Category: Alternative Medicine
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience Aimee Pugh Bernard, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated a vast landscape of misinformation about many topics,…
Buyer beware: Off-brand Ozempic, Zepbound and other weight loss products carry undisclosed risks for consumers
The dietary supplement market has sought to cash in on the GLP-1 demand with pills, teas, extracts and all manner of other products that claim to produce similar effects as the brand names at a much lower price.
Elle Macpherson’s breast cancer: when the media reports on celebrity cancer, are we really getting the whole story?
Media coverage of Macpherson’s situation has largely missed a key piece of information: her breast cancer is not invasive.
Castor oil is all the rage among health influencers – what you need to know about this alternative remedy
Castor oil, which was once used by fascists in Italy as punishment because of its quick-acting laxative effect, is now a weight-loss trend on TikTok. Not drinking it, but rubbing it on your belly.
Influencers are also pouring it in their belly buttons and wrapping towels soaked in it around their midriff. They claim it can melt belly fat and help with bloating.
A natural deception: 3 marketing myths the supplement industry wants you to swallow
The business of supplements is booming, and with all the hype around them, it’s easy to forget what they actually are: substances that can powerfully affect the body and your health, yet aren’t regulated like drugs are.
Dietary supplements and protein powders fall under a ‘wild west’ of unregulated products that necessitate caveats and caution
Under a 1994 law, dietary supplements are classified as food, not as drugs. This means dietary supplements are not required to prove efficacy, unlike drugs. Regulators also don’t take action on a product until it is shown to cause harm.
Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here’s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it
Studies show that health misinformation spread on social media results in fewer people getting vaccinated and can also increase the risk of other health dangers such as disordered eating and unsafe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections. Health misinformation has even bled over into animal health, with a 2023 study finding that 53% of dog owners surveyed in a nationally representative sample report being skeptical of pet vaccines.
Thinking of trying a detox? Here’s what you need to know first
Detoxes are prevalent on social media and spruiked (Australian slang: to promote) by brands offering detox products, celebrities and influencers. So if you’re thinking of trying a detox, here’s what you need to know.
Hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog? Here’s what we know about phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms
It is estimated more than one-third of women seek complementary or alternative medicines to manage menopausal symptoms. But do they work? Or are they a waste of time and considerable amounts of money?
Rejecting science has a long history – the pandemic showed what happens when you ignore this
Anti-vaccination groups, as well as other anti-science movements, are not new phenomena, nor are the nature of their objections. Most anti-science arguments have been around for centuries.
Congressman’s Wife Died After Taking Herbal Remedy Marketed for Diabetes and Weight Loss
he wife of a Northern California congressman died late last year after ingesting while mulberry, a plant that is generally considered safe and is used as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, including diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
Poll: Many older adults look beyond conventional medicine for help, but few talk to their doctors about it
Nearly 40% of older adults currently use at least one integrative medicine strategy to try to ease symptoms of a physical or mental health issue, or to help them relax, a new poll finds. But only 18% of older adults who currently use, formerly used or are interested in using integrative health strategies have actually talked about it with a health care provider.
Ivermectin, blood washing, ozone: how long COVID survivors are being sold the next round of miracle cures
Some individuals or groups are exploiting people’s desperation, using long COVID support networks to attempt to profit from offering treatment plans or alternative therapies such as vitamin supplements and ozone treatment. Some long COVID groups are are still recommended drugs such as the now scientifically discredited COVID treatment ivermectin.
The dietary supplement you’re taking could be tainted with prescription medications and dangerous hidden ingredients, according to a new study
Many over-the-counter dietary supplement products – particularly those used for sexual enhancement and weight loss – are tainted with undisclosed pharmaceutical ingredients.
No, you cannot ‘devaccinate’ yourself with snake venom kits, bleach or cupping
If you encounter claims like this online, you need to ask yourself four questions, to figure out whether these claims really are too good to be true.