Science can be confusing. Medical science can be even more so. Because of this, many companies use the lack of science understanding to market questionable health products. People also spread quick cure stories and product testimonials on the web. Fortunately there are some websites that can help people sort out the truth from the hype.
One of these websites is Sense about Science which tries to teach people about the bad science that is often floating in our media. When it comes to medical claims the website offers a list of phrases that should be a red flag to consumers about the science behind a product. Their list includes; "Immune boosting", "Detox", "Superfood", "Oxygenating" and "Cleansing".
The web site Health news review, does analysis on how journalists report on science. They provide guides and teaching materials that can help a person sort out bad science reporting from good science reporting.
Snopes is also a very useful site, and should be the first site when someone passes medical stories on Facebook or in email. Snopes is very good at verifying the truth about the various stories and claims that quickly spread around the internet and social networking sites.
Wikipedia is also a good source of information. Knowledgeable users and scientists often post good reference backed information. There are occasionally biased opinions, but they are often tagged into a discussion of what are the disagreements about a particular subject.
The National Institutes of Health also has resources about the best current information about alternative and complementary medical practices.
The age of the internet and 24 hour media, has made it incredibly fast and easy to spread bad information. It has also become very easy for consumers to get good information and expose the myths that have become prevalent. Before you use any medical information that has come from the web, take the time to check it out.
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