Do You Know the “10 Red Flags of Junk Science”?

It seems that the age old problems of “Junk Science” are once again surfacing all over in various media outlets.

There will always be some spokesperson, some celebrity, some media sensation, some salesman / saleswoman, some talk show host, etc., trying to convince the public that there is a “new” and “magic” way to suddenly deal with some health aspect of their life by just buying one more product here, there or anywhere.

As always, this site only provides infotainment and we urge you to contact your own health care provider(s) when it comes to matters pertaining to your own individual health and that of your family members.

Since we believe in your right of choice, we’ll share the “10 Red Flags of Junk Science” so that you can decide for yourself what makes sense for you and members of your own family.

(Image of Red Flag courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net).

The “10 Red Flags of Junk Science” were publicized by The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance aka FANSA, a partnership of seven professional scientific societies whose members had joined forces to speak with one voice on food and nutrition science issues, some time back to remind professionals and consumers alike to separate sense from non sense.

The professional organizations represented in FANSA had been the equivalents of what is today the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American College of Nutrition, the American Society for Nutrition (which since 2005 has represented the merger of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the American Society for Nutritional Science aka formerly the American Institute for Nutrition, and the Society for International Nutrition), the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior.

The following “10 Red Flags of Junk Science” were previously well known, and it appears as if it is time to once again remind consumers of their enduring relevance.

Be wary of any of the following being mentioned in regard to any sort of specific product suggestion (pro or con):

“• Recommendations that promise a quick fix

• Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen

• Claims that sound too good to be true

• Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study

• Recommendations based on a single study

• Statements refuted by reputable scientific organizations

• Lists of “good” and “bad” foods

• Recommendations made to help sell a product

• Recommendations based on studies not peer reviewed

• Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.”

You can decide for yourself, using the above 10 rules to help guide your decision making, if the purported claims being made for a wide variety of “hot news” and “latest and greatest” bordering on almost “miracle” products make any sense for you to spend your hard earned money on relying on them to somehow produce lasting “magical” results in your life.

Frequently folks in any media related business are looking for “dramatic” headlines and they or their staff may not take the time to diligently review longitudinal scientific data that optimally should be behind any blanket or specific recommendations a professional makes.

A hallmark of professionals who truly care is that they stay abreast of current research and scratch beneath the surface of the headlines to actually read scientific studies themselves and carefully evaluate the pros and cons based on their own level of expertise. They will defer to professionals more highly versed in a subject area if it is not their forte and who they defer to tells you a lot about their own judgment.

The rationale behind any recommendation is critical. No single professional can be an expert in all areas of their broad field of their overall profession as most do specialize to a greater or lesser extent in one or more niche areas. As a consumer, you should always ask relevant questions of anyone offering themselves up as an expert.

Consider carefully the response you receive and if the person is an expert in that niche, expect to receive truly specific, pertinent answers and if not, expect them to defer to qualified, experienced, practitioners who put patient/client health above ego and monetary gain.

If a person representing themselves as a professional does not follow this type of approach, then ask yourself what their true agenda might really be.

Some dietetic and medical colleagues have devoted at least one blog this year to some of the latest claims being made in the media where it would be prudent to apply the “10 Red Flags of Junk Science” and you can judge for yourself how the claims hold up to being evaluated using those 10 guidelines. For example, you can read for yourself over at the Appetite for Health blog site a specific blog on Raspberry Ketones. You can also see a blog post from Steven Charlap, MD on the MD Prevent blog site in regard to the subject of Sage Leaf Tea and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Both of those blogs were mentioned on the Nutrition Unplugged blog posting False Hope in a Bottle: The Trouble with Chasing the Next Big “Miracle” Pill.

The choice is yours to do what you will with the amazing amount of information out there today on the world wide web and other media outlets.

Who can you trust?  Apply the “10 Red Flags of Junk Science” and consider if a professional is putting any patient/ client/ audience member health above ego and monetary gain. You might just find it is not as difficult as you might have thought it could be to sort out the science sense from the junk science non sense after all.