#535: Is This Meta-analysis Good or Bad? – How to Critique Nutrition Studies
Sigma Nutrition Radio
Danny Lennon
4.8 • 626 Ratings
🗓️ 10 September 2024
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
To many, meta-analyses are seen as a research tool that is often regarded as the pinnacle of evidence in nutrition science. But is this accurate? What exactly makes a meta-analysis reliable or flawed? How can we distinguish between a well-conducted study and one that might mislead even the most well-intentioned reader?
In this episode, through three concrete examples, we explore the fundamental principles of meta-analyses, focusing on key aspects such as study selection, heterogeneity, and effect sizes. We discuss how these elements can significantly impact the conclusions drawn from a meta-analysis and what you should look out for when interpreting their results.
Whether you’re a nutrition professional, a researcher, or simply someone interested in the science behind dietary guidelines, this discussion will help you navigate the often murky waters of meta-analytic research.
Timestamps:
- 05:14 Understanding Meta-Analyses
- 12:11 Example 1: Dairy Consumption and Health
- 39:06 Example 2: Meta-Analysis on Carbohydrate Intake
- 54:59 Example 3: Meta-Analysis on Intermittent Fasting
- 01:02:44 Challenges in Meta-Analysis of Intermittent Fasting
- 01:13:56 Key Ideas Segment (Premium-only)
Links:
- Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
- Meta-analyses discussed in the episode:
- Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, just want to mention something briefly. If you are listening to this as this episode goes out, |
| 0:05.7 | as I'll mention when we get into the episode itself, over the next week, we will be opening |
| 0:11.2 | enrollment to the next cohort of applied nutrition literacy, which is the course developed by |
| 0:16.4 | Dr. Alan Flanagan and myself. That will be an eight-module course. It will be our second ever cohort. |
| 0:22.8 | And if you're interested in taking part in this course, this year, this will be the only opportunity. |
| 0:28.5 | So we'll be opening enrollment window for about a week and a half. You can get the full details of the |
| 0:33.8 | course in the description box wherever you're currently listening right now or on sigma nutrition.com. |
| 0:39.0 | So if you click through there, you'll see the full |
| 0:40.9 | core syllabus, you'll see an FAQ, |
| 0:43.2 | more information about the course, |
| 0:44.8 | and see if it's something that you would like. |
| 0:47.7 | I'll also mention a few more details |
| 0:49.8 | at the end of this episode, |
| 0:51.7 | but for now, let's dive straight in |
| 0:54.1 | to our episode today. |
| 1:08.8 | Hello and welcome to another episode of Sigma Nutrition Radio. |
| 1:12.6 | This is episode 535 of the podcast. |
| 1:15.6 | My name is Danny Lennon and of course with me is Dr. Alan Flanagan. |
| 1:19.6 | Alan, how are you doing? |
| 1:20.6 | I'm very well, thanks. |
| 1:21.6 | At this current time as this episode goes out, we are just on the cusp of putting out the second ever cohort of our |
| 1:29.0 | course Applied Nutrition Literacy. And I think I'll speak on behalf of both of us that we're |
... |
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