Dr Lynette Ewart has explained how you know ‘influencers’ aren’t telling the truth
A doctor with 23 years medical experience says many of the claims touted by online ‘health and wellness influencers’ are ‘deranged’. Dr Lynette Ewart says videos of people claiming foods and juices can cure everything from ulcers to mood disorders leave her furious.
Dr Ewart, from Leicester, said: “These claims are totally deranged. If something had been outperforming medicine for the last 70 years, someone would have noticed. It is utter nonsense.”
For Dr Ewart, the idea that unqualified influencers with no medical training can somehow uncover health secrets doctors have missed is deeply frustrating. She has taken it upon herself to cut through the noise on Instagram and help people separate helpful advice from harmful misinformation, posting as Prescription Strength to tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and YouTube.
“This sort of rubbish really gets my goat,” she says. “I would never want to withhold something that could genuinely help my patients, many of whom are struggling. Most of us become doctors because we want to help people.”
Dr Ewart’s verdict on medical ‘magic bullets’
Collagen is the answer to everything
Collagen is one of the most heavily marketed supplements on the shelves. It has been sold as a miracle fix for countless conditions, but can it really improve your skin, joints, hair and nails? “There is no evidence that lives up to the marketing claims,” says Dr Ewart.
“That’s my issue with it. It’s misleading. Collagen is physically very safe, but it’s expensive. At the end of the day, collagen is just a source of amino acids. It simply cannot do what it’s claiming to do.
“As women in midlife, we are being taken advantage of, and marketing like this will have more of an impact on your savings than your skin.”
We all need more Vitamin D
Claims abound online about the magical powers of vitamin D; that it can prevent cancer, Covid and depression. But Dr Ewart worries that many people do not understand how to take it safely. “You can absolutely have too much vitamin D and too much calcium, and we know that can cause harm.
“There is this subtle idea in the wellness space that if something is good for you, more must be better. That is not how physiology works. Vitamin D toxicity is real, so it has to be taken with caution.”
Sugar causes cancer. Garlic prevents it
Dr Ewart says there is no such thing as an anti-cancer food. “You can choose nutrient-dense foods or nutritionally empty foods, and how you eat will affect how you feel overall. But claiming that specific foods can prevent cancer has no proof whatsoever, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise.
“There is a narrative online that you should avoid sugar because sugar feeds cancer. But we all run on glucose. Your body converts everything you eat, whether it’s broccoli or a KitKat, into glucose.
“This misunderstanding has been twisted into the claim that sugar causes cancer. That is simply not true,” she says.
Follow this hack to shrink your menopause belly
Women in midlife can ignore the endless posts about ‘menopause belly’ or ‘cortisol belly’ that clutter up their feed. “These are largely made-up terms designed to create insecurity.
“When teenage girls hit puberty, we don’t rush to ‘hack’ their hormones or balance them with supplements. We accept that it is a natural life stage involving biological change. Changes to your body in midlife do not need to become a problem to solve. You do not need a hack, a subscription or a supplement. It comes down to basics: eat well, move regularly, sleep properly, and work towards an outcome you feel happy with.”
Cabbage juice, mushroom extracts and turmeric pills fix all ills!
The idea that cabbage juice, or any one food stuff, can cure a wide range of illnesses is complete nonsense, according to Dr Ewart. “I’m all for prioritising healthy food. But we are asking food to do the wrong job. Food can only go so far. Once you have met your nutritional needs, the rest simply comes out as waste. That’s the end of the story. There is no one food that can fix all your health woes. So if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Magnesium will fix your insomnia
Magnesium is having a wellness moment, with influencers claiming it can improve sleep, reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure. But Dr Ewart believes most people are knackered not because they are deficient in magnesium, but because modern life is exhausting.
“We don’t spend enough time outside, we don’t move enough, and we eat too much convenience food. Now we’re being told we’re taking the wrong type of magnesium, or in the wrong format. You see it being sold in ointments and pillow sprays. The idea that you can spray magnesium on your pillow, absorb enough through your skin, get it into your bloodstream and across the blood-brain barrier is laughable.
“We have no objective evidence that magnesium improves sleep. As a society, we are not living in a way that supports good sleep. The answer is not magnesium. The answer is to look honestly at what you can realistically change.”
Multivitamins provide a shortcut to health
The UK supplements market is worth millions, and is growing all the time, but do we need to be paying for those daily pills? Dr Ewart says multivitamins should generally be reserved for people who need them, such as pregnant women, those with absorption issues, or people on restrictive diets, including vegans.
“Most people simply don’t need them. I once had a patient in her seventies empty her handbag onto the desk, and all these supplements spilled out. She asked which ones she should be taking. The short answer was: none of them.
“If you are healthy, eating a varied diet and not restricting whole food groups, you are unlikely to benefit from supplements.”
The reality check message
So despite all the hacks, miracle cures and quick fixes touted online, usually, the key to feeling better takes work and commitment. Dr Ewart, who is also a personal trainer, podcaster and author, adds: “If you are exhausted, the chances are you do not need magnesium, a sleep tracker, or some elaborate bedtime routine.
“You probably just need to sort the basics: get daylight early in the day, move a bit more, and eat a healthy diet. And that does not mean an expensive supplement subscription. Just go to Aldi, buy a £1.15 bag of seeds, and chuck it on your breakfast.”
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