Comments on: Where’s the science? http://how2gethealthy.com/how2gethealthy.com/wheres-the-science/ Making choices about lifestyle, diet and nutrition Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:41:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brenda http://how2gethealthy.com/how2gethealthy.com/wheres-the-science/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Brenda Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:11:21 +0000 http://how2gethealthy.com/how2gethealthy.com/wheres-the-science/#comment-157 Hi Beautyscientist, I wouldn't call my consumption of vitamins and the results I've had a particularly rigourous scientific test - I wouldn't actually call it a test at all. My 'monitoring' isn't systematic, my results are entirely subjective and there is no control group. The only conclusion I can draw is that since taking supplements, my teeth aren't sensitive and I've had no further decay or bone loss. I'm assuming that I may also be preventing osteoporosis, but I can't be sure. I can't say exactly why there have been such drastic improvements or if other brands of supplements and different potencies would be equally effective. In many ways this is besides the point for me. I have found something that works for me and I do get annoyed when experts on TV tell me that there is no proof that vitamins are beneficial. There has been quite a bit of scientific testing of vitamins, but while scientific testing may be simple and straight forward, the human body isn't. Genetic and environmental factors complicate things substantially. Scientific evidence is inadequate, but this doesn't mean that there are no benefits. Hi Beautyscientist,
I wouldn’t call my consumption of vitamins and the results I’ve had a particularly rigourous scientific test – I wouldn’t actually call it a test at all. My ‘monitoring’ isn’t systematic, my results are entirely subjective and there is no control group. The only conclusion I can draw is that since taking supplements, my teeth aren’t sensitive and I’ve had no further decay or bone loss. I’m assuming that I may also be preventing osteoporosis, but I can’t be sure. I can’t say exactly why there have been such drastic improvements or if other brands of supplements and different potencies would be equally effective.
In many ways this is besides the point for me. I have found something that works for me and I do get annoyed when experts on TV tell me that there is no proof that vitamins are beneficial.
There has been quite a bit of scientific testing of vitamins, but while scientific testing may be simple and straight forward, the human body isn’t. Genetic and environmental factors complicate things substantially. Scientific evidence is inadequate, but this doesn’t mean that there are no benefits.

]]> By: beautyscientist http://how2gethealthy.com/how2gethealthy.com/wheres-the-science/comment-page-1/#comment-151 beautyscientist Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:29:46 +0000 http://how2gethealthy.com/how2gethealthy.com/wheres-the-science/#comment-151 Science isn't as complicated as a lot of people think. It just works by testing out an idea. In this case the idea is that taking vitamin supplements makes you healthier. If this idea is correct, then if you compare a group of people who take vitamin supplements with a similar group of people who don't, then there should be a difference in health between the two. If nobody has ever carried out the test then there is no scientific evidence to support the idea. That is all there is to it. If you test the idea by taking the tablets and monitoring the effect they have on you, that is also a scientific test. It just isn't a very good one and you may draw the wrong conclusion from the result. Science isn’t as complicated as a lot of people think. It just works by testing out an idea. In this case the idea is that taking vitamin supplements makes you healthier.

If this idea is correct, then if you compare a group of people who take vitamin supplements with a similar group of people who don’t, then there should be a difference in health between the two.

If nobody has ever carried out the test then there is no scientific evidence to support the idea.

That is all there is to it.

If you test the idea by taking the tablets and monitoring the effect they have on you, that is also a scientific test. It just isn’t a very good one and you may draw the wrong conclusion from the result.

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