On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle a fad diet that's getting a lot of attention these days: the carnivore diet! We kick things off with the "rules" of the diet and all the foods that are restricted (i.e., all plant foods). We discuss the flawed premise of the diet (that Homo sapiens were carnivores who only resorted to plant-eating during times of animal food scarcity). Next, we discuss that meat is an excellent source of certain nutrients, but how it is not a good source of fiber, vit...
Mar 15, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 22
On this week's episode of the pod, we are continuing the conversation on TikTok trends! We kick things off with a misconception that dates as far back as the 1500s-- that putting cut onions around the house (or on the soles of your feet) fights illness. On a somewhat related note, we also discuss the practice of placing sliced potatoes on the bottom of feet (which also has origins that date back to the age of the bubonic plague). Next, we move on to another food-centric trend: placing garlic up ...
Mar 08, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 21
On this week's episode of the pod, we break down the evidence (or lack thereof) behind some recent viral TikTok health trends. We kick things off with a discussion on parasite cleanses (spoiler alert-- they're pretty crappy) and what it is that people are likely seeing in their poop. We next discuss the very popular trend of lympathic drainage and massage, and discern fact from fiction. We talk about the lymphatic system and how it works, and discuss certain conditions that do cause lymph fluid ...
Mar 01, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 20
This week on the pod, we are joined by Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a board certified obesity and lipid specialist physician, to tackle the topic of obesity. We kick things off with some population-level data on the prevalence of obesity in the US population, noting some disparities among certain demographic groups. We shift gears to talk about one of the more universal methods of assessing obesity: BMI. We chat about the accuracy of BMI, the limitations, and some clinical considerations that should be...
Feb 22, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 19
On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle the topic of prevention and health screenings! We set the stage by discussing the different types of prevention, and how it is harder to measure the absence of disease than the presence of disease. We talk about the way that prevention and screening recommendations are made in the US, specifically, and different governing bodies involved in the decision-making process. We give some specific examples of recommendations, starting with cervical cancer sc...
Feb 15, 2023•45 min•Season 3Ep. 18
On this week's episode of the pod, we continue our conversation with Dr. Dina DiMaggio (Pediatrician) and Dr. Anthony Porto (Pediatric Gastroenterologist) on all things related to infant feeding. We kick things off with a discussion of our guests' recent study on infant feeding trends and the use of unregulated feeding practices. Before getting into the thick of it, we set the stage with a discussion of the Infant Formula Act and associated regulations and policies. We then shift gears to discus...
Feb 08, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 17
On this week's episode of the pod, we were joined by two peds (specifically, a pediatrician and a pediatric gastroenterologist) to talk all about infant feeding! We kicked things off with some statistics on infant feeding in the US and a discussion of current AAP and WHO recommendations. We spent a lot of time digging into breastfeeding-- the short- and long-term benefits of breastfeeding for infants and mothers, rare contraindications, tongue ties and frenotomies, and ways to boost breast milk ...
Feb 01, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 16
On this week's episode of the pod, we cover yet another dietary fad (this time for humans): intermittent fasting (IF). We are joined by Meghann Featherstun, a board-certified sports dietitian, to discuss this popular diet and dig into the evidence. We kick things off with a discussion of what the IF diet entails and the different ways that people do it. We spend some time discussing caloric restriction and the data supporting extended longevity, which has been co-opted by the fad diet movement. ...
Jan 25, 2023•38 min
On this week's episode of the pod, we discuss a very important topic: body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). We invite a special guest, Robyn Stern (an LCSW specializing in treating BDD) who has personal experience navigating this disorder and openly shares her story. We kick things off with a discussion of prevalence and incidence of BDD and how it is likely underreported. We dive into the definition of BDD and how it is, in fact, a mental health condition and discuss some recent studies investigating...
Jan 18, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 14
On this week's episode of the pod, we kick off the new year with a topic that is near and dear to our hearts-- our pets! (More specifically, fad pet diets.) We all want what's best for our furry friends, so we dig into the available evidence (or lack thereof) behind several very pup-ular diets including grain-free diets, raw food, vegan and vegetarian diets, human food as treats, and more. We dig into the pet food industry and safety standards for pet foods. We discuss differences in dietary nee...
Jan 11, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 13
On this week’s episode of the pod, Andrea and Jess present 12 days of science! That’s right— a holiday-themed episode. We share a dozen science facts that we wish everyone knew; ranging from facts about the microbiome and the over-use (and often incorrect use) of the word “inflammation”, to marketing ploys related to organic foods, non-GMOs, and clean beauty. This will be the last pod of 2022, so you don’t want to miss it! The Unbiased Science team wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season! ...
Dec 21, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 12
On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle two techniques that are growing in popularity: dry needling and cupping. We kick things off with a discussion of the difference between acupuncture and dry needling. We discuss the specifics of dry needling and its purported benefits and uses. Then, you guessed it, we turn to the data and critically appraise the quality of studies on this topic. We next discuss the potential side effects and risks of dry needling, though rare, as well as the training ...
Dec 14, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 11
On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle acupuncture! We kick things off with a discussion of the practice of acupuncture and its roots in Traditional Chinese medicine. We discuss the growing industry of acupuncture in the US, specifically, and some related practices such as cupping, acupressure, and more. We shift the conversation over to health policies and public and private insurance coverage of acupuncture. Next, we chat about the conditions that are purported to be addressed by acupunc...
Dec 07, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 10
This week on the pod, we tackle another topic that gets unfounded negative attention: gluten. And to help us with this, we are joined again by clinical allergist and immunologist Dr. Dave Stukus. We start things off with a discussion of what gluten is (spoiler: it’s a protein) and what foods it is found in. We move onto a conversation about medical issues that would require someone to avoid gluten, such as celiac disease and wheat allergies and how they are diagnosed, as well as clinical symptom...
Nov 30, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 9
On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle a topic inspired by Thanksgiving-- tryptophan! (You know, the amino acid found in turkey that people claim makes us hit the couch after we polish off our Thanksgiving plate!) Well, we dish (pun intended) on its biochemistry and its relationship to serotonin and melatonin. Next, we dive into the claims about whether it makes us sleepy, how much of it is found in turkey, and discuss the (many!) other sources of tryptophan in foods other than turkey. We ...
Nov 16, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 8
On this episode of the pod, we cover a very timely and important topic-- influenza (aka the flu) and the flu vaccine. Yes – we know we tackled this a couple of years ago, but with some concerning data from the Southern Hemisphere and early data from the Northern Hemisphere on the 2022 flu season, we figured it was worth revisiting. We present the latest population health statistics and trends, as well as predictions for this flu season. We give a refresher on influenza viruses and why they mutat...
Nov 09, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 7
On this week's episode of the pod, we talk THC (the high-producing cousin of CBD that we tackled last week). We kick things off with a molecular biology primer on THC, endocannabinoids, and why marijuana elicits a high. We discuss THC's effects on the brain and how it impacts movement, learning, and cognitive function. We take a brief detour to tackle the legality of marijuana and some reasons why people advocate for and against its decriminalization. We chat about Delta 8 THC (and how it is dif...
Nov 02, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 6
On this week’s episode of the podcast, we tackle something that is growing rapidly in popularity—CBD—but does it live up to its hype? We set the stage by discussing the different forms of CBD and the ways we can ingest it. We dive into the claims made by CBD companies, including that it can help with skin conditions, mental health, and even chronic diseases. Then we do a little microbiology refresher on the chemical makeup of CBD, and differentiate it from its cousin, THC. We talk a bit about he...
Oct 26, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 5
On this week’s episode of the pod– we’re going viral (but not in the good way). We tackle two viruses that have been on our radar: monkeypox virus and poliovirus. We start our discuss ion focused on monkeypox– what it is, how it’s caused, how it’s spread, and clinical signs and symptoms. We provide a status update on the monkeypox update which (we hope) most will find comforting and optimistic. (TL;DR: We aren’t fully out of the weeds, but things appear to be slowing thanks to vaccines and behav...
Oct 19, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 4
On this episode of the podcast, we tackle a topic that many of us wish we could put behind us once and for all: COVID-19. We kick things off with some updated data on the state of COVID-19 hospitalizations and the significant undercounting of cases—and that, despite our wishes, we still need to have COVID-19 on our radar. We spend some time discussing the new bivalent COVID-19 booster and some newly available data on its efficacy. We then chat about low vaccine and booster uptake and some potent...
Oct 12, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 3
On this week's episode of the pod, we continue our conversation about the practice of naturopathy. We kick things off with a deep dive on the training received by NDs and how it compares to the training received by MDs and DOs. We discuss the US Department of Health and Human Services' stance on naturopathy and present statements from some of the major national medical and scientific associations. We continue on to discuss the anti-vaccine sentiment and rhetoric within the naturopathic community...
Oct 05, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome back to season 3 of the pod! We kick things off this season with the topic of naturopathy. This is the first episode in a two-part series on this controversial topic. We set the stage by explaining why many people seek out alternatives to conventional medicine; including ongoing pain and chronic illness, frustration with long wait times for appointments, feeling like they're not "heard" by physicians, lack of emphasis on nutrition and mental health counseling, and more-- which are valid ...
Sep 28, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Sponsored by Tampax and Always. On this episode of the podcast, we are BACK to tackle more period and period product myths! We kick things off with a continuation of our discussion of organic cotton versus conventional cotton period products (and how there is no difference in safety profile of the cotton). We talk about how both organic and conventional cotton tampons are made and the elemental chlorine-free purification process, and why that means tampon manufacturing today would never produce ...
Jun 29, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Sponsored by Tampax and Always. On this episode of the pod, we answer a bunch of questions that we have received about periods and period products, and debunk myths about tampons and pads. We kick things off with a discussion of the menstrual cycle and variations in cycle length and flow across individuals. We take a trip down memory lane to discuss the history of period products and how they came to be. We spend some time talking about the safety and regulation of period products (and how produ...
Jun 15, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 19
On this week's episode of the pod, we are joined by Dr. Michelle Wong-- a science educator and cosmetic chemist to talk all things related to sunscreen! We kick off this episode with a discussion about skin cancer and its prevalence and the importance of prevention and early detection. We ease into things with a primer on the history of sunscreen and its evolution over time. We dive into the basics of sunscreen, its composition, and the different types of sunscreens. We also discuss the differen...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 18
On this episode of the pod, we are joined by Dr. Adrian Chavez, a PhD in nutrition, to discuss the autoimmune protocol diet. We start with an overview of the diet itself, how it came to be popular, and the claims it makes. We then turn to focus on what autoimmune disorders are, the incredible diversity of them, as well as what inflammation really means. We dig into the details of the diet, including which foods it ‘allows’ and which it ‘prohibits’ before turning toward the data. We spend some ti...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 17
On this week’s episode of the pod, we are sharing our conversation with a fellow science communicator, Dr. Mona Amin, founder of Peds Doc Talk. We were recently guests on her podcast and thought we would share our discussion here since it is very relevant to Unbiased Science. Dr. Mona is a Board certified pediatrician who launched her podcast and social media page (@pedsdoctalk) to help parents sift through misguided parenting advice and crappy information, and tune out the judgemental comments ...
May 04, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 16
On this episode of the pod, we tackle a topic that is rife with misinformation and controversy: the medical myth of adrenal fatigue. To break things down, we brought in an expert: Dr. Eve Bloomgarden who is a board-certified endocrinologist with clinical expertise in the diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders and cancer, as well as pituitary and adrenal disorders. To kick things off, we discuss the industry around adrenal fatigue and the claims made by self-proclaimed "experts" on this to...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 15
On this week's episode of the pod, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Jennifer Lincoln (OB/GYN, author, educator, and science communicator extraordinaire) to help us tackle vaginal health myths! We start with a quick anatomy primer to set the stage for our discussion. Next, we debunk the myth that the vagina needs to be cleaned with soaps, douches, and other products (spoiler alert: it's self-cleaning). Then we really shake things up with a take-down of yoni eggs and vaginal steaming. We go on...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 14
On this week's episode of the pod, we welcome Dr. Ranella Hirsch, a board-certified dermatologist and expert in the fields of cosmetic and laser dermatology, to discuss the term "clean beauty." We kick things off with a discussion of the business of clean beauty and its booming industry. Next, we discuss the lack of a standardized definition of "clean" and how it is often vague and nondescript. We go on to debunk some common myths including that clean beauty products are "chemical-free", that th...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 13
