Randomized control trials (RCTs) have long been considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of a drug, surgery, or other medical intervention. But observational studies, although long regarded as second-rate compared to RCTs, have contributed invaluable information to the medical sciences. Indeed, analyses of RCTs compared to observational studies have concluded that well-run observational studies are comparable. I will explain RCTs and observational studies later in this post, but first, I want to tell the story of John Snow and how he used his powers of observation to lower worldwide death rates, perhaps more than anyone in history.
Read MoreA very recent article in The Journal of the American Medical Association boldly states, "Over the long term, a diet in which only 5% of total calories come from carbohydrates makes it impossible to obtain optimum amounts of antioxidant phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables." They do not state what an optimum level is because there is none. Information like this then gets circulated by journalists, and the result is a perpetuation of dietary myth. Who doesn't think that plant fiber and so-called phytochemicals (phytonutrients) aren't great for our health? After all, we hear about their virtues all the time. How true is this? It turns out that it is mostly BS. Let me explain…
Read More