Vampires and werewolves and zombies, oh my! Where did all these monsters come from?

Undiagnosed medical conditions might have fuelled the mythology behind some of these creatures.

Norman and Tegan delve into why vampires drink blood, why werewolves howl at the full moon and how a hex might have its intended effect.

References:

• ABC's FrankenScience: Can Vampires Get Syphilis? and Witchcraft or Just a Placebo?
• All in the Mind: What's behind a paranormal experience?
• Porphyria and Vampirism—A Myth, Sensationalized
• Moon and Health: Myth or Reality?
• The undead in culture and science
• Reversibility of apoptosis in cancer cells
• Medical practice and placebo response: an inseparable bond?

It’s hay fever season, and as you sniffle away next to an air purifier, you might be wondering why we haven’t cured such a common ailment.

Allergic rhinitis, as it’s scientifically known, has plagued people for generations. It's thought up to 24 per cent of Australians suffer from it.

Norman and Tegan run through what hay fever is, how we identified it and what can be done to treat it. 

References:

• Allergic Rhinitis: A Review
• O Rose thou art sick… history of allergic rhinitis
• I’m considering allergen immunotherapy for my hay fever. What do I need to know?
• Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis: evidence from a randomized placebo-controlled trial
• The Potential use of Honey as a Remedy for Allergic Diseases: A Mini Review
• Can you adapt to allergies or does the dog have to go?

Many of us are disconnected from nature – we live in cities, work in offices, exercise indoors.

There is a hypothesis that our disconnection from the earth itself – the ground – is causing a range of illnesses.

But the people selling this hypothesis are also trying to sell you a range of expensive products.

Norman and Tegan debunk a pseudoscience that has been gaining traction.

References:

• Electrical Grounding Improves Vagal Tone in Preterm Infants
• Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer that often gets a bad wrap.

You might know someone who swears it makes them sick, or you yourself might steer clear of foods unless they have that 'no added MSG' label.

Norman and Tegan explain why the bad PR around MSG has more to do with shonky research and misconceptions than the ingredient itself.

References:

• MSG in food - Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
• A review of the alleged health hazards of monosodium glutamate
• Monosodium glutamate sensitivity in asthma
• Chinese-Restaurant Syndrome - New England Journal of Medicine

If you've found yourself in a particular corner of health and wellness TikTok, chances are you've heard all about cortisol.

Influencers might be urging you to massage your face, stuff your mouth full of dates and even supplement your diet with sea moss.

Norman and Tegan explain why some of that MIGHT make you healthier, but not in the way that you think. 

References

• Forgotten episodes of the birth of cortisone
• The effects of exercise intensity on the cortisol response to a subsequent acute psychosocial stressor
• Signalling cognition: the gut microbiota and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

If you've ever complained about a bad night's sleep, you might've been urged to take melatonin. 

It's a hormone our bodies naturally produce, and also a supplement that many claim can cure insomnia and leave you better rested. 

But Norman and Tegan tuck into all the reasons we shouldn't be taking melatonin lightly. 

References

• What do we really know about the safety and efficacy of melatonin for sleep disorders?
• Is melatonin safe for children?
• Quantity of Melatonin and CBD in Melatonin Gummies Sold in the US
• Clinical trial on the effect of regular tea drinking on iron accumulation in genetic haemochromatosis

Iron deficiency is incredibly common, especially in menstruating women.

But this mineral is vital. Our bodies use iron to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to our cells.

Norman and Tegan take us through what it means to have adequate iron levels, and what it takes.

References

• A Review of Nutrients and Compounds, Which Promote or Inhibit Intestinal Iron Absorption
• Intermittent iron supplementation for reducing anaemia and its associated impairments in adolescent and adult menstruating women
• The yersiniabactin transport system is critical for the pathogenesis of bubonic and pneumonic plague

It's a tale as old as time – as you age, hangovers hit harder. The tolerance of your youth wastes away.

There's no doubt that any alcohol consumption is bad for you. But that doesn’t mean people aren't drinking.

Norman and Tegan explain what alcohol is doing to the body, and why the after effects get harder to cope with as you get older.

References

• The Assessment of Overall Hangover Severity
• Aldehyde dehydrogenase isozyme variation and alcoholism in Japan
• Endogenous formation of 1-propanol and methanol after consumption of alcoholic beverages
• Understanding trends in Australian alcohol consumption—an age–period–cohort model
• The Alcohol Hangover Research Group: Ten Years of Progress in Research on the Causes, Consequences, and Treatment of the Alcohol Hangover

We get a LOT of questions about sleep – on everything from cheese dreams to sleep farts.

Why do you jerk awake as you're drifting off? Why are you itchy as soon as you get into bed?

Norman and Tegan snooze through some sleep-related questions in this rapid-fire special.

References

• Too Sour to be True? Tart Cherries (Prunus cerasus) and Sleep: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: food and diet as instigators of bizarre and disturbing dreams
• Sleeping position during early and mid pregnancy does not affect risk of complications
• The Relationship between Sleeping Position and Sleep Quality: A Flexible Sensor-Based Study
• Nocturnal Pruritus: The Battle for a Peaceful Night’s Sleep

It might not seem like it, but we humans are electrical beings. We rely on electrical impulses to stay alive.

So can we rely on electrical impulses … to get swole?

Norman and Tegan investigate the various claims surrounding electrical muscle stimulation.

References 

• Functional Electrical Stimulation and Spinal Cord Injury
• Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction on Quadriceps Strength, Function, and Patient-Oriented Outcomes : A Systematic Review
• Feasibility and efficacy of progressive electrostimulation strength training for competitive tennis players
• Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation on the Energy-Restriction-Induced Reduction of Muscle Mass During Intended Weight Loss