Has anybody started reading the papers/articles in this Medscape series? I find it hard to take seriously, especially with JoAnn Manson of Harvard kicking it off.

I took the liberty of writing Jack Challem, who knows and writes more about supplementation research than just about anyone else in the country, about the Medscape special report. In response, he sent me an issue of his long-running newsletter, The Nutrition Reporter. I think the “Extra” report I've attached is what he intends to say about the value of the studies that underlie the Medscape report.

Attached Files

Reading Bad Studies Can Be Very Dangerous for Your Health.pdf (283.1 KB, 5 views)

I always say "follow the money". Most of the supplement studies are funded by big pharma. They are designed to show failure.

One of the posters here had a great a name for these types of studies.

Feeding Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD)

We can dismiss it on the basis of funding, but it's more effective to rebut studies on their merits or lack thereof. I think that Challem performs a valuable service.