Many people believe that taking vitamin C supplements helps their immune system fight off colds.

But there are even bigger claims attached to this supplement – that it not only boosts immunity, but fights cancer.

Norman and Tegan introduce us to the Nobel laureate who pushed these theories decades ago, and whether there’s any truth to them.

References:

• The Discovery of Vitamin C 
• Treatment for scurvy not discovered by Lind
• Linus Pauling’s Vitamin C Crusade
• Ascorbic Acid in Cancer Treatment: Let the Phoenix Fly
• A randomized trial of pharmacological ascorbate, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel for metastatic pancreatic cancer
• The Role of Vitamin C in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: A Literature Review 
• High-dose vitamin C: A promising anti-tumor agent, insight from mechanisms, clinical research, and challenges 
• Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: a meta-analysis 
• Two Faces of Vitamin C—Antioxidative and Pro-Oxidative Agent 
• Vitamin C - Australian Institute of Sport
• Vitamin C – EatforHealth.gov.au 

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• Multivitamins: Are they a scam?
• Can consuming dairy really give you acne?
• Is sitting the new smoking?

Unless you're in certain corners of the internet, you won't be aware of the peptide craze promising to grow your muscles and slow ageing.

That's because your average GP won't be printing a prescription for these injectable drugs, like BPC-157 or melanotan.

Norman and Tegan discuss why there's so much fan fare over unproven peptides with some potentially nasty side effects.

References:

• Effects of Topical Copper Tripeptide Complex on CO2 Laser–Resurfaced Skin 
• Don’t risk using tanning products containing melanotan - TGA
• Melanotan‐associated melanoma
• Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report
• Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report
• Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan – BMJ case study
• BPC-157: Experimental peptide prohibited - US Anti-Doping Authority
• Effect of BPC-157 on Symptoms in Patients with Interstitial Cystitis: A Pilot Study
• Safety of Intravenous Infusion of BPC157 in Humans: A Pilot Study
• Intra-Articular Injection of BPC 157 for Multiple Types of Knee Pain
• General practitioner disqualified for inappropriately prescribing peptides

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• Can collagen supplements keep your skin supple?
• Should you be flexible enough to touch your toes?
• Can you zap yourself buff with electrical muscle stimulation?

Your dentist might be nagging you to floss to avoid cavities, but does flossing have more to given than pearly whites?

Interdental cleaning has been recommended for a while, but for many people it’s a habit hard to maintain.

Norman and Tegan pick through the history of flossing, and whether it can improve your heart and brain health too.

Terms and conditions of our World Science Festival Brisbane ticket giveaway! 

References:

• Ask the Expert: Do I Really Need to Floss? - NIH 
• Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling periodontal diseases and dental caries
• Flossing Is Associated with Improved Oral Health in Older Adults 
• Does flossing before or after brushing influence the reduction in the plaque index? A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Why would cardiovascular disease and poor oral health be connected? - Harvard Health 
• Oral health and later coronary heart disease: Cohort study of one million people
• Stronger connections made between oral health and Alzheimer's disease 
• Large study links gum disease with dementia 
• What Dentists Have to Say About Red-Light Therapy for Optimal Oral Health 

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• How risky is sharing a toothbrush?
• Should you be avoiding perfumes and fragrances?
• Do healthy people need lymphatic treatments?

With endless entertainment at your fingertips on your phone, how often do you really sit and do absolutely nothing?

It turns out that even when you’re staring into the middle distance, your brain is firing away with activity.

Norman and Tegan explore why giving your brain a break might be important for learning and creativity.

References:

• The Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health 
• Default-mode brain dysfunction in mental disorders: A systematic review  
• Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind - Science 
• The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study  
• The Importance of the Default Mode Network in Creativity—A Structural MRI Study  
• People are increasingly bored in our digital age

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• What is the perfect nap duration?
• Can tattoos increase your risk of cancer?
• Why are people taping their mouths?

How many times a week are you eating fish? What about oily fish, like salmon and tuna?

Our dietary guidelines recommend the regular consumption of fish to potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and even macular degeneration.

Norman and Tegan dig into the oily history of fish, and whether supplements can have the same effect.

References:

• The Man with a Fish on His Back: In the late 19th century cod-liver oil was proclaimed the cure for many ailments
• "Fishing" for the origins of the "Eskimos and heart disease" story: facts or wishful thinking?
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - National Institutes of Health
• The relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammation: evidence from cohort and Mendelian randomization analyses
• Omega‐3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease
• Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study
• Associations Between Plasma Omega-3 and Fish Oil Use With Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in the UK Biobank
• Associations of fish oil supplementation with incident dementia: Evidence from the UK Biobank cohort study
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Management of Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review 
• Omega 3 fatty acids for preventing or slowing the progression of age‐related macular degeneration
• Omega-3 fatty acids for depression in adults
• Fish-Oil Supplementation and Cardiovascular Events in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis

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• Why is everyone suddenly talking about seed oils?
• Does magnesium work against muscle cramps?
• Why is the internet telling me to lower my cortisol?

It’s so common to tell kids to wait an hour after eating to swim that many of us never question it.

But what are the actual consequences of jumping straight back in the pool after you’ve had your lunch?

Norman and Tegan tackle whether this advice is grounded in evidence, and discuss what you should actually avoid.

References:

• Scouting for boys - 1908
• The International Lifesaving Federation medical position statement 2014 
• Effect of food consumption on 200-yard freestyle swim performance
• The National Drowning Report 2025 
• Monday’s medical myth: wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim – the Conversation 

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• Does magnesium work against muscle cramps? 
• Why do you feel so tired after a big meal?
• Is being an Olympian bad for your health?

Last year Norman made the shocking statement that people shouldn’t retire because it’ll be bad for their brains.

After an influx of requests, we’ve looked at the evidence not only when it comes to brain health, but heart health, metabolic health and mental wellbeing.

Norman and Tegan unpack the complex story of what happens to your brain and body when you retire – depending on the job you had.

References:

• How Retirement Was Invented: The earliest schemes for financial support in old age were pegged to life expectancy 
• Towards higher retirement incomes for Australians: a history of the Australian retirement income system since Federation 
• Impact of retirement transition on health, well-being and health behaviours: critical insights from an overview of reviews 
• Effect of retirement on cognitive function: the Whitehall II cohort study 
• Retirement or no Retirement? The Decision’s Effects on Cognitive Functioning, Well-Being, and Quality of Life
• Risk of Cognitive Declines With Retirement: Who Declines and Why?
• The Impact of Retirement on Cardiovascular Disease and Its Risk Factors: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies
• Retirement and mental health: Analysis of the Australian national survey of mental health and well-being
• The Effects of Retirement on Sense of Purpose in Life: Crisis or Opportunity?
• The Role of Meaning in the Retirement Transition: Scoping Review
• Life after work: how we can support retirees – R U OK? 

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• Is NAD+ a miracle anti-ageing supplement?
• At-home DNA tests — what can they tell you?
• How much protein do you REALLY need?

A few weeks into the new year you might be reassessing your resolutions and wondering where to put your energy. 

Is it possible to choose between diet or exercise? Or are the two inherently intertwined?

Norman and Tegan try to untangle the untangleable, pitting diet and exercise against one another in different arenas. 

References:

• The history of nutritional sciences 
• Casimir Funk: The scientist who gave us the word 'vitamin' 
• How the Seven Countries Study contributed to the definition and development of the Mediterranean diet concept: A 50-year journey 
• Coronary Heart Disease and Physical Activity of Work
• Long-term effectiveness of diet-plus-exercise interventions vs. diet-only interventions for weight loss: a meta-analysis 
• Efficacy of dietary intervention or in combination with exercise on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review 
• Diet or diet plus physical activity versus usual care in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: the Early ACTID randomised controlled trial 
• Trading off dietary choices, physical exercise and cardiovascular disease risks 

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• Why Norman won't shut up about the Mediterranean diet
• Why the carnivore diet is so risky
• Is botox worth a shot?

It can be hard to keep up with food fads and diet trends (and spoiler: you don’t need to).

But an intriguing assumption that has gained traction recently is that seed oils – think canola, sunflower, grapeseed – are terrible for you.

Norman and Tegan unpack how that assumption has spread, and whether there’s any solid evidence to back it up.

References:

• Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality
• Serum n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of death: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study
• Omega-6 fats to prevent and treat heart and circulatory diseases
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, mental health, and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
• Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat
• If you’re worried about inflammation, stop stressing about seed oils and focus on the basics

We haven’t always suppressed our sweat or our natural body odour, but in many cultures now it’s expected we’ll all try to smell our best.

You might be seeing more ads for ‘natural’ deodorants that promise to keep you fresh without any harmful ingredients.

Norman and Tegan talk through those ingredients, and whether they carry any risks.

This episode first aired on March 19, 2025. 

References:

• The specific biochemistry of human axilla odour formation viewed in an evolutionary context
• Use of Aluminium in Antiperspirants - Australian Department of Health
• Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer - National Cancer Institute
• Antiperspirants - National Kidney Foundation
• How Advertisers Convinced Americans They Smelled Bad - Smithsonian Magazine