Journalists and others ought to cease referencing or utilizing the research’s findings in any future reporting.
BMJ Group has withdrawn a research that when urged ingesting small quantities of apple cider vinegar every day might help weight reduction in people who find themselves chubby or overweight.
The scientific trial, printed in March 2024 within the open-access journal BMJ Vitamin, Prevention & Well being, was accompanied by a press launch and shortly drew widespread worldwide consideration. Even months later, its claims continued to be cited in media experiences.
The choice to retract the paper got here after critical issues had been raised about its high quality. Points included questionable strategies of statistical evaluation, implausible statistical outcomes, unreliable uncooked knowledge, inadequate element within the description of strategies, and the absence of prior trial registration (a requirement underneath BMJ Group’s editorial coverage).
Early doubts appeared in critiques of the analysis, with some printed as letters within the journal. BMJ Group’s content material integrity staff then carried out a overview and referred the work to impartial statistical specialists. Their process was to check whether or not the outcomes might be replicated and to confirm the validity of the info submitted by the authors.
Assessment Findings
It wasn’t potential for the statisticians to copy the outcomes and a number of analytical errors had been recognized. There have been additionally irregularities within the knowledge set, and their report, which is appended to the retraction discover, concluded that the info collected from every participant would require additional impartial scrutiny.
The authors mentioned that the recognized errors had been sincere errors, however they agree with the choice to retract the research.
Dr. Helen Macdonald, Publication Ethics and Content material Integrity Editor at BMJ Group, mentioned: “Tempting although it’s to alert readers to an ostensibly easy and apparently useful weight reduction help, at current the outcomes of the research are unreliable, and journalists and others ought to now not reference or use the outcomes of this research in any future reporting.”
She added: “This retraction displays our strategic and proactive method to investigating issues raised concerning the content material we publish. We act the place vital within the pursuits of openness and the significance of correcting the scientific report.
“Whereas we cope with allegations as swiftly as potential, it’s essential that due course of is adopted. Investigations are sometimes advanced. This one concerned detailed scrutiny of knowledge and correspondence with researchers, establishments, and different specialists, for instance. Reaching a sound and truthful and ultimate determination can due to this fact take a number of months.”
Reflection on Publication Determination
Commenting on the choice to publish the research regardless of the dearth of trial registration, Professor Martin Kohlmeier, editor in chief of BMJ Vitamin Prevention & Well being, defined: “In hindsight, this was the improper determination to make. However the authors come from a scientific atmosphere that’s underrepresented in dietary analysis and the journal goals to prioritize prime quality proof, which often comes from scientific trials.
“These are comparatively uncommon in dietary analysis as they are often difficult to undertake due to the numbers of contributors and time wanted to acquire significant outcomes.”
Reference: “Apple cider vinegar for weight administration in Lebanese adolescents and younger adults with chubby and weight problems: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled research” 23 September 2025, BMJ Vitamin Prevention & Well being.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000823ret
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