READ RESEARCH BETTER

Evidence is a ladder

05Regulatory review and ongoing surveillance
04Large controlled human trials
03Early human studies
02Animal studies
01Cells, models and mechanisms

Promising is not the same as proven.

A biological mechanism may be interesting without demonstrating that a product is safe or effective in people. Ask where the evidence sits, how large the study was, what it measured, and whether the product studied matches the product being sold.

  • Is the compound FDA approved for this exact use?
  • Is the evidence human, animal, or laboratory based?
  • Was there a comparison group and meaningful follow-up?
  • Are the source, identity, sterility, and purity independently verifiable?

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prescribing guidance. Research and regulatory information can change over time.

Next: reading labels