The Kasivit Evidence Standard

🔬 Evidence Standard

How We Read the Evidence

This page explains how Kasivit looks at published research on supplement ingredients, what the different types of study can and cannot tell you, and what we can and cannot say about our products.

Why we publish how we read the evidence

In the United States, dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA for safety or effectiveness before they are sold. Companies are responsible for the safety of their products and for the truthfulness of what they say, and the amount in a capsule may differ from the amount used in the research on an ingredient. We think readers should be able to see how a company reads the research, so this page sets out our approach.

Our approach: Kasivit articles and product pages try to describe published research on an ingredient as what the study found, including its size, dose and limits. Much of that research was done on an ingredient, or on a different formulation or dose, rather than on the Kasivit product itself, and a result in one study does not mean the same result for a particular product. This page is general information, not medical advice.

The Evidence Hierarchy

Not all research is equal. Scientists use a ranked system, called the evidence hierarchy, to think about how reliable different study types are. The five tiers below are a simplified version of that idea. They are not a formal GRADE assessment: the GRADE framework (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations) is a separate method used by many guideline groups to rate how certain the evidence is for a specific outcome, taking into account study design, risk of bias, consistency and other factors. We do not formally GRADE each statement on our site.

T1

Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses of RCTs — Highest quality

A systematic review is a structured analysis of all available studies on a specific question. A meta-analysis pools data from multiple Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) to produce a single, statistically powerful estimate of effect. This is often considered the strongest type of evidence for a question, although the quality depends on the trials that were included. It is the type we prefer to cite when it exists.

T2

Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in Humans — High quality

In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to receive either the supplement or a placebo. Randomisation controls for confounding factors and allows researchers to draw causal conclusions. Where we describe a finding in people, we look for human trials first and describe what they found, including their size and limits.

T3

Observational / Cohort Studies — Moderate quality

These studies follow groups of people over time without assigning a treatment. They can show associations but cannot prove causation. When we mention observational findings, we describe them as associations and not as proof that a product has an effect.

T4

Animal Studies (In Vivo) — Low quality for human claims

Studies conducted in living animals. Useful for understanding biological mechanisms, but many findings in animals do not replicate in humans. We do not present animal findings as evidence of what a product does in people.

T5

In-Vitro / Cell Culture Studies — Lowest quality

Studies conducted in cells in a laboratory dish. Important for early-stage research, but provide no reliable evidence about what happens in the human body at a given dose. We do not present in-vitro findings as evidence of what a product does in people.

What this means for you: A study in people on an ingredient does not show that a particular product, at its dose, has the same effect. Where a Kasivit page cites research, it should say what type of study it was, whether it tested the same ingredient and dose, and what its limits were. A higher-ranked study type does not tell you whether a supplement is right for you. If you take medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or are under 18, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking a supplement.

What We Look For When Reviewing Evidence

These are the checks we apply when we read the research on an ingredient. They describe how we review evidence. They do not mean every product meets every check, and where a check cannot be met we try to say so.

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Named, Verifiable Citations

Health statements we make should point to a named, peer-reviewed study with its authors, journal, publication year and a DOI or PubMed ID. “Studies show…” without a citation does not meet this standard.

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Human Trials Before We Describe an Effect

Before we describe an effect in people, we look for at least one randomised controlled trial in humans, or a systematic review or meta-analysis of such trials. Animal studies and cell studies alone do not qualify. Many trials test an ingredient or a different formulation rather than the Kasivit product itself, so a finding may not apply to the product.

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Dose Compared With the Studied Dose

We compare the amount of an ingredient per serving with the dose used in the study we cite, and the two should be stated side by side. A product containing 50 mg of an ingredient that was studied at 500 mg is not comparable to that study.

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Proprietary Blends Limit What Can Be Checked

A proprietary blend lists only a total weight, without the amount of each ingredient, so the dose of each ingredient cannot be checked against research. Some products we sell contain proprietary blends, as shown on their labels. For those products we cannot compare individual ingredient doses with studies, and we do not describe them as if we could.

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Manufacturer-Funded Evidence

Research funded solely by the ingredient manufacturer carries a documented risk of bias toward positive results. We treat such studies with extra caution and prefer independent or publicly funded studies where they exist.

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No Disease Claims

Under FDA regulations, dietary supplements cannot be marketed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent a disease. Claims like “treats obesity” or “reverses type 2 diabetes” are not permitted for supplements. We do not make them about Kasivit products.

What We Can — and Cannot — Say

FDA regulations distinguish between several types of claims for dietary supplements. Understanding the difference helps you read supplement marketing critically.

Claim Type Status Example Kasivit Position
Structure/Function claimSays a nutrient supports a normal body function ✅ Permitted if truthful and supported “Calcium builds strong bones”
“Fiber maintains bowel regularity”Examples given in FDA guidance 		Where Kasivit pages describe a structure/function benefit, it is meant to be backed by published human research, and the FDA disclaimer applies.
Unsubstantiated claimMakes a benefit claim without evidence ⚠ Not permitted if misleading “Melts fat fast” (no evidence cited) We aim to describe findings only as far as published studies support them.
Disease claimClaims to treat, cure, reverse, or prevent a disease 🚫 Illegal for supplements “Treats obesity”
“Reverses type 2 diabetes”		 We do not make disease claims about Kasivit products.

The FDA disclaimer: Where a dietary supplement makes a structure/function claim, FDA requires this statement: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

What to Look for on a Product Page

Kasivit product pages aim to include the following, so you can check statements yourself:

  • The ingredients and amounts as shown on the product label (proprietary blends appear as the label shows them, with a total weight only)
  • Where research is cited, a summary naming the study type and its limits (e.g., “In a 2022 RCT published in Nutrients…”)
  • A numbered reference list with DOI or PubMed links where available
  • The FDA disclaimer

If you read a Kasivit product page and find a claim without a citation, or a dose that doesn’t match the study, we want to know. Email us at contact@kasivit.com.

See the Standard in Action

Browse our products and read the label, the ingredients and any research cited for each one.

Shop Kasivit Products