The Happy Pear twins, Steve and Dave Flynn, have apologised after being accused of promoting inaccurate medical information following comments made by a guest on the most recent episode of their podcast.
The brothers, known for their veganism campaign work, recently welcomed American doctor Zach Bush to their podcast but the episode proved controversial due to the physician's comments on antibiotics.
One segment of the show saw Dr Bush repeatedly link the consumption of antibiotics to mental health difficulties, with the doctor listing several statistics which suggested that antibiotic use increases the chances of a depression diagnosis or anxiety disorders.
READ MORE - Happy Pear apologise over video claiming vegan diet may reduce breast cancer risk
Dr Bush claimed that "one course of antibiotics" would lead to his "risk of major depression in the next 12 months" increasing by 24 per cent.
"Two courses of antibiotics in a year, my chance of getting major depression just went up by 45 per cent or 52 per cent. Of that, is a 45 per cent increase in anxiety disorders, 52 per cent in depression," he continued.
"And so you’ve got this massive risk of dysfunction of the brain, your inability to be joyful, your inability to have pleasure because you took an antibiotic. There are new discoveries that are being made in our relationship to microbiome."
Listeners were quick to question the legitimacy of Dr Bush's claims, with many - even some from the medical community - criticising the remarks.
The Happy Pear have since issued an apology and distanced themselves from the comments, while also vowing to "endeavour to ensure that this does not happen again."
A statement from a spokesperson for The Happy Pear to The Irish Mirror reads: "The Happy Pear acknowledges that some of the content in a recent reel post across some of our social media platforms in relation to a podcast with US-based Dr Zac Bush MD, has caused offence, with some statements not given the appropriate qualification or context. It was never the intention to mislead or to misinform and we sincerely apologise for any offence caused.
"The Happy Pear is about creating happier, healthier lives and building community. The Happy Pear itself does not constitute a medical professional or medical expert opinion. Our primary purpose serves to highlight some of the health and lifestyle benefits of plant-based eating."
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