Peter Attia provides a framework for evaluating medications and supplements. He emphasizes that the first step is to clearly define the health problem, rather than jumping to a 'good' or 'bad' label. The intended purpose of an intervention determines how much evidence is needed and what risks are acceptable. He examines how baseline risk influences the true benefit of a therapy and why relative risk statistics can mislead.
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Canon
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Define the Problem Before Prescribing1:45
Peter stresses that the first step in considering any medication or supplement is to accurately define the health problem, not to label the intervention as inherently good or bad.
Peter explains that the intended purpose of a drug or supplement—whether for disease prevention, symptom relief, or performance enhancement—dictates the standard of evidence needed and the risk tolerance.
Peter cautions against taking a supplement or drug solely because its proposed mechanism seems plausible; human biology is too complex for that reasoning to predict real outcomes.