From Memios
The Longevity Letter
Practical writing and video on living strong and active into your 90s. No hype, no supplements to sell. Just what the evidence supports and what it looks like on an ordinary Tuesday.
339 items
SupplementsAçaí
Lead with the evidence, not the marketing: NCCIH states there is not enough reliable evidence to say acai helps with any specific health condition.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsAcerola cherry
Almost everything acerola is claimed to do rests on its vitamin C. Human evidence on acerola itself is limited: a 2026 review calls it limited.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
MedicationsAcetaminophen and Oxycodone
For a single dose of acute pain after surgery, the combination is genuinely effective and better than oxycodone alone: a Cochrane review put the number needed to treat for at least half pain relief at 2.7 for oxycodone 10 mg plus paracetamol 650 mg, against 4.6 for oxycodone 15 mg alone.
2026-09-30 · 21 min read
MedicationsAlendronate
Well established. For postmenopausal women who already have low bone density or a previous fracture.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
SupplementsAloe vera
The honest summary is that oral aloe vera has been studied for far more conditions than it has been shown to help. The clearest human signal is a small meta-analysis of three placebo-controlled trials in irritable bowel syndrome (151 people in total), which found a modest improvement in symptom scores.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
SupplementsAlpha-lipoic acid
The claim most often made is that it treats diabetic nerve pain. The 2024 Cochrane review of three randomised trials in 816 adults concluded that alpha-lipoic acid probably has little or no effect on neuropathy symptoms at six months.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
MedicationsAlprazolam
Cochrane's review of benzodiazepines against placebo in panic disorder found a clear short-term advantage (response RR 1.65) but rated the evidence low quality.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
MedicationsApixaban
Large randomised trials show apixaban lowers stroke and systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation compared with warfarin (ARISTOTLE) and aspirin (AVERROES).
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
MedicationsAripiprazole
Well established. Aripiprazole reduces psychotic and manic symptoms and adds modestly to antidepressants.
2026-09-30 · 22 min read
SupplementsBanaba
Limited evidence. Banaba is sold for blood sugar and metabolic syndrome.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsBeetroot and dietary nitrate
Meta-analyses back a real but modest fall in systolic blood pressure: about 4.4 mmHg in Siervo 2013 (16 short crossover trials, 254 people) and about 5 mmHg in people with hypertension (moderate-certainty GRADE).
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
SupplementsBeta-alanine
Supplementation raises muscle carnosine, and pooled trials show a small ergogenic effect: a meta-analysis of 40 placebo-controlled studies in 1,461 participants found an overall effect size of 0.18 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.28), largest for exercise capacity in efforts of about half a minute to ten minutes.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
SupplementsBiotin
Biotin is essential, and true deficiency causes hair thinning, rash and neurological symptoms. But the popular claim that biotin supplements improve hair.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsBoswellia
The most developed evidence is in osteoarthritis, where a 2020 meta-analysis of seven small trials found reductions in pain and stiffness and a 2014 Cochrane review rated the evidence moderate quality for a slight improvement in pain and function. Both reviews flag small samples and bias problems.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsBovine and marine cartilage
Not supported by the research. The cancer claim has been tested and failed.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
MedicationsBudesonide; Formoterol
The evidence supports real reductions in asthma and COPD flare-ups (exacerbations) when budesonide/formoterol is used as directed.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
SupplementsCannabidiol
The evidence is strong and narrow: purified pharmaceutical cannabidiol reduces seizure frequency in two rare epilepsy syndromes in placebo-controlled trials.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
SupplementsCarnitine
Disputed. The honest summary is that the evidence is contested.
2026-09-30 · 22 min read
SupplementsCascara sagrada
Cascara is taken to force a bowel movement, and the plants that carry these anthraquinones are put into supplements for bowel function. The state of the evidence is the important part: in this search we could not reach or verify a single controlled human trial of cascara on its own, so its laxative effect rests on tradition.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
ResearchWhat causes constipation, and why do some people get it more than others?
The evidence is strongest for the definition and for who is affected: pooled prevalence of functional constipation by Rome IV criteria is about 10% of adults, roughly twice as common in women.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
SupplementsGerman chamomile
The best evidence is for anxiety rather than sleep, and it is thin. A randomised placebo-controlled trial in 57 people with mild-to-moderate generalised anxiety disorder found a greater fall in Hamilton Anxiety scores with chamomile (P = 0.047).
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsCholine and citicoline
Choline's necessity is well established, while the supplement claims made for citicoline are not.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
MedicationsCitalopram
For acute major depression in adults the randomised evidence does show an effect over placebo, but the effect is modest and the trial base is mostly industry-sponsored and at high risk of selective reporting.
2026-09-30 · 26 min read
SupplementsCocoa flavanols
The best evidence is a Cochrane review of short trials (2 to 18 weeks) finding a small drop in blood pressure of about 2 mmHg, rated moderate quality.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
SupplementsBovine colostrum
Limited evidence. The best evidence is for two narrow things and it is not strong evidence.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
SupplementsCranberry
Disputed. The best evidence is a 2023 Cochrane review of 50 randomised trials.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
SupplementsCreatine monohydrate
Creatine is one of the few supplements where the exercise evidence is strong rather than suggestive: meta-analyses of randomised trials show small-to-moderate added gains in lean tissue and strength when it is combined with resistance training, and a European regulator has accepted a cause-and-effect relationship for repeated short, high-intensity efforts.
2026-09-30 · 18 min read
MedicationsCyclobenzaprine
The best evidence is a meta-analysis of 14 placebo-controlled back pain trials: cyclobenzaprine beat placebo for global improvement (odds ratio 4.7, 95% CI 2.7 to 8.1).
2026-09-30 · 23 min read
SupplementsDandelion
Not enough research to say. Most of the evidence is from animal and cell studies.
2026-09-30 · 8 min read
SupplementsDevil's claw
Devil's claw is used for musculoskeletal pain. A Cochrane review of herbal medicine for low back pain found that standardised daily doses of 50 mg or 100 mg harpagoside may reduce pain more than placebo.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
MedicationsDoxycycline
For the uses where randomised evidence exists the effect sizes differ a lot by condition. Randomised placebo-controlled trials give it a protective efficacy of 84% to 96% against Plasmodium falciparum infection when taken daily for malaria prophylaxis.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
FastingEarly time-restricted eating
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited to a handful of small or short trials.
2026-09-30 · 8 min read
MedicationsEmpagliflozin
Large placebo-controlled outcome trials, all funded by the manufacturers, show fewer heart failure hospitalisations and cardiovascular deaths in heart failure (reduced and preserved ejection fraction).
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsEphedra
Ephedrine is a mixed sympathomimetic: it releases noradrenaline and stimulates alpha and beta receptors, raising heart rate and cardiac output, constricting blood vessels.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsEstradiol
The best evidence is that systemic estradiol reliably reduces hot flushes and night sweats and reduces fractures.
2026-09-30 · 22 min read
MedicationsEthinyl Estradiol; Norgestimate
The evidence strongly supports that this combination prevents pregnancy when taken as directed, and one brand (Ortho Tri-Cyclen) has trial evidence supporting an approved use for moderate acne.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
MedicationsFamotidine
The evidence is strongest for what famotidine does to stomach acid and to ulcers caused by aspirin: in one 404-patient placebo-controlled trial it cut the rate of endoscopic gastric ulcers from 15.0% to 3.4% over 12 weeks.
2026-09-30 · 22 min read
Fasting48- to 72-hour fast
Evidence is very limited: small, short studies of cancer patients fasting around chemotherapy.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
FastingFasting safety: who should not fast or needs a clinician first
Harms reported: hypoglycaemia with sulfonylureas and insulin, euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis with SGLT2 inhibitors, dehydration linked to SGLT2 inhibitors and diuretics, lean mass loss.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
ResearchFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT): what it treats and what can go wrong
For recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, a Cochrane review found FMT likely leads to a large increase in resolution (RR 1.92, moderate certainty).
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
ResearchDo fermented foods change the gut microbiome?
The best-known human trial (Wastyk 2021, Stanford, 18 people per arm) found a high-fermented-food diet steadily increased gut microbiota diversity and lowered inflammatory markers over 17 weeks.
2026-09-30 · 7 min read
MedicationsFerrous Sulfate
Once swallowed, ferrous iron is absorbed in the small intestine and used by the body to build hemoglobin, correcting iron-deficiency anemia over weeks.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
MedicationsFinasteride
Finasteride lowers DHT, and the downstream effects are real but modest. In benign prostatic hyperplasia it shrinks the prostate, improves urinary flow and symptom scores modestly.
2026-09-30 · 22 min read
MedicationsFluticasone propionate and salmeterol
In asthma, adding salmeterol to fluticasone reduced severe exacerbations in a very large safety trial and did not raise serious asthma-related events.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
MedicationsGabapentin
For postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic neuropathy, Cochrane found moderate-quality evidence that roughly 1 more person in 6 or 7 gets substantial pain relief than on placebo.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsGinkgo
The strongest current synthesis is a 2026 Cochrane review of 82 randomised trials in 10,613 people.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
ResearchWhat "good" and "bad" gut bacteria actually means
The honest summary is that "good" and "bad" are shorthand for statistical associations plus a small number of mechanistic experiments, and that the same species can sit on either side of the line depending on strain.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
SupplementsGymnema
The best evidence is a handful of small, heterogeneous trials in people with type 2 diabetes.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
MedicationsHydrochlorothiazide and lisinopril
For blood pressure, the strongest evidence is for the thiazide half: a Cochrane review of first-line drugs found high-quality evidence that low-dose thiazides reduced death and cardiovascular events against placebo.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
MedicationsIbuprofen
For short-term pain, the evidence is strong and quantified: a Cochrane review of 72 placebo-controlled trials found that about 54% of people given ibuprofen 400 mg after surgery got at least 50% pain relief.
2026-09-30 · 21 min read
MedicationsInsulin Lispro
The evidence is that insulin lispro lowers blood glucose and, compared with older regular human insulin, produces a slightly lower HbA1c and somewhat fewer hypoglycaemic episodes in type 1 diabetes.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
ResearchIrritable bowel syndrome and the gut microbiome: is the microbiome different, do probiotics help, and what does a low-FODMAP diet do?
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and strain-specific.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsL-arginine
Disputed. The evidence is mixed and contested.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
SupplementsL-citrulline
The clearest human evidence is for blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised trials found reductions of around 4 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
SupplementsLactobacillus acidophilus
Evidence is limited and depends on the strain and the condition. In antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, reductions were found for specific mixtures that include L. acidophilus (Bio-K+ with CL1285, and La5 with BB-12).
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
MedicationsLamotrigine
For epilepsy the evidence is strong and consistent: added to other drugs in drug-resistant focal epilepsy it nearly doubles the chance of halving seizure frequency (RR 1.80, moderate certainty).
2026-09-30 · 28 min read
SupplementsLimosilactobacillus reuteri
Disputed. Results for infant colic conflict.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
SupplementsMaca
The honest summary is that the human evidence is thin. Systematic reviews of randomised trials for sexual function.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsMagnesium
Correcting a genuine deficiency matters: low magnesium causes loss of appetite, nausea, weakness and, when severe, muscle cramps, abnormal heart rhythms and disturbed calcium and potassium balance.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
SupplementsMangosteen
Limited evidence. Mangosteen rind extract is marketed as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant supplement.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
ResearchWhich medicines and supplements are known to cause constipation, and how often do they do it?
Where trials and meta-analyses report numbers, the size of the effect is measurable rather than theoretical: bladder anticholinergics roughly double the odds of constipation versus placebo.
2026-09-30 · 16 min read
MedicationsMethocarbamol
Its own manufacturer's label says its mechanism has not been established in humans and may simply reflect general sedation of the central nervous system rather than a specific muscle-relaxing action. Small randomized trials show modest short-term benefit when combined with an NSAID.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsOregano oil
Limited evidence. The honest summary is that oregano is studied far more in test tubes than in people.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
Fasting12-hour overnight fast
There are almost no randomised trials testing a 12-hour window as the intervention. It served as the control arm in two early time-restricted eating trials.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
MedicationsParoxetine
The literature supports paroxetine as modestly more effective than placebo for adult depression, in line with other antidepressants, on evidence the largest network meta-analysis rated moderate to very low certainty.
2026-09-30 · 18 min read
SupplementsPassionflower
Limited evidence. It is sold for nervousness and sleep. The strongest synthesis, a Cochrane review.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsPeppermint oil
The best-quantified use is irritable bowel syndrome, where a 2022 meta-analysis of ten randomised trials found peppermint oil beat placebo for global symptoms and abdominal pain but rated the evidence very low quality by GRADE and found significantly more adverse events.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
SupplementsPlant sterols and plant stanols
This is the best-evidenced of the three ingredients in this group for its stated effect, and the most clearly bounded.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsPravastatin
For people who have not yet had a cardiovascular event, the Cochrane review of statins as a class found reductions in death from any cause (OR 0.86).
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
MedicationsPregabalin
Limited evidence. Pregabalin's benefit is real but narrow and condition-specific.
2026-09-30 · 26 min read
ResearchDo probiotics help after bowel preparation or colonoscopy?
Limited evidence. Results are mixed.
2026-09-30 · 7 min read
ResearchDo probiotics or synbiotics taken during or after antibiotics help?
Pooled randomised evidence shows fewer episodes of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea when a probiotic is taken alongside antibiotics.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsPropranolol
Well established. The strongest outcome evidence is in two places.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
SupplementsPsyllium husk
Psyllium has one of the stronger evidence bases among fibre supplements for lowering LDL cholesterol.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsPterostilbene
The most reliable human finding about pterostilbene is an unwanted one: in the only substantial randomised trial of metabolic effects, LDL cholesterol rose by about 17 mg/dL with pterostilbene taken alone.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsQuetiapine
For the conditions it is approved for, the evidence is real but narrower than the prescribing suggests.
2026-09-30 · 21 min read
FastingReligious partial fasts
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited to observational studies and short uncontrolled trials.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsResveratrol
Disputed. The human evidence is contested rather than settled.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsRiboflavin
Riboflavin's coenzymes are needed for energy production, growth and metabolism of fats and drugs.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsSaw palmetto
Saw palmetto is sold mainly for urinary symptoms from an enlarged prostate, and this is one of the few supplement questions the evidence has genuinely settled.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsSemaglutide
Large randomised trials show substantial weight loss (about 15% at 68 weeks versus 2.4% on placebo) and fewer heart attacks.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
ResearchSmall intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): how is it diagnosed, how reliable is breath testing, and does rifaximin work?
Limited evidence. The evidence here is limited.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
MedicationsSpironolactone
Well established. The evidence differs sharply by use.
2026-09-30 · 24 min read
SupplementsSt John's wort
The evidence base is unusually large for a botanical: two systematic reviews covering roughly 29 to 35 randomised trials and 5,000 to 7,000 patients found that standardised hypericum extracts beat placebo for mild to moderate major depression and performed about the same as standard antidepressants, with fewer dropouts for side effects.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
SupplementsTaurine
Pooled randomised trials show modest average reductions in blood pressure and triglycerides with taurine supplements.
2026-09-30 · 18 min read
MedicationsTirzepatide
Large industry-funded trials show substantial weight loss in obesity, better blood sugar than semaglutide in type 2 diabetes, fewer breathing pauses in sleep apnoea.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
Fasting16:8 time-restricted eating
Evidence is limited and largely points to no advantage over ordinary calorie restriction. In TREAT (116 adults, 12 weeks) 16:8 eating was no better than three structured meals for weight (-0.26 kg difference.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
Fasting18:6 time-restricted eating
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited to short trials, 5 to 8 weeks long, with small numbers.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
SupplementsTurkey tail
Most evidence concerns the PSK extract given with chemotherapy after cancer surgery in Japan. A meta-analysis of 8,009 gastric cancer patients found a modest survival advantage.
2026-09-30 · 8 min read
SupplementsValerian
Disputed. The honest summary is that the evidence is weak and contradictory.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
SupplementsVitamin B12
The clearest evidence concerns people who are deficient or at risk: long-term metformin use and long-term acid-suppressing drugs (PPIs and H2 blockers) are associated with lower B12 status.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
SupplementsVitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, so correcting a deficiency is genuinely curative - untreated scurvy is fatal.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
ResearchWhat do the trials actually show for fibre, fluid, laxatives, movement, toileting and pelvic floor training?
The 2023 joint American Gastroenterological Association and American College of Gastroenterology guideline gives its strongest recommendations with moderate certainty to polyethylene glycol.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
MedicationsZolpidem
The best evidence for zolpidem is short-term trial evidence in insomnia, and the measured effect is modest: pooled analysis of the trials submitted to the FDA found it shortened the time to fall asleep by about 22 minutes versus placebo.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
SupplementsAndrographis
A systematic review of 33 trials (7,175 patients) found it improved cough, sore throat and overall symptoms of acute respiratory infections, but the trials were of poor quality.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
SupplementsCat's claw
Limited evidence. It is promoted for arthritis, cancer, viral infections and immunity.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsChaga
Chaga is claimed to help with inflammation, immunity, blood sugar and cancer, but these effects come from laboratory and animal studies.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
Supplements5-HTP
Limited evidence. The evidence is thin rather than absent.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
MedicationsAcetaminophen; Hydrocodone
Limited evidence. In a single-dose dental-surgery trial it relieved pain better than placebo.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsAcetaminophen
The evidence is use-specific and does not uniformly support 'it works for pain.' For single-dose acute pain (e.g. after surgery), Cochrane review data give a number needed to treat (NNT) of about 3.6 for a 1000 mg dose.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsActivated charcoal
The evidence for activated charcoal sits almost entirely in acute poisoning medicine, not in consumer wellness.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsAlbuterol
Albuterol relaxes airway muscle within minutes and reliably protects against exercise-induced narrowing of the airways when taken as a single dose.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsAlfalfa
Limited evidence. Alfalfa is mainly promoted for cholesterol.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
FastingAlternate-day fasting
Limited evidence. The evidence for zero-calorie alternate-day fasting is thin: small, short trials.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsAmerican ginseng
American ginseng has been tested mainly for blood glucose, cancer-related fatigue and prevention of colds.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsAmitriptyline
For depression, a Cochrane review of 39 trials found amitriptyline clearly beat placebo on response, but the trials were old and poorly reported.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsAmlodipine
In large outcome trials amlodipine-based treatment lowered blood pressure and cardiovascular events about as well as a thiazide diuretic (ALLHAT) and better than an atenolol-based regimen (ASCOT-BPLA).
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsAmoxicillin; Clavulanate
Where placebo-controlled evidence exists, the benefit is real but modest and the harms are quantified.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsAmoxicillin
Well established. Amoxicillin kills susceptible bacteria.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsApple cider vinegar
The human evidence is made of small, short trials, several of them unblinded, and it points to modest metabolic changes rather than the weight-loss effect the product is usually sold for.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsArtichoke leaf extract
It is mainly sold for cholesterol and digestion. Two recent meta-analyses of small randomised trials report modest falls in total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsAshwagandha
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and of low certainty.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsAsian ginseng
Claims made for Asian ginseng cover vitality, immunity, cognition, physical performance, blood sugar and sexual function. The evidence is mixed and mostly rests on small short trials.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsAspirin
The strongest evidence is in people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, where pooled individual-patient data from randomised trials show a clear absolute reduction in serious vascular events.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
SupplementsAstaxanthin
Claims run to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin, eye and sports-performance effects; the trial evidence is thin and mixed.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsAstragalus
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and mostly low quality.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsAtenolol
Disputed. Atenolol slows the heart and lowers blood pressure.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsAtorvastatin
The trial evidence that atorvastatin and other statins cut heart attacks and strokes is strong.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsAzithromycin
For the infections it is approved for, azithromycin works by stopping bacteria making proteins.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsBacopa monnieri
Limited evidence. The honest summary is that the effect, if real, is small and narrow.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsBee Pollen
A 2023 scoping review found that human clinical and translational research on bee pollen is still largely lacking compared with the volume of basic laboratory and animal work.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsBerberine
Limited evidence. The trial literature is real but thin and mostly low quality.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsBifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis
One large trial funded by the strain's maker found BB-12 raised average bowel movement frequency in adults with infrequent stools.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsBifidobacterium longum
Limited evidence. The strongest evidence is in preterm infants.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsBilberry
The best-known claim, better night vision, is not supported: a systematic review found the four most recent randomised trials negative, and positive results came from weaker studies.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsBitter melon
Disputed. Bitter melon is taken chiefly for blood sugar, and the pooled evidence is split.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsBitter orange
Disputed. It is sold to raise metabolic rate, help weight loss and boost exercise performance.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsBlack cohosh
Black cohosh is taken for menopausal symptoms, and the literature on whether it works genuinely disagrees with itself.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsBlack pepper extract and piperine
Piperine does raise blood levels of other substances: in one small human study it raised curcumin absorption about 20-fold.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsBlack seed
This is the best-studied of the three, and the picture is large reported effects sitting on weak foundations.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsBoron
Limited evidence. Boron is promoted for bones, joints and testosterone.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
ResearchHow bowel preparation for colonoscopy changes the gut microbiome, and how fast it recovers
In healthy adults, bowel prep causes an immediate large drop in bacterial load (31-fold in Jalanka 2015) and changes composition.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsBromelain
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
MedicationsBupropion
Reviews find bupropion works better than placebo for depression and about as well as other antidepressants in head-to-head trials.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsBurdock root
Limited evidence. It is sold as a detox or 'blood purifier' tea and for skin, joints and blood sugar.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
MedicationsBuspirone
A Cochrane review of 36 trials in 5,908 people found azapirones including buspirone better than placebo for generalised anxiety disorder, with a number needed to treat of 4.4 on the Clinical Global Impression scale.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsButterbur
Disputed. The evidence is narrow and contested.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
SupplementsCaffeine
The evidence is strongest for the things caffeine does acutely: it raises alertness, and added to a standard painkiller it gives a small extra amount of pain relief with high-certainty evidence from Cochrane.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
SupplementsCalcium
Supplements raise bone density slightly and, in pooled trials, cut total fractures by about a tenth.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsCarvedilol
Well established. It slows the heart and relaxes blood vessels by blocking adrenaline's effects.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsCelecoxib
Celecoxib relieves pain and inflammation, and the size of that relief is modest and measurable.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsCephalexin
For the infections it is licensed for, the trial evidence is reasonably good but narrower than the label suggests.
2026-09-29 · 23 min read
MedicationsCetirizine hydrochloride
For allergic rhinitis, network meta-analysis of randomised trials shows oral antihistamines as a class beat placebo on symptom scores, with cetirizine among the more effective agents but not the top-ranked one.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsChlorella
The human evidence is a set of small, mostly short randomized trials pooled in meta-analyses.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsCholecalciferol
Correcting deficiency is where the evidence is solid: vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
2026-09-29 · 29 min read
SupplementsChondroitin sulfate
Disputed. The evidence is disputed.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsChromium
Disputed. The evidence is weak and contested.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsCinnamon
Disputed. The evidence is disputed rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsCitrus bioflavonoids
Disputed. The evidence conflicts.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
MedicationsClonazepam
Limited evidence. The evidence is uneven and mostly short-term.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsClonidine
Clonidine lowers blood pressure and calms the noradrenaline surge that drives opioid withdrawal, and it reduces the core symptoms of ADHD.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsClopidogrel
Clopidogrel reduces heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in people who already have arterial disease, and it increases bleeding.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
ResearchClostridioides difficile infection after antibiotics: risk by drug class, prevention and outcomes
Pooled observational data show large differences in risk by drug class, with clindamycin, fluoroquinolones and cephalosporin-type drugs carrying the highest odds and tetracyclines showing no increase.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsCoenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is marketed mainly for two things: protecting muscles from statin side effects, and helping a failing heart.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsCollagen peptides
The evidence here is unusual: several meta-analyses report statistically significant benefits.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsColloidal silver
Not supported by the research. There is no established use for swallowed colloidal silver.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
ResearchWhat consumer stool microbiome tests can and cannot tell you
They are marketed as reading your gut health; the published evaluations say the analytical performance does not yet support that.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsCopper
Copper is essential, and deficiency causes anaemia, low white cells and nerve damage that copper can correct.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
SupplementsCordyceps
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited and inconsistent.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsDapagliflozin
This is one of the better-evidenced drugs in modern medicine for its cardiac and kidney uses, resting on large placebo-controlled outcome trials rather than surrogate markers.
2026-09-29 · 23 min read
MedicationsDextroamphetamine; Amphetamine
In short-term trials, amphetamines reduce clinician-rated ADHD symptoms more than placebo in both children and adults, with large effects on average.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsDHEA
Disputed. The evidence is mixed and mostly disappointing.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsDiclofenac
Diclofenac is among the most effective oral anti-inflammatory painkillers and among the most cardiovascularly risky.
2026-09-29 · 24 min read
ResearchHow does dietary fibre affect the gut microbiome and health?
Across 64 trials, fibre supplements (especially fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides) raised stool Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus but did not change alpha-diversity.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsDigestive enzyme blends
For people whose pancreas does not make enough enzymes (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, for example in cystic fibrosis), prescription enzyme replacement is the standard treatment.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsDPP IV protease and gluten-degrading enzyme supplements
Common DPP-IV-type digestive enzyme supplements do not protect people with coeliac disease: laboratory testing found they leave the immune-triggering parts of gluten largely intact.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsDulaglutide
In the REWIND trial (9,901 people, median 5.4 years) it reduced the combined rate of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death from 13.4% to 12.0%, a hazard ratio of 0.88, while all-cause mortality did not differ.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsDuloxetine
Well established. It blocks the reabsorption of the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
FastingEat-Stop-Eat
Limited evidence. Evidence for weekly 24-hour fasting is limited to one small RCT.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsEchinacea
Disputed. The evidence is disputed rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsElderberry
The honest summary is that the evidence is thin and uncertain rather than settled either way.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsEleuthero
Not supported by the research. It is sold as an 'adaptogen' for stress, fatigue and stamina.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsErgocalciferol
The literature is clear on what ergocalciferol does to a blood test and much less flattering about what it does to outcomes.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsEscitalopram
Large reviews of the trials find escitalopram, like other antidepressants, beats placebo for depression, and it is among the better-tolerated ones in head-to-head trials.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsEthinyl Estradiol; Norethindrone
The evidence supports it as effective contraception: in the pivotal study of one such product there were 5 on-treatment pregnancies in 3,565 cycles without backup contraception, a Pearl Index of 1.82.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsEvening primrose oil
Not supported by the research. For the two uses with the most trial data, the answer is that it does not work.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsExogenous ketones
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and mixed.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsEzetimibe
The evidence that ezetimibe lowers LDL cholesterol is solid and the size of that effect is modest; the evidence that it prevents heart attacks and strokes is real but small and contested.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
Fasting36-hour fast
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited to small, short trials, mostly in healthy adults under 60.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
FastingFasting-mimicking diet
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited and closely tied to the product's maker.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsFenofibrate
The literature supports fenofibrate as a triglyceride-lowering drug whose effect on hard cardiovascular outcomes is unsettled.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsFenugreek
Fenugreek seed is promoted mainly for blood sugar, for cholesterol and as a galactagogue to increase breast milk.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsFeverfew
Limited evidence. The evidence is thin and Cochrane rates it low quality.
2026-09-29 · 25 min read
Fasting5:2 diet
5:2 leads to weight loss, but randomised trials and a Cochrane review found no clear advantage over ordinary daily calorie restriction or standard dietary advice.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsFlaxseed and flaxseed oil
The state of the evidence is that whole ground flaxseed has a measurable but modest effect on blood lipids and blood pressure in meta-analyses of randomised trials.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsFluoxetine
Well established. Fluoxetine blocks the reuptake of serotonin by nerve cells.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsFluticasone
For asthma, a Cochrane review found fluticasone effective compared with placebo, even at low doses, with more thrush, sore throat and hoarseness.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsFluticasone furoate / umeclidinium / vilanterol
Well established. The evidence differs by approved use.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsFolate and folic acid
Folic acid taken around conception has high-quality Cochrane evidence for preventing neural tube defects.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsFolic acid
The strongest evidence is in pregnancy: pooled randomised trials show folic acid around conception cuts neural tube defects by roughly two thirds, with no clear effect on other birth defects.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsFurosemide
It removes excess fluid quickly and is a mainstay for congestion in heart failure, but most of the trial evidence is old, small and short.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsGarcinia cambogia
Limited evidence. It is sold for weight loss.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsGarlic
Garlic's best-supported effect is a modest reduction in blood pressure in people who already have hypertension: meta-analyses report systolic reductions of roughly 4 to 7 mmHg.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsGelatin
Gelatin is digested into amino acids and small peptides, and blood levels of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine rise within an hour of taking it.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsGinger
Ginger is best supported for nausea in pregnancy, where pooled trials show it eases nausea, though it did not significantly reduce vomiting and the evidence is low quality.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
MedicationsGlipizide
Glipizide lowers blood glucose by making the pancreas release more insulin. Pooled trials show sulfonylureas as a class drop HbA1c by about 1.5 percentage points compared with placebo, which is a large glucose effect.
2026-09-29 · 21 min read
SupplementsGlucosamine
Disputed. The evidence is disputed rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
SupplementsGlutamine
Limited evidence. Claims for glutamine centre on gut lining, immunity, recovery and muscle.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsGlutathione
Glutathione's role inside cells is not in doubt; what is disputed is whether swallowing it changes anything.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsGoji berry
Limited evidence. Goji is marketed for general well-being, antioxidant status and eye health.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsGoldenseal
What goldenseal has actually been shown to do in people is interfere with drug metabolism, not treat disease.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsGrape seed extract
Limited evidence. Meta-analyses of small trials find a small drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsGreen tea extract / EGCG
This is one of the clearest cases in the supplement literature where the harm evidence is stronger than the benefit evidence.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
ResearchIs a more diverse gut microbiome healthier?
Low diversity or low gene richness is repeatedly associated with worse metabolic markers in population studies, and one randomised trial raised diversity with fermented foods while inflammatory markers fell.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsHawthorn
Disputed. The evidence is genuinely split.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
ResearchHelicobacter pylori: what does it cause, how is it treated, is resistance a problem, and do probiotics help eradication?
The evidence that H. pylori causes gastritis and raises the risk of ulcer and stomach cancer is well established.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsHMB
Limited evidence. The evidence points in different directions depending on who takes it.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsHoly basil / tulsi
Limited evidence. Lead with the state of the evidence: it is weak and probably one-sided.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsHoodia
Not supported by the research. The human evidence does not support a weight or appetite effect.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsHorny goat weed
Limited evidence. Almost all of the pharmacology is preclinical.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsHorse chestnut
Horse chestnut seed extract is one of the better-supported herbal treatments for one narrow purpose: the leg symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsHuperzine A
Disputed. The evidence is disputed rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsHydrochlorothiazide and Losartan
Well established. The evidence for the two parts is strong but different.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsHydrochlorothiazide
Hydrochlorothiazide lowers blood pressure, but the big outcome trial that made thiazides first-line, ALLHAT, used chlorthalidone, not hydrochlorothiazide.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsHydroxyzine
The best evidence is a 2010 Cochrane review of five randomised trials in generalised anxiety disorder: hydroxyzine beat placebo.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsInsulin aspart
The evidence is that insulin aspart does the same job as regular human insulin, slightly better on average and slightly faster, not that it is a different kind of treatment.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
MedicationsInsulin Glargine
Well established. It lowers blood sugar.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
ResearchIntestinal permeability and "leaky gut": what is established, how it is measured, and what the supplements sold for it show
Increased permeability is a measurable finding in celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, and in stress states such as NSAID use and endurance exercise.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsInulin and other inulin-type fructan prebiotics
Inulin reliably feeds and increases bifidobacteria in the gut: a 50-trial meta-analysis found a clear rise.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsIodine
The thyroid needs iodine to make its hormones, which control growth and brain development.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsIron
The evidence is strong that iron supplements correct iron deficiency and anaemia: a Cochrane review of 67 trials in menstruating women found less anaemia, higher haemoglobin, better exercise performance and less fatigue.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsKava
Disputed. Kava is sold for anxiety, and the evidence is genuinely split.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
SupplementsKefir and kefir grain cultures
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsKratom
Disputed. There are almost no controlled human efficacy trials.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsL-theanine
The best-supported effect is narrow and short-lived: a single dose of around 200 mg improves one measure of attention in healthy adults within an hour.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsL-tryptophan
As a nutrient it is not optional; as a supplement the evidence is modest and the safety history is serious.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
SupplementsL-tyrosine
The claim is that extra tyrosine supports thinking under pressure, and the review literature partly backs that while narrowing it sharply.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
SupplementsLactase enzyme supplements
Lactase supplements reduce the hydrogen gas that signals undigested lactose and modestly reduce symptoms in trials.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
SupplementsLacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lacticaseibacillus casei
Limited evidence. The evidence is strain-specific and limited.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsLactiplantibacillus plantarum
Disputed. The evidence is strain-specific and mixed.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsLacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG
The best evidence is for reducing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children (moderate-quality pooled evidence); in adults the pooled result was not significant.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsLatanoprost
The evidence is that latanoprost reliably lowers pressure inside the eye, and that in one placebo-controlled trial this slowed the loss of visual field in newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma over two years.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
MedicationsLevothyroxine
Well established. It replaces missing thyroid hormone.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsLicorice root
Limited evidence. The best evidence concerns harm.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsLion's mane
The honest summary is that almost all of the biology behind lion's mane's reputation is cell-culture and rodent work, and the human evidence is a handful of small, short trials with inconsistent results.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsLisdexamfetamine
It raises brain dopamine and noradrenaline signalling through the dextroamphetamine released from it.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
MedicationsLisinopril
Well established. Lisinopril lowers blood pressure.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
MedicationsLoratadine
Loratadine blocks peripheral H1 histamine receptors, reducing the sneezing, itching and runny nose of allergic reactions, while penetrating the brain only minimally so it is comparatively non-sedating.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
MedicationsLorazepam
Well established. Lorazepam sedates and damps down anxiety, and it stops seizures.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsLosartan
Well established. Losartan lowers blood pressure.
2026-09-29 · 21 min read
SupplementsLutein and zeaxanthin
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited and mostly about the eye.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
SupplementsLycopene
Limited evidence. Less is established than the marketing suggests.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsManganese
Limited evidence. Manganese is essential, but deficiency is not a concern in people eating normal diets.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsMelatonin
Limited evidence. The honest summary is that melatonin's measured effect on sleep is real but small.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsMeloxicam
Well established. In 12-week placebo-controlled trials it improved arthritis symptoms at 7.5 and 15 mg.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsMetformin
In UKPDS 34, overweight people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who were allocated metformin had fewer diabetes-related endpoints and lower all-cause mortality than those on diet alone.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsMethylphenidate
Cochrane reviews find it may reduce ADHD symptoms in children and modestly reduces self-rated symptoms in adults, but rate the certainty of evidence very low, with mostly short, often industry-sponsored trials.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsMethylsulfonylmethane
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
MedicationsMetoprolol
Well established. The strength of the evidence depends heavily on why it is prescribed.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
ResearchWhat happens to the gut microbiome during and after a course of antibiotics?
A disrupted community is measured, not felt: sequencing shows loss of diversity within 3 to 4 days of starting a drug and a shifted composition afterwards.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsMilk thistle
Milk thistle is the archetypal liver supplement, and the liver evidence is the weakest part of its file.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
FastingModified alternate-day fasting
Well established. Modified ADF leads to weight loss compared with no diet change.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsMolybdenum
Molybdenum is needed for a small set of enzymes, and dietary deficiency has never been seen in healthy people; the only acquired deficiency on record was a patient fed intravenously without it.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
MedicationsMontelukast
Well established. It blocks the CysLT1 receptor, where leukotrienes act to narrow and inflame the airways.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsN-acetylcysteine
Limited evidence. The best-graded evidence is narrow.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsNattokinase
The evidence is limited and mostly about surrogate markers, not about heart attacks or strokes.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsNiacin
Not supported by the research. The strongest evidence is against the main claim made for high-dose nicotinic acid.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
SupplementsNAD+ precursors: nicotinamide mononucleotide
Short human trials show these compounds are well tolerated but have not shown consistent clinical benefit.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsNoni
Limited evidence. Noni is marketed as an antioxidant, immune-supporting and anticancer supplement.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsOat and barley beta-glucan
Well established. Beta-glucan lowers LDL cholesterol.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsOlive leaf extract
Limited evidence. The evidence is real but thin and low-certainty.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsOlmesartan
For lowering blood pressure the class evidence is solid and olmesartan is not distinguishable from other ARBs.
2026-09-29 · 19 min read
FastingOne meal a day
The evidence is thin: three small crossover trials in healthy normal-weight adults (two reports from one trial, lasting 8 weeks per period, and one 11-day trial) and one observational cohort.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsOmega-3 fatty acids
This is the ingredient where the marketing and the trial evidence part company most sharply.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
MedicationsOmeprazole
The trial evidence that PPIs relieve heartburn and help heal and prevent ulcers (with antibiotics when H. pylori is present) is solid, though Cochrane rates much of the ulcer evidence low quality.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsOndansetron
Well established. Ondansetron blocks the serotonin signal that vomiting is triggered by.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsOxycodone
It relieves pain by acting on opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, with no ceiling to the dose-response for analgesia.
2026-09-29 · 26 min read
SupplementsPanax notoginseng
The clinical evidence is large in volume but weak in quality, and almost all of it comes from China.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
MedicationsPantoprazole
The best evidence is for healing erosive oesophagitis (acid damage to the gullet): in a Wyeth-funded placebo-controlled trial, 88% of people on 40 mg had healed at 8 weeks versus 33% on placebo.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsPantothenic acid
The evidence for supplements is thin. Pantethine, a related compound, lowered LDL cholesterol by about 11% in one small 16-week trial of 32 people.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsPapain and papaya enzyme
Limited evidence. There is very little human evidence.
2026-09-29 · 6 min read
SupplementsParaxanthine
Paraxanthine is a stimulant with pharmacology similar to caffeine, which is unsurprising since it is what most caffeine turns into.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsPhosphatidylserine
The evidence is disputed and the older positive results mostly used a form no longer sold.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsPolicosanol
This is one of the sharpest disagreements in the supplement literature, and it splits by who ran the trial.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsPomegranate
The strongest evidence is for a small average reduction in blood pressure: a 2026 meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials pooled a fall of about 3.5 mmHg systolic and 1.5 mmHg diastolic.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsPotassium Chloride
Well established. Its approved job is to raise potassium in people who are low, or to stop them going low.
2026-09-29 · 23 min read
SupplementsPotassium
Well established. Potassium is needed to keep fluid volume and electrical gradients across cell membranes.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsPrednisone
It enters cells and switches specific genes on and off, which damps inflammation and the immune response.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
FastingProlonged water-only fasting
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited and mostly observational, from clinics that run the programmes.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsQuercetin
An umbrella review (2023) of meta-analyses found quercetin may lower systolic blood pressure by about 2 mmHg and insulin slightly.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
FastingRamadan fasting
The evidence is mostly before-and-after observational studies pooled in meta-analyses, with no randomised comparison possible.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsRed clover
Red clover is sold for hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms, and this is where the evidence is both strongest and most contested.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsRed yeast rice
The evidence that red yeast rice lowers LDL cholesterol is consistent across a large number of randomised trials.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsReishi
Limited evidence. Reishi is sold for immunity, cancer support, sleep, blood sugar and cholesterol.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsRhodiola
It is sold as an adaptogen for fatigue, stress, low mood and exercise performance, but the evidence is weak and contradictory.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsRosemary extract
Limited evidence. Rosemary is claimed to help memory, inflammation and antioxidant status.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
MedicationsRosuvastatin
Rosuvastatin lowers LDL cholesterol substantially: by 50% at 20 mg in JUPITER and 26.5% at 10 mg in HOPE-3.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsSaccharomyces boulardii
Limited evidence. Pooled trials suggest it reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (from 18.7% to 8.5%).
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsSchisandra
Limited evidence. The strongest body of evidence about schisandra is not about a health benefit at all.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsSea Moss
Reviewers of the primary literature are explicit that human clinical data on whole Chondrus crispus are sparse.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsSelenium
Selenium is needed for thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis and protection from oxidative damage.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
SupplementsSenna
Senna is a stimulant laxative and this is the one thing the literature consistently agrees it does.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsSertraline
In the largest network meta-analysis (522 trials), all antidepressants beat placebo for acute depression in adults, and sertraline was among the better tolerated.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsShiitake
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
MedicationsSimvastatin
In people with heart disease, simvastatin reduced death: in 4S all-cause mortality fell from 11.5% to 8.2% over about 5.4 years, and in HPS from 14.7% to 12.9% over 5 years.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsSlippery elm
Not enough research to say. It is used to soothe sore throats and the gut.
2026-09-29 · 6 min read
SupplementsSoy isoflavones
Soy isoflavones are sold mainly for menopausal symptoms and bone health, and the evidence is genuinely split by outcome.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
SupplementsSpermidine
Limited evidence. Observational data look favourable and interventional data do not.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsSpirulina
Limited evidence. Spirulina is sold for cholesterol, blood pressure, energy and immunity.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
SupplementsStevia
Limited evidence. Stevia is used to replace sugar.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsSulforaphane and broccoli sprout
Limited evidence. The evidence is best described as promising but mostly unconfirmed.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsSunflower and soy lecithin
Not supported by the research. Lecithin is claimed to help memory, cholesterol and blocked milk ducts.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
MedicationsTamsulosin
In the two pivotal 13-week US placebo-controlled trials (1,486 men) urinary symptom scores improved more on tamsulosin than placebo, though placebo groups also improved substantially.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsTestosterone
Where a man genuinely has low testosterone from testicular or pituitary disease, replacement raises the hormone level and improves sexual function and quality of life; that part is consistently found in meta-analyses.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsThiamin
Thiamin is essential, and deficiency causes beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, especially in heavy drinkers and after bariatric surgery.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
MedicationsTizanidine
Limited evidence. The evidence is thin for its size of use.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsTopiramate
Well established. For the two uses it is licensed for, the randomised evidence is good.
2026-09-29 · 31 min read
MedicationsTramadol
Tramadol is approved for pain, but the outcome evidence for chronic pain is weaker than its wide use suggests.
2026-09-29 · 24 min read
MedicationsTrazodone
Limited evidence. Its effects depend on dose.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
Fasting14:10 time-restricted eating
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
Fasting20:4 time-restricted eating
One 8-week randomised trial in adults with obesity found that 4-hour eating (3 to 7 p.m.) reduced weight by about 3%, insulin resistance and oxidative stress versus controls.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsTriamcinolone
Disputed. The evidence differs sharply by route, so the routes have to be judged separately.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsTribulus terrestris
Disputed. Despite the marketing, the evidence for a testosterone effect is essentially absent.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsTurmeric and curcumin
Disputed. The claim is that curcumin is anti-inflammatory and helps joints, mood and blood sugar.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsUrolithin A
Limited evidence. The honest summary is that human evidence is thin and mostly inconclusive.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsValacyclovir
The state of the evidence is that valacyclovir shortens and reduces herpes outbreaks and, taken daily, lowers how often outbreaks happen and how often an infected partner passes genital herpes to someone else.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
MedicationsValsartan
The evidence is strongest for what valsartan does to numbers and to hospitalisations rather than to survival.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsVenlafaxine
Well established. The strongest evidence is for major depressive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder.
2026-09-29 · 21 min read
SupplementsVitamin A
Vitamin A is needed for vision, immune function, growth and reproduction. In children at risk of deficiency, a meta-analysis of 43 trials found supplementation cut all-cause mortality by about 24%.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsVitamin B6
B6 in its coenzyme forms takes part in more than 100 enzyme reactions, mostly in protein metabolism.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsVitamin D
Disputed. The strongest human evidence is negative rather than positive.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsVitamin E
Large trials have mostly failed to show benefit from vitamin E supplements, and several found harm.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsVitamin K2
The evidence is thin and much of the positive fracture data comes from Japanese trials of MK-4.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsWarfarin
Warfarin blocks an enzyme the liver needs to activate vitamin K, which reduces the liver's production of several clotting factors and thins the blood over several days.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
SupplementsWheatgrass and barley grass
Not supported by the research. Very little human trial evidence exists.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
SupplementsWhey protein
What the trials support is protein supplementation in general alongside resistance training, not whey specifically.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsWhite mulberry leaf
The evidence that stands up best is short-term and about the meal, not the disease: a 2022 systematic review of randomised trials concluded that Morus alba can reduce post-prandial glucose and insulin.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
SupplementsWhite willow bark
For short-term low back pain the evidence is moderate: Cochrane concluded that standardised daily doses of 120 mg or 240 mg of salicin are probably better than placebo for pain and rescue medication use over a few weeks.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsStreptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
Well established. The best-supported effect is on lactose.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
SupplementsYohimbe
Disputed. The evidence is contested rather than settled.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsZinc
Disputed. There are two separate stories here.
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FoundationsHealthspan vs Lifespan: What Longevity Really Means After 50
Living longer is not the goal. Living well for longer is. Here is the one gap that decides which one you get.
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MovementMovement Is Medicine. Here Is the Proof, and Where to Start After 50
Not a slogan. One of the most studied ideas in health. And the first step is smaller than you think.
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Nutrition & GutChili con memios: High-Protein Wagyu and Black Bean Chili
Chili con memios is a whole-food chili with black beans, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes, plus per-cup macros and key micronutrients, and a label comparison against top canned chili brands.
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Purpose & SpiritThe Power of Spiritual Growth
How embracing spiritual growth and faith-based learning can redefine your later years and fuel wellness into your 90s
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Nutrition & GutTop Supplements for Energy, Longevity & Wellness After 50
The Essential Daily Stack for Staying Strong, Sharp, and Healthy Beyond Midlife
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Nutrition & GutTop 10 Superfoods for Energy and Longevity After 50
Feel Better. Live Longer. Eat Smarter.
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Purpose & SpiritThe Power of Spiritual Growth: Faith-Based Learning for Total Life Optimization
How strengthening your spiritual health improves mental wellness, emotional intelligence, and physical well-being
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Purpose & SpiritHow to be a better partner
Becoming a Better Partner: A Biblical Perspective
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