How to fact check health claims about food
Here’s a handy approach for doing your own homework on nutrition news.
Do food headlines sometimes leave you saying “Wait! Can that be true?”
Whether you see or hear claims on your social feed, in the news or from a podcast, it’s worth understanding how to decide what news to trust — especially when it comes to what you eat.
Does the food news:
- Promise to be a quick fix?
- Sound too good to be true?
- Warn of danger from a single product or regimen?
- List “good” and “bad” foods?
- State that research is “currently under way”? (That means there is no current published research.)
- Tell you to cut out an entire food group?
You’re right to be skeptical. But what if claims are more subtle?
Dietitians have rigorously studied food science, human nutrition and metabolism. They have the expertise to interpret new discoveries in nutrition.
As a PeaceHealth dietitian, Megan Haugen, RD, frequently finds the need to counter mistaken ideas like…“avoid white foods” or “carbs are bad” or “avoid fruit because it’s too high in sugar.”
Through years of helping patients manage their diabetes, she’s gained many insights on how to put food news to the test for yourself.
“Diet-related news often gets oversimplified,” she says. With myths like the ones above, look for truth to lie somewhere in the middle.
A Good rule of thumb
Here’s an approach to test claims about nutrition. Ask the following questions when you hear food news that makes you pause:
- Where is the claim coming from? Do you trust the source? Does that source have a vested interest in making people believe the claim? Some YouTube and social media influencers are reliable, but most are questionable. Verify the accuracy of information you see on these platforms. And be wary of people who claim to be experts but don’t have a degree in the subject.
If you’re researching claims online, look closely at where search results come from. It’s common for search engines to put sponsored or business-generated content on the first page of results. You might need to look deeper in the search results to find content from unbiased sites. - Who benefits by promoting the claim? Is this a testimonial by a celebrity or a satisfied customer? They might be paid to make this claim. And self-proclaimed “experts” might use claims to sell a program, supplements, etc. Even if there is some truth to the claim, you’ll want to confirm it with neutral sources that don’t have anything to gain from it. Consider nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association or the Pew Research. Check news sites such as the Associated Press generally known for objective reporting. Or compare coverage from more than one news outlet, recognizing that each may offer differing viewpoints or interpretations.
What’s the proof behind the claim? Go beyond the headlines. News media can “cherry pick” information to create an attention-getting story. This is especially true if the news is about a research study that “seems” to contradict a larger body of evidence. Usually, study results are more nuanced and less sensational. If possible, find the original study to answer questions like:
How big was the study? The larger the population studied, the more reliable the results.
What was the study design? Look for studies that guard against bias (e.g., a double-blinded, randomized trial). Read more about types of studies.
Was the study performed in humans or animals? Animal research doesn’t always translate to something meaningful for people.
Are there experts in the field who have commented on the study’s usefulness?
Have others been able to repeat the results of the study? It’s more trustworthy if more than one researcher comes up with the same or similar results.
Answering these can help you determine how much stock to put into a claim.
Testing claims for yourself
Knowing about nutrition trends or news is one thing. Whether you put them into action can require more thoughtful consideration.
Keep in mind that food news is often broad. If you’re among the millions who have food allergies or intolerances, you can automatically filter out tips that won’t work for you based on your personal experience.
It’s good to temper your expectations about what your nutrition can or cannot do for you. “Food can certainly help improve our health, but in many cases food cannot — and should not — take the place of medicine such as in cancer treatment, for example,” says Haugen.
If you have questions about trying a diet-related claim, you might:
- Ask your doctor. This is especially important if you take medications for one or more health condition. Some foods counteract drugs or make them less effective.
- Talk to a registered dietitian.
- Look for articles, books or reviews written by dietitians.
- Check for information from organizations geared toward food science such as:
- Visit websites that end in .edu (educational institutions) or .gov (government agency), which are typically more reliable sources.
