Clinical research refers to studies in which people participate as patients or volunteers for scientific research purposes. Clinical research is often referred to as clinical trials, clinical studies, research studies and trials. Clinical trials are essential in discovering safe and effective new treatments and preventative therapies for diseases. Treatments can be in the form of foods, cosmetics, drugs or natural health products. Participants are necessary in research to facilitate this discovery and the resulting research may lead to a new treatment or therapy.
Clinical trials can be either intervention studies or observational studies. In intervention studies researchers administer an intervention to participants under controlled conditions and then measure its effect on the health outcome or quality of life, either as a treatment or as a prevention. In an observational study researchers do not administer a treatment to participants or intervene in any way; they simply observe the participants and then draw conclusions about the health outcome based on what they see.
At Source Nutraceuticals Inc., we conduct clinical trials for natural health products (dietary supplements in the United States), foods and beverages, cosmetics, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Our experienced clinical staff have completed numerous studies in a wide range of indications including studies on cardiovascular health (including cholesterol and blood pressure), bone health, gastrointestinal health, immunology and allergy studies, glycemic index/glycemic response, joint pain, antioxidant status, skincare and bioavailability of ingredients.