What's That Rash?

Offices are catching up to the idea that sitting for eight hours a day might not be great for your health.

Standing desks, adjustable monitors and hand rests are common tools in the arsenal of ergonomics.

But are we getting it all wrong? Norman and Tegan dispel some myths about the impact of office jobs on the body.

References

• Having 'good' posture doesn’t prevent back pain, and 'bad' posture doesn't cause it
• Evaluating the Evidence on Sitting, Smoking, and Health: Is Sitting Really the New Smoking?
• The effectiveness of physical and organisational ergonomic interventions on low back pain and neck pain: a systematic review

Bodies are weird … but are they THAT weird?

Sexually-induced sneezing has been written about in medical texts for hundreds of years.

In this live episode from the World Science Festival Brisbane, Norman and Tegan explain what it is, and why it might happen.

References

• Sneezing induced by sexual ideation or orgasm: an under-reported phenomenon

You've either seen it, or you've tried it. Ice baths are all the rage right now, in part because they claim to be an effective health and wellbeing booster.

Is this just a fad, or is there solid evidence that dipping into freezing cold water can improve your immune system, calm down inflammation and better your mood?

Norman went for the plunge – and lived to tell Tegan the tale.

Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

References

• Does the Wim Hof Method have a beneficial impact on physiological and psychological outcomes in healthy and non-healthy participants? A systematic review

• Getting colder ... the invigorating effect of ice baths - The Health Report

Once you get past the initial ick-factor of toothbrush sharing, it's worth considering whether there are any actual harms.

Whether we like it or not, our mouths are home to a unique microbiome.

As Norman and Tegan explain, it's influenced by what we eat, who we kiss – and yes, who we might share a toothbrush with.

References

• Armed to the Teeth—The Oral Mucosa Immunity System and Microbiota
• Assessment of Microbial Contamination of a Toothbrush Head with and without a Protective Cover: An Ex Vivo Study

There's no doubt people with coeliac disease should stay away from gluten, but what about the rest of us?

There is nothing inherently harmful about gluten when it doesn’t cause you gut trouble.

Norman and Tegan talk us through why a gluten-free diet is not necessarily a healthy one.

Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

References

• Avoiding gluten when you’re not a coeliac - Health Report
• Coeliac disease: review of diagnosis and management
• Gluten-Free Diet: Gaps and Needs for a Healthier Diet
• Gluten-free diet may increase risk of arsenic, mercury exposure

Feeling yuck? Have you ever wondered about the purpose of all that gunk you're coughing up?

At least one of our listeners has … and she wants to know whether there’s any benefit to spitting or swallowing…

In this live episode from the World Science Festival Brisbane, Norman and Tegan take us through the answer.

It might feel like this wrinkle-busting procedure has been around forever, but it's a relatively recent cosmetic concoction.

At first, it was a procedure for already aged skin. Now 20-somethings are using it to try prevent wrinkles from ever forming.

Norman and Tegan unpack how we got to this point, and the do's and dont's of the procedure.

References:

• The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review
• Botulinum toxin type A for facial wrinkles - Cochrane review
• Botulinum Toxin and Muscle Atrophy: A Wanted or Unwanted Effect

For the meat eaters still out there, you may be wondering how much is too much when it comes to your health.

You will have to weigh up the benefits and the harms.

Norman and Tegan take us through the recommendations, and the science to back them up.

References:

• Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof study
• Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis
• Plant-based diets and long-term health: findings from the EPIC-Oxford study

Apple cider vinegar is revered in wellness spaces for its health-giving benefits, but is there anything to it?

There are claims it can aid with weight loss, boost your gut microbiome and manage blood sugar levels. 

Norman and Tegan explain how this salad dressing became so famous, and what the science tells us.

References:

• Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 
• Antibacterial apple cider vinegar eradicates methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and resistant Escherichia coli
• The improvement effect of apple cider vinegar as a functional food on anthropometric indices, blood glucose and lipid profile in diabetic patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Sometimes 24 hours doesn’t feel like nearly enough time to get everything done — those to-do lists aren't going to check themselves.

Especially when you're spending around eight hours of that time in bed.

Norman and Tegan assess whether it's possible to train yourself to sleep less without any of the negatives.

References:

• Which Is More Important for Health: Sleep Quantity or Sleep Quality?
• Sleep in the Military
• Familial natural short sleep mutations reduce Alzheimer pathology in mice
• What's That Rash? on napping and Norman's nap-time tips