In your quest for a healthy and balanced life, you may have included natural supplements to improve your diet and your health. However, not all natural supplements are equally effective and safe. To meet these two conditions, efficacy and safety, they must follow certain quality criteria, good manufacturing practices and be based on serious and supported clinical studies. In this article, we will explain clinical studies, how they are conducted, what criteria they follow, and how they reach their conclusions.
The benefits of natural substances must be based on scientific facts
Clinical studies are scientific investigations conducted in humans or compatible animals to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a product or treatment. These studies are essential to support claims about the benefits of natural supplements scientifically.
Clinical studies are based on the scientific method and follow ethical and legal standards.
In particular, studies on natural supplements aim to determine whether these products are safe, whether they have health benefits, and whether they are better than other available options. This is done by comparing the results of a group of people taking the natural supplement with those of another group taking a placebo or a substance with no effect.
To be of scientific value, different variables that may affect the results are always taken into account, such as age, gender, weight, diet, lifestyle, previous illnesses, and medications taken by the participants. These variables must be measured and controlled to ensure the validity and reliability of the studies.
- Clinical trials must also follow quality criteria to ensure scientific rigor. Important criteria include:
- Sufficient sample size to detect significant differences between groups.
- The duration should be adequate to observe the short- and long-term effects of the natural supplement.
There should be regular follow-ups of participants to assess adherence to treatment and side effects.
When the study is completed, it should be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. All variables, the selection criteria, and the results of the study should be clearly and in detail.
The therapeutic actions of any reliable natural supplement must be supported by serious clinical studies.
Clinical studies on natural supplements can be classified according to their design type. We explain the most common ones:
Placebo studies: these are studies in which the control group receives a substance with no effect, such as a sugar pill or an empty capsule. This avoids the placebo effect, which is the improvement perceived by the simple fact of receiving a treatment.
Double-blind studies are those in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who receives the natural supplement and who receives the placebo. This avoids expectation bias, which is the influence of beliefs or opinions on the results.
Randomized studies are those in which participants are randomly assigned to one of the groups. This avoids selection bias, which is the difference between groups due to factors other than treatment.
Clinical studies on natural supplements allow evidence-based conclusions to be drawn about the safety and efficacy of these products. However, not all natural supplements on the market have been subjected to these studies, so their efficacy is not scientifically proven.
When you decide to take a natural supplement, make sure it is of high quality, safe, and scientifically proven efficacy. Don’t just go by advertising slogans, look for the clinical studies that all good natural supplements must have behind them.
At Lanier Pharma, you will find all the scientific literature that supports the efficacy of the natural and active ingredients we use. All our products are backed by the evidence of contrasted clinical studies and are available for you to read.
It is important to us to offer you natural supplements based on scientific evidence. That’s why we are your trusted natural pharmaceutical laboratory. We encourage you to visit our official website and consult the extensive bibliography of clinical studies that support our products.
