Thread by @DBelardoMD

There is a huge problem of vaccine & COVID misinformation that we have been seeing in the nutrition & wellness space for MONTHS. As the vaccine is rolling out it’s getting worse. And I’m asking everyone with any sort of influence on social media, to help me with this. Thread.

If you’ve been following me on social media you already know this but - let me start out by saying that I absolutely believe in the value/health benefits of a plant-based diet. I literally work in a multidisciplinary practice with physicians of various specialties + RDs centered

around using nutrition + lifestyle + GDMT to help our patients optimize health. Believe isn’t even the right word. The science clearly demonstrates how powerful using nutrition & lifestyle change can be in reducing the incidence of chronic disease.

But this pandemic has elucidated MANY PROBLEMS in the nutrition and wellness space. There are several physicians: whether promoting plant-based or keto or carnivore: who have continued to downplay the seriousness of this pandemic, have continued to ignore, downplay, or outright

lie about the importance of public health measures like mask wearing and social distancing. They have now moved on and escalated to vaccine misinformation (naturally)...And they have CONTINUED to act as if a certain diet (their diet) will prevent you from getting Covid.

NO DIET PREVENTS INFECTIOUS DISEASE FROM SPREADING.

Physicians have been recommending dietary and lifestyle intervention pre-pandemic, and this advice has not changed. Yes: eat healthful foods. Get exercise. Get sleep. Reduce your risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease.

THIS DOES NOT *I repeat* this does NOT replace the need for vaccines, wearing masks, distancing, or all other public health measures. And by the way - neither does all the Vitamin D, C, Zinc, or elderberry that you can buy from your friend in a multilevel marketing vitamin scam

Your keto or plant based or Mark Hyman or paleo diet does NOT replace a vaccine. It does not replace the need to wear a mask. It does not replace social distancing, avoiding crowds. We are in a PANDEMIC.

And sadly - too many organizations like even @ACLifeMed have sat by while some of their “legends” this year even have shared social media videos suggesting vaccines are dangerous and encouraging worsening vaccine hesitancy.

https://twitter.com/KCKlatt/status/1340071159249952769

I can’t even pick which diet tribe has been most egregious in their outlandish claims, because at this point, many individuals in the plant-based, keto and carnivore community appear identical and you can’t even tell them apart if it weren’t for the 🥩or 🌱 in their profiles.

This is where my favor comes in. I must ask you this small favor.
If you are involved in the nutrition and wellness space and have a platform, PLEASE, now is the time to share important accurate public health information about vaccines.

Even if you feel out of place, if you’re not a HCW, just sharing w/ your Twitter/IG/FB followers that you support the recs put forward by the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians can make a HUGE impact. + sharing these resources w friends & family.

And to organizations who have elevated with those spreading misinformation: @ACLifeMed comes to mind: maybe you could release a statement: that while lifestyle is important, NO DIET/EXERCISE can reduce the spread of infectious disease: only a vaccine & public health measures can.

There is endless science that demonstrates the importance of diet & lifestyle in chronic disease prevention for our patients. But lifestyle orgs & gurus: STOP ignoring the endless science that demonstrates VACCINES are one of the best public health intervention of ALL time.

End of rant.