The Body of Evidence – Details, episodes & analysis

Rodney Schmaltz joins Chris to talk about teaching scientific skepticism to university students. How does learning about Big Foot, debunking photos of fairies, and going on a ghost hunt make you better at debunking pseudoscience? Also, how to speak to believers in pseudoscience without making the other person hate you.

Become a supporter of our show today either on Patreon or through PayPal! Thank you!

http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE

Email us your questions at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com.

Editor:    Robyn Flynn

Theme music: "Fall of the Ocean Queen" by Joseph Hackl

Rod of Asclepius designed by Kamil J. Przybos

Chris' book, Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer

Obviously, Chris is not your doctor (probably). This podcast is not medical advice for you; it is what we call information.

References:

1) Rodney's website that also hosts his Tedx talk: https://www.rodneyschmaltz.com/

2) The Lilienfeld Alliance: https://sites.google.com/view/lilienfeldalliance/lilicon-2026?authuser=0

Jonathan and Chris speak to Nick Tiller, PhD, a physiologist interested in exercising and the marketing hype that often surrounds the topic. They discuss the few supplements that can improve your workouts, as well as the gadgets that probably won't. Bookending their conversation is the important question: what is the best exercise?

2:35 Common misunderstandings around exercising

4:43 Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

11:28 Creatine supplements

13:49 Caffeine

14:50 Glucose supplements and sports drinks

18:31 Protein intake

21:08 Beta-alanine supplements

22:34 Kinesio tape, aka placebo tape

28:09 Placebos and sports performance

33:10 Cristiano Ronaldo's brand deals

40:13 Methylene blue

43:22 Ultramarathons: are they good for you?

51:34 What is the best type of exercise?

* 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) Nick Tiller on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NBTiller

2) Nick Tiller's website: https://www.nbtiller.com/

3) Nick Tiller's Skeptical Inquirer columns: https://skepticalinquirer.org/category/the-skeptics-guide-to-sports-science/

4) Jonathan Jarry's website, announcing his UK tour: https://www.jonathanjarry.com/

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of cholesterol? Plus: we look at the claim that a multivitamin can preserve your cognitive functions as you age, and we cover that study that allegedly shows aluminum in vaccines causes asthma!

Block 1:

(3:04) Cholesterol: what cholesterol is, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, how fat is digested, HDL cholesterol

Block 2:

(10:44) Cholesterol: triglycerides, how LDL is calculated, do you need to fast before a blood test, attempts at increasing HDL, how to lower LDL

Block 3:

(22:38) Cocoa extract or multivitamin for preserving cognition (and a digression on cocoa vs cacao)

Block 4:

(39:13) Aluminum in vaccines and a reported link to asthma

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

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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) Systematic review and meta-analysis on reducing LDL cholesterol: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2556125

2) Safety of lowering LDL cholesterol in patients starting with very low levels: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2695047

3) HPS2-THRIVE trial on niacin + laropiprant: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1300955

4) AIM-HIGH trial on niacin: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1107579

5) CETP inhibitor torcetrapib increases mortality: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa0706628

6) Meta-analysis of the data on boosting HDL levels: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4379

7) The COSMOS-Mind paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12767

8) Our episode on chocolate: https://bodyofevidence.ca/013-chocolate-and-influenza

9) The original COSMOS papers: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac055 & https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac056

10) The USPS statement on vitamin supplements: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication

11) Cochrane reviews on vitamins and cognition: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011906.pub2/full & https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011905.pub2/full

12) Helen Branswell's STAT News coverage of the aluminum-asthma paper: https://www.statnews.com/2022/09/27/possible-link-aluminum-childhood-vaccines-asthma-risk-caveats/

13) The aluminum-asthma paper: https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/pb/assets/raw/Health%20Advance/journals/acap/Aluminium_Exposure_Article-1664288052690.pdf

14) Our episode on asthma: https://bodyofevidence.ca/080-asthma-screen-time-exercise-motivation

Time machine:

1) Our episode on fat: https://bodyofevidence.ca/015-fat-and-denialism

2) Our episode on dementia: https://bodyofevidence.ca/079-dementia-long-covid-no-vax-tax

Chris and Jonathan speak to Dr. Swapnil Hiremath, a hypertension specialist and staff nephrologist at the Ottawa Hospital. As they discuss high blood pressure and how to treat it, they make their way to a highly contentious clinical trial, the Hygia trial, which allegedly compared two times of day when to take blood pressure medication. Its results are a little too perfect to be believed.

3:35 What is high blood pressure and what is "essential" hypertension?

8:34 The two numbers of blood pressure

10:45 How antihypertensive drugs work

13:38 How our body metabolizes a drug

17:30 The intense debate over when to take blood pressure medication

21:59 The contentious Hygia trial

32:47 Is the Hygia trial… the Hygia project?

35:02 Considering fraud

41:21 The best time to take medication

44:38 "One simple trick to reduce your risk of heart attacks by 60%!"

* 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) Swapnil Hiremath on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hswapnil

2) The nephrology journal club: https://www.nephjc.com/

3) Swapnil Hiremath's podcast: https://www.nephjc.com/freelyfiltered

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of Botox injections? Plus: we address the confusion over bivalent COVID-19 booster shots, and we look at a trial of magic mushrooms for alcohol use disorder!

Block 1:

(3:00) Botox: what it is and what botulism does to you

Block 2:

(9:00) Botox: how Botox works on wrinkles, a comparison between formulations, what can go wrong, why repeated injections are needed, and the non-cosmetic uses of the botulinum toxin

Block 3:

(23:08) Bivalent booster vaccines and the reactive, libertarian public health response

Block 4:

(36:01) Magic mushrooms for alcohol use disorder

* Jingle by Jillian Correia of Roctavio Canada

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

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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) Our episode on sunscreen: https://bodyofevidence.ca/019-sunscreen-and-the-mmr-vaccine

2) The cosmetic benefit of botulinum toxin: https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2002.121356

3) Differences between formulations: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1524-4725.2003.29017.x

4) The FDA's black box warning for Botox: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/184061

5) Antibody formation after Botox: https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.23254

6) Cochrane review of Botox for migraine: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027953

7) Cochrane review of Botox for cervical dystonia: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003633.pub4

8) Botox for urgency urinary incontinence: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1208872#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20we%20found%20that,improvements%20in%20quality%20of%20life

9) New clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2795625

Music Credits:

The following music was used for this media project:

Music: Main Theme (The Grand Score) by Alexander Nakarada

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4960-main-theme-the-grand-score

License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of vitamin supplements? We pilot a new format for the show and ask for your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, Patreon, or via email at thebodyofevidence@gmail.com

(6:34) The story of scurvy and how its cause, a vitamin deficiency, was harder to "science" than you may remember, with author Stephen R. Bown. 

(22:48) The porous regulations that allow vitamin supplements to be sold and how Mel Gibson played a key role in this system, with health policy expert Timothy Caulfield.

(35:27) Chris and Jonathan explain what each vitamin does, what happens if you're deficient, and whether or not vitamin supplements are necessary.

* Jingle by Joseph Hackl

* Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos

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

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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) Chris' article "It Hasn't Been a Good Year for Vitamin D": https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-it-hasnt-been-a-good-year-for-vitamin-d

2) Vitamin D supplementation and cardiovascular risk: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2735646

3) VITAL study: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1809944

4) AMATERASU trial: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.2210

5) D2D study on vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31173679/

6) The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's Final Recommendation Statement from June 2022: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication

7) Recommendation Statement as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2793446

Music Credits:

Peter Sandberg / Étude No 1 for String Quartet

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen / Rise to Power

National Anthem Worx / Rule Britannia

Silver Maple / Unspoken

Bonnie Grace / We Still Have Courage

Wendy Marcini / The Cast

Wendy Marcini / The Scam

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen / The Stakeout

Farrell Wooten / Margin of Error

All courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

The laying on of hands. The stethoscope. The "does it hurt when I press here." We are all familiar with the physical exam a doctor does when investigating our symptoms. But in the 21st century, with access to ultrasound and MRI, are these old-fashioned techniques still relevant or just cool parlour tricks? Returning guest Niko joins Chris to discuss the evidence behind hands-on maneuvers taught to medical students to help diagnose a variety of conditions. Warning: you may be shocked.

JAMA's series on the Rational Clinical Examination: https://jamanetwork.com/collections/6257/the-rational-clinical-examination

(4:44) Scenario #1: A torn meniscus or ligament in the knee

Lachman test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Lachman_Test

McMurray test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/McMurrays_Test

(17:20) Scenario #2: Carpal tunnel syndrome

Tinel's test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Tinel%E2%80%99s_Test

Phalen's test: https://www.physio-pedia.com/Phalen%E2%80%99s_Test

(24:29) Scenario #3: Meningitis

Brudzinski's sign of meningitis: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19069.htm

Kernig's sign of meningitis: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19077.htm

(32:41) Scenario #4: Abdominal aortic aneurysm

(38:13) Scenario #5: Pneumonia

Whispered pectoriloquy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whispered_pectoriloquy

(45:45) Scenario #6: Appendicitis

McBurney's point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McBurney%27s_point

Rovsing's sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovsing%27s_sign

Psoas sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_sign

Obturator's sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obturator_sign

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

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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!

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of sexually transmitted infections? Plus: should you worry about monkeypox, and what is going on with mysterious cases of liver inflammation in children?

Block 1:

(2:15) STIs: nomenclature, HIV, rising cases

Block 2:

(8:57) STIs: why cases are increasing, who should be screened, treatment options, antibiotic resistance, confections, cold sore outbreaks

Block 3:

(23:29) Monkeypox

Block 4:

(36:45) Mysterious liver inflammation in children and possible link to COVID-19

* Jingle by Joseph Hackl

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

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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) Public Health Agency of Canada's 2018 report on sexually transmitted infections in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/report-sexually-transmitted-infections-canada-2018.html

2) Summary table from the California Public Health Department about recommended STI screening in different groups: https://bit.ly/3sFxeJ0

3) Uptake of STI screening: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5814a2.htm

& https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29985985/

4) CDC treatment guidelines and recommendations on co-treatment: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6950a6.htm

5) Acyclovir for treatment of genital herpes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6088819/

6) Topical antivirals for cold sores: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9134943/

7) Episode 61 of our podcast on HIV: https://bodyofevidence.ca/061-hiv-and-covid-19-therapies

8) Episode 72 of our podcast on liver disease: https://bodyofevidence.ca/072-liver-disease-sleep-disorder-grab-bag

9) Jim Downs' article in The Atlantic on tiptoeing around the issue of monkeypox and men who have sex with men: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/monkeypox-outbreak-spread-gay-bisexual-men/643122/

Music Credits:

Dead Spaces by Tim Kulig

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9319-dead-spaces

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Legion by Alexander Nakarada

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4912-the-legion

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license