How we rate a claim.
Every claim gets a verdict and a confidence level. Here’s exactly what each one means.
From true to false
When there’s no single answer
The honest answer changes based on your situation, dose, or goals. There isn’t one verdict that fits everyone.
The research so far is too thin, too mixed, or too early to call. We’ll update this as better evidence comes in.
Evidence confidence
Separate from the verdict itself: how solid is the research behind it?
Multiple high-quality studies (large RCTs, meta-analyses) point the same direction, and the result has held up across independent research groups.
Decent evidence exists, but it’s a smaller body of research, mixed study quality, or not yet replicated as widely as we’d like.
Early, small, or mostly indirect (animal or mechanistic) evidence. Promising, but treat the verdict as a current best guess rather than a settled answer.
The available studies disagree with each other, or there simply isn’t enough research yet to say much with confidence.