Randomization Is the Key to Causal Inference in a Randomized Controlled Trial

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The assumption of randomization that makes people comfortable with causal inference is that any unknown covariates are assumed to be equally distributed between groups. A well-conducted cohort study conceptually can achieve the same thing if we know what those potential confounders are. This is a great point because on Twitter you often see people say, well, if it's an observational study that someone shared with a great multivariate analysis, really, the researchers were well aware of like confounding and adjusted for it. But this is really important because if we've got prior knowledge that there are things that influence an outcome, we use that prior knowledge well.

In Episode #227, I sit down with Alan Flanagan, PhD and Drew Harrisberg to discuss the carnivore diet and veganism, assessing many of the popular claims made by health and nutrition “influencers”. We discuss Big Pharma, social media censorship, and vegan protein intake. We also zoom in on the ethics of veganism, spotting a legitimate academic, and why socioeconomic and environmental factors impact nutrition decisions.

In the current social media climate, it is crucial that we develop the skills necessary to analyse the validity of nutritional claims. During this week’s episode, The Proof welcomes two fan favourites to the show to cover a broad scope of topics in a well-rounded discussion, uncovering the reasoning behind a number of these claims and informing listeners on how to assess them.

Specifically, we cover:

Intro (0:00)
Training Injuries (7:40)
Climate Change (14:44)
Misinformation & Liver King (18:54)
Should Platforms Censor? (30:25)
Mark Zuckerberg on Rogan (35:30)
Paul Saladino & Trusting Science (39:50)
Big Pharma/ Big Food (50:14)
How to Communicate with Transparency, Asking the Right Questions (57:35)
Danger of Bodybuilding (1:09:13)
Socioeconomic Barriers to Healthy Living (1:16:38)
Identifying with Diet (1:32:39)
Vegan Protein Intake (1:39:20)
Well-Planned Veganism (1:57:53)
Habits of Social Media Quacks (2:00:29)
Alan’s Diet (2:16:00)
Canola oil in a healthy diet? (2:28:17)
Seed Oil Debate Episode (2:32:08)
Veganism & Ethics (2:36:33)
Red Meat & Carnivore Diets (3:00:22)
Meal Timing & TRE (3:27:45)
Supplement Recommendations (3:39:07)
Conclusion (3:41:46)

To connect with Drew, you can reach him via his Instagram or website, Drew’s Daily Dose. Listen to his previous appearances on the show on your favourite podcast app.

To connect with Alan Flanagan, PhD you can do so via his Instagram. You can also learn more about Alinea Nutrition, an online nutritional education hub founded by Dr Flanagan, at https://www.alineanutrition.com/.

Enjoy, friends.

Simon

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Simon Hill, Msc, Bsc (Hons)

Creator of Theproof.com and host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

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