Does it work?

Treatments, supplements, and new research — what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, and what it costs.

How we grade the evidence

Every review on this page gets one of four grades \u2014 for a specific use, not for a whole field. Safety is assessed separately from whether something works.

Well established

Strong, consistent evidence from high-quality studies. This is as close to settled as medicine gets.

Promising evidence

Real signals from decent studies, but not enough to be confident. Worth watching, not worth betting on.

Preliminary evidence

Early findings \u2014 small studies, animal or lab work, or mixed results. Interesting, not actionable.

Insufficient evidence

Too little reliable evidence to say either way. Absence of proof is not proof of absence \u2014 or of benefit.

Our editorial standards

A grade is only as good as the process behind it. Here is how Honed Proof reviews are built, kept current, and corrected.

What counts as evidence

Systematic reviews and large randomized trials outrank small studies; small studies outrank observational data; everything outranks anecdotes, testimonials, and marketing. A claim with only the last three cannot earn better than Preliminary.

Review dates

Every review carries its publication date and a scheduled re-check. Medicine moves; a grade from two years ago is a starting point, not a verdict. If new evidence changes a grade, the review is updated and the change is noted.

Corrections

Errors get fixed promptly and transparently. Substantive corrections are noted on the review itself with what changed and when. If you spot an error, the contact address at the bottom of this site reaches the editor.

Independence

No sponsored grades. No supplement sales. No payments from clinics or manufacturers influence a review. When a treatment is sold by someone with a financial stake in the claim, we say so.

Reviews in progress

Graded reviews are being researched and verified now. Each one states what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, what it costs \u2014 and what the safety record shows, separately from whether it works.

Compare scenarios with these tools, then confirm details with your insurer, provider, or marketplace before making decisions.