If you’re connected to the Internet at all, you have no doubt received at least one email warning letter related to your health that was later exposed as a hoax or “urban legend.” Looking back, these documents are humorous, but at the time...well, didn’t you wonder? How can tech-savvy consumers determine what’s legitimate and what’s phony when it comes to health information on the Web?

Given that so many Americans use the Internet for everything from planning vacations to finding a mortgage; it’s no surprise that a 2005 Food Marketing Institute (FMI) survey, “Trends,” found that 46 percent of surveyed consumers say they use the Internet to find information on nutrition issues on a regular basis. Clearly, consumers are feeling more comfortable using the Web as a source of health information, but are they getting quality information?

Of the 46 percent of respondents in the FMI survey who looked for nutrition information on the Web, only 13 percent said they trusted that source. Here are a few suggestions to help you separate the quality food and nutrition information from the questionable information and to help guide you through the information mine field.

Start Searches with Reputable Health and Nutrition Sites

When it comes to nutrition and your health, picking through the plethora of information on the Web can be downright challenging, not to mention, time consuming. Interspersed between sites with legitimate information are many sites that have names or acronyms that sound credible but that exist only to tout hokey health products, fad diets, fake nutrition “science” and crazy “cures,” or to dispense inaccurate and scary information. When you want to search for information about a certain nutrition-related topic, starting your quest with health-related “umbrella” sites can shorten your search, saving you time and effort. The links and recommendations on these sites will generally lead you right to the information that you are looking for, as opposed to making you wade through the hundreds or thousands of sites you will get when you use a general search engine like Google. For Food Insight’s list of appropriate “umbrella” sites, see the sidebar “Nutrition Sites to Set Your Sights On,” below.

Check the Source

Since almost anyone can put up a Web page or start an email chain, it makes sense to find out where information is coming from. Look for background information under an “About Us” heading on a Web site, a mission statement, or a personal biography. If you can’t locate background information on the site, or can’t find out exactly who wrote it and why, then the content probably isn’t the most accurate or reliable.

One example of this occurred a few years ago. An article by a “Nancy Markle” that falsely linked aspartame (a low-calorie sweetener used in food and beverages) to multiple health problems was widely circulated on the Internet. Credible opinion leaders agree that the article was not only full of scientifically false or inaccurate statements, but appeared to have been designed deliberately to mislead consumers (no “expert” or scientist named Nancy Markle has ever been located—the name may have been made up). Sadly, this article may have introduced undue concern and skepticism for many people, including respected health care professionals before it was finally identified by reputable sources as a scare campaign started by an anti-aspartame activist.

Again, a reliable way to start your search is to ignore dubious and otherwise unsolicited health advice and head straight to the Web sites of trusted health organizations with names that you recognize, universities, and state and national government agencies and offices.

Heed “Red Flags”

“Trust your gut” is a phrase we’ve all heard, and it’s a good one to remember when reading health information on the Web. Many times we get an inkling that something isn’t quite right about a story we’ve read or heard. Here are some examples of “red flags” that generally indicate a less-than-reliable information source.

• The information is accompanied by an advertisement for a product to “cure” the problem or multiple health problems ranging from migraine headaches to obesity, or by some other type of hard-sell. Reputable sites publicize health information for educational purposes—not to sell or promote products.
• The article is poorly organized, sensationally written, or uses LOTS OF CAPITAL LETTERS and excessive punctuation!!!!
• The information is all anecdotal. That is, it all seems to be “word of mouth” and the information or results are attributed to no organization, university, or federal agency.
• A single ingredient, food, or product is alleged to be responsible for a laundry list of health problems. These health problems have usually been self-diagnosed.

Nutrition Sites to Set Your Sights On

healthfinder.gov
This award-winning site, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with other federal agencies, makes it easy to navigate through the many governmental Web sites that contain health information for professionals and consumers alike.

ific.org
This food safety and nutrition resource site provides easy access to a wide variety of timely, science-based information on health, nutrition and food safety, and caters to consumers, educators, health professionals and journalists. An online glossary and extensive resource lists are also featured.

medlineplus.gov
This consumer-oriented site provides a wealth of quality information from the National Library of Medicine—the world’s largest medical library. More than 600 health topics, medical dictionaries, lists of hospitals and physicians, information on clinical trials and numerous items in multiple languages, make this site a valuable resource for anyone looking for reliable health information online.

mayoclinic.org
This respected Web site contains reliable, accurate, and practical information on current nutrition, health, and medical news.

berkeleywellness.com
The highly rated Berkeley Wellness Letter translates leading-edge research into practical information for daily living.
Helpful hint: Consider adding these Web sites to your list of “favorites” on your Internet navigator bar. Check them regularly or register your health and nutrition interests so you will be updated with information only at your request.So that you may navigate through the seemingly endless mine field of Web sites, be mindful of the “red flags” and look for validated, credible expert sources as you seek to differentiate fact from fiction.