Researching Health - Part 2
NOTE: For Part 1 - click here.
7 Steps How to Research Health Information
There is an increasing concern over the prolific confusion of information since the dawn of the internet superhighway. Type in just a bout anything and you’ll get seemingly hundreds of conflicting information on that same subject. But you know, truth doesn’t change and neither does true science. It is our interpretation of science or the way the experiment or study was done. But you don’t have to be a doctor to figure out a general idea of whether something is good or bad, right or wrong.
How do you know what to choose and who to believe when it comes to health? Many take the ‘Doctor’s’ word for it, or worse yet some book toting a cure all. Doctors and authors, yes, even myself, are still human. We still make mistakes. Yes, even our conservative, health minded doctors. So lets look at a few ways to make sure you are in charge of your health and are getting the truth.
Before we get into the 7 Steps how to research health. Be sure you have looked at the obvious. The Bible. What does the Bible say on that topic or does it have a principle that covers it. Then move on to Spirit of Prophecy (For those of you who are Seventh-Day Adventist). See Part 1 - click here.
So, what about foods and issues not listed in the above sources or only mentioned casually? What about the gray areas, like say chocolate or vitamins. Then we need to turn to the next source. Science. But first we have to understand something about health principles. What may be sin or harmful to one person may not be for another. This is NOT because the principles change, but because we are created different. The main principle in health, especially in regard to diet and foods, is: We must have good digestion to have good blood to have a clean mind and healthy body. All the other principles tag onto this main one. If you are stressed, you will have poor digestion, if you eat too much, you will have poor digestion, and so on.
Before I get into the steps in researching health, you can turn to a qualified scientist or nutritionist who has all ready done the research for you. But who do you choose to believe? A Dietician, Dr. Thrash, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Day, Dr. Nedley? Not even these health minded doctors agree on everything. None of these health professionals are faultless or perfect. Often we just believe the one we want to believe. Ok, I know most of us would never admit to something so shallow, but unfortunately it is very true. Here is where you need to decide how important this topic is to you. If the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy didn’t cover it, chances are is not a sin. If at this point you are willing to just take the experts opinion that is fine, not everyone can do mountains of research. There is nothing wrong with reading a good book and making changes in your life based on that book. BUT remember that is your choice to listen to a particular doctor. You can’t tell others to choose the same, because Dr so and so says so. If you intend on sharing the health message, you need to be sure what you are presenting is done in such a manner as to not lead others to believe God has endorsed it as a principle or law.
So, for those of you who want to know for yourself the answer to a health question, like should we take vitamin supplements for example, you will have to do research yourself. For those of you who aren’t interested in research, I think the principles can still help you so I recommend you keep reading.
Here are the 7 Steps How to Research Health in scientific literature.
1. Collect many sources for information. Books, internet, calling professionals, etc.
2. Be sure the sources are qualified. There are hundreds of people discussing thousands of topics, but they are just giving their opinions, stories, history, and suggestions. Your source needs to be an unbiased qualified professional. That means a neurosurgeon saying you should take Vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis is not a valuable as a Orthopedic surgeon saying the same thing. Medical Doctors are not trained in depth on nutrition, so just be careful. Sometimes scientists or even research students are a much better source.
3. Be sure the source is unbiased. This can be more difficult. I did research on caffeine and found a seemingly good source saying it is NOT a diuretic. Several Dieticians and Doctors were quoting the study. So I went to the source (as I don’t always trust doctors). It turns out it was a VERY small study funded by cola-cola. And it breaks another principle of research, look for more than one source.
4. Look for more than one source, and be willing to look back on the subject in the future. If you can only find one source, one quote (true of S of P too.) that is simply not enough to base and entire doctrine on. Keep looking and praying for the answer and don’t give up. For a long time I couldn’t find anything on B12 in food, but little by little I found when certain vegetables, beets are one of them, are grown organically, in nutrient rich soil, the plants can absorb B12 from the soil. The plants don’t produce it, but they are now a source of B12 from absorbing it.
5. Be sure you have the original source, and that your 5 different sources are really different. Sometimes we find 10 people saying you can’t overdose on vitamin B12 or Vitamin D, but if you trace them back they are point to one article. While several other articles say you can overdose. Make sure you are at the source! This may take some digging, emailing, or even phoning. Don’t quote an article unless you are sure it is the source or is directly word for word quoting the source.
6. Be sure you have the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Make sure you take the source in context. If you find an article that says “You can live just fine for 2 days without water” check out the whole story! Perhaps it is an article on surviving on a deserted island and it is a tip for staying calm and giving hope. Stay in context. Learn why was the study done and what is the main thrust of the article.
7. Take the average, leave the extremes. If one study or source say you don’t need vitamin D and another says it cures everything, you can be sure neither is correct. Find the mainstream, common, average information and omit the extreme fanatics. Even if there is a possibility they are correct, you are better off with certainties in research.
So, you can see it’s a life long process. NEVER say NEVER unless it is in the scriptures. After than, each individual much take responsibility for their own choices and we must give them the freedom for those choices. It is not up to use in the health message to clear up all the grey areas. It is our responsibility to point them to the source of health, Jesus and teach them how to think for themselves.
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