Editorial Standards & Source Policy

1. Our approach

Livaya follows a research-first editorial policy. Our ashwagandha guides are built from peer-reviewed clinical literature rather than from a single author's opinion. Even when we publish in Japanese, the primary sources live in English-language peer-reviewed journals, so we read them in the original and translate them into clear language for Japanese readers within the constraints of the 薬機法.

Three principles guide every guide we publish: do not exaggerate, do not state what hasn't been shown, and do not trivialize. We never promise pharmaceutical-grade outcomes from a supplement. We do not dress up individual testimonials as clinical evidence. And we equally avoid cheap reassurance phrases such as "completely safe" or "always effective." Our goal is simple: give readers enough accurate information to make their own decisions.

• Research-first: PubMed-indexed peer-reviewed studies take priority
• At least 3 primary references per flagship guide
• Clear separation between pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements
• Customer testimonials are labelled as such, never presented as trial data

2. Our sources

When we cite research or data, the source comes from one of the following categories.

3. 薬機法 (Japan Pharmaceuticals Act) compliance

Livaya sells a dietary supplement (健康食品), not a drug (医薬品) or quasi-drug (医薬部外品). Our editorial policy therefore prohibits any wording that could imply a pharmaceutical effect. Words like "治る" (cure), "治療" (treat), "改善する" (improve a medical condition), and "予防する" (prevent a disease) are not used in Livaya content, even when a clinical study might superficially support such framing.

Instead we use language that keeps fact and inference distinct: "supports" (サポート), "is studied in the context of" (〜について研究されている), and "has been reported in research" (研究で報告されている). A change observed in a trial is not a guarantee the same change will happen in the reader's body — our phrasing reflects that uncertainty throughout.

• No pharmaceutical verbs (cure / treat / improve / prevent)
• Supplement tone: "supports", "fits into a routine"
• Every article links to an individual-variation / consult-your-doctor disclaimer
• Product pages explicitly state the product is not a 機能性表示食品 or 特定保健用食品 (Tokuho)

4. Current medical review status

In the interest of radical transparency: Livaya guides currently do not carry a formal medical review by an independent physician, pharmacist, or registered dietitian. Writing is done by the Livaya Research Team, and we disclose — on every article — the authors and institutions of the primary studies we cite.

We believe that labelling content as "medically reviewed" when it is not would betray reader trust. Until we secure a qualified medical reviewer, we disclose "not medically reviewed" and will update this page (and every affected article) as soon as the situation changes. We are actively looking for Japanese physicians, pharmacists, and registered dietitians with an interest in adaptogenic herbs or dietary supplements to help us review our editorial output.

If you are a qualified professional and interested in collaborating, please write to editorial@livaya.store with your credentials, institutional affiliation, and area of interest. We are flexible about the form of the relationship — masthead-only, per-article review, or ongoing advisory are all on the table.

• Status: no medical reviewer currently engaged (actively recruiting)
• Cited study authors and affiliations are disclosed at the bottom of every guide
• This page and every article will be updated as soon as review status changes
• Contact for reviewer candidates: editorial@livaya.store

5. Update cycle

Research on adaptogens and dietary supplements moves forward every year. Livaya guides follow a structured refresh cycle:

• Annual review: every guide is read end-to-end by the editorial team at least once per year and checked against the current literature
• Event-driven updates: when a major new meta-analysis or guideline appears, the affected guides are updated within 30 days of our becoming aware of it
• Regulatory changes: if 消費者庁 or 厚生労働省 issue new guidance relevant to our content, all affected guides are audited promptly
• The "last reviewed" date in each article reflects a real editorial pass — not a build timestamp or template auto-update

6. Conflicts of interest (COI)

Livaya sells an ashwagandha KSM-66 supplement. Our guides can therefore include a call-to-action toward our product. This is a structural conflict of interest and there's no point hiding it. We address it with the following practices:

• Claims in our guides are grounded in ingredient-level research (ashwagandha, KSM-66 extract), not product-specific research
• Benefits reported in studies are presented as information about the ingredient in general, not as specific claims about the Livaya product
• Testimonials are labelled as personal impressions and are never presented alongside or as equivalent to clinical trial findings
• We do not publish affiliate content or sponsored reviews of third-party products
• Product pages explicitly state that the product is not registered as 機能性表示食品 or 特定保健用食品 (Tokuho)

7. Feedback & corrections

If you spot an error — a misquoted study, outdated information, or wording that risks a 薬機法 concern — please email editorial@livaya.store. When we correct a material factual error, we keep a correction note at the bottom of the affected article.

This page itself will continue to evolve. Treat it as a living contract with our readers rather than a static policy document.