Nutrition quackery is successful because quacks play on emotions and misinformation. However, we are rarely told of possible side-effects or other harm that might result from the promoted product or dietary regimen. Quacks also encourage distrust of reputable health professionals such as medical doctors, registered dietitians, and other nutrition scientists. They ridicule the nutrient content of our food supply and claim that the foods we need to meet nutritional requirements can't be purchased in grocery stores. Quacks often use case histories, testimonials, and subjective evidence to justify their exaggerated claims.
Quacks try to appear trustworthy by having well-known athletes promote their product.
Testimonials evidence is by definition biased and unreliable. Scientists report their studies in reputable journals, where their work is reviewed and evaluated by other scientists prior to publication. Controlled experiments that can be confirmed by repeating the study are the best way to document the truth of the information. Evaluating Claims You need to be discriminating about the nutrition information you read and hear. Most victims of nutrition fraud aren't gullible, only unsuspecting.