A Belarusian Nutritionist Prescribed 19 Dietary Supplements And A Strict Diet To A Five-year-old Child

• 27.09.2026, 14:24

The boy ended up in the hospital.

A five-year-old boy ended up in the hospital after his mother fed him for a month according to a plan from an online nutritionist that included strict dietary restrictions. The online specialist prescribed 19 dietary supplements for the child, but his condition only worsened. The story was reported by the state television channel ONT, and the segment was reprinted by “Zerkalo”.

“On sale—450 rubles”

According to the report, the boy’s mother, Olga, decided to consult a “highly publicized nutritionist” (the specialist’s name isn’t mentioned in the report). At the time, the child was suffering from complications following a rotavirus infection and had already been hospitalized in a weakened condition. The consultation took place remotely.

“If it’s urgent, your consultation will cost 600 rubles. I’ll give you a discount—450 rubles,” Olga quotes the specialist as saying.

According to the client, the nutritionist stated that the boy was in a “life-threatening condition” and had “severe deficiencies.” However, she assured Olga that a special diet would solve all the problems: the child would start eating normally, gain weight, and grow, and there would be no need to see a doctor.

The boy’s diet was severely restricted: gluten, dairy products, and all sweets were eliminated. Olga was sent recipes for gluten-free meals and a list of 19 dietary supplements. According to the boy’s mother, the specialist sent her links to purchase the supplements and “got very angry when I didn’t buy them from there.”

Olga followed the recommendations for about a month. She says the boy only got worse, and one day they had to call an ambulance. The child was taken to an infectious diseases hospital.

Doctor: “This is quackery”

Infectious disease specialist Alina Savenko recalls that upon admission, the boy was so weak that he couldn’t squeeze her hand firmly, although he remained conscious and responsive. According to her, the reason quickly became clear: the child simply wasn’t getting the nutrients he needed due to a very meager diet with numerous restrictions.

“It was clear that the child simply wasn’t getting the nutrients he needed through his diet. He wasn’t drinking or eating enough of certain things. His diet was very meager, with a great many restrictions: no gluten, no dairy, and all sweets had to be eliminated. Children need to eat sweets; we all need glucose,” the doctor explained.

She also drew attention to the number of prescribed supplements. According to Savenko, when a person is prescribed six or more medications, this is already considered polypharmacy; such treatment increases the risk of side effects and adverse interactions.

As the mother explained, even after hospitalization, the nutritionist continued to urge Olga not to trust the hospital’s treatment and to return to her diet and dietary supplements. According to her, the doctors supposedly couldn’t “properly interpret the test results.”

Alina Savenko admits that after that, she decided to look into the qualifications of the specialist who had been advising the family.

“I looked into this nutritionist—my blood pressure shot up. Because it’s quackery. It’s unscientific, it’s terrible, and it costs a fortune,” says the infectious disease specialist.

The boy was put on an IV to restore the balance of substances in his body. According to the doctor, it was around 10 a.m., and by 5 p.m. the child was already walking to the bathroom on his own, smiling, and waving his arms.

“He saw our chicken soup and was very happy. Our hospital lunch, which was really delicious, had the biggest effect. He ate with pleasure and became a normal child,” Savenko said.

Nutritionist: “This Is My View of the Situation”

ONT staff also quoted a comment from a nutritionist. She denies any responsibility for the child’s worsening condition. According to her, the boy’s condition was at its worst even before the family turned to her, and the claims that he was taken to the hospital after taking the supplements are incorrect. She believes that an expert evaluation is needed to draw such conclusions.