Perhaps one reason so many people distrust 'science' is the simple fact that we are constantly being subjected to lies, propaganda, and fraud. If 'scientists' want us to trust them, they need to start acting trustworthy, instead of accusing people of being ignorant.
The author of "Free Radicals" displays his own ignorance by using the word 'Anarchy' in the subtitle. In spite of a hundred year campaign to equate the word 'anarchy' with 'chaos', 'violence', and 'disorganization', 'anarchy' is actually a political theory based on the concept of cooperation instead of cutthroat competition. A truly radical idea, indeed.
Most of the medical research I have looked at strikes me as being rubbish that is published just to keep the grant money pouring in. Looking through the NIH database, it's incredibly difficult to find anything that is remotely useful. Quantity is more important than quality. If there were a way to use the stuff as garden fertilizer, I could grow Jack's Beanstalk!
When it comes to evaluating medical research, I tend to trust the reports from the Cochrane Collaboration. They seem to understand the concept of integrity, which is really helpful, since I am strictly an amateur when it comes to analyzing research.
Thanks for that - it made my day!