Relevant evidence

Are the nutrition interventions different from those available to you?

Always ask yourself if the nutrition interventions evaluated in fair comparisons of interventions are relevant.

For example, a fair comparison of interventions looking at the effects of a nutrition intervention received in a specialised hospital or delivered by an experienced practitioner may not provide a reliable estimate of its effects and safety in other settings, or in the hands of less experienced practitioners.

Similarly, comparing a new nutrition supplement to a placebo or a supplement that is not commonly used (and that is less effective or safe than commonly used nutrition supplements) would not provide a relevant estimate of how the new nutrition supplement compares to commonly used supplements.

REMEMBER: Ask whether the nutrition interventions available to you are so different from those in the research studies that the results may not apply to you.