Where Research Is Lacking
What is well described in the lab but never tested in humans — calculated across all substances from our own study database.
1. What This Page Shows
For each substance and application pair, we count how many studies describe a mechanism of action—in cells, human tissue, or animal trials—and how many have tested the substance in humans. Where the ratio shifts, the mechanism is well-described, but the application remains untested. This is precisely where research is needed—and where manufacturers must consider whether an observational study is worthwhile.
A gap is not evidence of efficacy. It is evidence that no one has looked. Both are statements of fact.
2. Without a Single Controlled Human Study
Ranked by the disparity between evidence for mechanisms and human studies. The figures are drawn from our own study database and are continuously updated with it.
| Substance | Application | Mechanism evidence | In humans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humic acid complexes | Binding of Substances | 90 | 4 |
| Humic acid complexes | Structure and Chemistry | 165 | 14 |
| Garlic and black garlic | Cognition and Psyche | 67 | 6 |
| Milk thistle (silymarin) | Bones and Joints | 26 | 2 |
| Humic acid complexes | Oncology | 68 | 7 |
| Quercetin | Cognition and Psyche | 65 | 7 |
| Collagen | Oncology | 45 | 5 |
| Mineral binders (zeolite, bentonite) | Metabolism | 48 | 7 |
| Berberine | Bones and Joints | 23 | 6 |
| Berberine | Virale Infekte | 18 | 5 |
| Sulforaphane (broccoli) | Skin | 31 | 14 |
| Ginger | Virale Infekte | 19 | 10 |
3. Tested in Humans Only Sporadically
Controlled studies exist here, but very few in proportion to basic research. An independent replication would be the next step.
4. How We Read the Gaps
- Binding of substances is the most frequently described mechanism of action for humic acid complexes—and practically untested in humans. A mechanism that could be measured.
- Oncology appears for several substances: many cell studies, no controlled trial. Here, the gap is methodologically expected, not an oversight.
- Where a substance is thoroughly tested in one area and not at all in a neighbouring area, extrapolation is plausible—and remains open.
This page is recalculated with every update. The full list comprises 77 pairs.
Every statement on this page carries its evidence tier — proven, plausible or hypothesis — and leads to the original work. The decision in the individual case rests with the practitioner; we provide the connections.