Dominic Mazoch posted:I just read that the NE Journal of Medicine did a redaction on the study of the Mediterranean Diet because of sampling errors. And the English Doctor who found this error have found others....
What does this have to do with this thread? Earlier, some posts indicated a study said X. I am not flaming anybody. But it is getting to the point one cannot trust any study, or for that matter, poll.
Rich is right, journalism is dead. Is scholarship next?
Nope, the reason this study came into question was because science at its core never assumes anything is totally settled, and studies published in journals may have gone through a vetting process, but then other scientists look at the method and results and analyze them, and it is how this came to light. Other researchers have gone back over the data, and re analyzed it taking into account the errors ( which had to do with some subjects not being truly random, not a bad conclusion) and are on board w the results;others remain skeptical which is good because that is how science works. I also will add that this isnt the only study done by genuine researchers on this diet, there are a lot of studies that indicate the same thing. There are also a ton of studies indicating that diets based in fruits and vegetables and limited in saturated fats and moderate total fat intake are healthier than what a lot of people are eating.
That doesnt mean all studies are equal or that knowledge doesnt advance. Those 'clinical' trials of things that supposedly show a miracle pill will cause you to lose weight are not peer reviewed and usually involve like 20 people, often not chosen at random and not vetted for other factors,too few people and not enough controls and no review. Then too studies can lead to wrong conclusions. Studies showed that the hdl/ldl ratio w cholesterol was a major indicator of heart health. They also knew from studies that taking niacin makes the ratio improve...so doctors assumed taking niacin would reduce heart disease and started prescribing it...but when they looked at people who took niacin versus those that didnt in controlled studies, there was no difference in heart disease rates between the two groups....same w folic acid.
The emf studies around powerlines were done over a number of years and the results consistently have backed up what other studies have said, that no health issues could be tied to power transmission lines. That is another hallmark of science over quackery, it insists results be replicated, and it is why studies are either confirmed or revoked.
I will take that over someone tweeting 'truth' or someone when you talk about the poor diet most people are eating,says 'my grandpa lived to be 90 and he smoked 2 packs of luckies a day and ate meat and potatoes 3 meals a day' *shrug*
