DeepSeek’s Health Advice Is Accurate but Lacks Nuance

Experts say health advice from DeepSeek, a new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, is mostly accurate but may lack nuance. However, as the app comes with significant cybersecurity risks, users should think twice before revealing their health concerns to the new AI tool.

The introduction of DeepSeek, a Chinese company's open-source AI assistant, has made waves globally.

Requiring less computing power at a lower cost, DeepSeek caught the United States, which has been dominating AI development, off guard. Nvidia, the leading AI chip manufacturer, lost $600 billion in market value in a single day after DeepSeek's arrival.

With growing popularity, there are also increasing security concerns. The Albanese government in Australia banned DeepSeek from all federal government systems and devices, citing national security concerns.

Mounting concern in the United States prompted the Navy to advise its employees against using the program. Republican Senator Josh Hawley filed the bill that would lead to significant fines or even jail time for using the DeepSeek app.

However, approximately 6 million people continue to use it worldwide. While some users and experts praise its performance, others point out the censorship on issues related to China's history and politics.

Met with great enthusiasm, an AI bot ChatGPT developed by the American company Open-AI has quickly led to disappointment, including due to its inaccurate health advice. Among many other issues, ChatGPT uses fabricated references in medical content.

To find out if DeepSeek could fill the gaps in AI-generated medical advice, we asked experts to evaluate the answers to controversial health issues ranging from seed oils to the Glucose Goddess method and health problems like blood in stool or persistent cough.

What is the best way to lose weight?

Nearly half of the global population is trying to lose weight, according to a 2021 survey. Shedding extra pounds is known to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions, so we asked DeepSeek what the best way to do it is.

According to its advice, losing weight in a healthy way requires a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. At the same time, realistic goals must be set, and fad diets must be avoided.

For example, dietary advice includes eating whole and unprocessed foods and reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates.

Sandra Vigelienė, BSc, a health researcher at Wellnesspulse with a background in nutrition, says the overall advice is quite sound but lacks nuance. Excessive intake of healthy whole foods can still hinder weight loss if the caloric balance and needs are not followed.

Additionally, the terms "processed" and "unprocessed" vary in interpretation. Many minimally processed foods, such as frozen vegetables, whole-grain bread, and Greek yogurt, can be a part of a balanced weight-loss diet.

DeepSeek suggests incorporating cardio exercise and strength training into weight loss efforts. According to Vigelienė, such advice could provide more nuance to remind users that "calorie burn" depends on the intensity and duration of exercise, while strength training is majorly responsible for muscle retention, which supports long-term weight management.

According to DeepSeek, individuals should set realistic goals, such as losing 1-2 pounds per week. Vigelienė says these are very general guidelines, and the rates of weight loss could greatly vary depending on the starting weight, body composition, and metabolic factors, among others.

Are seed oils healthy?

Seed oils may have become some of the most vilified foods on social media. While influencers claim these oils can cause chronic conditions, major health organizations continue promoting their use.

When asked if seed oils are healthy, DeepSeek concluded that they are when consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced fat intake. It suggested avoiding using seed oils for high-heat cooking and opting for less processed, cold-pressed versions when possible.

According to DeepSeek, seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids that may promote inflammation and raise the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Vigelienė says that information about the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is often overstated in popular discussions. While excessive amounts of omega-6s may contribute to inflammation in some contexts, research is mixed on whether dietary linoleic acid itself increases inflammatory markers.

However, general advice on getting and balancing both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is generally good for overall health support.

Vigelienė

I cough all the time. What could it be?

Between 2% and 18% of adults have chronic coughs lasting at least eight weeks. Therefore, we asked DeepSeek a question many people may ask: "I cough all the time. What could it be?"

DeepSeek explored common and less serious causes like gastroesophageal reflux disease and smoking or exposure to irritants. It also laid out potential more severe causes, ranging from the use of certain medications to heart failure.

The advice includes information on when to see a doctor, what diagnostic steps to expect, and what preventive measures to take while waiting for an appointment.

Andrew McIvor, M.D., a staff respirologist at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph's Healthcare, calls DeepSeek's response excellent. He says many physicians are tired of patients using "Dr. Google," which refers to using search engines to look for health advice.

He tells Wellnesspulse, "AI seems to be much better than internet search engines."

Is the carnivore diet healthy?

Celebrities like Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson have promoted the carnivore diet, primarily based on meat, for weight loss and improved health. While some studies explore its potential benefits, experts discourage following what they call another fad diet. We asked DeepSeek's advice on whether the carnivore diet is healthy.

The response provides potential short-term benefits of the diet, including weight loss and reduced inflammation, emphasizing that the evidence of the latter is anecdotal. According to Vigelienė, the information is reasonable and accurate.

However, some nuance could be added to the list of potential risks, which include nutrient deficiencies, high intake of saturated fat, and increased cancer risk.

"Organ meats can also provide some micronutrients and essential vitamins and minerals; however, it is true that removing large food groups may lead to certain nutritional inadequacies long-term," Vigelienė says.

According to DeepSeek, people with specific health conditions like autoimmune diseases or those who thrive on low-carb diets may consider the carnivore diet.

There is blood in my poop. What could it be?

Rectal bleeding may be much more common than we think. Although many shy away from talking about this uncomfortable symptom, 13% to 34% of people experience blood in stool.

"There is blood in my poop. What could it be?" we asked DeepSeek, to which he provided potential causes based on the color of blood.

For example, bright red blood comes from the lower gastrointestinal tract, indicating conditions like hemorrhoids or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The bot explored symptoms that require emergency care, like heavy bleeding or dizziness, and laid out diagnostic steps a healthcare provider may take, including stool tests and colonoscopies.

For individuals waiting for the diagnosis, DeepSeek suggests home care steps, such as increasing fiber intake to soften stools and avoiding irritants like alcohol and spicy foods.

Michael Byrne, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia and the founder of Satisfai Health, a company developing AI cutting-edge solutions for gastroenterology, tells Wellnesspulse that DeepSeek's information is accurate.

Is the Glucose Goddess method based on science?

French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, better known as the Glucose Goddess, leads the so-called revolution to reduce glucose spikes, which she claims are responsible for multiple health issues. The wildly popular influencer with over 5 million online followers, Inchauspé has attracted much criticism from the medical community, especially after introducing the supplement for glucose spike regulation.

Asked if the Glucose Goddess method is based on science, DeepSeek cited the evidence that rapid glucose spikes can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Although there is some evidence linking glucose spikes to certain metabolic diseases, not all glucose spikes are harmful and not for most of the population, Vigelienė notes. Glucose rises after meals, which is a normal physiological body response for most people. They become a cause of concern when chronic and large fluctuations occur.

While DeepSeek has provided some scientific studies supporting the Glucose Goddess hacks, there is again a lack of nuance. For example, a 2004 study suggests that drinking vinegar before meals improved insulin sensitivity and lowered post-meal glucose levels in people with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.

However, Vigelienė points out that most studies measure the short-term effects of pre-meal vinegar in people with these conditions, and the long-term impact, especially on healthy individuals, is not clear.

Another study published in Diabetes Care in 2019 indicates that eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrates may impact glucose and insulin levels.

However, Vigelienė says the impact of eating food in a particular order on long-term metabolic health remains largely unclear. The overall meal composition and food quality matter, among other factors such as sleep, stress, and gut microbiota.

Vigelienė says, "One would question whether sound scientific principles could best describe this particular method, especially when this approach has many nuances that need more elaborate explanations to provide truly accurate information for advice seekers."

Is it safe to use DeepSeek?

DeepSeek privacy policy indicates that it collects extensive user data, including text or audio inputs, uploaded files, feedback, and chat histories, according to Mantas Kasiliauskis, a senior information security researcher at Cybernews.

"This information is stored on servers located in China, making it subject to Chinese data-sharing laws, which may require companies to provide data to government authorities upon request. There is a risk that user data stored by DeepSeek could be accessed by the Chinese government," he tells Wellnesspulse, adding that some countries had banned DeepSeek for this reason.

Moreover, researchers have identified prompt injection vulnerabilities in the chatbot, which could allow attackers to execute unauthorized code, leading to account takeovers and unauthorized access to user data.

DeepSeek has already experienced large-scale cyber attacks, prompting it to limit new registrations.

So, is DeepSeek good for medical advice?

Experts say DeepSeek provides accurate generalized information about a wide variety of health issues but may lack nuance and cannot replace a doctor's visit.

If you have a medical problem, discuss it with your healthcare provider rather than rely on an AI chatbot. Identifying the underlying cause early will lead to better outcomes.