Which statement best captures why nutrition researchers prefer numerical data that can be analyzed statistically?

• A. Researchers prefer numbers only because journals require tables, not because they improve the quality of inference
• B. Numerical data are preferred because they always guarantee that findings are true regardless of study design or biases
• C. Numerical data are only useful for animal studies and have no role in interpreting human nutrition outcomes
• D. Numbers allow objective quantification of effects, assessment of variability and uncertainty through statistical tests, and clearer criteria for supporting or refuting hypotheses compared with qualitative anecdotes

Answer: (D)