Doctors and Dietitians Weigh In: Navigating Nutrition Advice on Social Media

This podcast was aired on the Weekends with Ken show on CJAD on July 5th 2025.  

It's no secret that social media is brimming with nutrition advice, but how much of it can you really trust? As a dietitian, I often get asked about the nutrition trends flooding everyone's feeds. I want to share my insights, and what I and my medical colleagues think about these popular diets and supplements.

Open Communication with Your Healthcare Team

When my clients approach me with nutrition trends they've seen online, my first reaction is always positive. I'm genuinely glad they feel confident and comfortable enough to share this information with me. It's crucial to share any information about supplements you're taking or eating plans you're trying with your entire healthcare team. This allows us to make any necessary adjustments to your care and ensure your safety.

Doctors Share Dietitians' Concerns About Social Media Trends

It might surprise you, but doctors are just as concerned as dietitians when it comes to social media nutrition advice. A survey conducted by SERMO, an engagement platform for physicians and healthcare professionals, found that 90% of over 1000 participating doctors are worried about how fad diets are promoted on social media.

For instance, only 5% of doctors would recommend high-protein diets, and even fewer would suggest ketogenic diets, despite their frequent promotion as highly effective on social media. Instead, doctors overwhelmingly recommend the Mediterranean or DASH diet for their patients. Another major concern for doctors is the portrayal of supplements as a "cure-all."

The Hidden Dangers of Supplements

Why are doctors so concerned about supplements? I've seen firsthand the potential for harm. A significant study published in the journal Hepatology in 2017 suggested that about 20% of liver transplant cases were caused by consuming supplements toxic to the liver. This number might even be underestimated because supplement companies aren't required to report adverse effects, and many products aren't well-studied, meaning their potential toxicity is unknown.

What's more, many people are unaware that supplements can interact with other medications or medical conditions, or that they have an optimal dose. For example, I had one client who was taking five times the daily recommended dose of glucosamine sulfate. While this initially helped his arthritis pain, long-term effects could include puffy eyes, diarrhea, nausea, gas and bloating, hair loss, and stomach pain. The recommended dose to reduce arthritis pain is 1500 mg, reducing to 1000 mg daily once pain is managed.

"Natural" Doesn't Always Mean Safe

The idea that "natural" products are inherently harmless is a dangerous misconception. I can give you a clear example: it's rhubarb season right now, and rhubarb plants produce the most wonderful green leaves. They look delicious, but in fact, they contain so much oxalate that they can cause serious symptoms, including difficulty breathing, blisters in the mouth, kidney stones, seizures, a coma, and even kidney failure and death. So, no rhubarb leaves, even though we can eat the stems! Just because a supplement is natural doesn't mean it can't be toxic.

How to Identify Credible Nutrition Information

So, how can you discern reliable nutrition information from the noise on social media?

• Look for Credible Sources: Seek out registered dietitians (RDs) or registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) online. It's important to note that in Quebec, "dietitian" and "nutritionist" are reserved titles for individuals with a bachelor's degree in nutrition and a completed internship. However, in other provinces and the US, the term "nutritionist" can apply to someone with a doctorate degree in nutrition or even a self-declared nutritionist with little to no formal training. While doctors may have limited nutrition education, they have access to and can interpret the latest nutrition studies, making them excellent sources of information.

• Consult Reputable Organizations: Many websites offering information about specific medical conditions also provide basic nutrition guidance for those conditions.  For example the Arthritis Society of Canada website offers great nutrition advice, as does diabetes Canada. This advice is not a substitute for meeting with a dietitian, but it does give you an idea of what you might want to ask about in the consultation. 

• Check for Study References: Look to see if scientific study references are provided, and don't hesitate to go online and verify those studies yourself.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Beyond a lack of credentials, several red flags should make you question the nutrition advice you encounter:

• "Too Good to Be True" Claims: If something sounds too simple or offers a miraculous cure, it probably is. I always remember the old adage: if it looks too good to be true or sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true.

• Simple Solutions to Complex Problems: Be wary of claims that suggest eliminating a single food will cure a complex condition like arthritis.

• Proprietary Products: If the advice involves buying supplements or products that you can only purchase through that particular person, it's a significant red flag.

By being critical consumers of social media content and prioritizing information from qualified professionals and reputable organizations, you can navigate the vast world of online nutrition advice more safely and effectively.

#SocialMediaNutrition #DietitianAdvice #DoctorInsights #NutritionFacts #SupplementsBeware#HealthyEating #CredibleEating #FadDiets #HealthandWellness

Denniss, Emily, et al, #Fail:The Quality and accuracy of nutrition-related information by influential Australian Instagram accounts, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21, 16(2024)

Sermo Barometer Finds 90% of Global Healthcare Providers Are Concerned About the Influence of Social Media in Promoting Fad Diets, retrieved on July 4, 2024 from: https://www.sermo.com/press-releases/sermo-barometer-finds-90-of-global-healthcare-providers-are-concerned-about-the-influence-of-social-media-in-promoting-fad-diets/

Navarro VJ, Khan I, Björnsson E, Seeff LB, Serrano J, Hoofnagle JH. Liver injury from herbal and dietary supplements. Hepatology. 2017 Jan;65(1):363-373. doi: 10.1002/hep.28813. Epub 2016 Nov 17. PMID: 27677775; PMCID: PMC5502701

Denniss E, Lindberg R, McNaughton SA. Quality and accuracy of online nutrition-related information: a systematic review of content analysis studies. Public Health Nutrition. 2023;26(7):1345-1357. doi:10.1017/S1368980023000873