[Examine Newsletter] May 2022 Updates

See what's new on Examine for the past month!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Examine]( [View in browser](=) Hello! Here’s your recap of Examine's May 2022 updates. 📧 Reminder: If you would like to switch back to weekly emails instead of a monthly newsletter — just [click here](). [We're renovating! Help us with a 5-minute survey for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!]() --------------------------------------------------------------- 🔎 Does “peer-reviewed” mean “true”? May 19, 2022 For some people, PubMed is a useful source of data. For others, it is a weapon. Oh, so you don’t like my favorite diet? PEW PEW PEW! I’ll throw a bunch of study links at you. Most link slingers don’t even read the studies they link to. They glance at abstracts, pick those that support their point, and discard those that don’t. Some will go one step further and have a quick look at [the conclusion](=) of the paper, but they’ll skip most of [the methods section](=). All that complicated stuff was already vetted by experts during peer review, anyway, so why bother? Because … 🕵️ Peer review isn’t foolproof I’ve only peer-reviewed a few journal submissions myself, but that (and discussions with colleagues) taught me that the process is much different than you’d think. First, note that reviewers are unpaid. Some will pay close attention anyway. Others … won’t. But even dutiful reviewers will have limited time to devote to the task. They have their own papers to write, after all, and classes they’re actually paid to teach. So while some papers do get criticized and perfected, others only get a quick peek and a nod. 😈 From tricky papers to dirty tricks To be fair, reading papers can be tricky — some are complex, some badly written, and a few are even designed to trick the reader. Some researchers will alter photos and fudge data. Others, more cautious, will use real data … but only the data that suit them (you can [read about data dredging here]()). Why would anyone do that? [Conflict of interest](=) is one obvious reason. For example, compared to studies funded by nonprofits, studies funded by soda manufacturers are [much more likely]() to find that sugary or diet drinks cause no harm. This doesn’t mean you should automatically dismiss industry-funded studies, but they do deserve extra scrutiny. Another reason researchers can be tempted to tweak the data — or to at least cast the data in a certain light — is “[publish or perish]()”. Studies that report a big effect, whether beneficial or harmful, are more likely to get published and cited (and thus to prop up one’s career) than [null studies](=)[.](=) 📚 One study is just one study For media outlets, a new study showing a big effect isn’t just an exciting study; it’s often the only study worth mentioning. So they’ll tell you about this cool new paper that shows that raspberry ketone is a miracle fat burner — and they’ll ignore any past evidence that it isn’t. Which means that reading the full text of just one study (something that link slingers don’t even bother to do) isn’t enough. To get the full picture, you need to know about related studies, and you need to be able to compare the [methods](=) of all these studies. The methods section of a study notably details the characteristics of the participants. If you’re a healthy young woman, let’s say, the results of a study of older men with diabetes may not apply to you. 🧬 There is only one you Lastly, remember that we’re all different. A paper may conclude that a given diet led to an average weight loss of 20 pounds, but if you dive deeper, you’ll find that [some of the participants actually gained weight]() on this diet. Real life trumps all. What works for you may not work for your best friend, or even for your sibling, and vice versa. Likewise, what doesn’t hurt you may hurt other people, and vice versa. Let’s say you have a friend who feels crappy whenever he drinks lemonade. It doesn’t make any sense, and there haven’t been any randomized trials, so … it must be psychosomatic. No. It may be psychosomatic. And it may not. Absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence. The absence of studies showing that lemonade makes some people feel crappy doesn’t mean that lemonade doesn’t have this effect — because who the heck is going to fund a large-scale study of lemonade’s side effects? 📝 Thank you for staying with me … all the way to the end of this email. Usually, I share interesting studies, but once in a while, it’s nice to ponder the broader picture. If you hated this email (or want more like it), just hit reply and let me know! Sincerely, Kamal Patel Co-founder, Examine --------------------------------------------------------------- 💚 Plant extracts for heart health May 26, 2022 [Cardiovascular disease](=) (CVD) is a catch-all term for disorders of the heart and blood vessels. CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide — [in the U.S.]( alone, it kills one person every 36 seconds. A recent umbrella review (a type of study that summarizes all the systematic reviews and meta-analyses on a given topic) examined the effect of plant-based supplements on CVD risk markers. [Phytonutrient supplements for CVD]( We created three tables, for three major markers (LDL-C, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Each table shows the five supplements with the strongest effect on the marker, along with some dosage information. --------------------------------------------------------------- 📅 Top 5 Study Summaries for May May 12, 2022 Every month, we summarize 150 studies for our members. Below are five of our Members’ favorite Study Summaries for this month (the two marked with are also Editor's Picks). [More sets, more More sets, more gains]()? This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of resistance training found that a high weekly volume (>20 sets) was better than a moderate weekly volume (12–20 sets) to increase triceps mass. [Taking protein or amino acids postexercise might reduce inflammation and oxidative stress]() This systematic review found that supplementation with protein or amino acids reduced postexercise inflammation or oxidative stress in some (but not most) studies. This inconsistency may be due to study heterogeneity, insufficient sensitivity (biomarker assessment), or insufficient power (study controls and analysis). [Sweet news about low- and zero-calorie beverages]( This network meta-analysis found that, to reduce body weight and cardiometabolic risk, replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with low- or zero-calorie beverages worked better than replacing them with water. [Omega−3s improved maternal health and birth outcomes](=) This meta-analysis found that supplementation with omega−3s during pregnancy increased gestation by 1.4 days and birth weight by 49 grams. It also reduced the risks of preeclampsia (−16%), preterm delivery (−14%), and early preterm delivery (−23%). [Supplementing antidiabetic drugs with micronutrients for glycemic control](=) This meta-analysis found that supplementing antidiabetic drugs with chromium, vitamin C, vitamin E, or coenzyme Q10 improved glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. 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, consider becoming an [Examine Member (with a two-week free trial)](). --------------------------------------------------------------- Who cares about null studies? (We do.) May 05, 2022 Everybody’s excited when something works in a trial. Examine’s equally excited when something is shown not to work. Yeah, we’re weird like that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If a supplement was shown to work in one study and not to work in others, only the positive study will make the headlines. Then you’ll try the supplement and, more often than not, you’ll be disappointed. To avoid falling prey to the hype, you need to know about null findings. Here’s a small sample of the nulls that [Greg Lopez](), our lead editor, collected last year: - Circulating vitamin C levels may not be causally related to cancer risk. - A vitamin D sublingual spray had no effect on IBS symptom severity. - Neither ketone salts nor whole-body cooling improved short-term performance. You can read Greg’s short reports about these nulls (and others) here: [Null findings from recent studies]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Latest on Examine [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Instagram](=) [A 2014 study found 42 to 278 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of chocolate, depending on brand and cacao content (with more cacao usually translating as more caffeine). This helps explain why chocolate is a little addictive!⁠⁠]([Did you know? ⁠⁠The liver stores a lot of iron, which it releases into circulation when levels are low. Thus, the liver plays a major role in regulating iron levels, and liver diseases can lead to iron-deficiency anemia.⁠⁠Learn more about iron and other possible causes of deficiency ](=)[Do you count calories? Why or why not?⁠⁠Join the convo on social media.]([Healthy Aging tip: Not only can exercise delay the onset of physical and cognitive decline, but it can also improve symptoms in people whose decline has started. Click through to get our Healthy Aging Supplement guide for FREE. ]([Together, your free testosterone and your loosely bound testosterone compose your bioavailable testosterone, which has a greater impact on your health than your total testosterone. Click through for more information on testosterone.]([Each month, we summarize 150+ recent studies for our Examine Members. Click through to read five of this month's most favorited Study Summaries. This month’s selection includes two Editor’s Picks (more detailed Study Summaries, with helpful graphics).⁠]( [About Examine](=) | [Careers](=) | [Member’s Area]( [Free 2-week Membership trial](=) PO Box 592, Station-P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T1 [Switch to weekly emails]() | [Opt-out of all emails](