NHS staff battling wave of food supplement disinformation
Summary
NHS staff frequently encounter patients who believe false information about dietary supplements like turmeric and St John’s wort. This misinformation takes up important time during medical visits and may put people’s health at risk, including increasing the chance of getting cancer.Key Facts
- About 40% of frontline NHS health workers see patients with incorrect beliefs about supplements weekly.
- Among nurses and midwives, this figure rises to 53%, according to a YouGov survey for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
- False claims about nutrition and supplements are causing doctors to spend time correcting misunderstandings during appointments.
- Some supplements can cause harm, such as liver injury from turmeric or dangerous interactions between St John’s wort and other medicines.
- People often think “natural” products are always safe, but that is not true, according to doctors.
- The WCRF is launching a three-year campaign to highlight risks from health misinformation, especially regarding cancer prevention.
- Social media spreads false claims about cancer cures and prevention, including unsafe items like apricot kernels and animal medicines.
- Patients and health workers say misinformation can distract from proven lifestyle changes that help lower cancer risk.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.