WEEK 6: prawns + vitamin C = poison？

It has been rumored for years that eating prawns shortly after taking vitamin C will cause arsenic acid to form in the body and create a potentially fatal situation. It's an urban legend that has been going around the internet and is not based in fact（Snopes. 2005）.

Health and well-being is big business and misinformation is rife. It's quite difficult to tell an authentic news report from an invented one. Scientific rumor is particularly confusing because the general public is likely to be misleading by alleged research data and professional term beyond their knowledge.

It is difficult to escape the rumor! Although more and more rumor were proven false, many people still prefer to believe them.

According to Lewis, the medical literature saw lay users of the web not as discriminating health consumers actively accessing health information but as passive recipients of online health information prone to outbreaks of ‘cyberchondria’. It seems many people prefer to believe the information on internet rather than to ask a doctor when they fell uncomfortable.

As the new media emerges, posting information become much more easer and personal. For this reason, misinformation and wrong medical concept spread fast and general public believe easily.



Reference List:

Lewis, T. (2006). Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? Media, Culture & Society, volume 28, issue 4: 521-539. 

Snopes. 2005. "Prawn Shopped." Accessed April 9, 2011.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/shrimp.asp