Quiet the Noise! 3 Practical Tips for Navigating Nutrition Misinformation Online

Written by Hanna Spevak, MS, RDN (Registered Dietitian and Practice Manager at Untamed Nutrition Therapy)

It’s no secret that access to health information is ubiquitous these days. With the help of online search engines, televised news segments, and social media, the ability to access information on topics ranging from gut health, morning routines, supplements and everything in between is greater than ever before. But increased access to information does not inherently mean that information is correct. The overwhelming amount of nutrition information (and misinformation) that most of us are subject to every day can cause a lot of confusion among the general public. Here’s why:

• The information being communicated may not be accurate or up to date

• The information may be coming from a person who does not have training in nutrition

• The information may not apply to you and your specific nutrition goals 

• The information being discussed may be taken out of context

In fact, in an Australian study that evaluated the accuracy and quality of nutrition information contained in Instagram posts, it was found that nearly 45% of the Instagram posts evaluated in the study contained inaccuracies.1 That’s almost every other post!! Even worse? They also found that engagement (i.e. likes, comments, reshares) was HIGHER for posts with LOWER quality.1 In short, it seems like inaccurate information tends to gain more attention on social media. 

It’s because of this that we often hear from our clients and peers:

“There is so much conflicting nutrition information online! I’ve heard so many different things. How do I know what to believe?” 

If this feels like something you’ve said or thought before, keep reading for some tips to help you minimize the confusion around nutrition.

Because everyone eats, everyone has an opinion on food and personal connection to it. And that’s okay! However this makes things tricky, because we cannot assume that what works for one person will work for another. Anyone can speak on an online platform about how this food or that supplement benefited them and how it will benefit their audience too, but nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all approach. You may have heard this motto before, but it’s especially important to keep in mind when casually scrolling on social media or listening to the news.

To help you tune out the noise and refine your nutrition radar to spot credible, reliable information, here are 3 tips to keep in mind:

1. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! Imagine if you were just learning to snowboard and someone told you that all you have to do to become a great snowboarder is buy their special helmet. While it would be nice to save yourself from falling on your butt over and over again while learning to snowboard, you would probably raise an eyebrow at this person because you know that a helmet is not going to do anything to improve your snowboarding skills. The same is true of outlandish nutrition claims online, such as: “If you buy my supplement, you will have more energy!” (For the record, food provides us energy, not supplements). If you hear someone make a claim that just seems a little too oversimplified or far-fetched, it’s probably not sound nutrition advice, and you should disregard it.

2. Understand who is sharing this information, and why. Would you trust someone you’ve never met to watch your house over the weekend while you’re out of town? Probably not! Using the same logic, would you take nutrition information from someone you didn’t know and trust? Unfortunately, this is the case for many people. Nutrition educators who use their platforms to promote evidence-based, accurate, and safe nutrition information have the qualifications and expertise to do so. They typically have at least a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition, are a Registered Dietitian, and/or have a PhD in nutrition. To contrast, if this person’s main “credential” is the number of followers they have on social media, it’s time to find a new source of nutrition information online. In the Australian study previously mentioned, it was also found that Instagram posts authored by dietitians or nutritionists were associated with both better quality and accuracy compared to posts authored by brands or other accounts.1 Lastly, while not all sponsored Instagram posts are dishonest, proceed with extreme caution if someone is recommending something to you if they stand to make a profit from your purchase or interaction with their post.

3. And finally, but most importantly, LIMIT the number of people or sources you get your nutrition information from. Nutrition is a HOT topic in the online space right now, meaning that everyone wants to contribute to the conversation. However, while it’s one thing to share a personal experience online, it is quite another to recommend something to others online without the necessary credentials or without knowing each audience member’s medical history. If you were to take nutrition advice from every single person online, you would undoubtedly be confused because not everyone online is an expert in nutrition. Not everyone online has been trained in biochemistry, statistics, research methods, and medical nutrition therapy - all of which are required in order to become a Registered Dietitian or other qualified nutrition professional. Online spaces are often not regulated for fact checking when it comes to nutrition, meaning that anyone can say anything online whether it is based in evidence or not. The more people you listen to, the more room for error for inaccuracies. Find 3-5 sources or individuals with credible backgrounds in nutrition (refer back to #2) that focus more on educating rather than selling, and who rely on science-driven evidence to educate and debunk myths. In this process, I would suspect that you will encounter less conflicting nutrition information and instead find a clear and cohesive message, ultimately leading to less overwhelm and less confusion.

When it really comes down to it, YOU know your body best. Don’t let random information online distract you from listening to your own intuition. Put down the screens, step away from the computer, and honor what feels safe and right for you. And if you’re needing additional guidance for tuning out the noise and reconnecting with yourself, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and get on our waitlist to speak to a Registered Dietitian.

References

1. Denniss E, Lindberg R, Marchese LE, McNaughton SA. #Fail: the quality and accuracy of nutrition-related information by influential Australian Instagram accounts. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024;21(1):16. Published 2024 Feb 14. doi:10.1186/s12966-024-01565-y