The Art of Manliness #285: The Real Science of Nutrition and Supplements
Mar 9, 2017
Guest Kamal Patel, researcher studying the effects of what we put into our body and director of Examine.com, discusses the confusion surrounding supplements and nutrition, how to read scientific studies on nutrition, which supplements actually work, and the growing field of nootropics.
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How to Read Nutrition Studies
- Don't trust abstracts alone; check if the study shows significant effects compared to placebo.
- Assess confidence intervals and meta-analyses to understand study reliability and applicability.
Check Study Population and Funding
- Always consider the study population; results in overweight or sick individuals may not apply to healthy people.
- Funding sources can bias research outcomes, so scrutinize study sponsors carefully.
Be Cautious with Animal Studies
- Animal studies generate hypotheses but often don't translate to humans due to physiological differences.
- Approach rodent supplement studies with skepticism and await confirmed human trials before acting.