Evidence

The internet is a beautiful and dangerous thing. When a friend said she knew someone who had been diagnosed with hypoglycemia and asked me what that meant, I went looking for some resources I could link her to. The internet provided me with a wealth of reputable websites I could link her to that demonstrated, quite nicely, that hypoglycemia is a state, resulting from altered blood sugar levels, and not a disease or condition, like diabetes, which can cause hypoglycemia. (Check out this great site from the NIH if you are interested) Unfortunately, I also came across all kinds of quackery.

As a medical researcher, I spent years of my training focused on how to evaluate the evidence base. We do this often through systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We also learn how to generate reliable and valid original data, as through randomized controlled trials or observational studies. These might suggest that exercise reduces your risk of colon cancer (seen in a wealth of studies and confirmed through meta-analysis) or that, contrary to what the folks marketing SnackWells might want you to believe, all fats aren’t bad for you – just saturated and trans fats.

What alarms me is that the freedom of the internet allows anyone to make health claims without substantiating them in any form. So what can the average consumer do when faced with the assertion that, say, shark cartilage cures cancer? As with everything, consider the source.

Does the website provide the source of the information?

Does it cite a research study or set of research studies?

Did it come from a research study, done by an individual at an accredited school of medicine, nutrition, or public health? And was it published in a peer reviewed journal? If yes, that’s a good sign. If no, start to be skeptical.

Who is hosting or sponsoring the website? Is it someone you’ve heard of – a national organization – like the American Cancer Society, American Dietetic Association, or American Medical Association? Anyone can come up with the name of an organization so a fancy-sounding name doesn’t mean much.

There is LOTS of good science out there. And there is a LOT you can do to prevent disease (for some personalized tips, try Your Disease Risk). But there is also a lot of junk science.