Fighting Misinformation Without Burning the Whole House Down
In the fight against misinformation, some advocates take a scorched-earth approach: if something isn't pharmaceutical, it's pseudoscience. And in that narrative, the "wellness industry" becomes the villain — killing animals, spreading zoonotic disease, and fueling the next pandemic. Articles like the one by Dr. Andrea Love point to real and dangerous issues in unregulated spaces, especially when it comes to exotic animal products, unsanitary supplement production, or false health claims.
And yet, there’s a growing unease among those of us who believe in the value of evidence-based integrative medicine. Because somewhere in the frenzy to correct the record, we risk throwing out the entire concept of natural medicine — even when it's grounded in science, guided by experience, and focused on patient-centred care.
Yes, there are major problems in the wellness industry. But not all natural medicine is the wellness industry, and not all who practice it are peddling fear, detox kits, or animal-derived pills.
The risk is that in the rush to discredit bad actors, we also discredit:
The clinicians who use nutrition and herbs alongside medications.
The researchers studying plant compounds in randomized controlled trials.
The doctors and pharmacists who see value in lifestyle interventions and patient empowerment.
Misinformation deserves a clear response. But nuance matters. Some of the most harmful voices in wellness sound like natural medicine — and some of the most effective voices in health care use natural approaches.
What we need isn't anti-natural medicine rhetoric — it's anti-BS filters applied across all modalities. We need to ask:
Is there evidence?
Is it ethical?
Is it effective?
Is it safe?
Is it being used in a way that supports the patient’s goals?
Because the opposite of misinformation isn’t just “modern medicine.” It's contextualized, critical thinking — and a willingness to work together to do better for patients.