Welcome. This page is a 5-minute orientation for first-time readers. By the end, you’ll know what evidage is for, how to navigate it, and how to read our evidence labels.
🎯 What evidage is for
“There’s so much health information online — what should I actually believe?” That’s the question evidage exists to answer. We read the studies, evaluate them against established frameworks, and label every claim by evidence strength, so you can make decisions without becoming a literature expert yourself.
📊 The Evidence Levels (Level 1–4)
Every recommendation on evidage carries an evidence level. The framework is modeled after GRADE and Cochrane conventions:
| Level | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Multiple meta-analyses or large RCTs converge on the same result. Highly reliable. | “Smoking cessation reduces all-cause mortality.” |
| Level 2 | One major RCT or strong cohort evidence. Reliable but not yet definitive. | “Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular events.” (PREDIMED) |
| Level 3 | Smaller trials or limited human data. Promising but unsettled. | “Broccoli sprouts may improve insulin sensitivity.” |
| Level 4 | Animal/cell research, expert opinion, or mechanism-only support. | “NMN may slow aging.” (mostly mouse data) |
The takeaway: When you see a Level 1 claim, you can act on it with high confidence. When you see Level 4, treat it as “interesting but not proven.”
🏆 The Tier A–D Rankings
For categories like supplements and foods, we use Tier A–D rankings:
- Tier A: Strong evidence of meaningful benefit. Worth incorporating for most people.
- Tier B: Good evidence in specific populations or contexts.
- Tier C: Mixed or limited evidence. Not harmful, but not transformative either.
- Tier D: Weak evidence, often hyped beyond what the data supports.
🧭 How to Navigate the Site
- Latest Top 10: Our monthly ranking of the highest-impact health interventions, refreshed every month.
- Foods in Focus: Deep dives on individual foods that come up in everyday discussion (yogurt, avocado, coffee, etc.).
- Diet, Exercise, Sleep, Mental Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Supplements, Medical & Testing: Topical category hubs.
- Features: Long-form analyses (e.g., “The 3 Substances from Sinclair’s Lifespan, Evaluated”).
- Evidence Basics: A primer on the research terminology you’ll encounter (meta-analysis, RCT, hazard ratio, etc.).
🚦 Recommended Starting Points
If you’re not sure where to begin:
- Start with the Latest Top 10 to see the highest-impact interventions right now.
- Read the Mediterranean Diet deep dive — the single most evidence-backed eating pattern.
- Browse Foods in Focus for evidence reviews of foods you already eat.
- Check Evidence Basics if you want to deepen your reading skills.
⚠️ A Word of Caution
evidage is independent educational content. It is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for a relationship with your physician. Use it to ask better questions, compare information, and stay informed — not to diagnose or treat conditions on your own.