LIAM CHAI

When it comes to Internet discussions on health related topics, I see a lot of people dismiss anecdotal evidence. The go-to argument when someone makes a claim is “show me the scientific evidence please”. They’ll then make sure to ask for peer reviewed from a reputable journal etc etc.

I can understand that. There’s a lot of junk out there. There’s a lot of charlatans. A lot of nonsense and drivel.

But most people are not scientists. We’re not interested in proving something scientifically. In science you need pretty fat sample sizes to demonstrate something. N=1 is not enough. But for the casual Internet user looking on alternative health forums for a solution to his problem, it honestly doesn’t matter what science says.

What matters is, does it work for you?

There are a lot of claims on the Internet. Some are more worthwhile than others to investigate. But ultimately the only real evidence that should convince you is whether it works for you or not. Even if there’s a huge scientific study saying X does Y, if you try it and it doesn’t work for you – it doesn’t work for you.

Did you know Usain Bolt ate 100 Chicken McNuggets a day during the Beijing Olympics? He also won 3 gold medals.

We’ve all got unique body types. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. What science says is a proven fact can be totally wrong for you or me.

I believe anecdotes are often more worthwhile than science. Anecdotes can be seen as a challenge, a new exploration. A discovery even. This person tried A and B happened. Will it work for me too? There’s a case to be made for a first-person science. A case for logging everything you can about what you observe happens in your body and mind. Over time, this personalised data accumulates and patterns become obvious.

I have a few digital logs. One titled ‘Health Log’, which is more general health related observations. Another specifically around what I eat/drink, another specific to my eyesight and another about my sexual energy. I also kept a ‘Suffering Log’ for a while where I would write down every time I was in a negative mental state.

I don’t manage to record every single detail. But I have a general habit of logging these things now. Over time, the data accrues and using the search function I can look back and spot patterns – especially when I’m going through a health problem. It’s an excellent way to help with self-diagnosing and self-treating.