Read beyond the headline

Find the original study. Begin with the paper or trial record behind a claim. Check the compound identity, experimental model, comparison group, methods, measured outcomes, and limitations. A promotional summary is not a substitute for the underlying record.

Match the finding to its setting. A cell-culture experiment can investigate a mechanism. An animal study can explore a hypothesis. Neither alone establishes a benefit or a safe regimen in people. Human findings still depend on the trial design, size, population, and follow-up.

Keep uncertainty visible. Look for conflicting results, incomplete adverse-event reporting, missing replication, and outcomes that were not measured. A database entry marked “insufficient evidence” represents a meaningful limit, not an empty field to fill with confidence.