Headlines often compress complicated research into a few words. It helps to ask what a study actually measured before applying it to your own kitchen.
Four questions to ask
- Was the study in people, animals or isolated cells?
- Did it measure a clinical outcome or a biological marker?
- How many people took part, and for how long?
- Did the researchers measure what people ate, or a substance already present in the body?
Avoid both extremes
A concerning finding should not be dismissed simply because it is inconvenient. Equally, a laboratory result alone cannot predict an individual person’s outcome. Evidence can raise useful questions while leaving uncertainty.
Our approach
We explain the limitations, link the research and avoid promising that an ingredient is risk-free or medically beneficial. For advice about a health condition, speak with your clinician.
Read our evidence guide for the research and its limitations.