Yellow Journalism and the Whims of Our Preferred Search Engines May Lead Us Astray in Our Quest For Health

Yellow journalism is a type of journalism that uses sensationalism and exaggeration to catch the attention and sway the beliefs of readers. It is poorly researched and often presents only one perspective of the story. Sometimes, it may even have misleading graphs and exaggerated illustrations. Although it is not always false, it often tends to be overly dramatic and manipulative, playing on our emotions, our desire to belong to the majority or our fears. When the articles corroborate prevailing popular ideas, they are even easier to believe. My recent research into vitamin C led me to an article by Atli Arnarson, Ph.D. in Healthline.com, entitled 10 Nutrients That You Can't Get From Animal Foods, " which I consider yellow journalism. I have read many papers by the author, and I believe he is very knowledgeable. His job at Healthline involved updating older articles; perhaps he did not even pen this one. The graphic above is their “evidence-based” promise. I added the BS for accuracy. It implies that meat is bad and vegetables are good for you, both popular notions already, so the information it contains makes it much easier to believe. I have written about the ways to avoid such articles and get better health information online; you can find out how here. Now, let's take a look at that article.

My Critique

Vitamin C

The first nutrient the article mentions is vitamin C. The first statement about it is, "Vitamin C is the only essential vitamin not found in useful amounts in cooked animal foods." The article title is contradicted immediately. Even though vitamin C is found in small amounts, it is present. The article is on shaky ground, and it is only the first sentence.

The author then states, "However, sufficient amounts of vitamin C can be acquired from raw liver, fish roe, and eggs. Lower amounts are also present in raw meat and fish." You can see the evidence in the excerpts shown in the above graphic. So now the author is not only claiming it is present but also now present in sufficient amounts; yet another contradiction. Is the author trying to argue with himself, or is he just confused?

Nutrients

Anything we ingest and utilize for energy or synthesis can be considered a nutrient. However, the Cambridge Dictionary defines a nutrient as any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow, so at least with vitamin C, the article focuses on a true nutrient, which they cease to do for the next nine substances.

Flavonoids

The next four items (quercetin, catechins, hesperidin, and cyanidin) are all flavonoids. Flavonoids are a diverse group of naturally occurring compounds found in many plant-based foods and beverages. About 6000 have been classified. Flavonoids are considered phytochemicals. Phytochemicals.info defines them this way, "Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease-preventive properties. They are non-essential nutrients, meaning that they are not required by the human body for sustaining life." (1) They are used in a variety of nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, medicinal, and cosmetic applications. Unlike essential vitamins and minerals, the absence of which can lead to deficiency diseases, there is no established dietary requirement for flavonoids. This is because humans can meet their basic nutritional needs for survival and optimal health without specifically consuming flavonoid-rich foods.

However, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods containing flavonoids in one's diet can provide potential health benefits when the body has sub-optimal function, pathology, or disease, but their consumption is not necessary for basic physiological function. Plant-based chemicals as medicines are also called nutraceuticals.

Fiber: So Important We Have No Ability to Digest It

The next five items listed in the article (beta-glucan, pectin, lignin, and resistant starch) are all dietary fibers. Dietary fiber is not considered an essential nutrient in the human diet. Essential nutrients are those that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through dietary sources to prevent deficiency diseases. Additionally, dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest or absorb for energy. While it plays a crucial role in providing our colonic bacteria as a substrate to ferment and produce short-chain fatty acids, humans can survive without consuming dietary plant fiber. Fiber is important because it feeds the bacteria that reside in our colons, where it can be fermented by them into short-chain fatty acids that help maintain the cells lining the colon. However, other substances can be fermented into short-chain fatty acids besides fiber.

Fiber is Not the Only Source to Produce Short-chain Fatty Acids

In 1998, Smith and MacFarlane published a paper that revealed how protein's building blocks, known as amino acids, can be fermented into short-chain fatty acids by gut bacteria. The study also found that up to 40% of gut bacteria can assist in amino acid fermentation. Interestingly, carbohydrates were found to decrease fermentation by up to 35%. Additionally, lower PH levels (more acidity) reduce fermentation by 40%. The study revealed that when carbohydrates are absent, as in the case of the carnivore diet, amino acid fermentation is responsible for the production of short-chain fatty acids. 2

The article left out all of the facts I just mentioned, giving the average reader the idea that fiber is indispensable for health. The truth is we need short-chain fatty acids that can be derived from a fiber-free diet. 

Search Engines

Internet Searches Don't Give Us All of the Info We Need to Make Rational Decisions

When I searched the question, "Does liver contain vitamin C?" on Google, none of the results contained the information until I chose the more results button and found the information on the thirteenth one. However, after reading ten articles that won't tell you that liver has vitamin C, what individual is going to click on read more button and continue searching? 

The Illusory Truth Effect

People tend to believe things they hear often, even when they are not true, due to the psychological phenomenon known as the "illusory truth effect." This cognitive bias suggests that repeated exposure to information, regardless of its accuracy, can lead individuals to perceive it as more trustworthy and credible. The brain's cognitive shortcuts make it easier to process familiar information, reinforcing its perceived validity. Additionally, social factors like group conformity and confirmation bias can further influence people to accept commonly heard ideas as they align with their pre-existing beliefs and the beliefs of those around them. This tendency to believe what is familiar can contribute to the persistence of misinformation and the spread of false or misleading ideas in society. As a result, many of us believe that high cholesterol is bad, meat is bad, saturated fat is bad, fiber is good, vegetarian and grain-based diets are good, and vegetable oils are good. If you believe any of the statements you just read, you are in the majority, but your beliefs may be based on yellow journalism and the whims of your preferred search engine. Please be careful and do your own research.