The Four Corners “Swallowing It: How Australians are spending billions on unproven vitamins and supplements.” was an interesting program to watch. Here are my quick thoughts:
- If you’re a Healthcare Practitioner and are intending to recommend a supplement/vitamin, please have the knowledge to back up your recommendation. Do not second guess, it’s unprofessional.
- If you’re serious in giving good advice, attending a few training sessions organised by nutraceutical companies is simply inadequate. Attend structured courses accredited by organisations such as, RACGP. Personally I prefer to attend conferences/workshops that are not organised by nutraceutical companies. However if they are, you should have a healthy skepticism about the content. What are the credentials of the speakers? Do they have a conflict of interests?
- Always question the information that is presented to you. What level of scientific evidence is available to you.
- If you are a client, make sure you seek out Healthcare Practitioners with sound knowledge about integrative health.
This is the link to the Four Corners program for those of you who are interested.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2017/02/13/4616948.htm
