The Body of Evidence

Will Montreal soon lose what little fluoridated tap water it has? Why do we even put fluoride in the drinking water in the first place? And do the arguments voiced to take it away from citizens even… hold water?

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Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) The Montreal Gazette article about the proposal to stop adding fluoride to the West Island’s tap water: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-aims-to-stop-fluoridating-west-island-water-in-2025

Not so long ago, natural health products sold in Canada—which include a slew of dietary supplements of dubious effectiveness—were not regulated. When Kat McLeod got poisoned via the herbal supplement she was taking, she was offered a choice: sue the Canadian government or help them draft stronger regulation.

The Body of Evidence reached out to Olsy Sorokina to report on this story. She will tell you how natural health products are regulated in Canada and what the latest legislation, Vanessa’s Law, means to consumers and to the natural health industry. And don’t worry: Chris and Jonathan appear throughout.

Story producer: Olsy Sorokina

Interviewed for this story: Kat McLeod and Timothy Caulfield

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

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Email us your questions at [email protected].

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

What does the body of evidence say about smoking cessation? Does counselling make a difference and, if so, what kind? Is vaping effective as a way to quit smoking? And did you know there are drugs that have been shown to help give up the habit? Chris attempts to pronounce their names and is left with one question: is his veranda clean?

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

Reducing vs. quitting smoking

1) Gerber Y, Myers V, Goldbourt U. Smoking reduction at midlife and lifetime mortality risk in men: a prospective cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2012 May 15;175(10):1006-12. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwr466. Epub 2012 Feb 3. PMID: 22306566.

2) Nina S. Godtfredsen, Claus Holst, Eva Prescott, Jørgen Vestbo, Merete Osler, Smoking Reduction, Smoking Cessation, and Mortality: A 16-year Follow-up of 19,732 Men and Women from the Copenhagen Centre for Prospective Population Studies, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 156, Issue 11, 1 December 2002, Pages 994–1001, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwf150

Behavioural interventions for smoking cessation

3) Cahill K, Lancaster T, Green N. Stage-based interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Nov 10;(11):CD004492. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004492.pub4. PMID: 21069681.

4) Stead LF, Koilpillai P, Fanshawe TR, Lancaster T. Combined pharmacotherapy and behavioural interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Mar 24;3(3):CD008286. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008286.pub3. PMID: 27009521; PMCID: PMC10042551.

5) Hartmann-Boyce J, Hong B, Livingstone-Banks J, Wheat H, Fanshawe TR. Additional behavioural support as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Jun 5;6(6):CD009670. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009670.pub4. PMID: 31166007; PMCID: PMC6549450.

6) Hartmann-Boyce J, Livingstone-Banks J, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Fanshawe TR, Lindson N, Freeman SC, Sutton AJ, Theodoulou A, Aveyard P. Behavioural interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Jan 4;1(1):CD013229. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013229.pub2. PMID: 33411338; PMCID: PMC11354481.

7) Anthenelli RM, Benowitz NL, West R, St Aubin L, McRae T, Lawrence D, Ascher J, Russ C, Krishen A, Evins AE. Neuropsychiatric safety and efficacy of varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine patch in smokers with and without psychiatric disorders (EAGLES): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Lancet. 2016 Jun 18;387(10037):2507-20. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30272-0. Epub 2016 Apr 22. PMID: 27116918.

Network meta-analysis of medications and e-cigarettes

8) Lindson N, Theodoulou A, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Fanshawe TR, Sutton AJ, Livingstone-Banks J, Hajizadeh A, Zhu S, Aveyard P, Freeman SC, Agrawal S, Hartmann-Boyce J. Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta‐analyses. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2023, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD015226. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015226.pub2. Accessed 04 November 2024.

On a special live recording of The Body of Evidence, Jonathan sits down in conversation with Lewis, a reformed conspiracy theorist from Liverpool who tumbled down the rabbit hole during the COVID-19 pandemic. How should you talk to the conspiracy theorist in your life if you want to make progress? There’s no better person to answer this question than someone who was at the other end of this.

The two discuss the strange alignment between gym bros and yoga moms—and the “cosmic Scousers” in Liverpool—that fed into the protests against public health measures, and they talk about how fast you can get a “diploma” on Telegram.

And how critical thinking really is an aspiration.

* 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/.

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A new editorial calls pesticides “the new smoking.” This is based on a recent study comparing pesticide use in U.S. counties and cancer incidence. But do counties get cancer? We investigate the issue to see if we should worry about pesticides and if young adults are really getting more cancer than they used to.

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) The Medscape article: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cancer-risk-are-pesticides-new-smoking-2024a1000h2n?form=fpf

2) The new study: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcacs.2024.1368086

It’s time for a COVID booster for your ears. Which strains are circulating? Why should you care? And which vaccines are available to boost your immune system this fall? Also, why will some Canadians be driving to Vermont to get a COVID vaccine?

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

What does the body of evidence say about rabies? Well, for one, it is the human disease with the worst case-fatality rate. Once you develop the symptoms, your outlook isn’t good. But its long incubation period makes it easy to do something that may not be intuitive: to give the infected person a vaccine… after they’ve been bit.

Special guest star: Tobi.

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) Information on the rabies vaccine: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-18-rabies-vaccine.html

2) WHO expert consultation on rabies: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/272364/9789241210218-eng.pdf?sequence=1

It’s a pseudoscience that seemed to work at first, but now the same researcher who “proved” that it worked has proven that it doesn’t. Do we need to purge people of heavy metals to make sure they don’t have heart attacks? No… but you won’t believe the price tag we’ve had to pay to gain this wisdom.

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) Editorial expressing concerns about TACT1: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1672219

2) Results from the TACT2 trial: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2822472

3) Editor’s note on the whole saga: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2822475

4) Dr. Stephen Barrett’s commentary on TACT1: https://quackwatch.org/chelation/research/tact/

Can cranberry juice help prevent UTIs… or will any liquid do? Also: a new drug has been tested to treat the symptoms of menopause and it looks pretty good. As Chris and Jonathan appraise these studies, you will learn about the importance of placebo arms in clinical trials.

Correction: it turns out that urine is not sterile. Even the bladder has bacteria in it! https://www.livescience.com/health/is-pee-sterile

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) The network meta-analysis published in European Urology Focus on cranberries to prevent UTIs: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405456924001226

2) The 2023 meta-analysis on cranberries for UTIs: https://www.cochrane.org/CD001321/RENAL_cranberries-preventing-urinary-tract-infections

3) Write-up on the recent meta-analysis in Medscape: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/its-juice-cranberries-uti-prevention-2024a1000ei4?ecd=mkm_ret_240814_mscpmrk-OUS_ICYMI_CA_etid6740662&uac=300018BV&impID=6740662

4) The OASIS 1 and 2 trials on elinzanetant for menopausal vasomotor symptoms: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2822766

The wellness industry has a very specific customer base in its crosshairs: women. And many journalists are covering this relationship in a dangerously superficial way. Underwater spinning? Fun! CBD-infused leggings? Why not? But there’s a dark underbelly to the promises of wellness solutions, and journalist Rina Raphael has documented it diligently and with a great deal of compassion in her book, The Gospel of Wellness. Jonathan talks to her about how wellness is portrayed in the media and why women listen to its siren call.

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at [email protected].

Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova, MD

Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris’ book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

Links:

1) Rina Raphael’s Substack: https://welltodo.substack.com

2) Rina Raphael’s book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59808064-the-gospel-of-wellness

3) Rina Raphel’s website: https://www.rinaraphael.com