Avrohom, what Science do you have backing you? The answer is alot , however diffrent then you may imagine. It took many years to develop to the gold standard of scientific study, and we'll get to that, but what was used before then? For example, it took years for scientists to learn about the placebo effect. For years when a study was done, scientists took two groups of people. one group took the drug, the other not. If the group that took the drug had a 25% improvement, they would think the drug is effective 25%. Only later, did they find out that the mind is so powerful, that a 60% improvement can be from the mind alone. From a person just thinking they got the medicine, when they actually recieved the placebo.There have been similar studies illustrating the power of the mind. For example, two teams who were practicing for a basketball game, were given the following instructions. One team went to the gym to practice, the other team was told to sit down, and meditate throwing the ball in the hoop, and the ball going in. When they went to play the game, they performed just well as the team who physically practiced, yes the mind is very powerful!
In the Torah for thousands of years when we wanted to know if something is true or not, or if a treatment works or not there was no double-blind placebo. What did they do?? They had thier own Ancient Scientific Method, 3 ways they decided halacha.
1. Asking the experts - we already discussed what the experts would be, a scientist, nutritionist, medical healer, but not a medical doctor. When it comes to food, just like if you have a question on medication and how one interacts with the other you should'nt ask a Medical Healer. He didn't go through years of school for that, and he doesn't know about medications, ask the Medical Doctor. Before a Rabbi gives a halachic psak, it's always important to consult with the experts in the field. For example, if it's a question regarding if you can open a refrigerator on Shabbos. The Rabbi needs to ask an expert in the mechanics of the refrigerator to understand exactly how it works.
2. is chazaka - this means if we know from history that it works we can assume it still does granted there's no reason to assume otherwise, and if a problem develops we can assume it started from now. and not from the beginning.
3. Is going after the majority. This means if most people are doing it and they aren't being harmed we can too.
To give an example, if we were living 500 years ago and we wanted to know if broccoli is healthy or poisonous. we would go ask our local Medical Healer\ Herbalist who works with this stuff and studied the field. We would look around and see if most people who eat broccoli look healthy. Lastly, we would look at the plant and see if it has a chazaka that it doesn't harm. After we collected all the information the Rabbi would make a halachic decision if people can eat broccoli. A pretty solid system don't you think? but society decided to change the gold standard..... let's see how far it got us ...
Even with a double-blind placebo it very difficult to know how factual the result is because there are so many other factors going on in everyone's life. Trying to put people in one group while they take medication, and answer a few questions every week - they are doing the best they can, but we can understand how the results can be less accurate than we would like them to be. Further, this is all without companies manipulating the data, or pharma companies funding studies to prove what they want. You can imagine how accurate those are...And if you thought the problems are over, the finished studies now have to get approved by the medical journals. Those who don't know the process should research it themselves. Instead of me telling you what the top 3 medical journals said about the science they publish. I rather not make it sound like a sound conspiratory, and stick to simple logic, but you can understand how industry influence can interfere.
Now the Ancient scientific method we discussed isn't foolproof either. However, it's preferred because it's millions cheaper, and it allows many more things to be studied. Did you ever ask yourself where is the science on broccoli?. You haven't found it because there's no broccoli Agracltural Giant that will pay the millions it would cost to study it. Also if you think about it, a double-blind study is only very necessary with something very new to man. Such as a new drug that has never been approved before. But in nature, you don't find things often that are new. You'll do fine without the double-blind placebo using the ancient scientific method.
We are so out of touch with our body, that we rather take something scientifically proven, trusting the big companies, even if we can't understand it than listen to our body. With this clarity, next time someone tells you to eat broccoli, saying there's a study on it that's funded independently. instead of asking if it's scientifically proven, - Remember what that scientifically proven double-blind placebo means, remember how it's not very accurate and doesn't give Hashem's food any opportunity to be studied because there's isn't enough money in it. Instead, see how it feels in your body, think about it, does it logically makes sense?? and if it does, give it a try.
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