January is an especially sweaty time in Australia, so maybe park this life change until the weather cools down…

But is it necessary to bathe every day?

As we learn more about the microbiome on our skin, more and more people are questioning their hygiene routine.

Norman and Tegan sniff out the evidence for and against regular washing. 

References:

• A natural history of hygiene
• The Cutaneous Microbiome and Aspects of Skin Antimicrobial Defense System Resist Acute Treatment with Topical Skin Cleansers
• The Role of Every-Day Cosmetics in Altering the Skin Microbiome: A Study Using Biodiversity
• How Often People in Various Countries Shower - The Atlantic
• What Happens When You Don’t Shower For Five Years - Science Friday

You might've heard of the blood type diet popularised in the 90s off the back of a best-selling book.

It’s based on the theory that blood types emerged at different times in history, when our ancestors had very different diets.

So does that mean certain foods are better for an A-, an AB+ or even an O-?As Norman and Tegan explain, it’s a complicated story.

References:

• Blood type diets lack supporting evidence: a systematic review
• Blood Type Is Not Associated with Changes in Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Response to a Plant-Based Dietary Intervention
• Genetically Determined ABO Blood Group and its Associations With Health and Disease

• The Role of ABO Blood Type in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review

There are MANY books out there on habit formation. Are they all saying the same thing?

Some habits are more complicated than others. Some habits require us to untangle one automatic set of behaviours and replace them with another.

It can be a long process — much longer than the 21 days that's often promised.  

Norman and Tegan tell us how to form a new habit, in far less than 300 pages, so you can get started. 

References

• Neurobiology of habit formation
• How the brain controls our habits - MIT
• Bridging the gap between striatal plasticity and learning
• Basal ganglia and beyond: The interplay between motor and cognitive aspects in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation
• You are what you repeatedly do: Links between personality and habit
• How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world
• How does habit form? Guidelines for tracking real-world habit formation
• The role of habit in compulsivity
• Goal-Directed and Habitual Control in Human Substance Use: State of the Art and Future Directions

'Tis the season to indulge. 

As you sit down with family and friends, an age-old debate might arise: does drinking a single glass of red wine make you healthier?

In this episode first published May 1, 2024, Norman and Tegan try to find out the answer once and for all. 

References: 

• The French paradox: Lessons for other countries
• Moderate Wine Consumption and Health: A Narrative Review
• Health Effects of Red Wine Consumption: A Narrative Review of an Issue That Still Deserves Debate

You might have seen those robot-looking red light masks being sold for skincare purposes. 

You might have thought — looks technological, but does it work?

It's not just red light. There are a spectrum of health claims from infrared to ultraviolet.

Norman and Tegan go through the rainbow to assess where there's evidence, and where there's not. 

References:

• Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy: A Review of Recent Progress and Their Target Molecules for Cancer Therapy
• Effect of NASA Light-Emitting Diode Irradiation on Wound Healing
• Visible Red Light Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation for Skin Fibrosis: Key Molecular Pathways
• Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis
• Photodynamic Therapy Using HMME for Port-Wine Stains: Clinical Effectiveness and Sonographic Appearance
• Effect of Blue Light on Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review
• The efficacy of violet light in the treatment of acne
• Featured review: What are the benefits and risks of light therapy for treating atopic eczema?
• Light therapy for preventing seasonal affective disorder

Life can be exhausting, and while a nap might be in order, it’s rare you’ve got time to take one.

Caffeine can come to the rescue, but you might not be a fan of tea of coffee. Energy drinks are an alternative, but are they any good for you?

Norman and Tegan explain what modern energy drinks contain, and what the ingredients do.

What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast. 

References:

• Prevalence and Amounts of Common Ingredients Found in Energy Drinks and Shots
• International society of sports nutrition position stand: energy drinks and energy shots
• Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: a systematic review examining evidence of physical effects and consumer attitudes
• Energy Drinks and Their Adverse Health Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of a decaffeinated energy drink shows no significant acute effect on mental energy
• Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging
• This scientist treated her own cancer with viruses she grew in the lab

Many people live sedentary lives, sitting in an office all day then coming home to sit on the couch all night.

What are the health harms of too much sitting? And do they compare to smoking as some headlines claim?

Norman and Tegan settle in to explain the risks, and what you can do to avoid them.

What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast. 

References:

• Evaluating the Evidence on Sitting, Smoking, and Health: Is Sitting Really the New Smoking?
• Trends in Self-Reported Sitting Time by Physical Activity Levels Among US Adults, NHANES 2007/2008–2017/2018
• Recent Trends in Sedentary Time: A Systematic Literature Review
• Sedentary behaviour and health in adults: an overview of systematic reviews

• Around 10,000 steps a day may counteract health risks of high sedentary time

We live in a world full of influencers pushing us products promising to keep us looking bouncy and youthful forever. 

Collagen is a hugely important protein that does play a role in plumping up our skin — as well as supporting muscles, bones and connective tissues. 

Norman and Tegan find out how effective collagen supplements are in skin care, and which kind you should look out for if you want to see results.  

What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast. 

References:

• Decreased Collagen Production in Chronologically Aged Skin
• Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis
• Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications
• The impact of collagen protein ingestion on musculoskeletal connective tissue remodeling: a narrative review 

These days, our mobile phones are rarely far away. Whether it’s in your hand, your pocket, or under your pillow at night.

Mobiles do emit radiation in order to connect to phone towers, which enables us to stay in contact with people and the internet.

But is that radiation doing us harm?

Norman and Tegan talk through the facts – what we do know, don’t know and suspect about our tech companions.

What's That Rash? is coming to YouTube! Keep an eye out for the video version of this episode on ABC Science. 

References:

• National Cancer Institute - Cell Phones and Cancer Risk
• Mobile phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: a population-based ecological study
• Has the incidence of brain cancer risen in Australia since the introduction of mobile phones 29 years ago?
• 5G: the new generation of the mobile phone network and health

Why are people with arthritis being told to stop eating potatoes, tomatoes and egg plants?

Vegetables in the nightshade family have been under scrutiny for decades, but the fad of cutting them out of our diets has seen a recent resurgence.

Norman and Tegan investigate where all this shade comes from, and whether there's any evidence to support it.

References:

• Deadly Nightshade: A Botanical Biography
• Flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins: are these plant-derived compounds an alternative to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis? A literature review
• Risk assessment of glycoalkaloids in feed and food, in particular in potatoes and potato-derived products
• α-Solanine attenuates chondrocyte pyroptosis to improve osteoarthritis via suppressing NF-κB pathway
• Antioxidants in Potatoes: A Functional View on One of the Major Food Crops Worldwide