The Rise of Pseudoscience in the Wellness Industry

With continuously emerging fads like macrobiotics, vitamin IVs and cryotherapy, the wellness industry has been rapidly growing for decades. And the more its monetary value and list of buzzwords grows, the blurrier the line between scientific truth and pseudoscience hype gets. That’s why Timothy Caulfield, a Canadian professor of health law and science policy, has focused his career on clearing up the difference between fact and fiction. On this episode, the bestselling author tells us why the wellness industry is prone to misinformation, how we can spot it and what we can do about it. He then lays out some common misconceptions about the five facets of fitness — mindset, movement, nutrition, recovery and sleep — and shares simple tricks to help us recognize accurate research.

Learn More

• Get more clarity on how you can distinguish real science from pseudoscience in Timothy’s book The Cure for Everything.
• See the full study on teaching children critical thinking skills and read more about how taking a pause can help slow the spread of misinformation.
• Check out our hub of health, fitness and wellness articles for more research-backed guidance.