From the carnivore diet and raw milk, to green powders and ‘leaky gut’, TikTok is a hotbed of anecdotal wellness advice that is not only unproven but dangerous.
If it wasn’t for medical warriors like Dr Mike and Dr Idz debunking these bogus Tiktok health hacks, the line of victims would certainly be endless.
IT’S OFFICIALLY TIME FOR SCHOOL!! 
And yet, many people still fall prey to them, becoming modern-day wellness cults who preach life-changing medical miracles.
Here’s why you shouldn’t be taking medical or health advice from people on TikTok unless they are a board certified medical professional (and sometimes not even then, but more on that later).
The Misinformation Era
It has become easier and easier to spread bogus, unproven, unscientific information on the Internet.
Plus, social media is like an all-you-can-eat buffet for every scammer and fraud looking to make a quick buck from the ignorance of laymen.
But paid shills and wellness grifters are not newcomers to the social media realm.
In fact, health quacks have been selling snake oil since the dawn of humankind.
Now, modern quackery has become its own industry labelled under ‘alternative medicine’ or something along the lines. Some have even made multibillion companies out of it.
The medical community hasn’t exactly helped their case either.
From misdiagnoses to medical gaslighting, is it any wonder why more and more people look for traditional ways to heal their health?
Moreover, with all the shady things happening with pharmaceutical companies, more and more people are turning to unconventional, holistic healing methods.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better option.
Especially when the alternative medicine industry is rife with predators and vultures who are all too eager to make you part with your money.
Bobby Parrish, ‘The Glucose Goddess’, Dave Asprey, Paul Saladino; these are just some popular names in the health and wellness snake oil industry that you should avoid.
But this list is by no means exhaustive as there are hundreds of them out there.
However, there are several traits that they all have in common.
How to Spot a Wellness Scam
You would think it’s obvious by now how transparent health grifters are.
But in recent times, it’s actually becoming harder and harder to differentiate true, scientific advice with anecdotal, pseudoscientific ones.
‘Don’t eat seed oils’, ‘Fruits are bad for you’, ‘All chemicals are bad’, ‘Drink olive oil every day’. TikTok is rife with misleading and false advice like these.
Here are some red flags to watch out for when someone on TikTok tells you to follow the next big health hack:
Medical fearmongering
When creators and influencers try to bring down or attack modern medicine calling it ‘unnatural’ or ‘unsafe’.
This includes strawmanning actual doctors and spreading rumours and conspiracy theories about ‘Big Pharma’.
Also calling everything ‘chemicals’ to make you scared of using certain products (news flash, everything is made up of chemicals, even us).
Snake oil lingo
You can make anything sound ‘medical’, with the right lingo. Words like ‘detox’ and ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ are all usually red flags.
Also not providing or citing any peer-reviewed and well-studied papers on what they’re claiming.
Often, they may only provide testimonials or personal anecdotes. For e.g., ‘in all my years of experience’ or ‘we studied the effects of so and so’.
Be wary too of terms like ‘scientifically-proven’ because people can say anything these days without getting flagged.
‘Too good to be true’ claims
Purporting to cure an illness that even modern science has not been able to do. This includes cures for diseases like cancer.
The words ‘Dr’: Yes, just because someone has the word ‘doctor’ in their bio doesn’t mean they’re actual medical doctors. In fact, you might not even be able to trust some real doctors.
Unfortunately, medical professionals now have become grifters themselves.
Dr Grundy, a cardiothoracic surgeon, is a famous example. In his many books, he demonises sugar including natural sugars found in fruits.
They’re selling something
That is not to say that we are discouraging people from promoting their products and services.
But more often than not, after fearmongering a health fact, they will usually have just the thing you need to help with it.
Whether that’s a course, a book, a subscription or a 1-on-1 session. Nothing sells like preying on the desperation of others.
So if you are particularly vulnerable such as are struggling with a chronic disease, avoid going to TikTok for medical or health advice.
Don’t Fall for Tiktok Health Scams
We all tend to fall for false promises, especially when we are at our lowest.
But there is nothing stopping us from double checking misinformation on the Internet.
There’s a reason why PubMed exists, after all. It helps even laymen clear up medical misinformation when a doctor isn’t present.
But if you are still unsure, consult your general practitioner or a specialist before you try any newfangled health trend or supplement in the market to address a medical problem. It may just save your life.
This article isn’t a hate mail to all alternative healing methods. In fact, there are plenty of effective alternative medicine modalities available to us.
Herbalism, for instance, has a lot of scientific backing behind it. And ethical proponents will always market their products as complementary to modern medicine, not a replacement for it.
But of course, as the saying goes, it’s the loudest voices that get the most attention.
So, if you feel like an influencer is screaming at you about some vague health concern, beware.
They may have some agenda up their sleeves that involves a juice cleanse, a diet plan and an expensive supplement that is guaranteed to solve all your problems.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Mamahood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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