Type of site | Wiki, database |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Created by | Sol Orwell, Kamal Patel, Kurtis Frank |
| Industry | Nutrition, Supplements |
| URL | Examine.com |
| Launched | 2011 |
| Current status | active |
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 methodology. Examine.com is led by Kamal Patel, and includes scientists, editors and peer reviewers.[1]
History[edit]
Examine.com was created in 2011 by University of Toronto alumnus Sol Orwell out of his frustration with users on reddit asking the same questions over and over again.[2] Kurtis Frank had posted on a public forum that he had been doing nutrition research, and wanted to improve accessibility to such information. He was contacted by Orwell, and they created the website, with Frank becoming co-founder.[3][4] Orwell had already thought of the idea from his weight loss journey and frustration with info on supplements, but wanted an expert alongside.[5] Frank left Examine sometime in 2018, when his name was removed from the site.[6]
The company began with a focus on supplementation research, but expanded into nutrition as it continued to grow.[7][8][9] During the initial research that led to the company's founding, Orwell noticed that "outlandish claims were muddling the waters" of nutrition and supplementation, leading to the site's standard of evidence-based analysis. [10] In 2014, the company began directly reviewing nutrition research in a digest tailored to the "serious enthusiast or professional".[11]
Men's Fitness named Orwell a 2014 Game Changer for his work on Examine.com and for providing "hype-free, science-sourced information relatable to the masses."[12]
In 2015, Forbes interviewed Orwell about his "seven-figure business",[13] and Fast Company included Examine.com as one of the top ten innovative companies in fitness.[14] The company was incorporated in 2015, with Kamal Patel officially joining as co-founder.[15][16]
As of September 2016, the website said that it had over 50,000 references.[17]
By 2020, the website was being used by mainstream media such as The New York Times as a supplements reference in the context of strength-building advice and understanding the role of supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic.[18][19] The same year, inspired by GiveWell, Examine.com started publicly disclosing the mistakes they had committed and how they were fixing them.[20]
In 2020, Examine.com Director Kamal Patel was named #1 Most Influential Man in Health & Fitness by Men's Health UK.[21]
Company structure[edit]
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.[22] On the company blog, Examine.com publishes rebuttals to cases of exaggerated marketing of nutrition and supplementation products.[23][24][25]
See also[edit]
- Natural Standard
- Dietary supplement
- Media transparency
- Comparison of supplements by different brands:
References[edit]
- ^ "About Examine.com". Examine.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "How Examine.com Founder Sol Orwell Built a 7-Figure Business off of Reddit". Grow & Convert. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "Science of Supplements with Kurtis Frank". 15 November 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "Kurtis Frank on the Art and Science of Making Science-Based Supplements". Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "About Examine.com". Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "About Examine.com". Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "A new website for supplement answers". Men's Fitness. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "Co-Founder of Examine.com". SignalTower.co. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Q&A: What Supplements Should I Take?". Men's Fitness. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Interview With Sol Orwell From Examine.com". Nutritionstripped.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015.
- ^ "Q&A: What Supplements Should I Take?". Men's Fitness. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Game Changers 2014: Sol Orwell". mensfitness.com. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "A Young Entrepreneur's Passion For Hacking His Diet Sparks A Seven-Figure Business". Forbes. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
- ^ "The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies Of 2015 In Fitness". Fast Company. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "How Examine.com Became One of the Biggest Nutrition Websites on the Internet – Kamal Patels". Erica Julson. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "About Examine". Examine.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "List of Supplements". Examine.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "How to Get Strong". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ O'Connor, Anahad (23 March 2020). "Supplements for Coronavirus Probably Won't Help, and May Harm". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Mistakes by Examine.com". Examine.com. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "26 Most Influential Men in Health & Fitness". Men's Health UK. No. 202010. London, England: Men's Health. September 2020. Archived from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2021. Alt URL
- ^ "Game Changers 2014: Sol Orwell". mensfitness.com. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Is low-carb really the best weight loss diet?". Examine.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "High-Protein Diets Linked to Cancer: Should You Be Concerned?". Examine.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "Do muscle building supplements cause testicular cancer? A deeper look at the latest study on MBS usage and testicular cancer". Examine.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.