Evidence Approach

"It took more than one hundred years from iodine’s discovery as an effective treatment for goiter until public health programs recognized it as such. Although a lengthy process, the scientific method is a productive way to define essential nutrients and determine their ability to promote health and prevent disease. The scientific method is part of the overall evidence-based approach to designing nutritional guidelines. An evidence-based approach to nutrition includes defining the problem or uncertainty, such as the incidence of goiter being lower in people who consume seaweed; formulating it as a question, such as whether eating seaweed decreases the risk of goiter; setting criteria for quality evidence; evaluating the body of evidence; summarizing the body of evidence and making decisions; specifying the strength of the supporting evidence required to make decisions; and disseminating the findings."