Feb 16, 2025 18:00:00

How can you distinguish correct information about 'nutrition' when even experts disagree?

It is not uncommon for research into the effectiveness of supplements or the health effects of certain additives to report conflicting results. What's more, social media is flooded with information that conveniently compiles or distorts these research results. A science communication expert has compiled some points to help you distinguish useful information about nutrition and health from the overwhelming amount of information on the Internet.

Nutrition advice is life with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

https://theconversation.com/nutrition-advice-is-rife-with-misinformation-a-medical-education-specialist-explains-how-to-tell-valid-health-information-from-pseudoscience-246478

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the true nature of an “

infodemic ” – the spread of misinformation about science and health – but the proliferation of inaccurate information continues unabated.

Amy Pugh Bernard, an assistant professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a faculty member who trains aspiring scientists and medical professionals how to communicate scientific knowledge to the general public, said there is a lot of conflicting information about health on the internet, and even expert advice often contradicts itself.

This problem is exacerbated by people who deliberately distort information to promote a particular ideology. For example,

trisodium phosphate , a food additive often found in cakes and cookies to improve texture and prevent spoilage, is used by some influencers to imply that trisodium phosphate is harmful, taking advantage of the fact that a substance with the same name is also found in paints and detergents.

These pseudoscientific claims can spread quickly and undermine trust in legitimate research and medical advice. Because diet is only one of many factors that affect health, nutrition research findings are rarely clear-cut. In comparison, pseudoscience that uses foods or supplements as cure-alls can seem simple and therefore appealing, Pugh-Bernard pointed out.

To counter misinformation, Pew-Bernard said, we can rely on the 'science of disease prevention' - public health measures that are evidence-based and supported by extensive research - to help us distinguish whether popular health practices are based on sound science.

Based on the science of disease prevention, there are four main points to look for when distinguishing between the abundance of health information available on the Internet:

◆ Point 1: There is little or no data to back it up
Take coffee, for example. Hundreds of studies show that coffee has both health benefits and risks, yet news articles and social media posts are often based on only one study.

Be careful with dietary supplements, especially as their health benefits can be exaggerated. Take apple cider vinegar, for example. It has been promoted as a natural remedy for a variety of health issues, including digestive issues, urinary health, and weight management. In fact,

some research suggests that ACV may have health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, but these studies are small in sample size and therefore not conclusive.

Some people also claim that the cloudy sediment at the bottom of a bottle of apple cider vinegar, known as the 'mother,' is particularly beneficial because it contains microorganisms and yeasts, but Pugh-Bernard said that at the time of writing, there was no research to support the health benefits of such compounds.

Amazon.co.jp: Mitoku Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother (Acetic Acid Bacteria) (Drinkable Apple Cider Vinegar) 250ml x 2 Bottles: Food, Beverages & Alcohol

◆ Point 2: The claims are too good to be true, such as 'It works immediately' or 'Just take a supplement and you'll be cured.'
'My rule of thumb is that most quick-fix health hacks are too good to be true,' says Pugh-Bernard. And before you jump on the idea that a supplement offers any health benefits, keep in mind that they're not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This is because, unlike medicines and food additives, which are subject to rigorous regulatory scrutiny, supplements may contain more or less ingredients than listed on the label, and may also contain unlisted ingredients that could cause harm such as liver toxicity .

In particular, it's important to keep in mind that the global dietary supplement market is worth $150 billion a year, which drives the companies selling supplements and the influencers promoting health foods, Pugh said.

◆Point 3: Be aware of how facts can be distorted
It's an indisputable fact that nutrients are the foundation of health - vitamin C, for example, is known to support the immune system and help reduce the severity and duration of colds.

A 2013

study examining the relationship between vitamin C and colds showed that while a trial of regular vitamin C supplementation showed that vitamin C shortened the duration of cold symptoms, this shortening effect was not reproduced in several trials in which vitamin C was administered as a treatment. In addition, the cold prevention effect of vitamin C was limited to people who engaged in short, intense exercise, such as marathon runners and military personnel training in the cold, and no reduction in cold risk was observed with vitamin C supplementation in the general population.

According to Pugh-Bernard, the body only needs a certain amount of vitamin C to function properly, so excess vitamin C is excreted. However, pseudoscience ignores this fact or distorts research results to claim that taking large amounts of vitamin C can prevent colds.

Also, while some health influencers claim that raw milk is more natural and nutritious than pasteurized milk, unpasteurized raw milk may contain bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal disorders, and in 2024, it was reported that unpasteurized raw milk samples tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The world's first case of avian influenza infection in dairy cows reported in the United States, with unpasteurized milk samples also testing positive - GIGAZINE

'These dietary myths are not harmless. Relying solely on nutrition can lead people to neglect other important aspects of their health, like regular checkups and life-saving vaccinations. For example, dietary fawning has led cancer patients to choose unproven and misleading nutrition programs over proven, scientifically-backed treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy,' Pugh-Bernard said.

◆ Tip 4: Be careful when you see claims like 'immunity boosting' or coined terms like 'superfood'
One reason pseudoscientific claims can be confusing is that they use plausible scientific terminology -- for example, supplements that claim to 'boost the immune system' often list ingredients like adaptogens and superfoods .

'These terms sound authentic and convincing, but they don't actually mean anything scientifically. They're just terms invented by the health industry to sell products,' Pugh said.

In this way, pseudoscience takes advantage of the desire to 'live as healthy a life as possible' and uses a strategy of shaking consumer psychology by appealing to anxiety and emotions. Therefore, it is important to check your emotions when you see such claims, and if you have a strong emotional reaction, it is a warning sign. It is also effective to check whether the information provider is a real expert with experience and knowledge in the field, and whether the information is firmly supported by references.

'These steps will help you distinguish fact from fake news and make evidence-based decisions,' Pugh-Bernard concluded.