What does the body of evidence say on acne and how to treat it? Plus: you’re going to want to pay attention to this latest study if you have food allergies, and Chris answers listeners’ questions about when to exercise, whether spinal cord stimulators work, and why some older adults are told that surgery would mess with their brain.

A Block: Acne

(0:59) Who gets acne; what causes acne; what are the risk factors for acne; how to treat both mild and moderate-to-severe acne.

B Block: New Food Allergy Drug

(34:16) A drug already approved to treat asthma, omalizumab (Xolair), can work against food allergies, including peanut allergy.

C Block: Answering Emails

(47:32) Questions about when is the best time to exercise (and whether or not you should be fasting); the benefits of spinal cord stimulators for people dealing with chronic pain; and why some older adults are being denied surgery.

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

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

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:

Prevalence of acne

1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.06.045

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788264/

Genetics as a cause of acne

3) https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1747.2002.19621.x

Psychological toll of acne

4) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2008.07.013

5) https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.1997.18131897.x

Diet and acne: the impact of milk

6) https://doi-org/10.1016/j.jaad.2004.08.007

7) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.08.049

8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17083856/

9) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.04.030

10) https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.13835

Diet and acne: the role of carbohydrates (or glycemic load)

11) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.01.046

12) https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.12673

13) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2009.04002.x

14) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.07.043

15) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.07.043

Stress and acne

16) https://doi.org/10.1001/archderm.139.7.897

Overview of acne treatments

17) https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2003.618

18) The clinical trial of Xolair for food allergies: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2312382

19) The Nature News Explainer on Xolair and food allergies: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00586-8

It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:

1) Jonathan on The Current to talk about wellness and skepticism: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16040098-how-tell-wellness-trends-wrong

It’s the case of the injured water-skier, which gets Chris to talk about painkillers (NSAIDs, opioids, and Tylenol) and how quickly you lose muscle mass when you’re injured. Plus: a cancer update! Should you pay thousands of dollars for a full-body scan to make sure you don’t have cancer? Can you legally send poop through the mail? And how can we make Pap smears obsolete?

Jonathan couldn’t speak much, so Aigul stepped up as co-host!

A Block: The Case of the Injured Water-Skier

(0:58) A man survives a water-skiing accident with two fractures, but he’s still in pain two months later. Is this normal or is he malingering?

B Block: Cancer Update

(28:24) Full-body MRIs promoted by Kim Kardashian: should you pay for one?

(36:29) Colorectal cancer screening test available for free in Quebec

(41:22) Is cervical cancer coming to an end?

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

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

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!

Episode 100 will be an “Ask Us Anything” special. Email us your questions at: [email protected].

References:

1) La Presse’s report on full-body MRIs (in French): https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sante/un-examen-a-2500-qui-seme-le-doute/2024-02-10/vante-par-des-influenceurs-critique-par-le-corps-medical.php

2) Montreal Gazette coverage of free colorectal screening tests in Quebec: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-to-make-free-home-based-test-available-for-colorectal-screening

3) Chris’ article about cervical cancer: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-we-can-now-envision-the-end-of-cervical-cancer

What does the body of evidence say on microplastics and their impact on our health? Plus: we talk about what we have learned about long COVID since 2020, and we discuss the very first approval for a clinical application of the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR.

A Block: Microplastics

(0:58) What are micro- and nanoplastics; microplastics in the environment and in our bodies; how they get into humans and animals; the infamous study that was retracted; occupational exposure to microplastics versus casual exposure; eating microplastics by consuming seafood; can they cause infertility; BPA and BPS; the latest study on microplastics; are plastic water filters bad; should you avoid bottled water; alternatives to single-use plastic bottles.

B Block: Long COVID Update

(37:55) The problems with diagnosing it; how to treat it; the involvement of the mitochondria; probiotics for long COVID; should people with long COVID exercise; the COVID vaccine protects against long COVID; direct-to-participant digitized clinical trials.

C Block: CRISPR Therapy Approved

(56:22) CRISPR therapy approved in the UK and US for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Jonathan initially mischaracterizes the therapy as repairing the mutation. Chris corrects him. Don’t email us, thank you!

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

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

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) Background on micro- and nanoplastics: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-is-bottled-water-bad-for-your-health

2) The recent study published in PNAS: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300582121

3) The retracted study: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2017.21929

4) The WHO 2022 report on microplastics: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240054608

5) What kind of reusable bottle is best: https://wapo.st/3O1yy3R

6) Review article on long COVID from a Chinese team: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01640-z

7) Mitochondria are involved in long COVID: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abq1533

8) Dr. Eric Topol’s commentary on the mitochondria paper: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss

9) The positive clinical trial on probiotics for long COVID: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00685-0

10) Exercising can be bad for long COVID: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44432-3

11) At least 3 doses of the COVID vaccine seem to provide a 70% reduction in the risk of getting long COVID: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/sotp-state-of-the-pandemic

12) What happened to the NIH RECOVER Long COVID initiative funds: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss

13) Direct-to-participant digitized clinical trials: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss

14) Information on CASGEVY: https://pi.vrtx.com/files/patientpackageinsert_exagamglogene_autotemcel.pdf

It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:

1) Jonathan’s article on mindfulness meditation: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/mindfulness-meditation-often-fails-scientific-test

2) Jonathan’s article on the graveyard of skeptical projects: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/01/the-graveyard-of-skeptical-projects-suggests-its-funding-not-talent-that-were-lacking/

3) Chris featured at Darwin Day on February 10th for the Humanist Association of Toronto: https://www.humanisttoronto.ca/events-1/hat-forum-240127-g3ja3-3g8g9

4) Chris being interviewed at Indigo Pointe-Claire by Ken Connors on February 17: https://www.facebook.com/drlabos/posts/926877516110207

A limited series on sport science hosted by student athlete Sophie and featuring two experts: Dr. Christopher Labos, cardiologist and regular co-host of this podcast, and Nick Tiller, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology. Together, they will answer Sophie’s questions while dispelling myths that athletes—and anybody getting into fitness—are likely to hear.

This is part 4 of 4. The topic: fitspiration. Influencers on social media showing off their toned bodies and posing on a beach can encourage you to go to the gym, but how can you judge if what they say is based on solid evidence… or if it’s all lies, exaggerations, and undeclared sponsored content?

(0:29) Intro

(1:03) Influencers are not your friends

(5:12) What credentials should I look for in a fitness influencer?

(8:43) Sponsorships not disclosed

(9:50) Looks beget credibility

(13:44) How to read a scientific paper

(20:47) What to do to protect yourself from fitness misinformation

Opening music: “Energetic Upbeat” by WinnieTheMoog

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

End title 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/.

A limited series on sport science hosted by student athlete Sophie and featuring two experts: Dr. Christopher Labos, cardiologist and regular co-host of this podcast, and Nick Tiller, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology. Together, they will answer Sophie’s questions while dispelling myths that athletes—and anybody getting into fitness—are likely to hear.

This is part 3 of 4. The topic: supplements. Which dietary supplements have been proven beneficial through scientific studies? Is caffeine a fat burner? And are supplements even safe to take?

(0:29) Intro

(1:09) Vox pop

(4:28) The 5 or 6 dietary supplements supported by science

(6:20) What outcome are you interested in improving?

(7:32) Will caffeine help you burn fat?

(8:56) The food first approach

(13:28) Chris wants to bench-press 10 lbs, which supplements should he take?

(15:33) The quick fix mentality of supplements

(16:08) Supplements are sometimes contaminated or adulterated

(19:55) How supplements are regulated (or not)

(25:05) Can supplements burn fat?

(29:20) L-carnithine

(30:21) Boosting your immune system with vitamin C

(32:05) Can you boost your metabolism?

Opening music: “Energetic Upbeat” by WinnieTheMoog

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

End title 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/.

A limited series on sport science hosted by student athlete Sophie and featuring two experts: Dr. Christopher Labos, cardiologist and regular co-host of this podcast, and Nick Tiller, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology. Together, they will answer Sophie’s questions while dispelling myths that athletes—and anybody getting into fitness—are likely to hear.

This is part 2 of 4. The topic: recovery. Are ice baths useful to recover from a workout? What about stretching and massages? And what three simple recommendations will do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to exercise recovery?

(0:30) Intro

(1:31) Vox pop

(4:06) How do we measure recovery?

(6:54) Ice baths

(11:53) Whole-body cryotherapy

(14:36) Contrast baths and compression garments

(19:38) Stretching, massages, TheraGun

(27:44) Three simple recommendations to recover

Opening music: “Energetic Upbeat” by WinnieTheMoog

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

End title 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/.

A limited series on sport science hosted by student athlete Sophie and featuring two experts: Dr. Christopher Labos, cardiologist and regular co-host of this podcast, and Nick Tiller, who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology. Together, they will answer Sophie’s questions while dispelling myths that athletes—and anybody getting into fitness—are likely to hear.

This is part 1 of 4. The topic: wearables. Should you be monitoring your heart rate variability, your sleep, and how many steps you walk in a day? Is all this information useful or is it just a distraction?

(0:58) Intro

(3:08) Vox pop

(5:24) Heart rate monitoring

(17:22) Body battery and proprietary algorithms

(22:30) Sleep and the limitations of the data

(27:35) Should we aim for 10,000 steps a day? 

Opening music: “Energetic Upbeat” by WinnieTheMoog

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

End title 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/.

As the year comes to an end, Jonathan recruits three doctors—Chris, Niko, and Aigul—and invites them to solve two perplexing cases.

These mysteries involve a lot of (necessary?) rectal exams; the blood of witches; activated charcoal; farting patients; controversial diagnoses; tales from the ER that border on true crime; and diagnosing brain injuries through the bum!

The take-home lesson here is always check sphincter tone on a patient, even if they are barely conscious! Or something like that.

Correction: Niko was speaking off the cuff about activated charcoal possibly binding iron. We are told that it does not do it well and should not be used in the event of iron poisoning!

* 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!

It’s Not Twitter But It’ll Do!

1) The Fern documentary on the Healy that Jonathan was interviewed for (part 1): https://youtu.be/A_Y5kdEpcu4?si=GJpqn1seZ0A7JJWB

2) Dr. Jonathan Howard’s new podcast, We Want Them Infected: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/we-want-them-infected-podcast/id1716215618

3) WeCanReason conference 2024 in Calgary: https://wecanreason.com/

4) 502 Conversations with Dr. Christopher Labos: https://youtu.be/3opqhZgcNjU?si=V2TbVeRbqUgwOclT

5) The Skeptic Zone podcast with Dr. Christopher Labos: https://youtu.be/r_eRVOTUv6I?si=EYa2GTVu7-JfTGBx&t=255

6) Chris’ appearance at the Whodunit bookstore in Winnipeg on January 21: https://whodunitbooks.ca/events/32868

Chris and Jonathan speak to Joey Fox, an engineer and the chair of the Indoor Air Quality Advisory Group for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. COVID-19 is not over, as both Jonathan and Chris can testify. How can we better protect ourselves from the coronavirus and other respiratory viruses? By improving our air! Joey Fox explains the difference between HEPA and MERV filters, why “UV in a box” is not a good idea, and how to make sense of the different air cleaners you can buy (and make yourself!). We all care about clean drinking water. It’s time we cared about clean air as well.

(2:12) Aerosols vs. droplets

(4:49) How long can respiratory particles linger in the air?

(6:41) Medical dogma and the COVID-19 pandemic

(17:20) How Joey dodged COVID when his daughter got sick

(19:40) Air quality in schools

(22:11) HEPA vs. MERV filters: what to looks for

(24:45) Don’t say it’s airborne! or the politicization of public health

(27:29) UV light to disinfect the air

(32:09) Is the air in your kid’s school good enough?

(33:52) Which CO2 monitor to buy

(34:20) Improving air quality at home

(37:42) Corsi-Rosenthal boxes and PC fan box air cleaners 

* 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) Joey Fox’s blog: https://itsairborne.com/

2) Clean Air Stars: https://cleanairstars.com/

3) The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers’ Indoor Air Quality website: https://ospe.on.ca/indoor-air-quality/

Chris, Jonathan, and a mystery guest get together for an old-fashioned radio play. Are hot dogs and other red meat really as bad for your health as cigarettes? A doctor without a name boards an airplane and is soon asked to answer this question. It involves risk, hazard, and a budding romance.

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

* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova

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!

Music:

Jazzy Comping 2 by Agnese Valmaggia

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8550-jazzy-comping-2

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Links:

1) To buy Chris’ book: https://doescoffeecausecancer.com/