The Body of Evidence

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of vitamin supplements? We pilot a new format for the show and ask for your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, Patreon, or via email at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com   (6:34) The story of scurvy and how its cause, a vitamin deficiency, was harder to "science" than you may remember, with author Stephen R. Bown.    (22:48) The porous regulations that allow vitamin supplements to be sold and how Mel Gibson played a key role in this system, with health policy expert Timothy Caulfield.   (35:27) Chris and Jonathan explain what each vitamin does, what happens if you're deficient, and whether or not vitamin supplements are necessary.     * Jingle by Joseph Hackl * Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl * Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!     References:   1) Chris' article "It Hasn't Been a Good Year for Vitamin D": https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-it-hasnt-been-a-good-year-for-vitamin-d   2) Vitamin D supplementation and cardiovascular risk: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2735646   3) VITAL study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1809944   4) AMATERASU trial: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.2210   5) D2D study on vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31173679/   6) The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's Final Recommendation Statement from June 2022: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication   7) Recommendation Statement as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2793446     Music Credits: Peter Sandberg / Étude No 1 for String Quartet Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen / Rise to Power National Anthem Worx / Rule Britannia Silver Maple / Unspoken Bonnie Grace / We Still Have Courage   Wendy Marcini / The Cast Wendy Marcini / The Scam Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen / The Stakeout   Farrell Wooten / Margin of Error   All courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com  

The laying on of hands. The stethoscope. The "does it hurt when I press here." We are all familiar with the physical exam a doctor does when investigating our symptoms. But in the 21st century, with access to ultrasound and MRI, are these old-fashioned techniques still relevant or just cool parlour tricks? Returning guest Niko joins Chris to discuss the evidence behind hands-on maneuvers taught to medical students to help diagnose a variety of conditions. Warning: you may be shocked.   JAMA's series on the Rational Clinical Examination: https://jamanetwork.com/collections/6257/the-rational-clinical-examination   (4:44) Scenario #1: A torn meniscus or ligament in the knee   Lachman test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Lachman_Test McMurray test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/McMurrays_Test   (17:20) Scenario #2: Carpal tunnel syndrome   Tinel's test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Tinel%E2%80%99s_Test Phalen's test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Phalen%E2%80%99s_Test   (24:29) Scenario #3: Meningitis   Brudzinski's sign of meningitis: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19069.htm Kernig's sign of meningitis: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19077.htm   (32:41) Scenario #4: Abdominal aortic aneurysm   (38:13) Scenario #5: Pneumonia   Whispered pectoriloquy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whispered_pectoriloquy   (45:45) Scenario #6: Appendicitis   McBurney's point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McBurney%27s_point Rovsing's sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovsing%27s_sign Psoas sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_sign Obturator's sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obturator_sign       * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl. * Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of sexually transmitted infections? Plus: should you worry about monkeypox, and what is going on with mysterious cases of liver inflammation in children?   Block 1: (2:15) STIs: nomenclature, HIV, rising cases   Block 2: (8:57) STIs: why cases are increasing, who should be screened, treatment options, antibiotic resistance, confections, cold sore outbreaks   Block 3: (23:29) Monkeypox   Block 4: (36:45) Mysterious liver inflammation in children and possible link to COVID-19     * Jingle by Joseph Hackl * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl. * Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!     References:   1) Public Health Agency of Canada's 2018 report on sexually transmitted infections in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/report-sexually-transmitted-infections-canada-2018.html   2) Summary table from the California Public Health Department about recommended STI screening in different groups: https://bit.ly/3sFxeJ0   3) Uptake of STI screening: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5814a2.htm & https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29985985/   4) CDC treatment guidelines and recommendations on co-treatment: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6950a6.htm   5) Acyclovir for treatment of genital herpes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6088819/   6) Topical antivirals for cold sores: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9134943/   7) Episode 61 of our podcast on HIV: https://bodyofevidence.ca/061-hiv-and-covid-19-therapies   8) Episode 72 of our podcast on liver disease: https://bodyofevidence.ca/072-liver-disease-sleep-disorder-grab-bag   9) Jim Downs' article in The Atlantic on tiptoeing around the issue of monkeypox and men who have sex with men: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/monkeypox-outbreak-spread-gay-bisexual-men/643122/     Music Credits:   Dead Spaces by Tim Kulig Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9319-dead-spaces License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   The Legion by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4912-the-legion License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

The Body of Evidence is releasing an episode of HFMA's Voices in Healthcare Finance podcast, which features an interview with Dr. Christopher Labos on the topic of weight bias in healthcare, including what health indicators to focus on instead of weight and how to help patients who are at risk improve their health outcomes without explicit or implicit fat shaming.   If you enjoy Voices in Healthcare Finance, you can find the show and subscribe to it here: https://hfma.podbean.com/     To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of MSG? Plus: we dig into a new study that alleges that artificial sweeteners are associated with a higher risk of cancer (but But BUT!), and will we keep boosting people against COVID every four months?   Block 1: (2:05) MSG: what it is, where it comes from, and where it is used   Block 2: (8:41) MSG: what it tastes like, the story of how it was maligned, and whether or not it causes harm   Block 3: (27:26) New study on artificial sweeteners and cancer, and its pitfalls   Block 4: (39:11) Forever boosters for COVID-19     * Jingle by Jillian Correia of Roctavio Canada * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl. * Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!     References:   1) The original paper on "Chinese-restaurant syndrome:" https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm196804042781419   2) The Colgate University article on Dr. Howard Steel: https://news.colgate.edu/magazine/2019/02/06/the-strange-case-of-dr-ho-man-kwok/   3) This American Life's episode on Dr. Steel and Dr. Kwok: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/668/the-long-fuse   4) The only other scientific paper penned by Dr. Kwok: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3476(67)80272-5   5) Study on intravenous administration of MSG: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.163.3869.826   6) Study #1 on MSG and flushing: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0190-9622(86)70161-8   7) Study #2 on MSG and flushing: https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.4.1058s   8) Study on MSG and headaches: https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-016-0639-4   9) The FDA's findings on MSG: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg   10) Adam Ragusea's video on MSG: https://youtu.be/E-POAKKH5IM   11) New study on artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003950   12) Second COVID booster has 'marginal benefits' in small study: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/972198   13) Jonathan's article on a pan-coronavirus vaccine: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19/future-proof-coronavirus-vaccine     Music Credits:   Shine Of Happiness by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7537-shine-of-happiness License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

Paul Ingraham shares his journey from woo believer to skeptic in massage therapy. Topics include tone policing, evidence-based vs science-based medicine, and navigating snark in healthcare. The discussion delves into Bayesian statistics, professionalism in healthcare, and the challenges of evidence-based medicine. A fascinating look at the evolution of skepticism and the importance of critical thinking in healthcare.

Fingers on buzzers! It's the first (and possibly last) episode of What's in a Name: Medical Edition! Join host Jonathan and his three contestants in figuring out the origin of common words used in biology and medicine! It's fun, we swear!   In the hot seat: social media manager Melissa, medical resident Niko, and cardiologist Chris!   Who will win? Who will lose? Will their egos recover? Do points even matter? What are the rules again? You'll hear about biceps, botulism, and that disease that got its name from a really old poem!   It's What's in a Name: Medical Edition!   Recorded in late December, 2021.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!   Music Credits: Dark Secrets (DECISION) by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/246-dark-secrets-decision- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

Jonathan and Chris talk to Dr. Barbara Hofer and Dr. Gale Sinatra, the authors of the book Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It. It's a course in skepticism 101 as they discuss decision-making, doing your own research, and the post-truth era.   1:46 Why write a book about science denial now? 4:50 Irrational decision-making 6:17 Politicizing science and manufacturing doubt 16:30 Just asking questions and doing your own research 22:51 How to refute misconceptions and a note on the backfire effect 30:43 Patience and empathy in the time of the pandemic 32:38 Algorithmic literacy 33:55 Are the deniers aware of the true reasons for their science denial? 36:00 The post-truth era 39:32 Solutions for harm reduction     * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!     Links: 1) The book Science Denial: https://www.sciencedenialbook.com/ 2) The Debunking Handbook: https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DebunkingHandbook2020.pdf  

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of asthma? Plus: how much time children spend in front of screens, and how to nudge people to go to the gym.   Block 1: (3:15) Asthma: wheezing, similar diseases, how asthma is diagnosed   Block 2: (10:53) Asthma: exercise-induced "asthma," what is asthma, cold and thunderstorms as triggers, allergies, infections, treatments   Block 3: (29:31) Screen time in children   Block 4: (40:06) Nudging people to go to the gym     To leave a rating and/or review on iTunes (please do!!), 1) Click here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-body-of-evidence/id980972442 2) Click on "Listen on Apple Podcasts" toward the top, under "Health & Fitness" 3) It will prompt you to open iTunes. Allow the pop-up and switch to iTunes 4) In iTunes, click on "Rating and Reviews"   If you already listen on an Apple device, you should be able to leave a review by accessing the show on that device's native podcasting app.     * Jingle by Joseph Hackl * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl. * Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!     References:   1) Episode 43 on allergies: https://bodyofevidence.ca/043-allergies-and-organic-food   2) The 2019 Global Initiative for Asthma report: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Whats-new-in-GINA-2021_final_V2.pdf   3) How will new recommendations from the GINA report affect practice in Canada: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/192/17/E456?ijkey=00df329033338403c174cbb90af80401afad6136&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha   4) GINA FAQ on asthma: https://ginasthma.org/about-us/faqs/   5) Trial on combined budenoside-formoterol as needed in mild asthma: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1715274   6) Systematic review and meta-analysis on screen time in children 5 years and younger: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2789091   7) American Academy of Paediatrics' guidelines on screen time: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Where-We-Stand-TV-Viewing-Time.aspx   8) Canadian Paediatrics Society's guidelines on screen time: https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/behavior-and-development/screen-time-and-young-children   9) Megastudy on nudging people to go to the gym: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04128-4     Music Credits:   Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Tutorial 2 by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8965-tutorial-2 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Ambient Relaxing Background by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9007-ambient-relaxing-background License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   Over The Rainbow by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/319-over-the-rainbow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  

Chris and Jonathan welcome back to the show journalist Brooke Binkowski from Truth or Fiction to discuss the Joe Rogan/Spotify controversy and how we got here. The discussion includes what makes someone a journalist in 2022 and how reactionaries and extremists were early adopters of the Internet.   2:10 Addressing common accusations 3:44 The saga 5:26 The mainstreaming of falsehoods 8:21 Lack of responsibility and JAQing off 10:06 The aesthetics of masculine rationality and The X-Files 15:15 From harmless folklore to antisemitism 18:35 What makes someone a journalist 26:31 Moderating audio content 29:20 The 1988 Internet and surf Nazis 36:14 Monster Island, Galt's Gulch, and Ram Ranch 42:13 The Spotify seal of approval and YouTube's feeble moderation 46:08 The next five years of reactionary populism     * Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.   Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out! And patrons will get a bonus segment from this interview in a week!     Links: 1) The Daily podcast on the Joe Rogan saga: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/podcasts/the-daily/joe-rogan-spotify.html 2) Jonathan's article on Joe Rogan: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/science-vs-joe-rogan 3) The open letter to Spotify: https://spotifyopenletter.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/an-open-letter-to-spotify/ 4) Aaron Rabinowitz's article on Monster Island: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2020/10/monster-island-free-speech-experiment/ 5) God Awful Movies' review of Atlas Shrugged, Part 1: https://www.stitcher.com/show/god-awful-movies/episode/337-atlas-shrugged-part-one-90134592 6) Truth or Fiction: https://www.truthorfiction.com/ 7) Brooke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/brooklynmarie