[Examine Newsletter] April 2024 Updates

See what’s new at Examine over the past month!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Examine]( [View in browser](=) Hello {NAME}! Here’s your recap of Examine’s April 2024 updates. --------------------------------------------------------------- APRIL FOOLS: This Supplement Is A No Brainer Apr 1, 2024 I've mentioned secret projects in previous emails. Here's one that's been under wraps for the past year. I don't want to give away too many details, but I can say you've never seen anything like it before! [Click here to see what we've been up to]() --------------------------------------------------------------- 📅 Top 5 Study Summaries for April Apr 11, 2024 Every month, we summarize 150+ recent studies for our [Examine+ Members](. You can read five of last month’s most favorited Study Summaries for free by clicking the links below. The Study Summaries marked with are Editor’s Picks, which provide more details about the study, mention related studies, and include helpful graphics. Want more evidence-based nutrition information? We post interesting tidbits on social media every day. Find us at our verified accounts on: - [Instagram](=) - [LinkedIn]( - [WhatsApp]() - [Facebook]() - [Twitter]( - [Threads]() [Artificial light at night, stress, and cardiovascular health]() This review reported that greater exposure to artificial light at night was associated with altered stress hormones and worse cardiovascular health. [Carotenoids can help keep your blood pressure in check](=) In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, supplementation with carotenoids (lycopene or astaxanthin) reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure. [A daily multivitamin improves cognitive function in the context of aging](=) In this 2-year randomized controlled study, daily multivitamin supplementation improved episodic memory, but not executive function or attention, in a cohort of older adults. [Will stretching lead to bigger, stronger muscles?]( In this 8-week randomized controlled trial, a static stretching program and a resistance training program had similar effects on strength and muscle mass in recreationally active participants. [Do omega-3s add cardiovascular benefits to statin therapy?](=) In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies, adding omega-3 fatty acids to statin therapy reduced the incidence of several types of cardiovascular events and improved blood lipid levels compared to statin therapy alone. You can also check out the [most-favorited summaries from previous months]().🔥 --------------------------------------------------------------- So, did you find something of interest? If not, please reply to this email to let me know which topics you’d like us to tackle. And if you’re ready to stay on top of the latest research, you can [try out Examine+ for free for 7 days](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Examine’s newest page updates Apr 18, 2024 It’s Nick, Lead Researcher at Examine. We’ve completed some big [page updates]( since I last emailed you, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss any. Major Updates (Considerable updates to the FAQs, database, or both.) - [Artemisia Annua](=) - [Aspartame]( - [Black Seed]() - [Casein](=) - [Chlorella]( - [Coleus forskohlii](=) - [Creatine]( - [Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)](=) - [Hyperprolactinemia](=) - [Mediterranean Diet]( - [Panax Ginseng]() - [Panax Quinquefolius]( - [Saffron]() - [THC](=) - [Tulsi]() Minor Updates (Small additions, changes, or corrections.) - [Capsaicin]( - [Curcumin](=) - [Nicotinamide Mononucleotide]( - [Vitamin D]( - [Zinc]() A quick reminder: we have a [referral program](! In case you didn’t know, you can log into your Examine account, set your unique referral code, and send links to your friends and family. If anyone signs up using your link, you’ll get a 33% commission for every payment they make, for life! As always, I love hearing from you, so please reply to this email if you have any suggestions for studies or topics we should cover. And if you’re ready to see all the content we have to offer, you can try out [Examine+ for free]( for 7 days. Until next time! --------------------------------------------------------------- "Supplements don’t work” is a misguided trope Apr 25, 2024 If you Google “do supplements work”, many of the results suggest or straight up declare that supplements don’t work, and are a waste of time and money. Sure, many supplements are ineffective in a variety of contexts. But do you know what else can be ineffective in a variety of contexts? Literally anything and everything: pharmaceuticals, diets, surgeries, and so on. You should never judge an entire category based on attributes of individual components of that category. That’s a logical fallacy called the [fallacy of composition](=). Over the past few years, headlines like these routinely outrank Examine’s pages, even though we dedicate so many resources to ensure the linguistic and scientific accuracy of our content. Examine may not be a university, hospital, government organization, or huge corporation, but our independence and transparency makes us credible. We’re obligated by our founding charter to reject all outside funding or influence. If anybody reading this works at Google and wants to advocate for us, don’t be shy to reply to this message! There are a few more important reasons why these headlines are misleading and potentially even harmful: 1. [Only a Sith deals in absolutes](=)= In the famous Star Wars scene, Anakin tells his former mentor and BFF Obi-Wan, “If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.” Absolute statements like that are a great way to get attention and make a splash. But if you’re looking for truth, the more qualified the statement is, the better. Here’s an example: Let’s say Examine had a podcast. (Pssst we’re actually starting one this year, hosted by a couple members of our awesome research staff.) If I hopped on for a few minutes, you’d notice that the tone of conversation would be very unlike a typical podcast. That’s because I’m addicted to qualified statements, which gets annoying. Let’s say we’re talking about probiotics. I’m unlikely to even use the blanket term “probiotics”, because each individual probiotic strain has different effects and risks. In fact, I’m dubious about the term “probiotic” itself, since the pro prefix means that it inherently benefits you. Here’s the official definition, according to the [International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics](): “[Probiotics are] live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” That’s kind of weird. So what’s a strain called if you personally take an adequate amount and there’s no health benefit, or maybe there’s harm? Can a probiotic lose its title if a new study finds that it doesn’t work for its main indication? I’d rather they were called ingested microorganisms (maybe we can call them IMOs?), but I have a feeling that wouldn’t catch on. Here’s another example. Let’s say we’re talking about an extreme diet. I’ll rarely call a diet extreme in the first place (except maybe [breatharianism](), because in my mind, extremeness is context-dependent, and “extreme diet” is sort of a pejorative that stacks the conversational deck against constructive discussion. You can see how annoying I am. People want to know what works; they don’t want to get stuck on finding the absolute most precise terminology. They want confidence, not someone who’s rarely certain of their viewpoint. Examine is full of researchers who question everything and wouldn’t dream of generalizing just to make a convincing point. We don’t even say that any particular supplement “works” — we only say that the evidence currently supports usage for one or more specific, measurable [health outcomes](). And your mileage will certainly vary, as supplements rarely work for each and every participant in a controlled trial setting, let alone real life. In summary: absolutes may sell, but to Examine, they’re absolutely incorrect. 2. Common supplements have lesser-known uses The claim “supplements don’t work” is flawed in more than one way: it doesn’t take into account that every year, new uses are found for existing supplements. A good example is [creatine](=). Creatine was among the most popular muscle-building supplements in the 1990s, and then, all of a sudden, its other potential uses began to be studied in earnest, especially brain-related ones. When your muscles need more energy than is readily available, they turn to creatine. The same is true of your brain. Your brain sucks up about 20% of your overall energy needs despite being about 2% of your body weight. Energy flux can be a limiting factor for the brain when it’s trying to adapt to certain situations. While creatine isn’t a slam dunk for brain related outcomes (but what is?), there’s an increasing amount of evidence for creatine potentially improving cognition, depression, and recovery after traumatic brain injury. These potential benefits are all highly context-dependent though, so don’t expect to take creatine and find brain-related benefits as easily as you’d get its muscle-related benefits. Much of creatine’s non-muscle potential benefits were totally unknown as little as 10-20 years ago. So when search engines boost messages like "supplements don't work," they’re glossing over exciting new areas of research and decreasing the usefulness of search results. 3. Supplements can be more useful than even Examine readers know I was at an airport one day, and a toddler got all up in my space. Not knowing that I love little toddlers, the mom apologized profusely. We got to talking (me and the mom, not me and the toddler), and she had a very interesting and unfortunate background. After being diagnosed with an incurable genetic eye condition that would progressively reduce her field of view (called retinitis pigmentosa), she completed a PhD program to help advance research on this condition. After the conversation ended, I immediately looked up studies on retinitis pigmentosa. There weren’t any gene therapies or devices yet shown to slow progression. But three supplements had a moderate amount of trial evidence for slowing progression: [vitamin A, lutein, and DHA](). That kind of knocked my socks off. These are low-cost, widely-available, and safe supplements with potentially life-changing benefits. You may be thinking that supplements for rare conditions aren’t very applicable to you. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to more common conditions that you’re at risk for. But even within the field of eye conditions, there’s a good example of a common condition. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects around 1 in 10 Americans. In 2001, a landmark trial showed that taking a specifically-formulated high dose vitamin and mineral supplement [significantly reduced the risk of developing advanced AMD](). --------------------------------------------------------------- Clickbait headlines such as “Don’t waste time (or money) on supplements” may be eye-catching and rank highly on Google, but they have important downsides. This kind of message may turn people off from exploring tested and useful options for their health conditions and health goals, or prevention of a future health condition. It’s also a great example of language that scientists don’t (or shouldn’t) use, so seeing this kind of language on esteemed university websites is off-putting. Do better, non-Examine headline creators! As always, let me know if you liked or hated this email. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sincerely, Kamal Patel, Nick Milazzo, and Morgan Pfiffner Follow us on: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram](=) [About Examine]( | [Careers]() | [Member’s Area]() [Unlock Examine+]( PO Box 592, Station-P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T1 [Switch to weekly emails](=) | [Opt out of all emails](