How to prevent diseases, what is the best medicine and what are more false health trends on social networks

Dr. Trisha PasrichaProfessor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and columnist for the section ask a doctor The Washington Post issued a warning about this Health trends on social media and online medical misinformation, saying he’s seen too many people getting sucked into fads that baffle doctors and experts.

Recommend to contact specialist scientific validity This content often results from the rise of fads driven by influential people with some type of experience in care such as medicine, biology or nutrition.

who take advantage of credit Which is usually generated by a professional in these fields to rationalize something suspicious. And a very practical methodology is to obfuscate and explain through data and concepts rooted in science, including adding buzzwords like “microbiome” or “inflammation” and referring to medical studies.

So Dr. Pasricha encourages discretion and complex exploration Information before adopting practices or products promoted online, especially because it can be very difficult to know whether these claims are legitimate.

Experts also recommend questioning whether promotional data seems Too good to be true.

Furthermore, it is recommended to confirm that the main medical institution Support the studies proposed in these materials and if information on the topic is available on the sites of trusted organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you are unable to answer these questions due to the complexity of evaluating the rigor of studies cited by trend promoters, a task that often requires years of medical experience; It is important to make an effort to communicate with health professionals to verify the veracity of statements found before trying new habits or consuming highly popular products on digital platforms.

Let’s remember that many users have seriously compromised their physical integrity by following false treatments they have seen on their social networks.

So for those who want to orient themselves in the vast world of health information InternetIt is important to be contrary to what has been found and not to believe that all information found online is true.

youtube has made some significant changes to its policies, such as adjusting its guidelines Effectively Address Medical Misinformation on the Platform, with the aim of ensuring that online content does not represent a risk For public health.

And to stop its spread, three categories were introduced to simplify its eradication:

, Misinformation about prevention: Content that contradicts the guidelines of health authorities regarding the prevention and transmission of specific diseases will be removed.

,Wrong information about treatment: Information that contradicts health authority guidelines regarding the treatment of specific medical conditions will be removed, including promotion of specific harmful substances or practices, such as endorsing the use of cesium chloride as a cancer treatment.

, misinformation with denial: Content that denies the existence of specific medical conditions, such as information that denies that people have died from COVID-19, will be removed.

And special emphasis will be given to monitoring misinformation about cancerOne of the leading causes of death globally.

And in fact, the platform will eliminate the content it suggests miracle cure or ineffective alternatives, as well as discouraging those that may dissuade patients from seeking specialized medical care.

Clear examples of this initiative are actions against claims that garlic or vitamin C can cure cancer, with the latter compound being misrepresented as superior to established treatments such as radiotherapy.