Many people believe in pseudoscience and promote misinformation, even when presented with facts. In my opinion, this largely comes down to a general mistrust of peer-reviewed literature and a (warranted) skepticism of health recommendations from traditional medicine.
When we discuss nutrition science, we're working under the assumption that people believe peer-reviewed literature to be factual. However, a lot of people don't care about scientific studies. Many people distrust science, believing peer-reviewed literature to be biased and funded by industry.
And I get it. I have been let down numerous times by the traditional medical establishment, be it shotty advice from doctors or unauthorized and/or illegal medical bills.
And peer-reviewed literature gets stuff wrong sometimes. Scientists aren't paid to do peer-review, and a lot of wacky stuff makes its way into scientific journals. And SOMETIMES studies can be funded by industry, and sometimes, industry funding can create bias and distort results.
Does this mean we should throw away peer-reviewed literature, instead relying on anecdotes and observations to guide our dietary choices?
No.
Science, roughly defined as the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the world following systematic methods, has brought us the greatest advancements any civilization has ever seen. Thanks to science, we live longer than any other generation in human history, have eradicated diseases once incurable, and have dramatically improved our quality of life.
Skepticism is healthy. But making health decisions based on visceral, emotional reactions is not.
When people make false claims about canola oil, artificial sweeteners, GMOs, MSG, or any ingredient that's difficult to pronounce, the claims aren't on science. The people making these claims usually don't have the skill set required to read several studies and *know* whether what they're reading is good science or trash.
What you choose to put in your body is entirely up to you.