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Snake Oil? The scientific evidence for supplements

  • 19-05-2010 3:34pm
    #1
    lonestargirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭


    I came across this great site called Information is Beautiful, it uses graphics to convey the often complex realtionships between data.

    This chart contains the scienfic evidence for supplements, there is a 'worth it line' and the treat each specific indication seperately (i.e. there seems to be evidence for green tea in cholesterol but not in breast or prostate cancer). Those bubbles at the top of the chart are those with the strongest evidence. At the bottom of the graph is a link to the Google Docs which contains all the references for the info in the chart. The sources are in PubMed or Cochrane.org and only large human blind placebo-controlled trials are included.

    You often hear the argument that 'conventional' medicine is not interested in supplements because there 'is no money in it'. What I find interesting about this chart is that many of those supplements that have strong evidence have become part of everyday medicine (e.g. folic acid for birth defects, cranberry for UTIs and ginger for nausea being ones that I have used myself). A win for evidence based medicine in my opinion.


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