Early and frequent caveats such as:
It also made excellent use of two independent and skeptical experts.
It also appropriately used absolute risk reduction figures, not just the more impressive-sounding relative risk reductions.
There’s been so much hype of pomegranate juice. It is refreshing and important to see a journalist tell the story but to do with facts and data – and with independent perspectives – rather than becoming a marketing arm of the juice industry.
The story included a price estimate for one brand of pomegranate juice – about $4 for a 16 oz. bottle.
Good use of absolute risk reduction:
“According to the findings, among 50 patients drinking pomegranate juice for a year, about two would have to go to the hospital at least twice. By comparison, that number would be nearly 11 in patients not drinking the juice.”
Good job. The story states that the “team had found no side effects, but added that kidney patients should be aware of the high potassium content in the juice, given the delicate balance of nutrients in their blood, and talk to their doctor if they consider drinking it.”
Strong evaluation of the evidence, including several caveats and perspectives of skeptical independent experts.
The story also emphasized:
Quotes from two skeptical independent experts made this a solid piece.
Again, the Marion Nestle concluding quote was key: “Pomegranate juices — like most if not all fruit and vegetable juices — have antioxidant activity. Does this make pomegranates better than any other fruit? Investigators have yet to show this.”
Not applicable. The availability of pomegranate juice is not in question.
Good job on this, citing research over at the last 3 years, but also concluding with this quote from Marion Nestle:
“This study does not demonstrate anything special about pomegranate juice.The effects of juice were compared to a placebo, not to any other kind of juice that might have exactly the same effect. …The pomegranate people are spending millions to prove what I could have told them in the first place. Pomegranate juices — like most if not all fruit and vegetable juices — have antioxidant activity. Does this make pomegranates better than any other fruit? Investigators have yet to show this.”
It’s clear that the story did not rely solely or largely on a news release.
Comments
Please note, comments are no longer published through this website. All previously made comments are still archived and available for viewing through select posts.
Our Comments Policy
But before leaving a comment, please review these notes about our policy.
You are responsible for any comments you leave on this site.
This site is primarily a forum for discussion about the quality (or lack thereof) in journalism or other media messages (advertising, marketing, public relations, medical journals, etc.) It is not intended to be a forum for definitive discussions about medicine or science.
We will delete comments that include personal attacks, unfounded allegations, unverified claims, product pitches, profanity or any from anyone who does not list a full name and a functioning email address. We will also end any thread of repetitive comments. We don”t give medical advice so we won”t respond to questions asking for it.
We don”t have sufficient staffing to contact each commenter who left such a message. If you have a question about why your comment was edited or removed, you can email us at feedback@healthnewsreview.org.
There has been a recent burst of attention to troubles with many comments left on science and science news/communication websites. Read “Online science comments: trolls, trash and treasure.”
The authors of the Retraction Watch comments policy urge commenters:
We”re also concerned about anonymous comments. We ask that all commenters leave their full name and provide an actual email address in case we feel we need to contact them. We may delete any comment left by someone who does not leave their name and a legitimate email address.
And, as noted, product pitches of any sort – pushing treatments, tests, products, procedures, physicians, medical centers, books, websites – are likely to be deleted. We don”t accept advertising on this site and are not going to give it away free.
The ability to leave comments expires after a certain period of time. So you may find that you’re unable to leave a comment on an article that is more than a few months old.
You might also like