The Body of Evidence Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry

It’s the case of the woman who was too tired to “par-tay!” What is afflicting her? It’s something that we don’t about enough. Plus: what is happening with avian flu and should you keep using Q-tips in your ears to remove earwax?
 
A Block: The Case of the Woman Who Was Too Tired to Party
(0:58) A woman falls asleep at work and has a constant headache. It also took her much longer than four years to complete her undergrad. What could be causing this?
B Block: Avian Flu
(25:36) An update on the avian flu situation
C Block: Earwax
(36:03) What should you do about your earwax? Use it as lip balm? Actually….
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 
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) Inspection Canada webpages on avian flu: https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza/facts-about-avian-influenza/eng/1356193731667/1356193918453 & https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza/latest-bird-flu-situation/hpai-in-livestock/eng/1711895796746/1711895797730
2) Nature News Explainer on avian flu: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01036-1
3) WHO surveillance page on avian flu: https://www.who.int/westernpacific/wpro-emergencies/surveillance/avian-influenza
4) Case report on the man who caught H5N1: https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/human-infection-H5N1-bird-flu.html
 

What does the body of evidence say on measles, that scourge we thought we’d gotten rid of? Plus: do you need to drink AG1 every day for the rest of your life, and Chris explains what doctors do and don’t control when you see them at the clinic.
A Block: Measles
(0:57) How many people have measles; how measles is transmitted; how the disease progresses; complications; vaccination; treatments
B Block: AG1
(34:27) AG1 by Athletic Greens: what it contains and whether or not there’s good evidence that you need it
C Block: A Day in the Life of a Doctor
(50:13) Do doctors decide how many patients they see in a day? The answer may surprise you!
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
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:
Origin of the measles virus:
1) https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-422X-7-52
Measles epidemiology:
2) https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/index.html
3) https://www.cdc.gov/measles/downloads/measlesdataandstatsslideset.pdf
4) https://www.cdc.gov/measles/downloads/IntroToMeaslesSlideSet.pdf
5) https://doi.org/10.1086/368114
6) https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o2844
7) https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/news/covid-impact-on-measles-vaccination.html
8) https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6642a6.htm
 
Clinical progression of the disease:
9) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/measles
10) https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/22421609
11) https://dermnetnz.org/topics/measles-images
12) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02004-3
 
Atypical measles:
13) https://www.nature.com/articles/nm918
 
Complications from measles:
14) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aay6485
 
State of measles in Canada:
15) https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/measles/surveillance-measles/measles-rubella-weekly-monitoring-reports.html
 
State of measles in the United States:
16) https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html
 
17) Jonathan’s article on AG1: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/you-probably-dont-need-green-ag1-smoothie
 
It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:
1) Jonathan’s article on leaky gut syndrome: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/you-probably-dont-have-leaky-gut
2) Appearances on CTV Montreal News: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video?binId=1.1332485
3) Chris will be in Ottawa on April 13: https://allevents.in/ottawa/dr-labos-live-in-person/200026332496559?ref=eventlist-cat
4) Jonathan will be at WeCanReason on May 4: https://wecanreason.com/
 

It’s episode 100! For this very special episode, Jonathan and Chris do the Wired autocomplete interview; they answer listeners’ personal and health-related questions; and they make an announcement that will forever change the face of the podcast.
 
A Block: The Wired Interview
(1:14) What happens when you google “Jonathan Jarry” and “Christopher Labos,” and why do so many people want to know if Chris is married (and is he? Is he, though? Can we know, please?)
 
B Block: Listeners’ Questions
(22:42) Health-related questions
(47:55) Personal questions
 
C Block: The Future Is Here
(1:26:15) Chris has no idea what he’s about to hear.
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 
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 acne and how to treat it? Plus: you’re going to want to pay attention to this latest study if you have food allergies, and Chris answers listeners’ questions about when to exercise, whether spinal cord stimulators work, and why some older adults are told that surgery would mess with their brain.
A Block: Acne
(0:59) Who gets acne; what causes acne; what are the risk factors for acne; how to treat both mild and moderate-to-severe acne.
B Block: New Food Allergy Drug
(34:16) A drug already approved to treat asthma, omalizumab (Xolair), can work against food allergies, including peanut allergy.
C Block: Answering Emails
(47:32) Questions about when is the best time to exercise (and whether or not you should be fasting); the benefits of spinal cord stimulators for people dealing with chronic pain; and why some older adults are being denied surgery.
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 
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:
 
Prevalence of acne
1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.06.045
2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5788264/
 
Genetics as a cause of acne
3) https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1747.2002.19621.x
 
Psychological toll of acne
4) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2008.07.013
5) https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.1997.18131897.x
 
Diet and acne: the impact of milk
6) https://doi-org/10.1016/j.jaad.2004.08.007
7) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.08.049
8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17083856/
9) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2016.04.030
10) https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.13835
 
Diet and acne: the role of carbohydrates (or glycemic load)
11) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2007.01.046
12) https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.12673
13) https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2009.04002.x
14) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.07.043
15) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2009.07.043
 
Stress and acne
16) https://doi.org/10.1001/archderm.139.7.897
 
Overview of acne treatments
17) https://doi.org/10.1067/mjd.2003.618
 
18) The clinical trial of Xolair for food allergies: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2312382
 
19) The Nature News Explainer on Xolair and food allergies: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00586-8
 
It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:
1) Jonathan on The Current to talk about wellness and skepticism: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16040098-how-tell-wellness-trends-wrong
 

It’s the case of the injured water-skier, which gets Chris to talk about painkillers (NSAIDs, opioids, and Tylenol) and how quickly you lose muscle mass when you’re injured. Plus: a cancer update! Should you pay thousands of dollars for a full-body scan to make sure you don’t have cancer? Can you legally send poop through the mail? And how can we make Pap smears obsolete?
Jonathan couldn’t speak much, so Aigul stepped up as co-host!
A Block: The Case of the Injured Water-Skier
(0:58) A man survives a water-skiing accident with two fractures, but he’s still in pain two months later. Is this normal or is he malingering?
B Block: Cancer Update
(28:24) Full-body MRIs promoted by Kim Kardashian: should you pay for one?
(36:29) Colorectal cancer screening test available for free in Quebec
(41:22) Is cervical cancer coming to an end?
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 
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!
Episode 100 will be an “Ask Us Anything” special. Email us your questions at: thebodyofevidence@gmail.com.
 
References:
1) La Presse’s report on full-body MRIs (in French): https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/sante/un-examen-a-2500-qui-seme-le-doute/2024-02-10/vante-par-des-influenceurs-critique-par-le-corps-medical.php
2) Montreal Gazette coverage of free colorectal screening tests in Quebec: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-to-make-free-home-based-test-available-for-colorectal-screening
3) Chris’ article about cervical cancer: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-we-can-now-envision-the-end-of-cervical-cancer
 

What does the body of evidence say on microplastics and their impact on our health? Plus: we talk about what we have learned about long COVID since 2020, and we discuss the very first approval for a clinical application of the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR.
 
A Block: Microplastics
(0:58) What are micro- and nanoplastics; microplastics in the environment and in our bodies; how they get into humans and animals; the infamous study that was retracted; occupational exposure to microplastics versus casual exposure; eating microplastics by consuming seafood; can they cause infertility; BPA and BPS; the latest study on microplastics; are plastic water filters bad; should you avoid bottled water; alternatives to single-use plastic bottles.
B Block: Long COVID Update
(37:55) The problems with diagnosing it; how to treat it; the involvement of the mitochondria; probiotics for long COVID; should people with long COVID exercise; the COVID vaccine protects against long COVID; direct-to-participant digitized clinical trials.
C Block: CRISPR Therapy Approved
(56:22) CRISPR therapy approved in the UK and US for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Jonathan initially mischaracterizes the therapy as repairing the mutation. Chris corrects him. Don’t email us, thank you!
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 
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) Background on micro- and nanoplastics: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-is-bottled-water-bad-for-your-health
2) The recent study published in PNAS: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300582121
3) The retracted study: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2017.21929
4) The WHO 2022 report on microplastics: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240054608
5) What kind of reusable bottle is best: https://wapo.st/3O1yy3R
6) Review article on long COVID from a Chinese team: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01640-z
7) Mitochondria are involved in long COVID: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abq1533
8) Dr. Eric Topol’s commentary on the mitochondria paper: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss
9) The positive clinical trial on probiotics for long COVID: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00685-0
10) Exercising can be bad for long COVID: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44432-3
11) At least 3 doses of the COVID vaccine seem to provide a 70% reduction in the risk of getting long COVID: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/sotp-state-of-the-pandemic
12) What happened to the NIH RECOVER Long COVID initiative funds: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss
13) Direct-to-participant digitized clinical trials: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/long-covid-mitochondria-the-big-miss
14) Information on CASGEVY: https://pi.vrtx.com/files/patientpackageinsert_exagamglogene_autotemcel.pdf
 
It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:
1) Jonathan’s article on mindfulness meditation: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/mindfulness-meditation-often-fails-scientific-test
2) Jonathan’s article on the graveyard of skeptical projects: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/01/the-graveyard-of-skeptical-projects-suggests-its-funding-not-talent-that-were-lacking/
3) Chris featured at Darwin Day on February 10th for the Humanist Association of Toronto: https://www.humanisttoronto.ca/events-1/hat-forum-240127-g3ja3-3g8g9
4) Chris being interviewed at Indigo Pointe-Claire by Ken Connors on February 17: https://www.facebook.com/drlabos/posts/926877516