Original sentence: Independent research has already disproved, or is needed to confirm or disprove, many of the purported health claims, such as reports of hormonal activity (unknown in the bees themselves; the most abundant sterol is cholesterol, which is not itself a hormone)
Edited sentence: Independent research may or may not have already disproved, or may or may not be needed to confirm or disprove, many of the purported health claims, such as reports of hormonal activity (unknown in the bees themselves; the most abundant sterol is cholesterol, which is not itself a hormone)