“linked to”
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Correlation is not causation
When studies find correlations, they never seem to just publish that. It seems there is always some huge leaps and inferences.
Does sugar cause cancer?
Do the subsequent insulin spikes cause cancer?
Is there another ingredient that typically accompanies a sweetened drink (such as a preservative) that causes cancer?
Are sugary drinkers more sedate and less health conscious?
...so on and so forth...
a lot of these “studies” aren’t even real studies. They take data from lots of other studies, all taken under different conditions with different populations and different rules, and merge them into a combined data set and then start hunting for anything that indicates possibility of a slight correlation. Using this study of studies they may find that 29 year old read heads with size 12 feet have higher rates of acne but they’ll discard that as silly. Then they find that people who have pizza once a month correlate with people who develop lung cancer and THAT is headline worthy. “Regular pizza consumption linked to lung cancer!” Until the next study of studies shows the reverse and we can all eat pizza again.