David, I am so sorry that you have to deal with colitis. I think of the results a bit differently than do you; risk reduction does not mean prevention for all. In the piece, I noted this: Women who breastfed their infants have a decreased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The risk is cut in half among women who breastfeed for two years or more, according to a 2004 study from Harvard. Half of the women would still have gotten RA. This doesn’t mean that breastfeeding doesn’t reduce risk. Not smoking reduces lung cancer risk, yet I still see patients with the disease who don’t smoke. I do agree that we must be skeptical when it comes to overly optimistic assertions. This study needs validation, but I am delighted that a simple maneuver may reduce risk, even if it does not eliminate risk. I agree that anecdote is not particularly high-level evidence. Most studies regarding supplementation are observational; it is nice to have a randomized trial. Thanks for reading the piece and for your observations.

Warm regards,

Michael