The Body of Evidence

Breast implants: reasons why, the (not so) good old days of regulatory freedom, benefits, risks, silicone vs. saline; the fear of statin side effects; a very special kind of cat video. * 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/. Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out! References: 1) The number of breast implants per year: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/new-statistics-reveal-the-shape-of-plastic-surgery & https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2018/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2018.pdf 2) A report of a study by the Institute of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44775/ 3) Survey of breast augmentation surgery satisfaction: https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/1994/12000/The_Efficacy_of_Breast_Augmentation__Breast_Size.9.aspx & https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5682175/ 4) FDA recommendations on breast implant complications and screening post-implantation: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/breast-implants/risks-and-complications-breast-implants 5) Study linking textured implants to anaplastic large cell lymphoma: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2667737 6) Health Canada recall of textured breast implants: https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2019/69520a-eng.php 7) Silicone gel implants taken off the market in 1992: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199206183262525 8) Silicone gel implants reinstated in 2006: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/washington/17cnd-breast.html 9) New England Journal of Medicine review of implant safety: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK68334/ 10) Annals of Internal Medicine review: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M15-1169?doi=10.7326%2FM15-1169 11) Institute of Medicine report on implants: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44775/ 12) Re-operation rates: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26202563/ 13) Trailer for the TV show NURSES (for no reason): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm_cWMDtD28 14) Chris' Gazette article on people reporting side effects from statins: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-statins-have-a-proven-track-record 15) Catspiracy: https://vimeo.com/482278265 Music Credits: Summer Swing 2018 by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3160-summer-swing-2018 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Loving Modern Technology by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7056-loving-modern-technology License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Blockbuster Atmosphere 9 (Sadness) by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/304-blockbuster-atmosphere-9-sadness- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Inspiring Advertising by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5515-inspiring-advertising- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Lights by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5309-lights- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Jingle Bells by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3942-jingle-bells License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Jonathan talks with Matthew Remski, the co-host of the Conspirituality podcast, on the merger between the worlds of spirituality and of grand conspiracy theories. The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a rise in people who believe that nothing is as it seems, that everything is connected, and that the world is on the verge of a major awakening. Matthew himself once trusted his intuitive knowledge of his body until it landed him in the hospital. 2:22 What is conspirituality 6:41 The yearning for an awakening 11:00 Intuition as a guide to knowledge 16:50 The red pill… and the black pill 23:45 The X-Files 29:19 JP Sears and COVID-19 38:11 The self vs. the common good 42:00 The false medical claims of yoga 47:20 Manipulative fraud or self-deluded? 52:36 How Matthew talks to conspiritualists 1:00:35 Conspirituality in 2021 * 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) Matthew Remski's Conspirituality podcast: https://conspirituality.net/ 2) Matthew Remski's website: https://matthewremski.com/wordpress/ 3) Matthew Remski on Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewremski 4) The 2011 paper that defined "conspirituality": https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13537903.2011.539846 5) Jonathan's article on JP Sears: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-pseudoscience/clown-prince-wellness 6) Conspirituality podcast episode on BKS Iyengar: https://conspirituality.net/wellness/bonus-yoga-teachers-are-not-doctors-doctors-are-not-priests/ 7) Jonathan's article on Sayer Ji: https://mcgill.ca/oss/article/pseudoscience/popular-health-guru-sayer-ji-curates-scientific-literature-his-bachelors-degree-philosophy 8) Matthew's article on QAnon in Canada: https://thewalrus.ca/when-qanon-came-to-canada/

Chris and Jonathan interview Dr. Ivan Oransky, the co-founder of Retraction Watch which tracks retractions of scientific papers. They discuss how papers get published, how they get retracted, and what a better system might look like. 1:29 How scientific papers get published 3:44 Journals are businesses with a bizarre business model 13:52 No more COVID-related retractions than expected 17:10 Science by press release in part to prevent insider trading 20:04 Jade amulets against COVID-19 26:33 Zombie papers 30:43 A dramatic increase in retractions but they are still rare 36:50 Why are mistakes caught after publication? 42:20 Going to science heaven * 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) The Retraction Watch website: https://retractionwatch.com/ 2) Retraction Watch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RetractionWatch 3) Ivan Oransky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanoransky 4) The Retraction Watch newsletter: https://us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4f35c1f2e9acc58eee0811e78&id=a15d7de264 5) Jonathan's article on the jade amulet: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-critical-thinking-pseudoscience/paper-argues-amulet-may-protect-covid-should-it-have-been-published 6) Retraction Watch's original article on the jade amulet: https://retractionwatch.com/2020/10/29/amulets-may-prevent-covid-19-says-a-paper-in-elsevier-journal-they-dont/ 7) The jade amulet paper's retraction notice: https://retractionwatch.com/2020/11/16/co-authors-of-paper-on-covid-19-and-jade-amulets-blames-the-online-press-and-social-media-for-misinterpretation-in-retraction-letter/ 8) The Surgisphere retractions: https://retractionwatch.com/2020/06/04/lancet-retracts-controversial-hydroxychloroquine-study/

Diabetes: different types and what to do about them // Mask misinformation // To bank or not to bank your newborn's cord blood * 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/ Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called "Digressions"! Check it out! References: 1) The DiRECT Study: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)33102-1/fulltext 2) The DiRECT Study, Two-Year Follow-Up: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30068-3/fulltext 3) 2017 JAMA study on lifestyle interventions: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2648632 4) LABS study on bariatric surgery: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2664662 Music Credits: Cinema Blockbuster Trailer 14 by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4662-cinema-blockbuster-trailer-14 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jonathan and Chris interview Dr. Brennen McKenzie, an evidence-based veterinarian who runs the "SkeptVet" blog. They separate what we know, what we don't know, and what we think we know when it comes to pet care and address the pseudosciences of the animal world. 2:24 Evidence-based veterinary medicine 4:49 Extrapolating from human clinical trials 7:31 Do vets change their mind? 10:07 Acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic in the animal world 14:34 Pets and vaccines 17:25 A very special guest appearance 18:00 How to talk to vaccine hesitant pet owners 20:45 The cost of veterinary care 23:11 Placebos 27:52 Raw food diets 32:04 The word "zoopharmacognosy" 32:52 What should dogs and cats eat 37:57 What should dogs and cats NOT eat 40:28 CBD supplements 42:51 Declawing cats 44:17 Inside cat or outside cat 46:02 Supplements to change urine pH 46:40 Feline injection-site sarcomas 48:28 Omega-3s 48:49 Glucosamine 49:23 Cranberry supplements 50:35 New pet parents, take it all with a grain of salt 52:22 The shocking truth about pure breeds * 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) Brennen's website: https://skeptvet.com/Blog/ 2) Brennen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkeptVet 3) Brennen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkeptVet 4) Brennen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvb8ihBYdSXq_DML1Y6CfbQ 5) Brennen's book, Placebos for Pets: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51866692-placebos-for-pets

Breastfeeding: its history, the quality of the evidence for it, and the alleged benefits to the baby and to the mother // Placebos in vaccine trials // Are we overreacting to COVID? * Jingle by Joseph Hackl * 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! References: 1) Breast feeding rates according to the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm 2) Historical trends in breastfeeding: https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/131/2/421S/4686960 3) Breastfeeding for pain control: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/122/3/e716.long, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12511452/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11927701/ 4) Cochrane review on skin-to-skin care: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008435.pub3/full 5) Sucrose and warmth for analgesia: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/3/e607 6) Formula vs. donor breast milk for preventing NEC: https://www.cochrane.org/CD002971/NEONATAL_formula-versus-donor-breast-milk-feeding-preterm-or-low-birth-weight-infants 7) WHO review on short- and long-term benefits of breastfeeding: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/95585 8) Systematic review on breastfeeding practices and infant mortality: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26249674/ 9) Belarus study on obesity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23483175/ 10) Cochrane review on optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding: https://www.cochrane.org/CD003517/PREG_optimal-duration-of-exclusive-breastfeeding 11) Jonathan's article about placebos used in vaccine trials: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health/placebos-used-vaccine-trials-do-not-please-everyone 12) Jonathan's article about Sweden and the pandemic: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-health/which-sweden-do-you-want-believe Music Credits: Amazing Plan by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3358-amazing-plan License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Harmony by DreamHeaven Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6497-harmony- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Jen Novakovich, a cosmetic chemist and science communicator who hosts the EcoWell podcast, dives into the world of beauty products. She discusses the truth about anti-aging claims, revealing that while cosmetics are mostly temporary, sunscreen is a game changer. Jen emphasizes that effective moisturizers don’t need to break the bank and critiques the clean beauty movement, noting it can often be misleading. She also gives insight into the efficacy of ingredients like niacinamide versus vitamin C, and stresses the importance of proper sunscreen use.

Stomach ulcers: what causes them, what doesn't, why they're like ninjas, the usefulness of cameras, and how to treat them without resorting to surgery // the debate over airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus and how the virus affects children // COVID-19's impact on blood vessels and what's happening with "long haulers" // A word about Plandemic: InDoctorNation * Jingle by Jillian Correia of Roctavio Canada * 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! References: 1) Ed Yong's article on COVID-19 long haulers: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/long-haulers-covid-19-recognition-support-groups-symptoms/615382/ 2) Jonathan's article on coronavirus patent disinformation: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/covid-19-pseudoscience/patently-false-disinformation-over-coronavirus-patents Music Credits: Sings In The Fields by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5302-sings-in-the-fields- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cursed Intro by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5624-cursed-intro- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Countdown by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4865-countdown License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Time Is Now by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/395-time-is-now License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How can you as a patient better navigate the healthcare system? Chris takes you through the labyrinth from his side of the gurney. From the emergency department to the hospital bed, from your regular doctor visit to your medical record, the secrets to medical success and happiness (and how to win friends and influence people) will be shared! Money back guarantee! 0:00 Apology 2:03 Corrections on our special episode on blood 6:09 Visiting the Emergency Department (or ER or A&E) 22:40 Being admitted to the hospital 32:46 The doctor will see you now 46:00 Your medical record To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/. Links 1) Our previous episode about the healthcare system: http://bodyofevidence.ca/special-the-healthcare-system 2) Our appearances on CTV Montreal News (the clips are usually uploaded Thursdays and Fridays around 1:30PM ET): https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video?binId=1.1332485

Guest host Morgan Sweeney asks Chris and Jonathan about blood! You will learn that blood is not a magical elixir but rather "water and stuff." Featuring references to Archer, The Simpsons, Ryan George, and a recurring digression into Stephen King's work, for some reason. After discussing King's IT, it's becoming obvious that The Body of Evidence is no longer a family-friendly show. 1:38 Why blood? 3:35 Handling blood is fine but this other bodily fluid? 5:12 Blood transfusions are not always blood transfusions 13:37 The theory behind why women have fewer heart attacks 14:46 Blood is transport 16:07 Where's the DNA? 19:10 Chris' medical license gets revoked 22:51 Criteria for donating blood 28:00 HIV and blood donations 34:02 The bad incentives of blood money 38:26 Chris' kitchen blood drive 40:30 Stephen King's The Dead Zone 43:47 The Shining traumatized Jonathan 44:46 It ends with children, uh, having a…. 49:30 Blood: keep it on the inside To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/. Links 1) Morgan's podcast, Magic of the Mind: http://magicofthemind.ca/ 2) Canadian Blood Services: https://www.blood.ca/en 3) Ryan George's Pitch Meeting for IT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dw4u2A9F4g Music Credits Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.