Nutrition therapists condemned as 'quacks' who put patients' health at risk

Diet practitioners happen to be condemned as quacks and charged with putting the healthiness of the sick – including individuals struggling with cancer of the breast – in danger.

A business is growing up in line with the indisputable fact that ‘food doctor’ nutrition experts cure patients’ affilictions and allergic reactions through diet.

However a minimum of a few of the professionals, who replenish to ?80 for any consultation, are supplying suggest that could harm health, research through the consumer watchdog Which? found.

Healthy: But diet therapists' recommendations might be doing harm to patients, an undercover analysis through which? finds

The audience sent undercover scientists to pose as patients with a variety of problems and visit 15 so-known as dietary practitioners.

Which? stated: ‘They found shocking good examples of recommendation that could have put patients with real health issues in danger.’

Basically among the 15 offered either potentially harmful or misleading advice. Six from the consultation services were ranked as ‘dangerous fails’ when it comes to untrue stories and bad advice. An additional eight were ranked as ‘fails’, and merely one a ‘borderline pass’. More...

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Which? is looking around the Government to manage the sector which, like a lot of the cosmetic beauty and anti-ageing industry, doesn't have effective regulating regime.

It stated: ‘One investigator, appearing like a cancer of the breast sufferer, was relayed through her counselor to obstruct radiotherapy treatment suggested by her oncologist, saying they might eliminate the body of cancer through diet.

‘The counselor advised her to follow along with a no-sugar diet for 3 to 6 several weeks saying, “Cancer feeds off sugar. By eliminating sugar there exists a better possibility of cancer disappearing.”?’

It was considered highly irresponsible and incorrect with a panel setup through which? to evaluate the recommendation. It incorporated Professor David Colquhoun, a specialist in pharmacology at College College London along with a GP, Dr Margaret McCartney.

Irresponsible: One investigator who feigned cancer was told to chop out sugar, because 'cancer feeds off sugar'

Another investigator was told when the treatment recommended for his severe fatigue began to create him feel unwell, it demonstrated it's working. The counselor advised him to not contact his GP because they ‘wouldn’t know very well what was happening’.

Bizarre tests, including iridology, that involves analyzing designs within the iris, and hair analysis were also accustomed to ‘diagnose’ conditions.

A investigator who stated she'd been battling to get pregnant was told after getting her iris examined she'd ‘bowel toxicity’ along with a ‘leathery bowel’. Both of them are meaningless terms, the expert panel stated.

Which? found the practitioners frequently used these tests as part of a sales speeches to promote unnecessary supplements costing as much as ?70 per month. Very couple of from the 15 addressed problems that might have had an optimistic effect on health, for example reducing alcohol consumption.

Prof Colquhoun stated: ‘Nutritional treatments are affected by ‘diagnostic tests’ which are nothing more than quackery. Iridology and hair analysis simply don’t work.’ Dr McCartney stated: ‘If you've signs and symptoms call at your GP, not somebody that can’t identify precisely.’

Which? has made the decision to not title the practitioners involved. However, it's reported its findings towards the British Association for Applied Diet & Dietary Therapy (BANT), in which a number are registered.

BANT rejected to comment.

The British Dietetic Association was keen to create obvious its trained dietitians are not the same from diet practitioners for example individuals visited through which? BDA stated: ‘Anybody can setup shop like a diet counselor, without any qualifications. Registered diet advisors employed in the United kingdom are taught to degree level and should be registered using the Health Professions Council.’