How to spot junk science

Are you being fed lies?

First off, what is nutritional quackery or junk science?

Quackery is also referred to as “health fraud”, and is defined as the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices or products.

Why does nutritional quackery happen?

• There are no laws that prevent products from being sold as long as it is called a dietary supplement.
• Almost anyone can call himself or herself a nutritionist. A lot of people who call themselves nutritionists have dubious credentials from non-accredited schools, or are health professionals in other areas of medicine but do not necessarily have the necessary nutritional background.
• Research scientists who go public with findings before their study has been published in a peer reviewed journal or duplicated can cause confusion in the public who is not able to tell the difference, or single studies are used to create headlines and products while there might be more evidence needed to tell if the application on humans will indeed be effective.

Here is the red flags you can use to detect false nutritional claims:

• “Satisfaction guaranteed”
  This is a misleading claim, because the term “satisfaction” is really subjective to the person using the diet or product. With different people having different needs, a “satisfaction guarantee” on a food product is likely to disappoint some people. It is also not regulated, therefore not all companies will necessarily be obligated to provide compensation if the “satisfaction” was not met, as there was not really specified what that satisfaction actually is referring to.
• One product does all or is a cure-all
  Arthritis? Yep, this product will help. Gut issues? But of course! Headache? No problem!! The truth is, no one product can treat such a wide variety of problems.
• Personal testimonials or anecdotes
  This is not science-based claims, or tested by science. Results could be due to the “placebo effect” (mind-body effect) or due to confounding factors (outside factors affecting results). Anecdotes is considered the weakest form of evidence.
• “Natural”
  This may seem like a “healthy” choice, right? But the term “natural” is not regulated by the law, and could mean anything the advertiser wants. “Natural” is also not necessarily safer or healthier – consider also that anything strong enough to have an effect on your body, is strong enough to have a side effect.
• Quick and easy fix
  Sorry, but even scientifically proven treatments take time to be effective and sustainable.
• Words like “break-through,” “miracle,” “special” or “secret”
  These are not scientific or medical words and are used to appeal to your emotions.
• Paranoid warnings of danger from a single product or regimen
  This includes promoting fear around health problems – for example, words like “toxic” or “death”.
• Meaningless medical jargon
  Is the bottle filled with scientific-sounding words you don’t understand? Many, many times companies will add a lot of fancy sounding words and jargon to convince the customer they have superior knowledge, but in fact they may lack scientific proof.

Do not be misled!

With athletes being a particularly targeted population, it is easy to believe that there is a special product that makes you leaner, stronger or healthier – especially if it is being promoted by someone like a coach, a trainer, or even a physio or biokeneticist. Do not be misled by information that is not backed by science, or by a nutritional professional like a dietitian. If you don’t know if a product is legit or not, it is advisable to consult with a dietitian before using it. Always read the fine print and see what side effects there might be when using products.

Before taking a supplement – no matter who is giving it to you – always check the ingredient list for banned substances, which can be found on the WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) website.

When you hear nutrition news, consider the source. Ask yourself:

1. Is this person providing the information qualified to speak about nutrition?
2. Is the information based on peer-reviewed, quality science?

If not, find better places to find information. Your health depends on it.