Scientific Method

"Nutritional scientists discover the health effects of food and its nutrients by first making an observation. Once observations are made, they come up with a hypothesis, test their hypothesis, and then interpret the results. After this, they gather additional evidence from multiple sources and finally come up with a conclusion. This organized process of inquiry used in science is called the scientific method. In 1811, French chemist Bernard Courtois observed an intense violet vapor while isolating saltpeter from seaweed. The vapor crystallized when exposed to a cold surface, and Joseph Gay-Lussac identified the crystal as a new element named iodine, the Greek word for violet. Eating seaweed was observed to cure goiter, a gross enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck. In 1813, Swiss physician Jean-Francois Coindet hypothesized that seaweed contained iodine and that iodine could be used instead of seaweed to treat patients. Coindet administered iodine tincture orally to patients with goiter, and the treatment was successful. French chemist Chatin later proposed that low iodine content in food and water in areas far from the ocean was the primary cause of goiter, rather than poor hygiene. In the late 1860s, the program “The stamping-out of goiter” began, giving people in several French villages iodine tablets. The program was effective, and 80 percent of goitrous children were cured. Any decision-making process uses some aspect of the scientific method. People can think like scientists in everyday life by conducting research to support decisions about such matters as computers, investments, or colleges."