Episoder
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Depending on your corner of the internet, you might have seen people swearing by this new sleep hack, mouth taping.
People claim they’re better rested, have better breath and stronger jawlines – all because they force themselves to breathe through their noses overnight.
Norman and Tegan tackle this taping trend with an N=1 experiment, and a look at the relevant research.
References:
Mouth taping: a little less conversation, a little more action, please!
Effect of mouth taping at night on asthma control--a randomised single-blind crossover study
The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study
The Role of the Nose in Sleep-disordered Breathing
Acute nasal breathing lowers diastolic blood pressure and increases parasympathetic contributions to heart rate variability in young adults
Nocturnal mouth-taping and social media: A scoping review of the evidence
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Unfortunately many more people have heard about brain fog because of the pandemic and long COVID.
But the symptom was first mentioned centuries ago, and has been associated with dozens of conditions.
Norman and Tegan try to define brain fog, and explain why it can be difficult to treat.
References:
What is brain fog? - BMJ neuropsychiatry
Subjective brain fog: a four-dimensional characterization in 25,796 participants
Comprehensive Clinical Characterisation of Brain Fog in Adults Reporting Long COVID Symptoms
Understanding the Experience and Impacts of Brain Fog in Chronic Pain: A Scoping Review
Low-dose naltrexone use for the management of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19
‘Brain fag’: a syndrome associated with ‘overstudy’ and mental exhaustion in 19th century Britain
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Manglende episoder?
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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
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January is an especially sweaty time in Australia, so maybe park this life change until the weather cools down…
But is it necessary to bathe every day?
As we learn more about the microbiome on our skin, more and more people are questioning their hygiene routine.
Norman and Tegan sniff out the evidence for and against regular washing.
References:
A natural history of hygiene
The Cutaneous Microbiome and Aspects of Skin Antimicrobial Defense System Resist Acute Treatment with Topical Skin Cleansers
The Role of Every-Day Cosmetics in Altering the Skin Microbiome: A Study Using Biodiversity
How Often People in Various Countries Shower - The Atlantic
What Happens When You Don’t Shower For Five Years - Science Friday
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You might've heard of the blood type diet popularised in the 90s off the back of a best-selling book.
It’s based on the theory that blood types emerged at different times in history, when our ancestors had very different diets.
So does that mean certain foods are better for an A-, an AB+ or even an O-?As Norman and Tegan explain, it’s a complicated story.
References:
Blood type diets lack supporting evidence: a systematic review
Blood Type Is Not Associated with Changes in Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Response to a Plant-Based Dietary Intervention
Genetically Determined ABO Blood Group and its Associations With Health and Disease
The Role of ABO Blood Type in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review
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There are MANY books out there on habit formation. Are they all saying the same thing?
Some habits are more complicated than others. Some habits require us to untangle one automatic set of behaviours and replace them with another.
It can be a long process — much longer than the 21 days that's often promised.
Norman and Tegan tell us how to form a new habit, in far less than 300 pages, so you can get started.
References
Neurobiology of habit formation
How the brain controls our habits - MIT
Bridging the gap between striatal plasticity and learning
Basal ganglia and beyond: The interplay between motor and cognitive aspects in Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation
You are what you repeatedly do: Links between personality and habit
How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world
How does habit form? Guidelines for tracking real-world habit formation
The role of habit in compulsivity
Goal-Directed and Habitual Control in Human Substance Use: State of the Art and Future Directions
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'Tis the season to indulge.
As you sit down with family and friends, an age-old debate might arise: does drinking a single glass of red wine make you healthier?
In this episode first published May 1, 2024, Norman and Tegan try to find out the answer once and for all.
References:
The French paradox: Lessons for other countries
Moderate Wine Consumption and Health: A Narrative Review
Health Effects of Red Wine Consumption: A Narrative Review of an Issue That Still Deserves Debate
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You might have seen those robot-looking red light masks being sold for skincare purposes.
You might have thought — looks technological, but does it work?
It's not just red light. There are a spectrum of health claims from infrared to ultraviolet.
Norman and Tegan go through the rainbow to assess where there's evidence, and where there's not.
References:
Near Infrared Photoimmunotherapy: A Review of Recent Progress and Their Target Molecules for Cancer Therapy
Effect of NASA Light-Emitting Diode Irradiation on Wound Healing
Visible Red Light Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation for Skin Fibrosis: Key Molecular Pathways
Utilization of light-emitting diodes for skin therapy: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Photodynamic Therapy Using HMME for Port-Wine Stains: Clinical Effectiveness and Sonographic Appearance
Effect of Blue Light on Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review
The efficacy of violet light in the treatment of acne
Featured review: What are the benefits and risks of light therapy for treating atopic eczema?
Light therapy for preventing seasonal affective disorder
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Life can be exhausting, and while a nap might be in order, it’s rare you’ve got time to take one.
Caffeine can come to the rescue, but you might not be a fan of tea of coffee. Energy drinks are an alternative, but are they any good for you?
Norman and Tegan explain what modern energy drinks contain, and what the ingredients do.
What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast.
References:
Prevalence and Amounts of Common Ingredients Found in Energy Drinks and Shots
International society of sports nutrition position stand: energy drinks and energy shots
Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: a systematic review examining evidence of physical effects and consumer attitudes
Energy Drinks and Their Adverse Health Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of a decaffeinated energy drink shows no significant acute effect on mental energy
Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging
This scientist treated her own cancer with viruses she grew in the lab
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Many people live sedentary lives, sitting in an office all day then coming home to sit on the couch all night.
What are the health harms of too much sitting? And do they compare to smoking as some headlines claim?
Norman and Tegan settle in to explain the risks, and what you can do to avoid them.
What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast.
References:
Evaluating the Evidence on Sitting, Smoking, and Health: Is Sitting Really the New Smoking?
Trends in Self-Reported Sitting Time by Physical Activity Levels Among US Adults, NHANES 2007/2008–2017/2018
Recent Trends in Sedentary Time: A Systematic Literature Review
Sedentary behaviour and health in adults: an overview of systematic reviews
Around 10,000 steps a day may counteract health risks of high sedentary time
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We live in a world full of influencers pushing us products promising to keep us looking bouncy and youthful forever.
Collagen is a hugely important protein that does play a role in plumping up our skin — as well as supporting muscles, bones and connective tissues.
Norman and Tegan find out how effective collagen supplements are in skin care, and which kind you should look out for if you want to see results.
What's That Rash? is on YouTube! Subscribe to ABC Science to watch the podcast.
References:
Decreased Collagen Production in Chronologically Aged Skin
Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications
The impact of collagen protein ingestion on musculoskeletal connective tissue remodeling: a narrative review
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These days, our mobile phones are rarely far away. Whether it’s in your hand, your pocket, or under your pillow at night.
Mobiles do emit radiation in order to connect to phone towers, which enables us to stay in contact with people and the internet.
But is that radiation doing us harm?
Norman and Tegan talk through the facts – what we do know, don’t know and suspect about our tech companions.
What's That Rash? is coming to YouTube! Keep an eye out for the video version of this episode on ABC Science.
References:
National Cancer Institute - Cell Phones and Cancer Risk
Mobile phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: a population-based ecological study
Has the incidence of brain cancer risen in Australia since the introduction of mobile phones 29 years ago?
5G: the new generation of the mobile phone network and health
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Why are people with arthritis being told to stop eating potatoes, tomatoes and egg plants?
Vegetables in the nightshade family have been under scrutiny for decades, but the fad of cutting them out of our diets has seen a recent resurgence.
Norman and Tegan investigate where all this shade comes from, and whether there's any evidence to support it.
References:
Deadly Nightshade: A Botanical Biography
Flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins: are these plant-derived compounds an alternative to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis? A literature review
Risk assessment of glycoalkaloids in feed and food, in particular in potatoes and potato-derived products
α-Solanine attenuates chondrocyte pyroptosis to improve osteoarthritis via suppressing NF-κB pathway
Antioxidants in Potatoes: A Functional View on One of the Major Food Crops Worldwide
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We've been searching for a fountain of youth for millennia. How can we not only live longer, but live healthier for longer?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is the latest anti-ageing candidate under the microscope.
Norman and Tegan explain what it is, and whether supplements promising to boost NAD actually do what's advertised on the bottle.
References:
NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing
NAD+ in Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders
What is really known about the effects of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in humans
Dietary Supplementation With NAD+-Boosting Compounds in Humans: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
The use of a systems approach to increase NAD+ in human participants
Specific ablation of Nampt in adult neural stem cells recapitulates their functional defects during aging
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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?
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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