Even normal mice have a more complicated daily rhythm of stress hormone than just one peak—it has two peaks, and this is true for all mice, not just those on a fatty diet.
Scientific Claim
The circadian rhythm of fecal corticosterone in female ICR mice is better described by a two-component model than a single-component model, regardless of diet, suggesting inherent complexity in hormone secretion patterns.
Original Statement
“Corticosterone concentration better fit a two-component (CON R2 = 0.47 and HF R2 = 0.61) versus one component (CON R2 = 0.43 and HF R2 = 0.38) cosine curves... Fecal weight and total fecal corticosterone... fit two-component... cosine curves better than one-component.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim is based on statistical model fit (R²) and does not overinterpret biological causality. It accurately reflects the data’s inherent structure.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
The study shows that eating too much fat messes up the mice’s daily hormone rhythm, but it didn’t test whether the rhythm is better explained by a simple or complex math model, so we can’t say if the claim about the model is right.