How we grade the evidence.
Every claim we teach carries one of four colored badges. A citation alone can't tell you whether you're looking at decades of settled science or one promising mouse study. The badge can.
Four grades, strongest to weakest
Bar length shows how much weight a claim at that grade can bear. Tap a grade to read about it.
Established Science
Textbook science. Decades of research from many independent groups point the same way.
Bone is living tissue that is constantly broken down and rebuilt.
You can rely on it. Arguments are about details, not about whether it's true.
At a glance
Textbook science. Decades of research from many independent groups point the same way.
How to read it: You can rely on it. Arguments are about details, not about whether it's true.
Several well-designed studies in people, often randomized trials or large long-term studies, agree.
How to read it: Solid, but the results come from specific groups of people under specific conditions. Your own result can differ.
Promising early research. Often lab or animal studies, small human trials, or results not yet repeated.
How to read it: Interesting and worth watching, but not settled. It could change as more studies come in.
A reasonable scientific explanation that hasn't been properly tested in people yet.
How to read it: Treat it as a possibility, not a fact.
Why we show this
Bone health is full of overstated claims, from supplements to devices to headlines. We would rather show you exactly how strong each claim is, including the ones that cut against us, than ask you to take our word for it. When you read a study we cite, read it with its grade in mind.
Want to grade any bone program the same way, ours included? Try the Program Scorecard, or see the studies on our Research page.
