Should You Use ChatGPT for Health Information?

 

There are many uses of artificial intelligence (AI). For example, using generative models, AI can produce text, images, videos, audio, software code or other forms of data. These models learn the underlying patterns and structures of their training data and use them to produce new data based on prompts.

The major generative AI tools include conversational chatbots such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, Grok and DeepSeek. They generate responses to questions you ask it using language model processing. 

Using one of these chatbots for medical purposes may have several benefits:

** Accessibility, free cost, and convenience - If you have an internet connection, you can use chatbot to gather health information about symptoms, treatments and prevention strategies for health conditions quickly at low cost without waiting for an appointment. Thus it is an educational tool.

** Provides a sense of anonymity and privacy that you might not feel when interacting with a doctor. This can make you feel more at ease speaking about personal health information if you usually feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. 

** Help translate complex health information into simpler terms, such as explaining possible reasons for symptoms in plain language. This can make it particularly useful if you have received a diagnosis for a health condition and want to learn more about possible treatment options and any warning signs to watch for. 

** Supporting you between doctor visits because it may: 

Ø   Help monitor symptoms and treatment progression.

Ø   Provide emotional support, coping strategies, self-help techniques and prevention advice. Thus it may be an effective tool for managing feelings of stress and anxiety.

Ø   Set up medication and appointment reminders.

Ø   Can also translate medical information from one language to another. This may be useful if you do not fully understand an aspect of your management plan or want to formulate questions for your next doctor’s appointment. 

** It may play a role in summarizing medical records. 2025 research found that it helped reduce administrative time to complete medical summaries by around 70%.

However, healthcare professionals do not recommend using AI chatbot as a self-diagnosis tool because it does not always provide accurate, reliable and personalized information, and precise diagnosis. While it may provide general health information, this may not be useful for your personal situation.

And so it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Along with possible medical inaccuracies, this may be due to the following reasons:

@  It does not provide reliable, up-to-date, consistent answers to the same queries.

@  It cannot process visual data.

@  It has limited emotional intelligence, so it may not be able to engage with you to “understand” your health history and personal circumstances.

@  Chatbots are not a human. They often lack the empathy, compassion and assurance that you might get from a human.  

@  It may have potential biases due to the information it has been trained on. AI chatbots generate responses by scraping through the sources they have been trained on. But they are not always trained with reputable medical journals, so the information they use may come from sources that have not been reviewed by certified medical professionals. 

@  They can also create false information or sources that do not exist, known as “hallucinations.” These false claims are hard to spot. While it can make responses appear more authoritative, it can actually mask deficits in the content and create a false sense of knowledge, confidence and reliability.

Research from 2025 found that ChatGPT’s medical accuracy ranges between 20% and 95% in relatively general situations. The researchers concluded that ChatGPT should not be used alone to make a medical diagnosis.

Here are some tips to help optimize your prompt for health information:

@  Be specific: Providing clear, concise, and specific information or questions will help the language model answer your question.

@  Give context: Provide as much context as possible, including how you feel, any symptoms you experience, medications you take, lifestyle and dietary habits, and so on.

@  Set the tone: You can ask AI chatbots to provide answers in a specific tone to help you better understand complexities.

@  Validate sources: Ask for reputable medical journal sources, the date on the information they provide and double-check their validity on trusted sources.

In most cases, you will have to refine your initial prompt based on the bot’s reply to get the best response possible.

If you have any concerns about your healthcare, it is crucial to connect with a medical professional. They can fully assess your personal, family, and medical history, and perform a physical examination to help determine whether you need further testing. According to a 2024 research review, trust in healthcare contexts is often built in face-to-face conversations with doctors, medical specialists and nurses.

Cycling for Brain Health against Dementia

More than 55 million people worldwide have dementia, a number expected to nearly triple by 2050.

 

Physical activity has long been associated with lower dementia risk in multiple studies. The 2024 Lancet Commission identified it as one of 14 factors responsible for preventing or delaying approximately 45% of dementia cases. According to the World Health Organization, adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week,

 

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that cycling is not just good for the planet, for your wallet and your fitness, choosing this form of transportation for your errands instead of driving or taking the train may also help you prevent cognitive decline.

 

It was found that riding a bike was associated with a 19% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, compared with taking nonactive travel modes such as a car, bus or train,

Cycling and mixed cycling (a combination of cycling and other modes of transportation) were also most associated with greater hippocampal volumes, the region of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

“This study is the first to show that cycling is linked not only to a lower risk of dementia but also to a larger hippocampus,” said Dr. Joe Verghese, professor and chair of neurology at Stony Brook University in New York.

 

Verghese said. “Cycling may reduce dementia risk by improving cardiovascular fitness, increasing blood flow to the brain, supporting neuroplasticity and improving metabolism.”

 

Cycling also requires more effort and different types of engagement from the brain, which may also contribute to any potential boost in protection against dementia, the authors wrote.

 

However, Dr. Sanjula Singh, principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, said, “And, perhaps most importantly, because this is an observational study, it cannot prove that cycling directly prevents dementia.”

 

Singh added, “It merely shows a found association.”

 

Moreover, cycling and mixed-cycling groups, specifically, were more often men and those who had healthier lifestyles and physical conditions than their peers.

 

Older adults who cycle regularly are also likely a healthier subgroup, and cycling may also serve as a marker of favorable genetics, with risk lowest among those without genetic susceptibility to dementia, Verghese said.

 

But cycling even just once or a few times per week can make a difference, Singh added, and indoor stationary cycling — though not included in the study — is an option for those concerned about safety from traffic.

 

“Begin with short, safe routes on dedicated bike paths before moving into traffic,” Singh said. “Always wear a helmet, use reflective gear, and add lights if biking or walking at night. Stick to well-lit routes and, if possible, travel with a partner.”

 

If you are typically sedentary and want to start cycling, discuss with your doctor whether you are healthy enough to begin immediately or whether you need to work up to it, Verghese said.

 

Meanwhile, in the same study, walking and mixed walking were linked with a 6% lower risk of dementia and, interestingly, a 14% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

The link between greater Alzheimer’s disease risk and the preference for walking could be explained by those participants potentially already having issues with balance or driving, said Dr. Glen Finney, a behavioral neurologist and director of the Memory and Cognition Program at Geisinger Health System in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

 

Walking pace also matters, Finney added. Leisurely walking, especially for short distances, may not be enough to get the full potential benefit compared with walking longer distances at a brisker pace. The study did not report on the frequency, pace or duration of participants’ walking or cycling habits.

 

For walking, aim for brisk, purposeful treks, and build up your distance over time, Singh suggested. That could mean walking for at least 30 minutes daily, ideally at a level of intensity that makes talking a little difficult, Verghese said. 

 

The research team also discovered that the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s — the APOE ε4 gene — also had an influence. Participants without APOE ε4 had a 26% lower risk of dementia, while those with the genetic variant had a 12% lower risk.

Ultra-Processed Foods May Harm Male Reproductive Health

 

A new study reported that ultra-processed foods may be linked to a decline in male reproductive health, including sperm quality. When the study participants were on an ultra-processed diet, it was found that sperm quality trended toward impairment.

 

Those on the ultra-processed diet also saw decreases in their testosterone levels and follicle-stimulating hormones, which are crucial for sperm production.

 

Researchers noted that the subjects on the ultra-processed diet experienced an increase in the phthalate cxMINP, a substance found in plastic packaging used for ultra-processed foods and can disrupt hormonal systems in the body. 

 

The researchers said some of the endocrine-disrupting substances may come from the plastic packaging used for ultra-processed foods.

 

They also noted that the introduction of ultra-processed foods in the 1970s seems to fall in line with a 60% decline worldwide in sperm count.

 

Kristin Kirkpatrick, president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine, said, “The study found that endocrine disrupters and other components altered hormone levels in men, even if the men were healthy. This means, even if you’re healthy based on other parameters, yet consume a diet higher in ultra-processed foods, you still are at risk for increases in chronic conditions.”

 

Philip Werthman, a urologist and director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Vasectomy Reversal in Los Angeles, added that a man’s general health can also affect their reproductive system. For example, a person who has gained weight, developed type 2 diabetes, or experienced a rise in cholesterol levels may see a decline in reproductive health measures such as sperm quality.

 

“The reproductive system is a function of your overall health,” Werthman explained. “The reproductive system is quite sensitive.”

 

Experts said there are lifestyle habits that can help improve and maintain male reproductive health.

 

“In general, good diet (whole grains, fruits, vegetables), exercise, and maintaining a good body weight will help overall and reproductive health,” said Michael Eisenberg, a professor of urology at Stanford University.

 

Werthman said a healthy diet is “a big component” of that equation, but noted that men, especially those in the process of trying to have children, should exercise regularly as well as avoid alcohol and tobacco.

 

Kirkpatrick agreed.

 

“Eating a diet high in nutrient density, such as the Mediterranean diet, as well as regular exercise, adequate sleep, stress management, maintaining a healthy weight, and abstaining from tobacco and alcohol, may all play a role in better reproductive health,” she said.

 

“Consuming ultra-processed foods means that other foods, which are found to help in the prevention of heart disease (like fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, and fiber) are not being consumed,” Kirkpatrick said.

 

Werthman noted that heat sources such as saunas and hot tubs can also temporarily impact sperm quality and quantity.

 

“All these things affect the reproductive system,” he said. “The body is an integrated system.”

 

In fact, past studies already revealed that ultra-processed foods are a major contributing factor to obesity as well as increasing a person’s for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. In one study, it was found that the risk of stroke and cognitive decline, were linked to 124,000 preventable deaths in the United States during a two-year period. These include higher cholesterol levels and increased body weight. The amount of fat mass in their bodies also increased.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US reported that ultra-processed foods account for an average of 55% of total calories consumed by people in the United States.

 

The CDC said ultra-processed foods tend to be “hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats.”

 

Excess sugar and sodium consumption has been found in multiple studies to pose a significant risk to heart health.

 

“This study provides evidence that consumption of ultra-processed food is detrimental for cardiometabolic and reproductive outcomes, regardless of excessive caloric intake,” the study authors wrote.