In many cases it only takes a few questions to get at the heart of a research-related news story and see how important the results are for you personally. With these tips and a better understanding of the world of health research, you can look at health information with a more discerning eye. While this won't be a guarantee against frustration, it should help you embrace health recommendations--and the healthy lifestyle they promote--with more confidence.    

Is the story simply reporting the results of a single study? If so, where does it fit in with other studies on the topic? Only very rarely would a single study be influential enough for people to change their behaviors based on the results.

How large is the study? Large studies often provide more reliable results than small studies.    

Was the study done in animals or humans? Mice, rats, and monkeys are not people. To best understand how food (or some other factor) affects human health, it must almost always be studied in humans.

Did the study look at real disease endpoints, like heart disease or osteoporosis? Chronic diseases, like heart disease and osteoporosis, often take many decades to develop. To get around waiting that long, researchers will sometimes look at markers for these diseases, like narrowing of the arteries or bone density. These markers, though, don't always develop into the disease.

How was diet assessed? Some methods of dietary assessment are better than others. Good studies will have evidence that the methods have validity.

Read more about nutrition research and the mass media.  

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