placebo-controlled studies

A placebo-controlled study is a research method used to test the effectiveness of a new treatment or drug. Participants are randomly divided into two groups: one receives the actual treatment, while the other gets a placebo—an inactive substance that looks like the treatment but has no therapeutic effect. This setup helps researchers determine if any improvements are truly due to the treatment itself or just the body's natural response or psychological factors. By comparing the outcomes between both groups, scientists can more confidently assess the treatment’s true effectiveness.