Beware of Headlines That Make Definitive Claims like "Antioxidants block aging" and "Vitamin C prevents cancer"

Oftentimes, we have heard people saying, "There is now a discovery that says...." or "Science has discovered that...", and they begin promoting the discovery, or start believing everything that has been touted by a university or group, without, of course, knowing the full import and implications of the studies undertaken, or the rationale behind the project.

One such study was brought to the editor's attention latterly. A CNN article pronounced, apparently citing a study, that "an egg a day may be fine...after all"; needless to say, cautiously subsuming its  disclaimer into the modal verb "may" in the middle of the proclamation. In a similar fashion, there was yet another work of scientists, not very long ago, that asserted that "marijuana has been found to be good for us", which came about the same time when a laboratory study contended that "daily consumption of a small amount alcohol will stave off dementia". Not very long after, there was a slew of other observational studies that either contradicted the earlier findings, or raised serious doubts about the validity of the conclusions. And, it comes as no surprise that the vast majority of people, even those who are reputed to be better informed, have to a considerable extent, seized upon these so-called scientific studies. We all know how Elizabeth Holmes fooled even the smartest persons on earth!

Commenting upon people's vile tendency to believe everything with a label "science" or "studies", the Harvard Medical School, in one of its Special Health Report entitled "Making Sense of  Vitamins and Minerals", has said, "Even the most promising research must work its way through a hierarchy of studies before scientists can draw firm conclusions about it. In the process, the findings of seemingly reliable studies can be turned on their head by newer research. This can be frustrating for people trying to make healthy choices, since the conventional wisdom may change from one year to the next... Instead of rushing off in search of the newest, best supplement that garnered headlines in your morning paper, it’s wise to read carefully and consider whether the weight of evidence from a series of solid studies warrants making any changes." (pg. 14)

It sternly warned us, "Beware of headlines that make definitive claims: 'Antioxidants block aging,' 'Vitamin C prevents cancer,' and so on. The media sometimes fail to put a study in context by explaining the type of research reported. Any exciting new finding may be presented as definitive, especially if you just skim the headlines. You may be told little about the quality of the research. Moreover, when it comes to diet and nutrition, each type of study faces a special set of challenges and limitations."

In the 1950s, Swami Sri Sivananda said the same thing about science, studies and conclusions based on western science, "Discoveries of science are never ultimately reliable, because the instruments and apparatus aiding its research are ever changing. They are imperfect as they are conceived out of the fickle mind with all its numerous limitations. Each theory, each discovery, that is put forward one day is contradicted and falsified by a fresh one the next day." (pg. 117, Yoga Samhita by Swami Sivananda).

Contrasting western discoveries with the wisdom of the rishies, Swami Sivananda said, "The realizations arrived at through Yoga are infallible as they are the direct perceptions with the highest instrument, namely, the purified mind attuned to the infinite...Its findings have been corroborated time and again by its practitioners in the succeeding centuries." (pg. 117, supra)