Be wary of online nutrition advice for cancer patients
· Medical Xpressedited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Avoid dairy, fruit and red meat; take vitamin D supplements—these are some of the nutrition claims circulating online for breast cancer patients, but how many of them are actually based on fact?
Researchers from Adelaide University analyzed more than 150 nutrition claims from eight online platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google and ChatGPT.
"We found the majority of online nutrition claims targeting people with breast cancer are not supported by reliable scientific evidence," said study author Negin Amin, a Ph.D. candidate at Adelaide University's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science.
"The chance of finding this unsubstantiated advice is much higher on X or TikTok, where up to 76% are not backed up by science."
The researchers grouped the claims by the type of content provider—health professionals, personal accounts or groups and organizations. They then evaluated the claims against current evidence, including nutritional guidelines for patients with cancer, along with clinical studies.
Claims from health professionals were more likely to be consistent with evidence (29%), compared with personal accounts (24%) or information shared by groups or organizations (24%). However, health professionals also shared the least amount of breast cancer nutrition information.
The most common unsupported claims found online included "avoid dairy and animal protein during cancer treatment," "the sugar in fruits feeds cancer cells" and "olive oil can cure cancer."
"Our study shows that non-evidence-based nutrition information is being shared widely online. This could be putting cancer patients at risk of malnutrition, which can be associated with serious consequences and lower quality of life," said senior author Tania Crotti, an associate professor and medical researcher at Adelaide University's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science.
"It's critical that we find a way to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources to give cancer patients access to the right health advice."
The study's findings have been published in Patient Education and Counseling.
"Guidance for good nutrition during cancer treatment is available through the Cancer Council, which recommends patients enjoy a wide variety of nutritious food from the five food groups," said senior author Joanne Bowen, a professor at Adelaide University's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science.
The research team is also encouraging patients to seek personalized nutrition information from their medical team.
Educational campaigns are another option to increase society's resistance to misleading health information.
"Breast cancer rates continue to rise globally and so too does the demand for information relating to patient health, well-being, exercise and nutrition after diagnosis," said senior author Wendy Ingman, a professor and breast health researcher at the Robinson Research Institute.
"It is important for policymakers to allocate sufficient resources to improve the dissemination of evidence-based health information online."
More information
Negin Amin et al, Quality of nutrition information for breast cancer: A mixed-methods analysis of online information, Patient Education and Counseling (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2026.109814
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OncologyNutrition & Healthy eatingCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Adelaide Who's behind this story?
Swati Mestri
Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
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