Vim & Vitality Blog

Part 1E: Human Studies (continued) Well, we are nearing the end of the discussion about Scientific Studies. For a prelude to today’s blog, refer to my blogs beginning with The Devil's Advocate: Which Way is Right?. Last time, we discussed the subtypes of Observational Human Studies: Case-Control and Cohort.  Today we will discuss the second main type which is where things get really interesting! 2)  Clinical Trials-- also called Experimental or Treatment Studies in which participants may be grouped by chance (random) or deliberately (controlled) while an intervention is introduced ...

 Part 1D: Human Studies This blog series began as a discussion about the potentially harmful effects of high doses of antioxidants, synthetic antioxidants in particular, and because most scientific studies and supplement ads promote the benefits of antioxidants to human health, I thought it would be beneficial to investigate the various types of scientific studies and explore how to discern the veracity of claims made by these studies. This has been a rather long discussion, one that is not as interesting as some other topics that we could be cover, but it is in fact very pertinent! Becau...

 Part 1C: In vivo & Ex vivo Laboratory Trials In order to evaluate the studies about pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements, including antioxidants, it is useful to understand “scientific” studies and the games that can be played with statistics, variables and factors involved. In Part 1B of “The Devil’s Advocate on Antioxidants,” I laid out a simplified version of the progression of scientific studies, along with the pros and cons of each stage: 1) Research-- thousands of lead compounds are narrowed down to hundreds for a targeted issue2) Pre-Clinical Trials-- laborato...

 Part 1B: In vitro Laboratory Trials In the first two volumes of “The Devil’s Advocate on Antioxidants,” I presented the free radical and antioxidant theory as well as an opposing theory that touts reactive oxygen species (ROS) as being a natural, biologic process, not at all harmful to the human body. The rub between these two theories comes when scientific studies are examined and contradictory evidence is revealed that not only debunks the benefits of antioxidants but actually demonstrates the harm that these compounds can do to the human body when taken in isolated, high potency...

 Part 1A If you do a Google search on “antioxidants,” the following information is what you will find under the top item that comes up, which happens to be a Wikipedia article. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals.Free radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions. (1)   This article further explains the theory of antioxidants, along with the arguments for and against the benef...

 Introduction As a holistic healthcare practitioner, I am constantly exposed to new products, research, and concepts. In order to provide the best advice and care for my clients, I must take a critical look at the scientific theory and proof behind each of these items. It is imperative that I stay current, not clinging to tradition or to what I have been taught as if they were “the gospel truth.” I must be a “devil's advocate,” if you will, and I challenge you to be the same: Question what you hear being promoted as healthy. Go even beyond provoking debate, and become an advocate ...