An Online World Filled with Nutrition Misinformation… Who Can You Trust?

Over the last decade, there has been a tremendous rise in unqualified, online, health and wellness experts.  The nutrition information they share is often inaccurate and of poor scientific quality.  This makes getting to the truth on any given food-related topic, at times, extremely challenging.   What’s more, for many of these so-called “experts”, there are no consequences for spreading untrue and sometimes harmful advice on what you should or should not be eating.  For me, it’s a different story.  As a dietitian, because I am part of a regulated college, if I share information that is incorrect, misleading, or not based on science, I could lose my license to practice.

My goal today is to share three sources of online nutrition information I believe you will find useful, interesting, and based on science.  Here they are (drumroll please… in no particular order):

#1 – Red Pen Reviews

(https://www.redpenreviews.org)

Many so-called online health experts have established a name for themselves by publishing a book that sensationalizes a specific nutrition topic.  Many of these books have sold millions of copies, even though they are filled with misinformation and often based on premises that lack scientific accuracy.  The purpose of Red Pen Reviews is to evaluate these popular nutrition books for scientific accuracy, reference accuracy, healthfulness, and how hard it would be to apply the book’s advice.  All reviewers who are part of the Red Pen team have a master’s degree in science. 

Below is the overall assessment by Red Pen Reviews of Steven Gundry’s book, “The Plant Paradox.”  This book sold millions of copies, revolves around the dangers of consuming “lectins”, and yet receives a score of 26% for scientific accuracy.  I don’t recommend the book or the main principle it preaches.   

#2 – The Proof Podcast (by Simon Hill)

(https://theproof.com/podcast/)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx2JUtngxkw)

Simon Hill has a master’s degree in nutrition science.  In his podcast, “The Proof Podcast”, Simon has science-based conversations with leading, well-qualified researchers in various fields of health and nutrition.  Many of his interviews are quite long (as much as 2 hours in length or more) and therefore, ideal to listen to on longer walks or car rides.  Simon does, however, also provide shorter clips that focus on the key takeaways from his longer interviews.  You can listen to his podcast on various streaming apps, including Spotify and Apple, or watch his interviews on YouTube.

Here is the link to a video that summarizes his key learnings from all the interviews that took place in 2023…   

Eating for Cardiovascular, Metabolic, and Gut Health | The Best of 2023

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx2JUtngxkw)

#3 – Nutrition Made Simple! (by Dr. Gil Carvahlo)

(https://www.youtube.com/@NutritionMadeSimple)

Gil Carvalho (MD, PhD) is a physician, research scientist, and science communicator. He has a YouTube channel called “Nutrition Made Simple!”.  His videos are science-based and do a great job of communicating complex nutrition information in a consumer-friendly format.  Gil is also a member of the True Health Initiative (https://www.truehealthinitiative.org), an organization made up of experts from over 50 countries.  This group is united in their mission to combat misinformation and disinformation that impacts health. 

Runner-Ups

A few other nutrition podcasts you may find useful and science-based include:

Zoe Science & Nutrition Podcast

(https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts)

Thinking Nutrition Podcast

(https://www.thinkingnutrition.com.au/podcast/)

Sigma Nutrition Podcast

(https://sigmanutrition.com/podcast-welcome/)

Closing Thoughts

The study of nutrition is complex and still in its infancy compared to many other fields of science.  We still have much to learn.  Listening to science-based experts really matters. Be careful and wise about where you get your nutrition information from.