Correlation is not causation. ⚠️ You can use observational data to spot patterns and ask important questions, which is the first step. But you cannot skip the next step. You cannot take two variables that are simply correlated, assume one is causing the other, and then start making medical recommendations or giving health advice based on that. A good example of this is beta-carotene and lung cancer. Early observational studies found that people who ate more beta-carotene had lower rates of lung