Have you ever surfed the web to find accurate information about nutrition, only to run into a web site which is selling some new scientific breakthrough which promises instant health and/or weight loss? The truth is, there is no magic formula or pill which provides proper nutrition: You can only achieve proper health and weight control by eating healthy and exercising regularly.

To help combat these purveyors of "junk science", the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, a partnership between the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and 3 other professional scientific societies, has issued 10 red flags you should watch out for when evaluating claims about nutritional products. These 10 red flags are:

1.   Recommendations which promise a quick fix.

2.   Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.

3.   Claims that sound too good to be true ("If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is").

4.   Simplistic conclusions from a complex study.

5.   Recommendations based on a single study.

6.   Dramatic statements that have previously been proven false by reputable scientific organizations.

7.   Lists of "good" and "bad" foods.

8.   Recommendations made to help sell a product.

9.   Recommendations based on studies which have been published without proper review by scientific peers.

10. Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.

If you suspect a claim being made by a web site fits into one of these categories, hit your browser's back button and go to a site where you can trust the information. By using good judgment when you come across extravagant health claims, you can allow yourself to be a smart health consumer and improve your health instead of possibly damaging it.

Source: Medzine Guidebook

Nicole Niemiec is an occupational therapist with 10 years of experience working with patients of all ages and illnesses. Nicole has seen firsthand how poor health habits can affect your body. She developed her site, http://www.healthy-insights.com to provide information to assist you with leading a healthy lifestyle in order to enhance and prolong your quality of life.