MAY 2025 NEWS

Featured topic: vaccines (general)

On Science-Based Medicine,

David Gorski posted:

“HHS is weaponizing evidence-based medicine to falsely portray vaccines as unsafe.” “Last week, HHS announced that all ‘new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials.’ Sounds good? Not so fast. This is really a deceptive weaponization of evidence-based medicine to undermine confidence in vaccines and eliminate at least some of them.”
“Attacking vaccines through the misunderstanding of medical ethics.” “Since becoming HHS Secretary, RFK Jr. has been deceptively weaponizing principles of evidence-based medicine against vaccines. Will weaponizing research ethics be next? It might if the ideas of one of his advisors, James Lyons-Weiler, are any indication.”

Kathleen Seidel posted:

“David Geier, mail order pharmacist.” “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. called for a new era of ‘radical transparency’ upon his confirmation as Secretary of HHS. If David Geier failed to disclose his sanction by the Maryland Board of Physicians for the unlicensed practice of medicine, or his creation of DAP Pharmaceuticals LLC in whatever CV he might have submitted to HHS prior to being hired by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead a federally-sponsored investigation into possible associations between vaccines and autism, it would seem imperative to determine why. And if Secretary Kennedy is aware of David Geier’s sanction, of his involvement with DAP Pharmaceuticals, and of the damning inspection that preceded its dissolution, it would seem imperative to elicit why he would conclude that it just doesn’t matter.”
“Senator Hassan sets Secretary Kennedy straight.” “HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s reckless insistence on undermining confidence in vaccines and reckless elevation of the wholly unqualified David Geier to a potentially influential role at HHS.”
“A checkered history in vaccine court: Mark Geier at the VICP 1988-2003.” “In light of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s recent appointment of David Geier to conduct a study of autism and vaccines—a role that could negatively impact vaccine uptake throughout the United States—an exploration of the sources of Mr. Geier’s purported expertise to conduct such a study is in order. Given David Geier’s lifelong professional association with his father, the late Dr. Mark Geier (d. March 20, 2025), a review of Dr. Geier’s career in vaccine-injury litigation is a good place to start.”

Edzard Ernst:

Reported on “The use of so-called alternative medicine and uptake of vaccinations among US adults.” “Generally speaking, these studies show that SCAM-users are less likely to approve of vaccinations than non-users. The present study partly confirms this finding and shows that, at least in the US, chiropractors and naturopaths are primarily responsible for the association. My conclusion: yet another reason to avoid these types of practitioners!”

On Beyond the Noise, Paul Offit posted:

“An open letter to Senator William Cassidy (R, La).” “I agree with Dr. Georges Benjamin, head of the American Public Health Association, that for the sake of America’s children, RFK Jr. must step down. President Trump can still achieve the goals of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement without having an anti-vaccine activist and science denialist as its leader.”

On McGill Office for Science and Society, Jonathan Jarry posted:

“Doctor who compared pandemic restrictions to Nazi Germany gains keys to the vaccine vault.” “Dr. Vinay Prasad is the FDA’s new vaccine chief. His arrogance and contrarianism are worrying.”

May 2 – Teddy Rosenbluth (New York Times) wrote “Kennedy orders search for new measles treatments instead of urging vaccination.” “Public health experts were baffled by Mr. Kennedy’s decision to hunt for new treatments, rather than endorse shots that have decades of safety and efficacy data. They said this seemed to contradict his longstanding focus on disease prevention instead of treatment.”

May 7 – Andrea Love (ImmunoLogic) posted “RFK Jr. doesn't understand placebos, biomedical research, or ethics.” “RFK Jr. is yet again, lying about vaccine research and clinical trial processes. Last week, RFK Jr. once again, revived his long-held lie about the process of vaccine clinical trials — that they do not undergo placebo-controlled clinical trials…RFK Jr’s proposed policy not only violates existing FDA laws and regulations, but is also highly unethical. And if this is allowed to be implemented, will cause extensive harm, suffering, and damage to public health…Vaccines are tested using placebo-controlled trials before they are approved for the first time. The fact that RFK Jr claims otherwise is an outright lie designed to undermine one of the most studied and regulated groups of medicines. Existing approved medicines are updated through bridging and comparability studies, not placebo trials.”

May 11 – Lauren Weber (Washington Post) wrote “Unpacking RFK Jr.’s doublespeak on vaccines.” “Instead of a full-throated endorsement of vaccination, the nation’s top health official speaks to anti-vaccine forces, public health experts say…When Kennedy talks, he ‘mixes a blend of fact and fiction, and since he is the highest health official in the country, that’s dangerous,’ said Tom Frieden, CDC director under President Barack Obama and president and chief executive of the nonprofit Resolve to Save Lives. ‘Health advice is best provided by doctors who are deeply experienced with the facts about vaccines, and anything that undermines trust in measles and other vaccines undermines the health and safety of our kids’.”

May 15 – Zeeshan Aleem (MSNBC) wrote “RFK Jr.’s refusal to ‘give advice’ on vaccines is in fact dangerous advice.” “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. escalated his anti-vaxxer agenda at a congressional hearing on Wednesday, peddling the line that ‘my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant’ to the American public and claiming nobody should ‘take advice’ from him on whether to get one — despite the fact that his role as HHS secretary entails just that, upholding standards for public health guidance. And Kennedy’s seemingly self-effacing posture is in and of itself a position on vaccines: It implicitly encourages people who are hesitant toward or skeptical of vaccines to shun evidence-based guidance on their effectiveness and safety. That in turn could accelerate the dangerous decline in vaccination rates.”

May 29 – Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times wrote “U.S. cancels contract with Moderna to develop bird flu vaccines.” “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned the safety of mRNA technology, which is used in the company’s shot…Many scientists regard mRNA vaccines, which can be quickly altered to match the newest versions of virus, as the best option for protecting Americans in a fast-moving outbreak. ‘When the next flu pandemic occurs, there is not going to be enough vaccine for everyone who wants it unless we invest to broaden the types of flu vaccines being made and the number of companies that make them,’ said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. ‘We shouldn’t let politically motivated attempts to unfairly brand mRNA vaccines as dangerous stand in the way of ensuring everyone who wants a pandemic vaccine can get one,’ she said.”

Featured topic: political developments (see also COVID vaccines and vaccines (general))

On Science-Based Medicine,

David Gorski posted:

“Lysenkoism 2.0 and the dismantling of the NIH.” “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ‘make America healthy again’ is basically Lysenko 2.0. It’s come to the NIH and is destroying the crown jewel of US biomedical research with ideology and cronyism… It’s all there: ideology trumping science, scientists not buying into the new scientific dogma losing favor, being fired, or even otherwise punished, while scientists who do are rewarded, sometimes richly. I predict that MAHA will end up changing the way that research grants are disbursed to scientists to emphasize rigorous scientific review by expert study sections less and emphasize ideology, loyalty, patronage and cronyism. The Trumpian innovation to Lysenko’s legacy is the cronyism and, I expect in the future, grift.”
“The MAHA report: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (mostly the bad and ugly).” “President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary’s MAHA report has landed. It’s a mix of the good (a little), but mostly the bad and the ugly (a lot).”

Edzard Ernst posted a series entitled “Trump’s strange obsession with appointing the wrong people in the realm of healthcare.”

Part 1. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)…Kennedy’s lack of relevant experience and history of promoting misinformation make him a high-risk choice for HHS. His actions so far indicate that he will significantly disrupt US healthcare and cause long-term damage to the US and beyond. His appointment was not in the best interest of progress and the US public.” “Dave Weldon – Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)… Weldon’s lack of relevant experience and history of promoting misinformation make him an odd choice for the directorship of the CDC. It is to be feared that his appointment will weaken medical progress and the US healthcare system.”
Part 2. “Janette Nesheiwat – Surgeon General… She has no significant public health leadership experience…She also lacks expertise in public health and epidemiology. Her Fox News role and online vitamin sales raise doubts about her prioritization of evidence-based public health over media-driven health promotion.” (Her nomination was withdrawn.) “Casey Means – Surgeon General…she is not board-certified and has very limited clinical experience…Means has no government or public health leadership experience. Her focus is on functional medicine and wellness, both areas that lack rigor and are close to quackery. It gets worse: Means has expressed skepticism about vaccines…In summary, Means seems wholly unsuited for the job of Surgeon General.”
Part 3. “Marty Makary – Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… Makary is among the more qualified of Trump’s nominees. However, his lack of regulatory experience and controversial views on aspects of the COVID-pandemic are reasons for concern.” “Mehmet Oz – Administrator of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)… Oz’s clinical expertise is dated and overshadowed by his lack of administrative experience as well as his long history of promoting (and profitting from) dangerous quackery. His appointment is likely to be a disaster and not in the interest of the US public.”
Part 4. “Jay Bhattacharya – Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH)… Bhattacharya’s academic credentials make him a fairly reasonable choice for NIH director, but his unreasonable pandemic views and lack of large-scale administrative experience raise concerns about his ability to lead the NIH effectively and without major disruptions.” “Gustav Chiarello – Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources (HHS)… Chiarello appears competent for the new role. However, his lack of healthcare expertise may prove to be a drawback.”

On Beyond the Noise, Paul Offit posted:

“RFK Jr. isn’t bothered by measles.” “In fact, he is doing everything he can to promote its spread. Why?...RFK Jr. doubled down, saying that natural measles virus prevented cancer, heart disease, and allergic disorders. Again, a complete falsehood. By embracing the benefits of measles infection, RFK Jr. has done everything he can to encourage this outbreak. He has also said nothing about the growing pertussis epidemic, which has now killed children in Washington, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Idaho. Nor has he said anything about the 216 children who have died this season from influenza—a death rate in children not seen since the global flu pandemic in 2009. All these outbreaks are caused by undervaccination. If RFK Jr. really wants to Make America Healthy Again, he can start by urging vaccinations to prevent avoidable deaths.”
“Silencing the CDC.” “A recent study by the CDC showed how to prevent the most common cause of hospitalizations in babies. Why haven’t we heard about it?... The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who for two decades has been an anti-vaccine activist and science denialist, has now paused any communications from the CDC that aren’t public health emergencies. He has restricted CDC attendance at scientific conferences, eliminated presentations to large audiences, and limited updates on CDC websites. In other words, he has muzzled the CDC. It isn’t surprising, then, that Kevin Griffis, the director of the CDC’s Office of Communications since 2022, quit at the end of March 2025. ‘Public health communications should be about empowering people with reliable, science-based information,’ said Griffis. ‘Unfortunately, we can’t count on Kennedy’s HHS for that anymore’.”

May 4 – Lena Sun, Lisa Rein and Carolyn Johnson reported “Scientist who was part of covid treatment controversy returns to HHS.” “Steven J. Hatfill, a virologist and White House adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term who pushed hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus despite what most researchers said was a lack of scientific evidence, has joined the second Trump administration in a senior role at the Department of Health and Human Services.”

May 4 – As noted in Consumer Health Digest, “So far in 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued these nine fact checks to ’address the latest misinformation by providing clear, science-backed messaging to support children and families’…” Topics include fluoride, vaccine safety, measles, and autism.

May 6 – The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology issued a Position statement: “Reaching a critical point: ASBMB calls on Congress to re-establish U.S. as the leader in innovation”. “The latest proposal to slash key federal agency budgets adds to a growing array of actions that threaten the future of American science, which will mean lost cures, treatments and vital economic growth for the American people…ASBMB calls on Congress to reverse the dismantling of our innovative research enterprise…These collective actions to reduce federal funding of science send the wrong signal to the nation’s essential scientific workforce, the public and America's competitors abroad when we need to fortify and invest in America's once-thriving research enterprise…While these actions unfold in the U.S., China and other countries are heavily investing in research and development and betting on science, knowing scientific research spurs economic growth and innovation.”

May 7 - Stephanie Armour (KFF Health News) wrote “Trump policies at odds with 'Make America Healthy Again' push.” Cuts have hurt programs dealing with chronic diseases, Alzheimer’s, smoking, emerging threats, and HIV prevention.

May 12 – Barbara Zenz reported “SARS-CoV-2 origin: lab leak hypothesis gains momentum” for Medscape. “According to current knowledge, a natural origin of SARS-CoV-2 is still much more likely than a laboratory origin. Even after 5 years, there is not a single solid piece of evidence for a laboratory origin. Presenting the lab leak hypothesis as more or less established is therefore driven more by political interests than by a desire to clarify the origin of the virus. At the same time, the targeted dissemination of one-sidedly weighted information and claims that are not supported by facts causes significant harm: It unsettles, destroys trust in the integrity of scientific institutions and researchers, and weakens decision-makers and communicators in future crisis situations.”

May 13 – Associated Press reported “FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids’ teeth.” “The products targeted by the FDA are sometimes recommended for children and teens who are at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water… An influential government health panel recommends fluoride supplements for children between the ages of six months and 5 years if they live in areas with low fluoridation levels. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Forces judged the recommendation to have ‘high certainty’ of benefit, based on the available evidence.”

May 15 – Emily Cochrane (New York Times) reported that Florida banned water fluoridation. Utah had done so earlier.

May 20 – Martin Enserink (Science) wrote “Crippling tropical diseases threaten to surge after U.S. funding cuts.” “Closing of programs that fought neglected diseases imperils drug donation and distribution efforts in 26 countries.”

May 21 – Chiara Eisner (NPR) posted “Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn’t warning the public like it was months ago.” “Many of the CDC's newsletters have stopped being distributed, workers at the CDC say. Health alerts about disease outbreaks, previously sent to health professionals subscribed to the CDC's Health Alert Network, haven't been dispatched since March. The agency's main social media channels have come under new ownership of the Department of Health and Human Services, emails reviewed by NPR show, and most have gone more than a month without posting their own new content…’Everything is getting bottlenecked at the top,’ said a worker. ‘It is extraordinarily time-consuming and backlogs us by weeks, if not months’."

May 23 – Andrea Love (ImmunoLogic) wrote “Real root cause medicine is based on science, not wellness disinformation.

RFK Jr, Marty Makary, and MAHA allies are lying to you. Biomedical research is BASED ON identifying and treating underlying causes of illness…Science and medicine is complex, iterative, and slow. That’s why it’s an easy target for people who oversimplify and promise ‘quick fixes’ for imagined health issues. We need to stop letting pseudoscience co-opt real scientific discovery and therapeutic development, because it is actively harming all of us. Root cause isn’t a vibe. It’s virology. Pathology. Immunology. Genomics. Toxicology. Chemistry. Pharmacology. And it—not wellness profiteering— is why you’re alive today.”

May 27 – Chelsea Cirruzzo (Politico) reported “RFK Jr. threatens to bar government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals.” “The health secretary said the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet are in bed with pharma…Kennedy’s stance, however, conflicts with that of his NIH director, Jay Bhattacharya, who recently told a reporter with POLITICO sister publication WELT he supports academic freedom, which ‘means I can send my paper out even if my bosses disagree with me’.”

May 29 – Lauren Weber and Caitlin Gilbert (Washington Post) reported “White House MAHA Report may have garbled science by using AI, experts say.” “The garbled scientific citations betray subpar science and undermine the credibility of the report, said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. ‘This is not an evidence-based report, and for all practical purposes, it should be junked at this point,’ he said. ‘It cannot be used for any policymaking. It cannot even be used for any serious discussion, because you can’t believe what’s in it’.” In a related post, Edzard Ernst wrote “Scientific misconduct from the White House + some free advice how to deal with it!”

May 29 – David Cutler and Edward Glaeser published “Cutting the NIH – the $8 trillion health care catastrophe” (JAMA Health Forum. 2025 May 2;6(5):e252791). “Over 25 years, the proposed annual savings of $20 billion amounts to $500 billion in budgetary reductions. This pales in comparison to the $8.2 trillion in lost health, which is 16 times greater than the proposed cost savings.”

Other topics

On Science-Based Medicine, Steven Novella:

Posted “Brainspotting is classic pseudoscience.” “This is all complete and utter neurological rubbish from beginning to end, but let’s break it down. The idea is that trauma (not necessarily traumatic memories, but ‘trauma’ in the abstract sense) is somehow located in specific spots in the deep brain, such as the brainstem. This is an extraordinary claim, and it is coupled with another equally extraordinary claim – that where your eyes physically look also maps to specific subcortical locations. These overlapping maps can then be used to locate the ‘trauma.’ Of course these maps do not exist. There is no neuroanatomical correlate to either component of the core principles of brainspotting. The anatomy of eye movements is fairly well understood, and does not correlate in any way with this core notion of brainspotting.”

On Respectful Insolence, “Orac”:

Wrote “Scott Adams vs. a cancer quack.” “’Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams recently revealed that he has stage 4 prostate cancer. He tried to treat it with cancer quack William Makis’ protocol and realized that quackery doesn’t work, leading Makis to attack the victim.

Edzard Ernst:

Posted “Insufficient reporting of adverse effects in acupuncture trials.” “If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will have seen numerous studies that show how poor the reporting of AEs is in trials of acupuncture and other forms of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). This is not just regrettable, it is unethical, dangerous and amounts to scientific misconduct. Based on such flawed evidence SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] promoters claim that their treatments are quite safe. But because of the very inadequate reporting this assumption might well be wrong. Thus consumers are systematically being misled into making wrong, and in a worst case scenario fatal, therapeutic decisions.”
Discussed “Acupuncture for the management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” “I am more than a little skeptical that acupuncture may offer an alternative for children and adolescents with ADHD. There are several reasons for my skepticism, e.g.: Almost all of the RCTs originated from China, a country that has been shown many times to never report negative findings from acupuncture studies…I also have my doubts about the authors of this review. There are several reasons for my skepticism…But the most important reason for my doubt is the authors’ conclusion. Bases on the evidence provided, the correct conclusion must be something along the following lines: This review shows that there are plenty of positive RCTs of [randomized controlled trials] acupuncture for ADHD. However, based on their poor quality, its effectiveness remains unproven.”
Reported “Another stroke following chiropractic neck manipulation.” “Let me be clear: this case report – like so many similar ones – lacks important details and thus cannot be interpreted properly. Chiropractors will therefore claim – as they did so many times before – that the case does not amount to evidence. They will also pretend that chiropractic manipulations are safe and that there is no sound evidence to prove otherwise. They can make this claim because the chiropractic profession has – since ~120 years! – resisted adopting an adequate monitoring system for registering events like the one above. And let me be clear again: such claims by chiropractors are based on self-interest and willful ignorance, polite expressions for ‘dishonesty’.”
Posted “’Conventional doctors know nothing about nutrition’ – true or false?” “I have taught at 5 medical schools in 3 countries and can assure you that medical schools do not ignore the importance of nutrition. It is true that there may not be dedicated courses for students on this subject. Arguably, that would not be productive. Nutrition is usually taught in the context of the disease with which it can effectively help. For instance, the treatment and prevention of diabetes needs a specific diet, so do several liver, kidney, heart, skin conditions, obesity, various forms of malnutrition, etc. In our experience, this approach to medical education is more productive than a dedicated course on nutrition. It is true that many SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] practitioners pride themselves to be competent in advising their patients about nutrition. It is also true that most give such advice. And it is also true that, according to my experience, much of this advice is nonsense, not based on good evidence or even counter-productive.”
Asked “What can be done to dissuade proponents of homeopathy?” “…both subgroups most in need of interventions (i.e. the subgroups supporting or being open toward the standalone use of homeopathy in serious conditions) indicated the most negative attitudes toward science: They cared the least about scientific evidence regarding homeopathy and perceived science to be the most corrupt and limited. Given these characteristics, simply informing members of these subgroups about the scientific consensus regarding homeopathy—as is typically recommended in the psychological literature to address beliefs in conflict with scientific evidence —might not be an effective strategy. Instead, interventions might first have to create a shared understanding of the importance and value of scientific evidence and evidence-based treatments.”
Wrote “Suffering from 'burnout'? So-called alternative medicine can help!” “…people who are a bit stressed and fed up with their work situation can self-diagnose to be ‘burnout’ victims, and nobody can prove them to be wrong. In view of all this, I ask myself, who would be surprised that mindfulness, yoga, and acupuncture can be shown (in studies of dubious methodological quality) to be effective for ‘burnout’? It is not hard to predict that many more studies will follow and show that virtually every so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) under the sun is helpful for ‘burnout’ (already, Medline lists ~700 papers on ‘alternative medicine for burnout’). After all, nothing is easier to cure than a condition that did not exist in the first place!”
Discussed singing bowl therapy. “The SINGING BOWL is a bowl-shaped instrument originating in China and Tibet that can be made of various metals…It is played by hitting or rubbing its edges with wooden or leather mallets. Different frequencies of sound can be produced by hitting singing bowls with different materials and sizes...As a type of vibroacoustic therapy, the singing bowl therapy generates vibration on the body surface and emits sounds of varying frequencies depending on the material and size of bowls. It provides a combination of vibration, music listening combined providing a therapeutic interaction…The authors concluded that singing bowls may have potential to alleviate anxiety, depression, improve quality of sleep and cognitive function in various patient groups, and change autistic behavior…The authors forgot to mention in their abstract that non-RCTs [randomized controlled trials] are nearly worthless for evaluation therapeutic effectiveness and that all RCTs were of poor quality and thus equally worthless.”

On McGill Office for Science and Society, Sophie Pellar:

Posted “The ups and downs of choline supplements.” “Choline is not a miracle nutrient, but it certainly deserves more respect than it typically receives. While the benefits of supplementation in the general population remain uncertain, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting it plays a critical role in health—particularly for those at risk of deficiency, including pregnant individuals, vegans, and older adults. That said, choline is no cure-all. Some of the most exciting claims about memory enhancement, disease prevention, and athletic performance remain under-researched, inconsistent, or inconclusive. Until stronger and more comprehensive clinical evidence emerges, choline should be viewed as one piece of the broader nutrition puzzle—not a standalone solution.”

May – Andrea Love (Skeptical Inquirer) wrote “Cancer misinformation kills; chemotherapy saves lives.” “The wellness industry thrives on distrust of medicine, pushing the false claims that the ‘real’ cancer cures are being suppressed because doctors want to keep patients sick by poisoning them with chemotherapy for money. This medical conspiracism is the foundation of the wellness industry’s business model. If you convince people that science-based medicine and credible healthcare providers are the villain, you can get them to opt in to the alternatives you’re promoting… The wellness industry is not actually concerned with wellness. If they were, they wouldn’t be selling unsupported and untested interventions that cause people to die. While they rail against the supposed greed of Big Pharma, they have no problem charging desperate patients thousands of dollars for useless (and often dangerous) treatments.”

May – William London wrote “Numerical hygiene lessons: critical thinking and the central tendency fallacy” for Skeptical Inquirer. “When cancer patients who choose unproven treatments live longer than what their oncologists supposedly ‘gave them to live,’ it’s no surprise when they give credit to the unproven treatment. I wonder how often those patients misinterpret median survival time as maximum possible survival time medicine can provide them.”

May – Thomas Wheeler has published three letters concerning journal articles on reiki. The authors of these articles did not acknowledge the scientific improbability of reiki and did not discuss possible alternative non-paranormal explanations for their findings. See top of this page for citations and links.

May 4 – Erin Blakemore (Washington Post) wrote “Cinnamon might affect some prescription meds’ effectiveness, study finds.” “The researchers say ‘overconsumption’ of cinnamon could prompt the rapid clearing of prescription medications from the body, which could affect one’s ability to absorb prescription medications. Though the extent of the potential interactions with prescription drugs is not yet clear, the researchers advise caution for those considering using concentrated cinnamon products like cinnamon supplements and recommend patients speak to their physician before starting any supplement regime.”

May 5 – Rina Raphael (New York Times) wrote “The rise of the ‘crunchy teen’ wellness influencer.” “Ms. Noe, a self-described ‘crunchy teen,’ is just one of a number of young influencers who appeal to other health-conscious kids their age. At times, their anti-establishment viewpoints fall in line with those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement, which has expressed skepticism of the scientific community and large food corporations…Dozens of teachers have told Ms. Vazquez [Bertha Vazquez, a former middle school teacher who now runs Generation Skeptics, an organization that works with educators to combat misinformation in the classroom] that teens are getting health advice from wellness influencers, leading to misinformed or oversimplified views, she said…Nutrition is an ever-evolving field that requires the ability to assess complex science and understand its nuances,’ Ms. Shine [Danielle Shine, an accredited dietitian] said. ‘This isn’t something that can be easily understood through random online searches or superficial content created by unqualified individuals who are likely vulnerable to misinformation themselves’.”

May 9 – An FDA Consumer Update was entitled “Tianeptine products linked to serious harm, overdoses, death.” “Tianeptine, a drug, is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any medical use. Despite that, some companies are distributing and selling unlawful products containing tianeptine to consumers, including products with high doses. They are also making dangerous and unproven claims that tianeptine can improve brain function and treat anxiety, depression, pain, opioid use disorder, and other conditions… In the U.S., reports of bad reactions and unwanted effects involving tianeptine are increasing. Annual poison control center cases involving tianeptine exposure, as reported by the National Poison Data System, have increased nationwide, from 4 cases in 2013 to about 350 cases in 2024.”

May 14 – William London (Skeptical Inquirer) wrote “Be wary of 'Introducing Homeopathy,' an industry-supported propaganda video.” “The video is a slick work of propaganda with almost two hours of homeopathy hype. It’s also sketchy in describing precisely what homeopathy is. It obscures how homeopathy is of implausible value.”

May 20 – Truth in Advertising evaluated Everywell’s food sensitivity tests. Claims that the tests can identify sensitivity to 96 or more foods are not supported by science.

May 21 – Lindsay Gellman (New York Times) published “An expensive Alzheimer's lifestyle plan offers false hope, experts say.” “Thousands of people have paid for Dale Bredesen’s unconventional program to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms…But the suggestion that Alzheimer’s can be reversed through lifestyle adjustments has outraged doctors and scientists in the medical establishment, who have repeatedly said that there is little to no proof for such a claim, and expressed concern that the idea could harm a large group of vulnerable Americans.”

May 22 – Nick Tiller (Skeptical Inquirer) wrote “The seed oil gambit.” “Seed oils are just the latest faceless entity being scapegoated by wellness influencers. Seed oils are rich in polyunsaturated fats such as omega-6, which are essential for brain function, growth and development, bone health, and metabolism. Yet critics claim they’re toxic and inflammatory. Chief among them is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He insists seed oils are driving chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, even though seed oils entered the food chain about sixty years before obesity rates began to rise in the 1970s…The debacle has left scientists and health professionals scratching their heads because the evidence doesn’t justify the vitriol. There’s virtually no support from controlled studies for the inflammation hypothesis. Moreover, a science advisory from the American Heart Association drawing on randomized trials, case-control studies, cohort studies, and long-term animal feeding experiments concluded that omega-6 fats lower heart disease risk when they replace saturated fats and cholesterol.”

May 27 – Truth in Advertising evaluated PlatinumLED red light therapy. The bottom line: “Red light devices like PlatinumLED’s products and others cost hundreds of dollars even though their effectiveness at treating a variety of ailments is not settled science.”

May 28 – “FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or use Umary and Amazy products, marketed as dietary supplements, as they may be harmful to your health. These products are promoted to treat pain and other conditions. FDA laboratory testing found certain Umary and Amazy products contain the drug ingredients diclofenac and omeprazole, which are not listed on the product label.”

May 29 – Melinda Moyer (New York Times) wrote “Should you take creatine supplements?” “We looked into what they can - and can’t - do for athletic performance, memory and more.”

May 29 – Stuart Vyse (Skeptical Inquirer) posted “The Telepathy Tapes tries to silence a critic – and fails.” “The wildly popular Telepathy Tapes podcast claims that nonspeaking people with autism can communicate fluently both by typing and - as the title suggests - telepathically…The Telepathy Tapes podcast is based on a foundation of pseudoscience: the thoroughly debunked technique called facilitated communication (FC).”

Addition to previous months

March 18 – Caroline Legaspi (New York Times) wrote “Is 'chia seed water' good for you?” “Social media proponents claim it has digestive and weight loss benefits. Here’s what experts think.”

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