Examples of evidence hunting

Chris Peters is the Campaigns and Policy Officer at Sense About Science.

"On my morning commute I was intrigued by the front page article in the Metro on the Bytox Hangover Prevention Patch that claims to offer a “powerful blend of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants”. The Daily Mail covered the product as a miracle cure for hangovers. I explored the Bytox website and found a glowing ‘Doctor recommended’ piece. I noted in passing that the doctor in question is the product’s founder, Dr Leonard Grossman, a “leader in the field of cosmetic surgery” who says:

“Only an intravenous [drip] stuck in your arm while drinking could be more effective than a Bytox patch. Bytox is the most effective, ready to use product available for the consumer of alcohol, who wants to be functional the day after...”

I called to ask for the evidence. After several unanswered calls I emailed. When my emails went unanswered I went to the Sense About Science database and found a pharmaceutical scientist who could give me a scientific opinion. Dr Gary Moss said:

"If their claims of efficacy are based on permeability of active ingredients that exert an effect once they have passed through the skin, I would suggest this is unlikely and that the company should provide evidence for this. If this is a medicinal product making medicinal claims then it would be good to know the mechanism of action and evidence that a sufficient amount, if any, vitamin has passed across the skin into the blood."

It seems you might be better off writing “Vitamin B complex” on a post-it note and sticking that to your arm before a night on the tiles. Before I got to banging my head further on the Bytox brick wall, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) got involved. It told one UK based retailer to stop selling the patch because it’s an unlicensed medicinal product.

Here's a good example of what you can do when your phone calls and emails remain unanswered."

Dr Michelle Williams is a clinical research fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

"I'm asking Lifescan about the claims on their website about the "Heart Scan". I want to know the evidence about the claim that detecting calcium in the heart early can help prevent future stroke.I also want to know whether patients are informed of current international guidelines that state that these sorts of tests are not advised for asymptomatic patients who have a low cardiovascular risk."

You can see Michelle's Ask for Evidence postcard here. Watch this space to see how Michelle gets on!

Dr Claire Marriott is a member of VoYS and postdocdoral researcher in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Brighton.

"I saw an article in the Daily Mail talking about a range of anti-aging skin treatments. I was curious as to what evidence there is to support some of the claims."

"I telephoned Estée Lauder to ask for evidence for their Resilience Lift range, which claimed to support collagen and elastin production to “empower your skin to look younger from every angle.” The consumer care representative I spoke to was helpful, but unfortunately she had no information to hand so she offered to investigate and get back to me. And she did. She said there is evidence but that she would need to speak to R&D to access results and as this might take a while she would be back in touch in a few days."

"Just a week on I received an email from Estée Lauder regarding the evidence I was searching for. The email stated “all product claims are carefully substantiated in accordance with accepted scientific principles.” Good to know. Unfortunately… “we [Estée Lauder] consider this information proprietary and, as such, not accessible to the general public.” So apparently the claims are backed up; but without any experimental details we have to take it on trust, rather than evidence."

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Roger Dettmer is editor of E&T Education, a magazine for secondary school science teachers, published by the Institution of Engineering & Technology

“Looking through the Times I noticed a claim in a Marks & Spencer advertisement for thermal tops, being sold under the brand name ‘Heatgen’. According to the advertising copy ‘Heatgen thermal tops not only generate heat, but act as insulation’. The insulation bit I could understand, but claims that a piece of fabric could generate heat seemed at total variance with our most basic understanding of heat and energy. I fired off an immediate compliant to the Advertising Standards Authority – describing the claims for Heatgen as ‘nonsensical and misleading’.”

“Subsequently, I found a reference to how Heatgen is supposed to work on a page on the M&S website – apparently the heat is generated by water vapour passing through the fabric. I passed the details of this web link on to the ASA, along with why I thought it ‘didn’t hold water’. I then emailed the M&S press office, asking if I could talk to someone who could explain the technology behind Heatgen. Either the claim is total nonsense, in which case it’s a matter for the Advertising Standards Authority, or it represents a fundamental breakthrough in our understanding of heat and energy, in which case it’s a great story for my magazine."

“I’ve yet to hear from the M&S press office, but I’ve now heard from heard from the ASA, and, M&S are withdrawing the heat generating claim, which no longer appears on their website and will not be used in any future advertising. A good result for science, the ASA, and, not least, M&S – they got their basic science wrong, but they’ve moved promptly to make amends.”

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Dr Duncan Casey is a member of VoYS, and a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Chemical Biology. 

“A lot of claims have been made about the benefits of Phonics techniques in teaching literacy to children, so when I saw a story on the BBC news website on the 16^th September about a new test for children who learn to read using phonics, I thought I’d have a look. The Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, claimed that the new test is “based on a method that is internationally proven to get results”, and that “the evidence from the pilot is clear - thousands of six-year-olds will get the extra reading help they need to become good readers."

"Refreshingly, it was very easy to find the study cited, which was available for free and in full on the research section of the Department for Education’s website. Still, it seems as though the Minister may have over-sold it a bit – the research actually investigated whether the Phonics test could be carried out successfully, and didn’t really go into any benefits that it might offer relative to other (perhaps less fashionable) techniques.”

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Dr Rita Jorge has a PhD in Chemistry and is now a science policy Research Officer, interested in evidence based Veterinary Medicine

"As I was taking my morning coffee at Planet Organic, I noticed a flyer in their "information centre" about the benefits of wheatgrass juice. I was completely taken aback by the amount of outrageous claims. It stated that wheatgrass could "remove poisons such as cigarette smoke, toxins and heavy metals from the blood stream”, that vegetable enzymes contained in the juice "strengthened the cells", and that chlorophyll was a “natural healer” that could work inside our bodies to create an unfavourable environment for bacterial growth. I was both shocked and amused by these revolutionary concepts. I didn’t realise we needed more rigid cell walls, and chlorophyll only works in the presence of light (something I hope not to find in my body). And why do I want to inhibit the growth of my body’s bacteria?"

"I found the email for their press office and asked for the evidence. Being a smoker myself I could see the danger of people trying to buy themselves “cigarette credits” by drinking wheatgrass juice. I also told the office that a copy of that letter had been sent to Sense About Science and several newspapers and social media sites."

"The following day I received the message that they "have withdrawn that particular leaflet from the shop floor while [they] review its content". This was the best possible outcome. I felt like a scientific avenger, a Nerdy Knight of sorts. I go to the same shop every day and every time I see a gap where the leaflet used to be, I must admit, I get a bit of a pedantic smile. I hope they'll think twice before making unsubstantiated claims in the future."

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Tamlyn Peel is a member of the Voice of Young Science Network (VoYS) and is studing immunology for his PhD:

"Glucosamine is offered as a health supplement for 'joint health' and relief of pain in arthritis. I decided to ask a manufacturer of 1500mg glucosamine tablets what evidence they based their claims on, as my Mum suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and takes these supplements. They were helpful in their response and gave me lots of references to trials in osteoarthritis patients, where there is weak evidence of a reduction in pain. However as with a lot of health supplements, they seem to give recommendations for healthy individuals to use their product, when the only evidence they have for benefit comes from patients." 

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Sarah Walker is a volunteer at Sense About Science:

"After reading articles in the Daily Mail and the Metro recently about head massage in schools, I went to the website of the organisation offering this scheme to schools, to see what evidence there was for the claims they had made. I particularly wondered about the claim that the technique “lowers stress levels, increases concentration at school, improves sleep at home and, reduces bullying and aggression” among primary school children. The website had links to some studies, but did not state whether they were peer reviewed or published. I emailed to ask for evidence for the claims."

"I received a prompt response from the UK Chair of the Massage in Schools Association. They pointed me to some studies that had been published, including one that was particularly small, and admitted that there was only anecdotal evidence to support the claim that children experienced “better sleep at home”. They also told me that much of the research to support the claims had not yet been published or peer reviewed."

"I emailed back to say that I was concerned about basing claims on research that had not been published, and claims based on small studies. I think that parents and teachers should know whether there is real evidence to support the implementation of programmes in UK schools."

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Jessica Barton got in touch with us via facebook:

"I've asked for evidence about a few Neal's Yard Remedies http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/flower-remedies, including “abund bush flower essence” which they claim "releases negative beliefs, family patterns, sabotage and fear of lack. In doing so it allows you to be open to fully receiving great riches on all levels, not just financial. Helps get rid of old family attitudes and patterns that limit your wealth and abundance". I'm looking forward to seeing the evidence!"

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Dr Jennifer Lardge is a member of the Voice of Young Science network (VoYS) who studied nanotechnology for her PhD:

“When a friend told me that Marks & Spencer had started to sell ‘MRSA resistant’ pyjamas, I decided to look into the claims and find out whether there was any evidence behind them. When I got through to the right person I was told a trial was underway but not yet complete. I am keeping an eye out for the trial results and will keep pursuing it – many people going into hospital are concerned about MRSA but they deserve to know the evidence behind these claims.”

Update: M&S no longer stock 'MRSA resistant' pyjamas.

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Rhys Morgan is a student with Crohn’s disease:

“I recently came across a miracle cure product being advertised on a Crohn’s disease support forum. This didn’t ring true for me, so I researched it on the internet and found a US Food Drug Agency warning stating ‘The product, when used as directed, produces an industrial bleach that can cause serious harm to health.’ I went back to the forum to warn others about it. I was then kicked off the forum. I reported it to my local Trading Standards who passed the complaint on to the Food Standards Agency. They sent the complaint to the European Commission. The World Health Organisation also became involved and warned about it. The Food Standards Agency banned it in the UK and helped get the UK-based sellers shut down.”

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Dr Blanka Sengerova is a VoYS member and protein biochemist: 

"In a local newspaper I saw an advert for a company claiming to produce a 'unique rejuvenation skincare system clinically proven to rebuild skin cells and leave skin looking younger'. As a protein scientist, I was rather sceptical of their claim that the cream's main ingredient is a type of collagen, which is a protein required by your skin to stay flexible, but which is too large to pass through the skin barrier. I have written to the company asking them to point me in the direction of the clinical studies proving the product's efficacy and I await their reply..."

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Professor Dame Bridget Ogilvie:

“After surgery for cancer which I was told had been highly successful, I was advised to have some chemotherapy. As I was dubious that this would be effective against that type of cancer (colon) I asked the oncologist what the evidence was that it was effective? He showed me an article about a trial of the chemo proposed showing a 10% increased life expectancy. I agreed to have the treatment, which is now 14 years ago.”

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Kathy Grant recently got in touch with Sense About Science:

“I recently ran a sponsored half-marathon. Before the run, I received an information pack which included The Guide to Getting Fitter and Keeping Healthy. This guide was full of claims about avoiding chemicals and taking supplements to keep healthy. I decided to write to Sense about Science about this. They sent me their Making Sense of Chemical stories guide and Celebrities and Science 2010 to read, which I then sent to the half-marathon organisers to show where they had got the science wrong.”

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Alice Tuff co-edited the VoYS publication There Goes the Science Bit...: 

“I am frustrated by this belief that a naturally derived chemical is better for you than a synthetically derived one, when in reality there is no difference. I wanted to talk to Pret A Manger. Every time I go there for a sandwich I am handed its leaflet Good Stuff which tells me that Pret ‘shun the obscure chemicals’. I called the customer helpline to ask what ‘obscure chemicals’ are. Pret told me: ‘We don’t use any chemicals to preserve, or to avoid any insects upon [our food], it’s all natural. I pointed out all food is made of chemicals – so Pret must have chemicals in its food.”

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As a member of VoYS, Simon Shears worked with us on the Detox Dossier:

“When I first came across Trevor Sorbie’s Mg Detox Shampoo I wanted to know what was special about it. To discover the science behind detox shampoo I called their general enquiries number and spoke to a sales representative. [They responded that the product is] ‘getting rid of dirt and grime, which is I suppose what detox is.’ I spoke to a number of representatives at Trevor Sorbie and none were able to provide me with any scientific evidence for calling this shampoo a ‘detox’ shampoo.”

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Lord Krebs FRS is Chair of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee: 

"A couple of years ago, I asked the government whether or not class size affects pupil attainment. I was told that the evidence shows that it does not beyond reception year. When I tracked down the original papers, this is not what the evidence showed. It indicated that there is little effect once class size is above a certain level, but below this class size counts."

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Dr Jaime Earnest is a VoYS member and researcher in public health: 

“While watching a popular morning chat show, I was frustrated and anxious to see the panel giving confusing and misleading comments about the side effects and risks of childhood vaccinations. I was particularly concerned that the show had not included a health professional on the panel. I decided to write to the production company to raise my concerns. Hopefully they will think twice now about the evidence behind their claims.”

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Dr Harriet Ball is a VoYS member and medical student:

“Nestle Ski yoghurts were marketed with claims that they can ‘optimise the release of energy from our diet’. I contacted Nestle Ski and asked for the evidence they had to support this. They were unable to give me any. It made me realise the extent to which marketing uses science-sounding language to sell their products.”

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Tom Sheldon is a former computer scientist and VoYS member, who now works at the Science Media Centre:

“I came across a software program that claims it modulates the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation, strengthens the immune system and brings the body back to health. I’m no expert on EMF but there isn’t any evidence that the level of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by computers have adverse effects on the body. My claptrap radar also gets prickly with words like ‘bioresonance’ so I called them up to ask for the evidence. The only support for the product was anecdotal, subjective, and unreliable.”

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George Inglis is currently working as an editor.

 "I have Crohn’s disease, amongst other chronic health problems, and am sick of people telling me of the supposed efficacy of the numerous quack remedies being sold and touted as wonder-treatments and cure-alls. One of these is the Bowen Technique."

"Several people have told me they have been ‘cured’ by Bowen Technique (which appears to be a cross between rubbing and manipulating certain parts of the body), or that they have been ‘prevented from being ill’ by it. I contacted the Bowen Technique after reading the outrageous claims made on their website - that the Bowen Technique improves circulation, lymphatic and venous drainage and helps nutrient absorption - and asked for evidence of these claims.”

“I got a reply saying, ‘We are sure you are already aware that there is a plethora of high quality research data available on the internet relating to the Bowen Technique, a substantial amount of which has already been sent to the A.S.A.’. Yet they failed to provide any of this evidence or say if the evidence available was peer-reviewed. The nameless respondent also stated that the ASA had told them there are ‘no problems with the website’. Their respondent also seemed confused about what evidence-based medicine is, and asked me to provide evidence as to what it is; which, for me, says everything. After replying, I am still waiting to hear back from them."

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Morgan Thompson is a PhD candidate in Biological and Biomedical Science at Harvard University and a member of Voice of Young Science.

"I recently came across a mention in the Daily Express about a new product to enhance breast volume called Nip+Fab Bust Fix. The product claims to work by “stimulating the formation and storage of naturally occurring fat cells in the breasts.” While this sounds like it could be a science-based claim, the Daily Express very responsibly questioned the basis of how the product is proposed to work saying, “We can’t see how cream can get under the skin to make the breasts grow.” I decided to take this healthy skepticism one step further and ask the company for the evidence behind their claim."

"The Nib+Fab website described a scientific mechanism for the products action, involving “activation of lipid accumulation (in vitro)” and “lipogenesis (formation of fat) in human adipocytes (fat cells).” Based on this description it seemed likely that a scientific study and/or product trial had been conducted but this information was not available on the Nip+Fab website, so I emailed the company asking if they could provide further information about the scientific basis for Bust Fix and the mechanism of its active ingredient(s) as well as indicate whether or not any studies conducted have been peer-reviewed. When I didn't receive a reply in a few days, I followed up with a phone call to Nip+Fab. The customer service representative was unable to provide more detailed product information, but assured me that they would respond to my email enquiry.  I am still waiting for a response." 

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Helen Wilkes is studying for a Masters in Science Communication.

“A recent article in the Daily Mail claimed that Protexo, a machine that filters out allergens in the air, could improve the quality of life of asthma sufferers by 15%. I decided to ‘ask for evidence’. I sought out the peer-reviewed original study, which analysed the effect of the Protexo machine on asthma sufferers, to find out whether this was true or whether the article could be giving asthmatics false hope through misleading statistics.”

“The study was published in the journal Thorax. It found through a randomised control trial that there was a 15% difference between the group using the machine and the placebo group in the number of people whose quality of life (determined by a questionnaire) was increased by 0.5 points or more. This is the smallest clinically significant value – so I’m not convinced when the Daily Mail article suggests that ‘the quality of life for those that used the machine was 15% better than those given a dummy machine’. It was good that I could find a paper on which the claims were based, but this story highlights the importance of precise phrasing when reporting the results of clinical trials.”

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Joanna Christodoulou is a member of VoYS USA.

"The manufacturer Valkee has recently released an in-ear product to ease symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The product is a similar size and shape to an MP3 player with earphones designed to beam light directly into the ear. Valkee claim that when used for 8-12 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks the product can ease depressive symptoms. Due to the novel concept of delivering light therapy through the ear (and not the eyes) the Valkee product has received coverage in newspapers and online. The manufacturer claims that the success of the in-ear product is due to the brain’s ability to react to light. I decided to ask for evidence for this claim."

"I first looked for evidence on the Valkee website. I tried to find out if Valkee’s research used   randomised trials, control groups, and whether it was peer reviewed. The current evidence from Valkee supporting the in-ear product does not follow these standards. For example, one study concluded that "92% of winter blues sufferers experienced total symptom relief with 8-12 minutes of Valkee daily" but this study did not include a control group who should have received no light therapy or a placebo. Another claim that the "human brain is sensitive to light, not just our eyes" was based on a study using cadavers, and has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal. Good quality evidence supporting the Valkee in-ear product, for the purpose of easing symptoms associated with SAD, is still not available."

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Daniel Amund is a member of Voice of Young Science

"I read an article in the Independent about a DNA dating website, Genepartner.com, selling a genetic compatibility test (for $US249) based on the claims that genetic compatibility results in a successful relationship, a more satisfying sex life and higher fertility rates/healthier children. The article did exercise some scepticism about these claims, although it did not appear that any contact had been made with the company. I decided to write to the company to request evidence to back up their claims. I asked about the size of the studies and if they were peer-reviewed, and also if they were based on human studies. I am yet to receive a reply from them."

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Jamie Horder is a member of Voice of Young Science

"A number of newspapers ran a story saying that children who have problems with speech and language at age 5 are twice as likely to be unemployed when they're in their thirties, and more likely to go to prison. I decided to ask for evidence for this claim. I started out by reading the report from the Communication Trust that was referred to by the articles. The report mentioned the same claims, but it didn't provide any references. So I emailed the author of the report. Happily, she replied very quickly and sent me a document full of references to peer-reviewed articles. I would say that this was a case of a successful ‘Ask for Evidence’."

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Heather Eyre is a member of Voice of Young Science

"I asked to see the evidence for Nanoblur, a cream that claims to make you look 10 years younger in 40 seconds, after seeing adverts for it in several newspapers. The evidence they present on their website is all photo based, and in one article it said there was a sample size of 45. According to their website the silicone based cream contains particles that refl­ect light perfectly in billions of directions to make the skin’s surface appear completely ­flawless, and it is a silicone based cream."

"The claims appear to be based on the perceived changes in these 45 subjects so I asked to see their data; hoping to uncover the type of trial used. Seeing as they haven’t got back to me, I don't know if there was a control group or whether the tests were blinded in any way. As a result I am dubious about the adverts: I’m concerned there may be post-production editing and I'm quite confident that the effects of the cream are not unique, as other skin creams also use silicone based ingredients to smooth the skin."

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Peter Crowther conducted clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company for the eleven years before he retired.

"I saw an advertisement in which Finitro claimed that their "joint maintenance" product, Finitro Forte Plus, "keeps joints flexible; is good for strong bones; supports the lubrication of joints; helps in maintaining cartilage; (good) for the production and development of cartilage; has a soothing effect"."

"I asked Finitro to provide evidence to support these claims and any references to peer-reviewed scientific journals."

"I received a reply the following day in which their spokesperson admitted that there were no data to support the product as a whole, but that there were "plenty of studies on the Net and in encyclopaedias about each component of Finitro Forte Plus"."

"Interestingly, she did cite a reference to an abstract of a double-blind study in Science about one of the components, type II collagen, which showed it to be better than placebo in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Strangely, they do not make any claims for the treatment of RA in their advert: just the claims as listed above. I understand from the evidence they sent me that at best the other components will do you no harm."

Margaret Heslin is a member of VoYS

"I read an article in the Daily Mail on 8^th December 2011 reporting that managers at several NHS trusts are encouraging doctors to limit Viagra prescriptions to two pills per month The article said that the guidelines set by the Department of Health are that one Viagra pill per week is sufficient because this is the “frequency of intercourse” for middle-aged men. I contacted the Department of Health to ask for the evidence behind this claim, and for more information on Viagra prescriptions.  I was pleased to get a clear response from their Customer Service Centre (CSC)."

"Firstly, the CSC said that “the extract from the Daily Mail’s article is somewhat misleading.” They provided me with a clearer description of the prescription guidelines stating that “the frequency of treatment will need to be considered on a case by case basis.” The response went on to say that Viagra prescription guidelines are based on evidence from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (1990) which shows that the average frequency of sexual intercourse in the 40-60 age range is once a week. The response finished by saying “The Department of Health advises doctors that one treatment a week will be appropriate for most patients treated for erectile dysfunction. If the GP, in exercising his clinical judgement, considers that more than one treatment a week is appropriate he should prescribe that amount on the NHS.”"

"I am glad I asked for evidence and I think the Department of Health was pleased to be able to clarify and set out the evidence the guidelines are based on."    

Juliet Stevens is a junior doctor

“A company called LifeLine Screening ran a full page advert in The Guardian, which stated that they offered an ultrasound examination which could help prevent abdominal aneurysm formation. An abdominal aneurysm is a potentially life threatening widening of the body's largest artery, which, if detected early, can be surgically corrected. While ultrasound is the foremost method for aneurysm detection, and indeed the NHS is rolling out a screening programme for this purpose, it does not follow that ultrasound can prevent aneurysm formation.” 

“I spoke with a member of staff from the company, who said that the meaning of 'prevent' was 'a matter of my point of view', but he could offer no evidence to support the company's claim. I disagreed that 'prevent' was in any way vague in its meaning, but the conversation began to circle. He advised me that 'all the information' was on the company's website (which was not the case) and said there were no doctors/ultrasonographers available for me to talk to. This was a frustrating exchange, but I hope to pursue this claim further.”

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Philippa Shelton is a volunteer for Sense About Science

“I read a claim on the on the NHS Choices website saying ‘research measuring water loss has shown that we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated.’ This is similar to the common idea of drinking 7 cups of water a day, but where does this exact volume come from? I asked for the evidence behind this claim.” 

“I got a short response from the NHS Choices Editorial Team. They said that the information on their website is ‘consistent with current advice from the Department of Health. This advice is based on evidence from Fitzsimmons J.T. "The Physiology of Thirst and Sodium Appetite" (1979).’ After sifting through the almost 600 page book I was unable to find the specific study investigating human water loss and dehydration. In my opinion, publications from 1979 should not always be considered ‘current’, and therefore I am not satisfied with the evidence supplied.” 

Joanna-Marie Howes is a member of VoYS

“Recently I have come across several articles in the tabloids describing a painful condition called ‘text neck’, caused by the neck being flexed for a prolonged period. It is claimed that the number of sufferers are increasing as the use of smart phones and tablet computers become more popular. The article mentioned the British Chiropractic Association so I emailed and telephoned to ask for evidence, but have not yet received a response.”

“Although I could find plenty of evidence that confirms bad posture leads to back and neck problems, I have only been able to find one scientific study which directly investigated the link between musculoskeletal pain and phone use. It found a significant association between internet browsing and pain in the right thumb. It also found association between phone use and pain in the right shoulder and neck.”

“While it appears that there may be a genuine link between heavy phone use, bad posture and musculoskeletal pain, another discovery during my investigations gave me cause for concern. Dean Fishman, a chiropractor and founder of the Text Neck Institute, has trademarked the name, describing text neck as a ‘global epidemic’. Interestingly, for £1.91 on the Android Market, the Text Neck Institute can sell you an app which ‘helps alert users of a posture problem while texting or playing games on Android mobile phones’. While I myself am partial to sending the odd text, I’ll wait with interest to see whether further research can clearly separate fact from hype before putting my hand in my pocket.”

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Annette Dolphin is a professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London

“I recently bought a Breo watch for £10 on a plane, because my regular watch broke on holiday. The advertising for the Breo Black Watch in British Airways and other in-flight shopping magazines describes it as "Comfortable on the wrist, this watch is made from tourmaline – a naturally occurring mineral said to be beneficial for the health – improving concentration, sleep, vitality and mood".”

“I emailed Breo and asked them “where is the tourmaline in this watch, and could they tell me what the evidence is that tourmaline has any effect on sleep, vitality and mood”.”

“I received a reply from the ‘Warehouse Administrator’ at Breo, and unfortunately she did not really answer my question. A quick bit of googling showed she had copied most of her response verbatim from an internet site, ‘globalhealingcenter.com’. She told me “In some of the Breo watches, there are indeed traces of the mineral Tourmaline” and stated that “Tourmaline gemstone is a semi-precious mineral stone well known for its incredible ability to aid in the detoxification process of the human body.””

“I could write back to her with a critique of the paragraph she sent me, but I fear it will not get me any further in my hunt for evidence!”

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Ali Cooper is a member of VoYS

“A recent article in the Sun claimed that Britain is Europe’s windiest country. The article reported that an advert from Scottish ice cream firm Mackies claimed this and the Advertising Standards Authority backed the claim saying 'we were advised by the Met Office that the UK was the windiest country in Europe'. So, is this true?”

“I emailed Mackies and the Met Office to ask for evidence for the claim. The Met Office informed me that they 'did not categorically say that Britain is Europe's windiest country, however, there is some evidence to back this up. In terms of baseline long-term averages for 'windiness', the British Isles is third, behind two areas that are predominantly open seas (North Sea and Baltic Sea). Therefore it's reasonable to draw the conclusion that the UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe.'"

“Although I received no response from Mackies, it seems that Britain really is the windiest land area in Europe.”

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Sparkle Ward is a Volunteer for Sense About Science

 “I asked for evidence from John Cridland, head of The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), who claimed in an article on 30^th September 2011 in the Times (£) that major investment in infrastructure will revive the economy. In the article he did not provide evidence for this claim despite being quoted several times. So far he hasn’t responded to my questions and so the claim remains undefended. At a time when public budgets are tight, I hope he has analysed the evidence for the claim before he made it.”

Clare Pearson is taking a MSc in Epidemiology at Imperial College.

"I had seen advertisements on the London underground towards the end of 2011 for Rescue Night remedy made by Bach which claimed to “help switch off the mind from unwanted, repetitive thoughts and leads to a good night's sleep”. Due to a combination of my science education and personal experience of occasional sleep problems, I wondered what the exact biological mechanisms for “switching off the mind” would be. I emailed Bach, using the ‘Ask for Evidence’ online postcard, to ask them for the evidence behind their claims, and also about how it actually worked. The reply I received stated that “the Rescue Night product is not suitable for use in treating insomnia and it is not advertised for use in the treatment of insomnia”, and advised me to contact my Doctor for insomnia advice. This is disingenuous as in both the adverts and on their website, it clearly states that it “leads to a good night’s sleep.” No information was provided about how it worked exactly, nor any evidence of trials to back up their claims. I replied requesting both these pieces of information and a week later am awaiting their reply. I will be chasing them up on this soon."

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Peter Crowther conducted clinical trials for a pharmaceutical company for the eleven years before he retired.

"I saw a Facebook ad for the "The OSMO Patch™ which provides Fast & Effective relief from swelling, pain and inflammation from bursitis" (bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sac [bursa] that lies between a tendon and skin, or between a tendon and bone). I asked the manufacturer, MediWise Pty Ltd, to provide harder evidence than letters of testimonials found on their website.  I also asked whether their data has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals."

"MediWise customer care admitted that there is no hard clinical evidence to support their claims because they ‘do not have the kind funds to commission such research’ and pointed me to a YouTube video, which explains how the patch works. Apparently it involves the mineral tourmaline which is described as an infra-red emitter. Increased sweating induced by infra-red emissions from the patch increases the osmotic pressure in the surrounding tissues, loss of fluid from the blood vessels to compensate, and loss of fluid from the adjacent inflammation. However, this all falls down because blood circulates, so local dehydration of blood vessels will not occur."

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 Josephine Jones is a blogger and former industrial chemist

"I received a promotional email from Wowcher advertising a bracelet containing germanium, which could supposedly improve circulation and immunity by emitting negative ions. I did not think this was possible, nor could I imagine how this would work so I emailed the manufacturer, NPB Ionbalance, asking for evidence to support their claims. They replied with links to websites which also claimed health benefits for germanium. These sites did not provide any evidence that the products work, nor did they suggest any mechanism for this. In fact two of these sites even encouraged ingestion of germanium, despite known problems with toxicity."

"Shortly afterwards, I also received promotional emails from KGB Deals (promoting the Ionic Balance band). I asked Ionic Balance for evidence to support their health claims. They replied, asking me to phone them so we could have a 'frank discussion'."

"I didn’t contact any of the companies again, but wrote about them on my blog. Ionic Balance have since had a complaint upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. They failed to amend their advertising following the adjudication and now appear in the ASA's list of non-compliant advertisers."

"When Groupon ran a promotion for NPB Ionbalance bands, I had record numbers of visitors to my blog looking for reviews of the products. I hope that by asking for evidence and discussing my findings, I have stopped people wasting their money on these products."

Sparkle Ward is a Volunteer for Sense About Science

"On London underground advertisements, Vitabiotics claimed that taking their supplements (Wellwoman/Wellman) helped to improve athletic performance to gold-winning standard. I asked Vitabiotics for evidence to back this up. They responded by saying that it was the athletes themselves who attested the improvement with Vitabiotic supplements. For example, 400m hurdles athlete Rhys Williams said “I believe Vitabiotics products allow me to achieve optimum health. It took a few weeks, but I have definitely noticed the difference.” Upon further questioning, it was revealed that the athletes featured in this particular advert and on the Vitabiotics website are in fact sponsored by the company. Vitabiotics have said they are looking into how to amend their advertising to make it clearer that the claims made in their adverts are based on individual testimonies only and not scientific evidence."

Update: "Following my complaint, the ASA have asked Vitabiotics to withdraw the advert and to not show it again in its current form."

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Caroline Gill is a Volunteer for Sense About Science

"In the Guardian’s article ‘Safe sex at London 2012’  I read that “Generally people are most at risk in London than wherever they were before. We’re the STI capital of Europe.” Shocked and slightly embarrassed for the UK, I wanted to find out more about this startling comment."

"Lisa Power, the Policy Director of the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), was the person being quoted in the article so I emailed my query to the THT and Lisa herself called me back in under a week. From talking to Lisa I learnt that the premise behind her statement was that not only does the UK have a relatively high STI and HIV rate compared to other western European countries, but also high teen pregnancy rates, a greater amount of undiagnosed HIV and a lower standard of sex education. Furthermore, holidaymakers are generally more likely to take risks with their sexual health, which applies to the crowds of people coming to see the games. She also pointed me towards a Full Fact report analysing the statistics of STIs in London compared to Europe."

"This is a great example of an organisation that is responsive and open when you ask for evidence and how all organisations should behave."

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