Intention-to-Treat Analysis

An analysis including all participants as originally assigned, regardless of compliance.

Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis includes all participants in the groups to which they were originally randomized, regardless of whether they completed the study, adhered to the supplement protocol, or withdrew. ITT preserves the benefits of randomization and provides a more realistic estimate of how a supplement performs in real-world conditions where adherence is imperfect. In contrast, per-protocol analysis only includes participants who fully complied with the study protocol, potentially overstating the supplement's effect.