How to Spot Pseudoscience (Don’t get scammed by a Health Coach)

Let me guess: Your Instagram feed is absolutely drowning in wellness influencers promising miracle cures, “hormone balancing” meal plans, detox teas that'll "reset your gut health," and supplements that apparently do everything short of filing your taxes. 

Sometimes, it's your friend-turned-Beachbody-then-Arbonne rep sliding into your DMs, pushing another "business opportunity" or the latest superfood powder (because their "coach" said so). Hi! Is that a recruitment zoom call tucked behind that “empowering” selfie, or are you just happy to see me? 

But for real? I get why you're tempted to click "add to cart." When you're tired, overwhelmed, or dealing with health conditions that conventional medicine hasn't fully addressed, those shiny promises can feel like exactly what you need.

The thing is, the wellness industry is absolutely crawling with pseudoscience. Like, legitimately infested. And it's not just faceless corporations. Half the time it's your neighbor-turned-"holistic health coach" or someone brandishing a "certification" from a weekend workshop (no shade, but...come on). 

While I'm not here to shame anyone for wanting to feel better (trust me, I've been there), I am here to help you develop the critical thinking skills to distinguish science from pseudoscience so you don't get scammed by the next person selling a pyramid scheme backed snake oil that’s the next cure for chronic diseases.

Pseudoscientific claims aren't harmless. They can actually harm your health by convincing you to delay real treatment, waste money on useless products, or even make your symptoms worse. 

Sometimes, this comes from people you trust, so let's talk about how to spot the red flags, evaluate health advice like the smart human you are, and make evidence-based decisions that actually serve your wellbeing.

Your spidey senses are probably already tingling when you see certain wellness posts, but you might not know exactly why. That's what we're fixing today.

Table of Contents

Why are Pseudoscientific Beliefs So Damn Convincing?

Pseudoscience beliefs are basically science's evil twin. They look legitimate on the surface but completely ignore the scientific method. These beliefs often start as a nugget of truth but involve unfalsifiable claims (meaning they can't be tested or disproven) and tend to persist even when scientific research proves them wrong.

Here's where things get extra spicy: many health coaches and "wellness consultants" (looking at you, Herbalife team builders) sound SUPER convincing because they sling around scientific lingo, cite Google Scholar links in their IG stories, and drop "research shows..." like it's confetti. 

That’s the tricky part. Pseudoscientific practices are really good at mimicking real science. 

They'll reference studies (often cherry-picked or misinterpreted), and present their claims with the confidence of someone who definitely knows what they're talking about. But underneath all that fancy language and "client transformations," there's usually no systematic hypothesis development or peer review process—you know, the stuff that makes actual science, well, scientific.

Take the alkaline water craze, for example. Proponents claim it can cure everything from cancer to chronic fatigue, using sciencey-sounding explanations about pH balance and body chemistry. 

You might even see a "certified holistic health coach" on TikTok demoing a pH strip test for your tap water, acting like Bill Nye with a ring light. But here's what they don't tell you: your body has incredibly sophisticated mechanisms for maintaining its pH balance, and drinking alkaline water isn't going to significantly change your blood pH. If it could, you'd literally die.

On some level, I think they know they’re off track. Like when Gwyneth Paltrow (yes, the queen of pseudoscience herself) proudly announced she adds lemon to her alkaline water. Let that sink in for a second—lemon, which is acidic, in alkaline water. Makes total sense, right?

The thing is, these ideas stick around because they offer simple fixes to messy, complicated problems. And who doesn’t want an easy answer? Some health coaches, especially the ones with that endless “girl boss, side hustle, financial freedom” energy, seem to ride the wave of wellness confusion. Whether they mean to or not, it’s happening.

Got some digestive issues? Suddenly, it’s all about your gut health; and, surprise, there’s a $200 supplement just for you! Feeling tired all the time? Clearly, your body is “toxic,” so obviously, you need this magical juice cleanse to save the day. Sound familiar?

But the human body is complicated, chronic diseases are multifactorial, and real solutions usually require more nuance than a single product (or copy and paste coaching protocol) can provide. But that doesn't make for good marketing copy, does it?

Such beliefs also prey on our natural tendency to look for patterns and explanations, even when none exist. We want to believe there's a reason we feel like shit, and we want to believe there's something we can buy to fix it. 

Pseudoscience offers both a simple explanation and an expensive solution.

How to Spot Pseudoscience

When you come across health advice, whether it's from social media, a self-proclaimed health coach, a blog, or even a healthcare provider, here's how to evaluate it like the critical thinking baddie you are:

Check the source's credentials and expertise. Are they qualified to give advice in this specific area? A chiropractor might be great at treating back pain, but that doesn't make them an expert in nutrition or mental health. And sorry, but "I overcame my own health struggles" isn't a credential that qualifies someone to treat other humans. 

Many "health coaches," including those selling MLM products like Isagenix or Plexus, have little to no formal training. However, some are highly trained and certified by reputable institutions. Nationally Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coaches complete rigorous training, follow ethics, and support behavior change without crossing into medical advice. Dig past the title and make sure you’re working with someone who has the proper credentials and training to support your health goals responsibly.

Look for peer review and scientific studies. Real research gets published in peer-reviewed journals where other scientists evaluate the methodology and conclusions. While they aren’t the end-all-be-all and should be considered as part of the greater body of evidence, they’re still crucial. If someone is making health claims without citing peer-reviewed research, or if they're only referencing their own unpublished "studies" or network testimonials, your spidey senses should be tingling.

Evaluate the supporting evidence carefully. Are they citing actual scientific research, or just other blog posts and testimonials? Are the studies relevant to their claims, or are they extrapolating from research that doesn't actually support their conclusions? No, a study on vitamin C's effects in a plastic petri dish doesn't prove that mega-dosing vitamin C will cure your cold.

Consider the methodology of any research they reference. Science is a process, and the purpose of most research is to lay the groundwork for future studies. Small studies, animal studies, and observational research are valuable but come with limitations. Rarely do a few studies provide clear-cut answers to complex health questions, so be especially skeptical of anyone making definitive claims based on preliminary research or studies that haven't been replicated.

Watch out for conflicts of interest. If someone’s making big health claims while also selling products like Thrive patches or Young Living oils, it’s worth hitting pause and taking a closer look. There’s a big difference between someone genuinely earning a living from their expertise and someone conveniently selling solutions to the problems they just so happen to be pointing out.

In the wellness world—especially with MLMs—it’s easy for lines to blur when sales commissions are involved. While it’s totally fine for experts, coaches, or providers to get paid for their work (we all need to eat, right?), it’s also important to step back and ask: Are their claims legit, or are they being nudged by dollar signs?

Unfortunately, there are plenty of pseudoscience peddlers and unqualified “health coaches” out there who take advantage of gaps in our science knowledge. But you don’t need to be a scientist to sniff out something sketchy. A little critical thinking and some healthy skepticism can go a long way in spotting red flags.

Red Flags That Scream "Pseudoscience Alert"

Some red flags are so obvious they might as well be wearing neon signs and doing interpretive dance on a street corner. Here's what to watch for:

Claims that sound too good to be true. If someone promises their product will cure multiple unrelated health conditions, boost your energy, improve your mood, clear your skin, AND help you lose weight, they're probably full of shit. Real treatments (and real coaching) usually have specific, measurable effects on specific health conditions.

Fear-mongering about "toxins" or everyday foods. The wellness industry loves to convince you that common foods are "toxic" and that your body is constantly under attack from mysterious poisons that only their products can eliminate. If some essential oil MLM rep tells you eliminating "xenoestrogens" with their $90 diffuser blend is the solution… get to running. Your liver and kidneys are incredibly sophisticated detox systems. They don't need help from a supplement that is actually likely to damage them.

Use of scientific jargon without proper explanation. Legitimate health experts like board-certified coaches can explain complex concepts in ways that make sense. If someone is throwing around fancy terms (or citing "biohacking" anything) without helping you understand what they actually mean, they might be using science-y language to mask the fact that their claims aren't actually scientific.

Testimonials as primary evidence. Personal stories can be powerful, but they're not scientific evidence. Just because something worked for one person (or for someone’s entire "team" in Nu Skin) doesn't mean it will work for you, or that it actually worked at all. Correlation isn't causation, and the plural of anecdote isn't data.

Claims about "ancient wisdom" or "natural" superiority. Natural doesn't automatically mean safe or effective (poison ivy is natural too y’all), and traditional practices aren't immune to scientific scrutiny. Some traditional remedies have been validated by research, others haven't, and some have been proven harmful.

Promises of quick fixes for complex problems. Chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and metabolic issues are complex. Anyone (coach or not) claiming they can fix years of health problems with a single supplement or protocol is either lying or delusional.

Nutrition Misinformation: The Wild West of Health Claims

Nutrition misinformation is absolutely everywhere, and it's a category of pseudoscience that is causing real harm. People are restricting entire food groups based on pseudoscientific beliefs, spending hundreds of dollars on unnecessary supplements, and ignoring evidence-based nutrition advice in favor of whatever diet is trending on TikTok or, you guessed it, the latest MLM coaching group challenge.

The nutrition space is particularly susceptible to pseudoscience because nutrition research is new and inherently complex. It's difficult to control for all variables in human nutrition studies, results can be influenced by genetics and lifestyle factors, and the effects of dietary changes often take time to become apparent.

Nutrition also feels deeply personal—after all, we all eat and have our own experiences with putting food in our bodies. This combination of complexity and personal connection creates space for people to make unsupported claims and cherry-pick research that seems to support their preferred narrative.

For example, the idea that everyone needs to avoid gluten, even without celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, has become incredibly popular despite limited scientific evidence. While some people do feel better avoiding gluten, this doesn't mean gluten is inherently harmful for everyone.

This blanket recommendation has caused more harm than good. It has led to unnecessary food restrictions, food anxiety, and even nutrition deficiencies in fiber, folic acid, iron, and vitamin B12. But wellness influencers—and entire networks of "certified gut health coaches"—have built entire businesses around the pseudoscience that gluten is basically poison.

The same thing happens with claims about gut health, inflammation, and food sensitivities. Yes, these are real medical concepts with actual research behind them. But grifty practitioners and unregulated coaches take legitimate scientific knowledge and twist it to into pseudoscience to support claims that aren't actually backed by evidence.

Registered dietitians are trained to understand the nuances of nutrition research and can help you navigate the difference between evidence-based nutrition advice and pseudoscience marketing disguised as health information. 

National board certified health and wellness coaches are also trained to support healthy behavior change (think: accountability, habit formation) without overstepping into giving medical or nutrition advice they're not qualified for, a distinction that's crucial given how many MLM and "wellness" coaches do the exact opposite.

Making Evidence-Based Health Decisions That Work For You

Making informed and evidence-based health decisions doesn't mean you have to become a research scientist or abandon all hope of feeling better. It means learning to evaluate information critically and seeking out credible sources that can help guide your decisions.

Start with your healthcare provider. Yes, even if they're not perfect. Even if they've dismissed your concerns in the past. Even if they don't have all the answers. A qualified healthcare provider should be your starting point for any health concerns.

Seek out credible sources of health information. Government health websites, professional medical organizations, and peer-reviewed journals are good starting points. These sources aren't immune to bias or error, but they're generally held to higher standards than random wellness blogs or "functional health coach" (no credentials needed) websites.

Ask questions about any treatment recommendations. What's the evidence supporting this approach? What are the potential risks and benefits? Are there alternatives? A legitimate healthcare provider or a board-certified health and wellness coach should be able to explain their reasoning, help you set realistic goals, and provide evidence for their recommendations without trying to diagnose or "prescribe" outside their scope.

Be skeptical of dramatic health transformations on social media. Those before-and-after photos and testimonials might be inspiring, but they're not scientific evidence. People's health can improve for many reasons unrelated to the product or program they're promoting. For example, did their bloating really go down because of that Arbonne product, or was it because they started drinking more water, eating more fiber, and moving their body more regularly? These are called confounding factors, and they can make it hard to determine what actually caused the change. Try to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

Understand that health is multifactorial. Your energy levels, mood, digestion, and overall wellbeing are influenced by sleep, stress, genetics, environment, relationships, and countless other factors. Anyone claiming that a single supplement or diet will fix everything is oversimplifying complex biological processes.

The goal isn't to become paranoid about every health decision or to dismiss all alternative approaches. The goal is to develop the scientific literacy and critical thinking skills to evaluate claims objectively, reduce the risk of harm, and make informed decisions about your health.

This includes knowing how to spot the difference between a board-certified coach (trained to work with your healthcare team) and a "coach" who claims to know more than your doctor—despite one having 15+ years of training and education, and the other having a high school diploma and a pyramid scheme starter pack.

Digital Pseudoscience in Online Health Information

The internet has democratized access to health information, which has both benefits and serious drawbacks. On one hand, you can research your symptoms, connect with others who have similar health conditions, and access information that might not be readily available through traditional medical channels.

On the other hand, the internet is also full of pseudoscience, fear-mongering, and people trying to sell snake oil by convincing you that you're sicker than you actually are. 

It’s a breeding ground for aspiring "health coaches" who make the supplements they’re selling their whole personality (And, of course, if you recruit two friends, you too can become a "certified coach"—but it’s definitely not a pyramid scheme!)

Social media platforms have become particularly problematic sources of pseudoscience. The algorithms that determine what content you see are designed to keep you engaged, not to provide accurate information. Sensational claims and dramatic transformations get more engagement than nuanced, evidence-based content, so that's what gets promoted.

Wellness influencers and MLM-backed health coaches often sell products alongside their health advice, creating obvious conflicts of interest. They might share their personal health journey (which can be genuinely inspiring) but then in good pseudoscience practice, extrapolate from their individual experience to make broad recommendations for their followers.

Here's how to evaluate online health information:

Look for sources that cite professionals and explain their reasoning clearly. Be suspicious of anyone making dramatic claims without providing credible evidence.

Check whether the person or organization has relevant qualifications and expertise in the specific area they're discussing. Is that "wellness coach" actually trained in health science, or did they get their credentials from a two-hour online module?

Pay attention to whether they're trying to sell products or services related to their health claims. This doesn't automatically invalidate their information, but it should make you more skeptical about their motivations, especially when the coach's income relies on product sales or recruiting others.

When it comes to making health decisions, it’s super important to check out multiple sources and viewpoints. If just one person or organization is shouting about something and no one else is backing it up... huge red flag. The scientific method doesn’t work like that. 

Real progress happens when researchers from all over dig into the same topic, test it out, and come to the same conclusions. Science is more like a group project than a solo mission. It thrives on collaboration, shared ideas, and collective validation to push the boundaries of what we know.

Which Health Experts Can You Actually Trust?

Not all health experts are created equal, and understanding different types of credentials can help you evaluate who to trust with your health.

Medical doctors (MDs) complete four years of medical school followed by residency training in their specialty. They're qualified to diagnose and treat medical conditions, prescribe medications, and provide comprehensive medical care.

Registered dietitians (RDs or RDNs) complete a bachelor's degree in nutrition or a related field, complete an accredited internship, and pass a national examination. They're the nutrition experts most qualified to provide evidence-based nutrition advice. Remember: All registered dietitians are nutritionists but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians - look for the RD after their name!

Licensed mental health professionals (psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists) have specific training in mental health assessment and treatment.

Health coaches, wellness coaches, and nutritionists is where you need to get picky. The term "health coach" is completely unregulated, which means anyone can call themselves one and start selling guidance. ANYONE. Quality varies wildly—from folks with zero science background to genuinely trained healthcare professionals. 

If you're considering working with a health coach, look for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWC) or similar evidence-based certifications. Board-certified coaches have completed accredited training, passed comprehensive exams, and agree to strict ethical guidelines. They know where their lane ends (hint: diagnosing and prescribing is out of bounds).

This doesn't mean that only MDs can provide valuable health guidance, but it does mean you should understand what qualifications someone has and whether they're appropriate for your specific needs or the health benefits you're after.

The personality traits that make someone engaging on social media (confidence, charisma, relatability) don't necessarily correlate with their expertise or the quality of their advice. Some of the most qualified healthcare providers and well-trained coaches might have a boring social media presence, while some of the most engaging content creators can’t tell you the difference between gluconeogenesis and glycolysis.

Moving Forward

Look, I'm not asking you to become a scientist or to distrust every piece of health information you encounter. I'm asking you to develop critical thinking skills to evaluate claims objectively and make informed decisions about your health because I don’t want you to get hurt.

This means being comfortable with uncertainty and complexity.

It means recognizing that your health is influenced by multiple factors and that there might not be simple solutions to complex problems. 

It means being willing to invest time and effort into finding qualified healthcare providers and properly certified health and wellness coaches who can help guide your decisions, without trying to double-dip as both your practitioner and your product supplier.

Most importantly, it means trusting yourself to be the expert of your own body, to ask questions, seek second opinions, and advocate for your own health needs. 

You don't have to accept every recommendation from a healthcare provider, and you sure as hell don't have to buy every product that promises to change your life.

Your health is too important to leave to chance. You deserve accurate information, qualified healthcare providers, and interventions that actually have a chance to work.

Stop waiting for some wellness influencer to save you with their miracle protocol. Start developing the knowledge and skills to avoid pseudoscience and make informed decisions for your own health. Your future self will thank you.