Scientific research is an incredibly competitive field where bias and conflict of interest are difficult to avoid. Additionally, the two major sources of funding for large studies are governments and private corporations. That means getting funded often requires researchers to play by the rules of whoever is funding the study.  That’s obviously a problem, and often results in studies that aren’t well designed, are influenced by interest groups, or have other flaws.  That means if you want to truly understand the results of a study (and the implications of those results), you have to read the full text (not only the abstract), figure out who would benefit from the results (i.e., is there a potential conflict of interest), and ask the right questions.  Most of us don’t have the expertise to do that. Certainly, the mainstream media doesn’t. That’s why I usually disregard headlines such as “low-carb diets might shorten your life, study says.” In case you’re wondering, the claims made by the authors of that particular study have been debunked. The bottom line is that I have done my best to present the best and most reliable evidence I can find. But I encourage you to do your own research, and to always ask questions if something doesn’t seem to make sense.