PubMed is a free, widely-used online database maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine that indexes over 39 million citations and abstracts from biomedical and life sciences literature, such as journal articles, books, and chapters; it links to many full-text resources where possible[1][2][3][4][5].

However, simply reading studies on PubMed does not guarantee truth—critical reading and skepticism are needed, especially for the general public unfamiliar with scientific evaluation[6][7].

What Is PubMed?

How to Approach Reading Studies

Should Studies Be Taken as Truth?

Cautions for the General Public

Guidance:

• Always check if results are consistent with other studies.
• Seek information from trustworthy sources and consult professionals for medical or scientific interpretation.
• Remember that science is self-correcting, and consensus can change with new evidence.

In summary, PubMed is powerful but requires critical reading and skepticism— studies there are not automatically "true," and caution is needed, especially for non-scientists, to avoid being misled by preliminary, flawed, or overhyped research[1][6][7].

• Sources