You’ve heard it before: “Trust the science.” It sounds reasonable enough—after all, who doesn’t want evidence-based healthcare? But here’s the uncomfortable truth: that phrase has become the modern equivalent of “don’t ask questions.” And at Rixa Health, we believe questions are exactly what your health needs most.
When “Trust The Science” Becomes Gaslighting
Let’s call it what it is. “Trust the science” has morphed from a reasonable request into a conversation-ender—a way to silence legitimate concerns and critical thinking. It suggests that science is a monolith, a single source of truth handed down from above, rather than what it actually is: a process of continuous questioning, testing, and refinement.
The phrase has become a shield for pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers, and even some healthcare providers who don’t want you looking too closely at what they’re selling.
The Healthcare System Isn’t Working For You
Look around. We’re spending $6 trillion per year on healthcare in this country, with approximately $4.5 trillion of those dollars funneled into drug development. Yet we rank somewhere around 60th globally for health outcomes and longevity.
Does that seem like a system that’s working?
- 1.5 million Americans die every year from chronic diseases that are 98% preventable
- We have historic epidemics of obesity, including childhood obesity
- Mental health disorders are skyrocketing
- Autoimmune diseases are increasingly common
- Neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are on the rise
Meanwhile, we’re told to swallow more pills, follow the food pyramid (designed with heavy input from food industry lobbyists), and—you guessed it—”trust the science.”
Follow The Money, Not Just The Science
Chronic disease isn’t just a health crisis—it’s an industry. A profitable one.
In our current system, pharmaceutical companies aren’t rewarded for curing diseases; they’re rewarded for managing them. The longer you stay sick, the more medications you need, the more money they make. It’s a perverse incentive structure that benefits from your continued illness.
The average American is on multiple medications by middle age, many treating symptoms rather than addressing root causes. Is this really the best we can do?
What’s Really In Your Food?
While Europe allows about 400 or so food additives, the United States permits a staggering 10,000+ chemicals under the designation “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS). The kicker? These additives are self-reported by manufacturers. There’s no independent testing by the FDA, no evaluation of how these chemicals interact with each other, and certainly no long-term studies on their cumulative effects.
Then there’s seed oils—industrial byproducts loaded into everything from salad dressing to “healthy” snacks. These oils trigger oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation—the unholy trinity that sets the stage for metabolic disease, autoimmune conditions, and even cancer.
But when someone questions whether these additives might be problematic, they’re often told—you guessed it—to “trust the science.”
Your Body, Your Responsibility
Here’s the hard truth: you are the primary person responsible for preventing disease in your own body. Not your doctor. Not the healthcare system. You.
That doesn’t mean you’re to blame for getting sick. It means that in a system designed to profit from illness rather than wellness, waiting for that system to fix you is like waiting for a fox to secure the henhouse.
This isn’t about rejecting modern medicine. When you’re sick or injured, medical care can be lifesaving. But relying on that same system for prevention? That’s where things fall apart.
What Real Healthcare Looks Like
Real healthcare starts with asking questions:
- What’s in the food I eat?
- How does my lifestyle affect my long-term health?
- Why am I being prescribed this medication, and what are the alternatives?
- What are the root causes of my symptoms, not just how to mask them?
A doctor who doesn’t ask about your diet, exercise habits, stress levels, relationships, and sleep patterns isn’t treating YOU—they’re treating a collection of symptoms. And that’s not their fault; it’s a system that pays for quantity, not quality. Most doctors get less than 15 minutes with each patient and aren’t compensated for outcomes.
Your Health Isn’t Binary
Here’s something else they don’t tell you: your genetics are not your destiny. Your genes can be turned on or off based on environmental factors like food and lifestyle habits. Many diseases—including some autoimmune conditions and certain cancers—are preventable.
The food you eat, the water you drink, the air you breathe, the toxins you’re exposed to, the exercise you do (or don’t do), the stress you manage (or don’t manage)—all of these factors influence your health trajectory.
And most importantly, these issues start early. The foundations of chronic disease are often laid in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood—long before symptoms appear. By the time you hit your 40s and 50s, those wheels are already in motion.
The Bottom Line: Ask Questions, Demand Answers
Never “trust the science” blindly. Ask questions. If something doesn’t make sense, keep asking. If a healthcare provider dismisses your concerns, find one who won’t.
At Rixa Health, we believe in evidence-based medicine and in your right to understand that evidence. We believe in pharmaceuticals when necessary and in addressing root causes. We believe in treating acute conditions and in preventing chronic ones.
Most importantly, we believe that you deserve better than a healthcare system that profits from your illness rather than your wellness.
That’s not anti-science. That’s real science—the kind that questions, evolves, and puts human health above all else.
Dr. Tim Scott is the founder of Rixa Health, where we’re committed to helping patients address the root causes of metabolic dysfunction rather than just managing symptoms. We use medications as tools to help you make lasting change, not as band-aids to cover deeper issues.
