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Examine.com is a Canadian company that runs an online encyclopedia covering health, nutrition and supplementation. The website collates scientific research using
evidence-based practice Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the idea that occupational practices ought to be based on scientific evidence. While seemingly obviously desirable, the proposal has been controversial, with some arguing that results may not specialize to indiv ...
methodology. Examine.com is led by Kamal Patel, and includes scientists, editors and peer reviewers.


History

Examine.com was created in 2011 by
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...
alumnus Sol Orwell out of his frustration with users on
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asking the same questions over and over again. Helping shape the site in its early days was Kurtis Frank, who also helped co-found the site. Kurtis Frank had posted on a public forum that he had been doing nutrition research and he wanted it so other people could just access it, get their thoughts and save themselves some time. He was contacted by the other co-founder at Examine, Sol Orwell and they created the website. Sol Orwell had already thought of the idea from his weight loss journey and frustration with info on supplements but was searching for an expert. However, Kurtis officially left Examine sometime in 2018, when his name was removed from the site. The company began with a focus on supplementation research, but expanded into nutrition as it continued to grow. During the initial research that led to the company's founding, co-founder Sol Orwell noticed that "outlandish claims were muddling the waters" of nutrition and supplementation, leading to the site's standard of evidence-based analysis. In 2014, the company began directly reviewing nutrition research in a digest tailored to the "serious enthusiast or professional". ''
Men's Fitness ''Men's Fitness'' was a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series '' The Greatest American Hero''. The magazine's slogan was "How ...
'' named Sol Orwell a 2014 Game Changer for his work on Examine.com and for providing "hype-free, science-sourced information relatable to the masses." In 2015, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' interviewed Orwell about his "seven-figure business", and ''Fast Company'' included Examine.com as one of the top ten innovative companies in fitness. The company was also incorporated in 2015, with Kamal Patel officially joining as co-founder. As of September 2016, the website said that it had over 50,000 references. By 2020, the website was being used by mainstream media like ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' as a supplements reference in the context of strength-building advice and understanding the role of supplements during the
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. The same year, inspired by
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, Examine.com started publicly disclosing the mistakes they had committed and how they were fixing them. In 2020, Examine.com Director Kamal Patel was named #1 Most Influential Man in Health & Fitness by
Men's Health UK The British edition of the American magazine ''Men's Health (magazine), Men's Health'' was launched in February 1995 with a separate editorial team, and is the best-selling monthly men's magazine in the United Kingdom, selling more than ''GQ (magaz ...
.


Company structure

Remaining unbiased is named as a priority in the site's mission statement. Examine.com only reviews research and supplement ingredients, rather than specific products. On the company blog, Examine.com publishes rebuttals to cases of exaggerated marketing of nutrition and supplementation products.


See also

*
Natural Standard Natural Standard is an international research collaboration that systematically reviews scientific evidence on complementary and alternative medicine. Together with the faculty of Harvard Medical School, Natural Standard provides consumer inform ...
* Dietary supplement *
Media transparency Media transparency (or transparent media), also referred to as Media Opacity, is a concept that explores how and why information subsidies are being produced, distributed and handled by media professionals, including journalists, editors, public r ...
* Comparison of supplements by different brands: ** ConsumerLab.com **
Labdoor, Inc Labdoor is a privately held medical company registered in San Francisco, California, founded in May 2012 by Neil Thanedar. It provides information on dietary supplements, which do not require testing by the FDA in the United States. History Bo ...


References


External links

* {{Evidence-based practice Companies established in 2011 Internet properties established in 2011 Media analysis organizations and websites Evidence-based practices