Goodbye to Baloney

[TromboneAl]

Those studies do not say anything about cause and effect. Because people who eat more red meat get more colon cancer doesn't mean that the red meat causes colon cancer.

Perhaps they are more constipated, and constipation causes cc.

Perhaps they can afford more meat because they are more well-off and have other habits that distinguish them from the other group.

Perhaps meat eaters are less health conscious in general.

Unless subjects are randomly assigned to the different groups, you can say nothing about cause and effect.

ER forum members are richer than non ER forum members. Does that mean that joining this forum causes wealth?

 

[GregLee]

There have been many studies done that show a cause/effect relationship.

That might be going a little far, but there have been a lot of studies purporting to show a link. I'll have to confess that, although I've reached a conclusion, myself, I haven't read a single one of the studies and, consequently, have no opinion about how sound they are. Even if I were to read them, I doubt very much that my extremely limited knowledge of statistics and non-existent knowledge of biomedical science could lead me to a reasonable critical evaluation. But just the fact that there are a number of studies counts for something -- it means that several people in the biz' have decided there might be a bandwagon that they'd like to hitch onto. That's something. I'm thinking, that where there's smoke, there's fire. And besides, I don't need a certainty to place my bet on diet or food supplement issues, because there's little downside. Suppose I give up red meat, but it turns out, when the matter is finally clarified, that it was just a bunch of crap. What did I lose? There are lots of delicious foods other than red and processed meats.

 

[Bestwifeever]

...ER forum members are richer than non ER forum members. Does that mean that joining this forum causes wealth?

It doesn't?

 

[kumquat]

"The plural of anecdote is not data."

Not sure where I saw it but I'm not about to give up the things I love for 3 more years in the nursing home.

 

[rgarling]

I don't know how much more evidence you need. ...

You should not form your opinion about what a science article says based on a journalists reading, or worse, his/her summary of what other journalists said about an article.

 

[GregLee]

On another forum, a user "Gaelen" posted this link Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis -- Micha et al., 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.924977 -- Circulation to an article (a meta-analysis) which concludes that there is no association between red meat and diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease. However, there are associations to processed meat consumption.