Critically evaluating supplements, etc.: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, biases, evidence, etc.
Don’t be fooled by biochemically-plausible-sounding claims!
blog: https://bit.ly/evaluateclaims
Use biochemistry knowledge with caution!
Things are usually way more complicated than they seem!
Because pretty much everything’s interconnected in your body, you can almost always draw connections between one thing and another
This is awesome, but also makes it easy to develop basically limitless plausible-sounding theories
Even if you understand things on paper, things get massively more complicated in a person!
Seek out systematic reviews & meta-analyses
These filter, collate, and try to determine “consensuses” from numerous studies surrounding a topic
But remember: garbage in, garbage out!
The conclusions are only as strong as the studies that go into them
The results can be biased based on which studies are and are not included, and how rigorous those studies were
Seek out trusted sources – and multiple sources
One of my favorite podcasts is Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. One of the co-hosts, Steve Novella, co-runs a website called Science-based medicine which is a great place to turn if you want to quickly evaluate the evidence (or lack thereof) behind a new (or old) fad, etc. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org
Comparing different studies is inherently difficult
Populations differ
Methods differ
Etc.
Correlation does not equal causation
Just because #s for both ice cream sales and pool drownings rise and fall together doesn't mean that ice cream causes drowning!
Look for the hidden variables
Good studies should control for things like diet, exercise, socioeconomic status, underlying or co-existing health conditions, etc.
Judge the quality of the evidence
Sample size: bigger's better
Blinding - gold standard is randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled
Be aware of p-fishing/p-hacking/data dredging
The more correlations you look for, the more likely you are to find one just by chance
Don't confuse statistical significance with clinical/meaningful significance
Is it really worth taking a supplement if it is shown to statistically-significantly increase your sleep 0.5 s/night?
Remember risk (and cost) vs. benefit
Side effects?
Adverse events?
Wasted money?
Don’t undervalue the power of biases (conscious and unconscious)
Who’s likely to volunteer?
Who's likely to self-report?
Who’s funding things?
Always keep in mind regression to the mean
Things often get better – with or without intervention
People often seek out intervention when things are bad
When things get better they credit the intervention, even though they would have gotten better anyway
Know the placebo effect is powerful!
This isn't saying “it’s all in your head” – just that your head affects your body
Some search terms that might help you find things
“Topic” + __________:
“systematic review”
“meta-analysis”
“evidence-based”
“controversial”
“consensus”
“conflicting”
differing”
“evidence”
Can also search within article for these terms to see whom they’re citing and go look there
Remember that everything has chemicals!
And naming them scientifically doesn’t make them any different
Remember that natural doesn’t = healthy &/or better
Natural arsenic and synthesized arsenic are chemically the same and chemically just as deadly!
Remember that. . .
The dose makes the poison
Animals aren't people
Each person's different
No person is perfect
No study is perfect
In general. . .
Eat a well-balanced diet and you shouldn't need supplements
Exercise
“Everything" in moderation is probably fine
Some nice resources:
National University library guide to Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses: https://resources.nu.edu/researchproc...
Rutgers University Libraries guide to Systematic Reviews in the Health Sciences: https://libguides.rutgers.edu/c.php?g...)
Barnard ND, Willett WC, Ding EL. The Misuse of Meta-analysis in Nutrition Research. JAMA. 2017;318(15):1435–1436. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.12083 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...
more about all sorts of things: #365DaysOfScience All (with topics listed) 👉 http://bit.ly/2OllAB0 or search blog: http://thebumblingbiochemist.com
Watch video Critically evaluating supplements, etc.: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, biases, evidence, etc. online without registration, duration hours minute second in high quality. This video was added by user the bumbling biochemist 01 April 2024, don't forget to share it with your friends and acquaintances, it has been viewed on our site 290 once and liked it 15 people.