Dr. Christopher Labos and guests use the body of evidence to go beyond science and medicine headlines and hype. All to help you develop your critical thinking skills so that when you google your symptoms, you won't believe you're going to die tomorrow.
The Body of Evidence is your weekly dose of clarity on complex health topics and the often-sketchy medical information found online. Hosted by cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos and featuring a rotating cast of co-hosts and guests, this podcast brings you engaging interviews, original reporting, and humour-filled commentaries to help you navigate the world of medicine. Episodes tackle everything from debunking misinformation to exploring the reality of certain conditions to the effectiveness of social media medical trends. With an extensive archive dating back to 2015,The Body of Evidence is your go-to source for understanding science and medicine and developing critical thinking about your health.
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150 – How Scientific Skepticism Makes us More Empathetic
Episode 150
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 • Duration 39:42
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.
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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.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!
Links:
1) Nick Tiller on Twitter:
084 - Cholesterol Part 1 / Cognitive Decline / Vaccines and Asthma
Tuesday, October 4, 2022 • Duration 58:22
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.
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.
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
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.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out!
Special - Your Doctor's Physical Exam May Be BS
Sunday, July 10, 2022 • Duration 01:00:50
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.
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
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