Image shows printed diagrams of medicinal plants, jars of dried herbs, and three steel 'singing' bowls. alternative medicine danger.

Melanie Goldberg

With the increased use of social media comes an inevitable spread of misinformation. Alternative medicine and ‘wellness’ fads that have been scrutinised by health experts are pushed online, often by influencers who falsely claim to be professionals.

Some variations of ‘alternative’ or ‘complimentary’ medicines are not entirely without merit. There’s no harm in drinking peppermint tea to ease your digestion, for example.

But the real danger lurks in the delegitimisation of modern medicine, often in lieu of ineffective substitutes — charcoal drinks, vampire facials, and the rejection of necessary medications have all become normal.

If we’re not careful, we might soon return to the urine drinking of the medieval period.

What Is Alternative Medicine?

The idea of alternative medicine (AM) is a purely Western concept, according to social scientist Ayodeji Bayo Ogunrotifa. He argues more sociological analysis of the topic is needed to truly understand its popularity. 

AM is more of a spectrum, rather than a singular field. It can encompass a range of varying treatments: homeopathy, herbal remedies, and acupuncture, amongst others. People who believe in AM can pick and choose which types they use. 

Some holistic approaches to healthcare have been used as effective forms of treatment for hundreds of years. Even healthcare professionals advocate certain natural remedies as complimentary treatments. Peppermint products for gastrointestinal issues and acupuncture for migraines can be beneficial. 

However, the key word here is complimentary. Replacing necessary medical treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or life-saving vaccines) with a more ‘natural’ approach is incredibly dangerous.

Why Do People Believe In Alternative Medicine?

Ogunrotifa suggests many turn to AM due to disillusionment with conventional medicine, cultural influences, and lack of funds. Medical sexism could be one reason why more women than men are interested in alternative medicine — they may feel more listened to and validated after struggling with a misogynistic healthcare system.

Additionally, the autonomy granted by AM means people can choose cheap and easily accessible forms of ‘medicine’. Healthcare systems, however, offer limited options for many people, and are often expensive or have long waiting lists. In countries like the United States, where insurance only covers some procedures, people can feel they have no autonomy over their own health. 

Conflicting information about health from official and unofficial sources may have also led to a deterioration in trust. A recent example is the World Health Organisation’s internal disagreements about the safety of aspartame. 

The Role Of Celebrities and Influencers

Some of the biggest culprits in promoting particular diets or wellness trends are celebrities and ‘influencers’. Frequently, they dupe fans or viewers with fabricated legitimacy in their chosen field — such as claiming to be experts on nutrition. Most of the time, famous figures have a financial incentive to promote a ‘health’ product, like a brand deal. For example, Kim Kardashian received backlash for promoting lollypops that suppressed appetite on Instagram.

‘Nutritionist’ is a term bandied about all over the internet. You’ve probably heard the phrases “here’s what I eat as a nutritionist” and “here’s how I lose weight as a nutritionist” on TikTok and Instagram. In reality, the title is meaningless and unregulated.

“A total of 12 famous social media users were found to be responsible for over 60 per cent of Covid-19 misinformation online”

In the UK, dieticians are the only regulated advisors on nutrition, with the required qualifications from the British Dietetic Association (BDA). Any Kim, Jen, or Gwyneth can flaunt their so-called ‘expertise’, and people are likely to believe them due to their status as celebrities and aspirational appearances. But more often than not, they are doing far more harm than good.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s company Goop is notorious for its fair share of controversies over the years, including the promotion of coffee enemas. NHS England’s Chief Executive Simon Stevens brands its “dubious wellness products and dodgy procedures” as “carrying considerable risks to health.”

Anti-Vaxxers and the Covid-19 Pandemic

A sinister aspect of AM is the anti-vaccination movement. It gained significant traction when a now-debunked medical paper from now-unlicensed practitioner Andrew Wakefield was published. He was the first to claim vaccines were a cause of autism — a claim that has sparked decades of misinformation online.

The anti-vax movement morphed into something even more monstrous during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One study found that the pervasiveness of Covid-19 misinformation on social media ranged from entirely false information to a mishmash of fabrication and truth. This highlights the dangers of social media and ‘wellness’ influencers, who can convince unwitting members of the public to forgo potentially life-saving treatment.

A total of 12 famous social media users were found to be responsible for over 60 per cent of Covid-19 misinformation online. Osteopath physician Sherri Tenpenny even participated in an Instagram live conversation with Wakefield, which was later removed. Many others in this study refer to themselves as ‘wellness experts’, employing crude credentials as a vehicle for disinformation.

When Alternative Medicine Becomes Conspiracy

Anti-vaccination protests became commonplace, often violating the country’s lockdown regulations. Protestors donned yellow Magen Davids, equating the creation of life-saving vaccines with the Holocaust. Comparing vaccinations to historical tragedies, such as slavery or the Holocaust, betrays the political propaganda behind the movement.

Anti-vaxxers often hold intrinsically conspiratorial beliefs, with Covid conspiracies even becoming a gateway to extremism. Some believe diseases are fabricated, so governments can insert microchips or alter DNA through inoculation. You might remember the accusations about 5G and the Covid vaccines. Others blame China or communism for the pandemic, claiming the virus was cooked up in a Wuhan lab as a ‘biological weapon’. 

Popular conspiratorial language overlaps with historical notions of antisemitism. Conspiracy theorists believe ‘all powerful Jews’, the ‘globalists’, the ‘Rothschilds’, and the ‘New World Order’ are disproportionately overrepresented in the political and economic spheres. They argue these groups use the media to push their agenda. For this reason, anti-vaxxers can dismiss news headlines about the benefits of vaccination as being propaganda.

Alternative Medicine Continues To Rise

From ‘wellness’ influencers to conspiratorial anti-vaccination theories, no vaginal stone egg is left unturned in society’s yearning. It is no secret that alternative medicines still maintain a certain intrigue, despite health professionals disproving their effectiveness. It is easy to fall into the trap of ‘natural is best’, especially since science can be confusing and conflicting.

You can use some natural remedies to help with minor medical issues. In fact, some may even be recommended by your doctor! But replacing life-saving medical treatment with lemon and honey tea isn’t going to cut it.

READ NEXT:

Featured image courtesy of Content Pixie via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here. 

1 Comment

  1. An excellent and compelling read. As you suggest, the majority of alternate medicine users are open to different experiences, but because they are often unregulated, they cannot be held to account when things go wrong. They often say that ‘a patient cured is a patient lost’, but practitioners often fail to mention that their treatments cost a bomb too. Alternative medicine has a dark underbelly unfortunately, one which practitioners as a whole are not compelled to address!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *