7 Tips to Help Evaluate Nutrition Claims

Researchers are publishing new studies every day. Bloggers and the media know that we are all hungry for an exciting sound bite.

How do you know what to pay attention to and what to pass over?

1. Consider the source. Does the article have citations to actual clinical research? Is it funded by a special interest group. Special interests do not mean the research is invalid but it may mean the interpretation is slanted. They may be less likely to publish unfavorable results. They may have even designed the study in such a way that the conclusions were most likely to look good for their industry. Let’s face it- that’s good business, but it’s not good science. Some believe government studies may have slanted results due to lobbying and support from food companies. I put greater faith in studies conducted by government organizations like NIH, CDC, WHO, major medical institutions like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and John’s Hopkins or universities like Tufts, Emory or University of Illinois Champagne- Urbana
2. Consider the size. Find out how many subjects were in the study. Was it 10 to 30 people or more like several hundred? The larger the size, the more plausible it is to assume the results could translate to the general population. Studies that follow participants for a longer period of time are generally more accurate as well. This is especially true in weight loss studies since regaining weight is so common.
3. Beware of over-reaching. Sometimes a person reporting on the study may oversimplify or overgeneralize the results of a study. It’s always best to review the research yourself before applying it in your life or practice. Additionally, is this a single study or are there multiple studies saying the same thing? Obviously, an idea has to start somewhere, but remember it’s hard to interpret a single puzzle piece without the context of the rest of the puzzle.
4. Skipping citations. While browsing through the library and bookstore shelves I often see interesting looking books. When I begin to look through them though, there are no citations to support the author’s claims or conclusions. Perhaps the statements were written after considering research, but it’s a sign of sensationalism or sloppy research to skip citing sources.
5. Fads and Celebrities. I get very suspicious when someone famous begins selling a nutrition program or product. While in the marketing world it’s always helpful to have a celebrity on your sales team, be sure there is real science behind the claim and a qualified  creating the program.
6. Beware of health claims. There are very few health claims approved by the FDA. There is a HUGE loophole that allows creative advertisers to make you feel like a product is worth buying. As long as they don’t explicitly say the product prevents or treats a disease, companies do not have to provide evidence that what they are saying is true! Let me give you an example. I could sell you “all natural” cotton candy that “supports a healthy immune system” and this is not illegal. I cannot say my cotton candy “prevents the common cold.” If you are interesting in what the FDA does regulate click here.
7. Verify before reposting. When you forward an email or repost an article, you are basically putting your stamp of approval on it (unless you are posting with a note that you disagree). You can check it out on snopes.com, urbanlegends.about.com or quackwatch.com. When you forward something untruthful, you promote the misinformation. Let’s be responsible friends.

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