What does the science actually say?
Evidence-graded summaries of what peer-reviewed studies say about supplements, vitamins, foods and lifestyle habits, with every claim linked to its PubMed sources.
Latest
- Can Fennel Relieve Menstrual Cramps? — Small trials suggest fennel may ease period cramps, possibly as well as painkillers, but the studies are small and imperfect.
- Does hibiscus tea lower blood pressure? — Reviews of trials find hibiscus tea lowers systolic and diastolic pressure by a few points, most clearly in people with raised pressure.
- Can dancing improve balance, mobility and mood in older adults? — Pooled trials link dancing to better balance, mobility and mood in older adults, but a large year-long trial found no fewer falls.
- Does Drinking Pomegranate Juice Lower Blood Pressure? — Pooled trials link daily pomegranate juice with a modest blood pressure drop. Here is what the studies found, and their limits.
- Does eating flaxseed lower cholesterol and blood pressure? — Pooled trials find ground flaxseed lowers blood pressure a few points and LDL modestly, with effects growing at higher doses and longer use.
- Does holy basil (tulsi) help with stress and blood sugar? — Two small trials of standardised holy basil extracts found less stress than placebo. No human trials on blood sugar were found.
- Does valerian root help you sleep? What the trials show — Several trials report better sleep quality with valerian root, but results are mixed and it has not clearly helped people fall asleep faster.
- Does elderberry help with colds and flu? — A few small trials suggest elderberry may shorten a cold slightly. For flu, the results disagree. Here is what the studies found and what is still unknown.
- Does milk thistle help your liver? What the trials show — Pooled trials link milk thistle to lower liver enzymes in fatty liver. Larger trials in hepatitis C found no clear liver benefit.
Recently updated
- Fennel — Fennel may ease menstrual cramps: small trials found it beat placebo and looked similar to painkillers, but the trials were small with moderate risk of bias.
- Hibiscus Tea — Hibiscus tea modestly lowers blood pressure, roughly 5-8 mmHg systolic and 3-4 mmHg diastolic across pooled trials, with bigger drops in people starting higher.
- Dancing — Dancing is linked to better balance, mobility and mood in older adults, but trials disagree on whether it prevents falls.
- Pomegranate Juice — Drinking pomegranate juice may lower systolic blood pressure by roughly 5 to 8 mmHg and diastolic by roughly 2 to 3 mmHg, but the evidence is limited and resul…
- Flaxseed — Pooled trials find ground flaxseed modestly lowers blood pressure and LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, with the clearest results at around 30 g a day…
- Holy Basil — Holy basil extract may ease perceived stress: two small placebo-controlled trials found lower stress scores than placebo.
- Valerian — Valerian may make some people feel their sleep is better, and several trials report this, but the evidence is small and mixed.
- Elderberry — Standardised elderberry extracts may shorten colds slightly, but the evidence is small and limited.
- Milk Thistle — Milk thistle may lower liver enzymes in fatty liver disease in pooled trials, but larger trials have not shown clear protection of the liver or a lower risk of…
- Echinacea — Echinacea may modestly reduce colds and antibiotic use in children, but adult trials found little or no shorter-cold benefit.
- Broccoli Sprouts and Sulforaphane — Small, early trials suggest broccoli sprouts may modestly lower blood sugar and ease some hay fever symptoms.
- Calcium — Calcium from food or supplements gives bones a small density boost, but large recent trials show little clear effect on fractures when calcium is taken alone.
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