While fake news is a real concern, it is not a new problem; nor is it just a problem with news (fake research or bad science can be just as dangerous).
It has always been important to evaluate the source of information - is it accurate? is it biased? is it up-to-date? is it trustworthy?
If an article has been peer-reviewed, some of those questions - at least, about how good its scientific methods may be - are answered for you. When researching healthcare, it's best to look for evidence-based medicine. But even with those, you still need to think critically about each source - the PROVEN test is one good tool for that.
Evidence-Based Medicine takes peer review several steps further. The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine defines EBM as:
"the conscientious, explicit, and judicious development and use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients".
In other words, it is treatment advice based on scientifically-proven research, with the best results for most people, that is as up to date as possible while still being thoroughly checked. EBM relies heavily on systematic reviews and meta-analyses to determine the best evidence.
Title: "Science News Cycle" - originally published 5/16/2009
Image credit: Jorge Cham (2009) http://phdcomics.com?comics?archive_print.pho?comicid=1174