From Bone Health Treatments to GLP-1 Benefits: Weighing Medical Options, Scientific Breakthroughs, and Practical Health Advice

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 3-20-2025:

• Dr. Dawn responds to an email about osteoporosis treatment options, explaining the risk assessment for fractures, discussing injectable alternatives to Fosamax for patients with swallowing difficulties, and analyzing vibration plate therapy's effectiveness for osteoporosis.
• The show explores scientific curiosities including genetically modified "woolly mammoth mice" created using CRISPR technology, showing how gene editing advances could potentially resurrect extinct species and preserve the endangered.
• Dr. Dawn shares research revealing that tea leaves can effectively remove heavy metals from water, with both black and green tea varieties working equally well.
• The show discusses how strength training provides the most significant benefits for insomnia sufferers, outperforming other exercise types by creating the micro-damage necessary to trigger deep, restorative sleep.
• Dr. Dawn describes fascinating developments in biohybrid robotics, where researchers created a functional hand using lab-grown human muscle tissue capable of gripping objects and making scissor gestures. Now they'll work on "rock" and "paper".
• A caller seeks clarification about the tea purification process, with Dr. Dawn explaining that discarding used tea bags (rather than composting them) prevents reintroducing concentrated heavy metals into the environment.
• She examines Alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by Lone Star tick bites that can cause reactions to mammalian products including red meat, gelatin, keratin, and lanolin.
• The show addresses environmental concerns about "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in sewage sludge fertilizers, potential risks to farmworkers and highlighting studies linking drinking water contamination to increased childhood cancer rates in affected areas.
• Dr. Dawn explores the expanding benefits of GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss, including reduced risks for liver failure, cardiac arrest, addiction disorders, and even Alzheimer's, while noting potential side effects.
• She discusses how GLP-1 medications fundamentally change food preferences and behaviors, citing cases where users shift spending from restaurants to exercise equipment and from processed foods to fruits and vegetables.
• A caller seeking advice on building muscle mass at age 70 receives recommendations about proper protein intake, hydration needs with kidney disease, and the importance of resistance training over general activity.