Why You Can't Simply "Trust the Science"

Episode Summary: In this episode of Blasphemous Nutrition, host Aimee delves into the topic of scientific literacy and the challenges of trusting scientific research. She highlights three primary problems with research: publication bias, lack of validation, and the manipulation of statistics for marketability. Aimee discusses the limitations of observational studies and the importance of distinguishing between absolute risk and relative risk. She emphasizes the need for critical thinking and skepticism when interpreting scientific information and concludes by acknowledging the complexity of health and the importance of considering differing opinions in the pursuit of truth.Key Takeaways:Research is often skewed due to publication bias, with a strong bias towards publishing studies with positive results.Validation studies to confirm existing research findings are not done frequently enough, leading to a lack of reproducibility.The game of telephone from researcher intent to publication to media dissemination can distort scientific information.Observational studies provide valuable observations but cannot establish causal relationships with certainty.Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard but have limitations in capturing real-world complexity.  Notable Quotes:"We cannot blindly trust the science and we should be extremely skeptical of trusting anyone who says otherwise." - Aimee"The real world is way too complex for RCTs to be as gold a standard as we really wish they could be." - AimeeResources:Photography by: Dai Ross Photography Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative Blasphemous Nutrition on SubstackWork with AimeeCHAT ME UP: let me know what's on your mind by texting here! Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on SubstackWork with AimeePhotography by: Dai Ross PhotographyPodcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate CreativeHow to Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts Via iOS Device1.   Open Apple Podcast App (purple app icon that says Podcasts).2.   Go to the icons at the bottom of the screen and choose “search”3.   Search for “Blasphemous Nutrition”4.   Click on the SHOW, not the episode.5.   Scroll all the way down to “Ratings and Reviews” section6.   Click on “Write a Review” (if you don’t see that option, click on “See All” first)7.   Rate the show on a five-star scale (5 is highest rating) and write a review!8.   Bask in the glow of doing a good deed that makes a difference!