19	Collagen	65%	📘 Meaning The body’s most abundant protein, providing structure and strength to skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and connective tissues.
20	Omega-3s	63%	📘 Meaning Essential polyunsaturated fats (like ALA, EPA, DHA) linked to heart, brain, and eye health, found in oily fish, nuts, and seeds.

Keeping it simple (and actually sticking with it)

Here’s the unglamorous truth: long-term health rarely looks like a dramatic overhaul. It looks like repeatable basics—food you can manage, movement you’ll do on a bad day, sleep you protect like it’s an appointment, and a diet that isn’t held together by jargon.

And if you find yourself drowning in confusing health terms, take that as a sign to step back, not double down. The best plan is the one you understand well enough to follow when it’s dark at 5 pm, you’re tired, and the takeaway menu is looking at you like an old friend.