Pseudoscientific Claim There are many companies and individuals that make pseudoscientific claims. A pseudoscientific claim is when a company or individual makes a claim, belief, or practice and presents it as scientific, but which does not adhere to the scientific method. A good example of a pseudoscientific claim is when a company states that taking their product results in rapid weight loss or rapid muscle gain. The pseudoscientific claim that will be discussed is a claim made by Applied Nutritional Research, a company based out of Colorado, which claims that it is a distributor of nutritional health products. Applied Nutritional Research (ANA) claims that they have created a product which boosts the gain of muscle by around 600% within 7 weeks. The product is named C9-T11, which stands for cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid. ANA claims that C9-T11 synthesizes muscle from fat …show more content…
According to Lilienfeld and Landfield (2008) the most notable indications of a pseudoscientific claim are, “evasion of peer review, over reliance on testimonial and anecdotal evidence, and extravagant claims” (p. 1218). ANA’s claims, regarding C9-T11, contains the top three indicators of a false pseudoscientific claim. Firstly, ANA cites numerous research articles that apparently support their claims of improved muscle gain; however, there are no links to the actual publications. Secondly, ANA claims that C9-T11 causes 600% muscle gain in 6 weeks, which is impossible from my own experience because I have been working out for over 3 years.Thirdly, ANA uses plenty of testimonial’s in an attempt to prove it’s point. In conclusion, ANA could fool the average person that C9-T11 is a substance that boosts muscle growth; however, if the person has ever stepped foot in a gym or studied science, he or she would not be fooled due the numerous indicators that ANA’s claims are
What if there was a drug you could take that guaranteed increased energy and strength? Not only that, but it came in an easy-to-swallow capsule, it could safely and naturally increase your level of testosterone, (the most potent of muscle building hormones), and it would be perfectly legal to buy and relatively inexpensive.
1. Video “Here Be Dragons” by Brian Dunning (4/15/14) is a fresh and critical overlook on the huge variety of so called “dragons” which exist in abundance even in our civilized society. This video promotes critical thinking and demonstrates the “red flags” that one has to look out for in order to detect pseudosciences. A pseudoscience is an idea that claims to be real but is not backed by any real science or evidence. For instance, hair analysis, feng shui, psychokinesis, homeopathy, numerology, aura analysis, the list could go on forever. The warning signs for such “sciences” are - appeal to authority, ancient wisdom, confirmation bias, confuse correlation with causation, red herring, proof by verbosity, mystical energy, suppression by authority, all natural and ideological support. The one “red flag” I have always been skeptical about and this video confirmed it for me is “appeal to authority”. It is hard for me to understand how people actually trust advertisements that are simply screaming “we are specialists, look at our white lab coats and and all the certificates and the celebrities that support our product”. It is simply pathetic. As Brian says - “Good science presents good data, it does not aim to impress”. However, the one “red flag” that I have to be careful about myself is confusing correlation with causation. It is the natural human tendency to assume that, if two events or phenomena consistently occur at about the same time, then one is the cause of the other. Our weakness for this tactic is often exploited by scammers and bogus scientists when they want to persuade us that a relationship exists between two variables without providing supporting evidence. In order to secure ourselves from falling for all the nonsense...
“Drugs 2004: Steroids: Is Bulking Up Worth the Risk. “ World Book Science Year. 2009.
...nd because of marketing, companies will always be using techniques to make their product look better. In a perfect world, the two would be combined and used correctly to make the best combination for ultimate muscle growth and recovery. But alas, this world is not perfect, forcing the debate to continue.
Vastag, Brian. "FDA Reviews Expanded Claims On Health Benefits Of Certain Foods." JNCI: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute 96.16 (2004): 1198-1199.
Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S., and Wilson, W. Pumped: Straight Facts for Athletes about Drugs, Supplements, and Training. 2000. W.W. Norton, New York and London.
The only problem with Michael Pollan’s outlook on nutritionism is the fact that he is completely against scientific research on the subject because history in this matter has not been reliable. With any good, there is also bad that follows. This relates to scientific research on nutrients which have provided many useful things to society, yet brought some evils such as processed foods which have plagued the American Diet for many years. Amongst all the countries in the world the United States of America has a population in which two-thirds of their people are obese. When it comes to processed foods, people should take this chemically engineered food with a grain of salt, take a more traditional approach and use current knowledge to promote a healthy
With all the unregulated dietary supplements being sold and recommended, our health insurance costs will continue to rise. If the product causes severe side effects, it should no longer be permitted to be sold in stores. The only way to touch the minds of many people is to inform them of the dangers of consuming dietary supplements. Disposing of all incorrect information in product labeling and ingredient lists is important. People need to recognize the faults that plague many advertisements. In addition businesses should promote safe products instead of the harmful ones that they advocate for. The United States Congress should consider regulating dietary supplements to maintain safety. If people are aware of the many lies companies present, then dietary supplements will be one less problem to worry about.
Martinez, Mark. A. A. “Creatine a Bigger Body.” 2004. The College Student Site. 5 October 2004.
Although Science and Pseudoscience are evidently two completely different topics, what is considered to be classified as a Science or Pseudoscience is a controversy topic that’s still being debated today. While science builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world through the scientific method, pseudoscience is a claim, belief or practice which is presented as science, but lacks support of evidence and cannot be reliably tested. Hypnosis is one topic several psychologists and those in the field of science are seemingly still debating today, in result to its several different uses. Although hypnosis is shown to work when dealing with certain phenomena’s like stress, there are several uses it is considered to be very ineffective and simply not a science.
The use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs is a common trend that is currently fascinating athletes all over the world. Athletes who are using these drugs are damaging the sport and harming their bodies at the same time. Seeking a greater athletic physique and ability, athletes turned to the use of steroids. Once the dangers and possible health risks arose, athletes then turned to performance enhancers. Two specific supplements have taken the sports world by storm and now are being used by athletes of all ages. They are androstenedione and creatine. It took years until people began to understand how dangerous steroids really were. These performance enhancers, like androstenedione and creatine are going to produce the same results.
Creatine supplement have been shown to accelerate recovery between workouts, increase muscle size and strength, increase body weight and improve anaerobic power and endurance (Branch, 2003). Resistance training combined with an injection of creatine supplementation amplifies sport performance. The increase muscle mass when creatine is ingested into the body during resistance training is the ability of the body to continue more repletion during training, which prompts beneficial genetic adaptions in the muscles (Williams, 2006). Creatine supplementation comes in forms of powder, candy, pills, chews and serum which improves performance in speed endurance sports such as the 50m swim or the 200m run, but does not improve ones skill in the sport (Williams, 2006). Weight lifters use creatine as a way to enhance their muscle growth. Creatine supplements are also consumed in multiple sprint sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey and tennis in which there are periods of low intensity or standing and periods of high intensity (Benzi,
This is why the search is now on to find some legal means of enhancing athletic performance. Much to athletes' delight, a new promising product, creatine, has recently appeared on the market. Creatine is a substance found in meats and synthesized by the human body, but the latest craze is over artificially made creatine. Many athletes take it in hopes of increasing their strength, speed, or endurance. Although the initial results of creatine testing were very positive, showing potential to help athletes increase their strength and speed, new evidence shows that creatine is not as perfect of a nutritional supplement as it once appeared to be.
The scene is set. It is 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, and the final heat of the Olympics is about to commence. The sprinters have been training their entire lives for the opportunity at hand, and the outcome of the most important event of their lives is going to come down to mere milliseconds. With a gold medal on the line, these athletes will be looking for any advantage they can get, whether big or small. One direction these athletes turn for an advantage is supplements. Supplements have emerged as a way for athletes to increase their performance, yet their use is very controversial. Supplements, varying from simple multivitamins to complex chemical supplements, are used by almost every athlete, whether recreational or professional, looking for a way to gain an advantage. Although the advantages gained from these supplements are controversial and risky, supplements have become a mainstay in athletics.
Back in 2014, TINA.org approached consumers to participate in Coca-Cola’s preparatory settlement over deceptive labelling and advertising of its Glacéau Vitaminwater beverages. Glacéau vitaminwater beverages make unjustified health claims, such as it could promote healthy joints, lessen the risk of eye disease as well as to support immune functions. (http://www.businessinsider.sg/coca-cola-glacau-vitaminwater-misleading-advertising-lawsuit-2014-10/?r=US&IR=T#.VoZjCjZn9g1)