Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview blog duly criticizes the NBC Today "Eat This, Cure That" segment that advised people to eat certain foods in order to cure what ails them, regardless of whether their claims have any basis in reality. "The segment stated that eating one cup of black beans can help ease migraine pain," writes Schwitzer. "Viewers should be given some data to back that up."
"The reason people don't criticize claims like these is that no one is against eating black beans; they are a nutritious and healthy food," says ACSH's Jeff Stier. "The health claims get a free ride because the underlying advice is harmless. If they were saying that you should eat French fries to cure a toothache, people would be up in arms."