Unbiased Science

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 ch...

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...

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 basic...

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, includi...

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 si...

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 dis...

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-cl...

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. W...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle the science and chemistry of love.  We start out with a discussion of the social determinants of health including how relationships and social connectedness have a profound impact on our health and longevity. We discuss some recent studies of the impact of social ties (as well as a lack thereof) on health outcomes including depression, cardiovascular he...

We had the honor and privilege of speaking with Dr. Tom Frieden in August 2021 about the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who may not be familiar, Dr. Frieden is a physician, former Director of the CDC, former Health Commissioner for NYC, and currently serves as the President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a public health organization focused on tackling cardiovascular disease and prevention of epi...

This week's podcast topic was selected by our Patreon subscribers (the Mad Scientists): Leaky Gut Syndrome. This topic is rife with misconceptions, so we brought in a guest host, Dr. Jessie Hoffman (Registered Dietitian and Assistant Professor/Researcher in Human Nutrition), to help break things down. We kick things off with a discussion of the term "Leaky Gut Syndrome" -- specifically, what it is...

On this episode of the pod we are joined by a special guest, Dr. Jay Van Bavel, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, cult-mentality, and the predilection for conspiratorial thinking.  We summarize some factors that contribute to susceptibility to cult mentality and the rapid increase in these mentalities during...

On this week's episode, we tackle something that each and every one of us will experience whether we like it or not...aging.  We discuss life expectancy as a metric and shifting demographics over time. We touch upon the impact of nature versus nature on the aging process and social determinants of health that may impact the quantity and quality of our lives. We zoom in on the cellular process of a...

On today's episode of the pod, we answer the question, "why do things taste different to different people?"  This episode is a bit lighter than our usual content and is a sweet note on which to end 2021!  We discuss the different components involved in taste including the detection of flavors, taste bud structure and function, as well as some determinants of individual taste preferences. We spend...

On this week's episode of the pod we tackle yet another controversial topic: homeopathy!  We kick things off with a discussion of the homeopathy industry and its growing popularity in the U.S. and around the world. We next dive into the history of homeopathy, how it came to be, and its two guiding principles. We discuss some of the most commonly used homeopathic remedies and how they are developed...

On this week’s episode of the pod, we tackle the common question: “do food sensitivity tests work?”  To answer this, we bring on Dr. David Stukus, clinical allergist and immunologist. First, we discuss the differences between food allergies, intolerances, and the very vague term ‘sensitivity’. We chat about what true food allergy and intolerances are, and how they can be diagnosed. We then jump in...

On this episode of the pod, we address myths and misconceptions about diabetes.  We welcomed a very special guest who openly describes her life with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We discuss what diabetes is and do a brief overview of glucose and the glucose/insulin signaling pathway. We talk about the disease burden of diabetes and when it is typically diagnosed. We address common myths such as all cases...

On today's episode of the pod, we tackle a very controversial topic... chiropractic.  We have lost count of the number of messages we have received on chiropractic and felt it was time to dig into the evidence. We start off the episode with a description of chiropractic, the history of the industry, and the training/credentials needed to become a chiropractor. We spend a little time talking about...

On this week’s pod, we bring on a special guest to help us answer the question: are artificial sweeteners harmful? We begin with a brief discussion of what artificial sweeteners are, some common ones we use, and why they are no calorie. We then dive into the common myths, debunking claims that consuming artificial sweeteners cause weight cause, insulin resistance, cancer, infertility, and affect y...

We're back, friends!  On this first episode of season 2, we answer the question, "what’s the update on variants and vaccine effectiveness?"  We kick things off with a snapshot of the overall COVID-19 case rate, mortality and hospitalization data, and vaccine uptake. Next, we define some terminology-- specifically the difference between efficacy and effectiveness. We then discuss clinical trial and...

On this week's episode of the pod, we answer a question that we receive quite frequently: What are the current effective COVID-19 treatments? We spend some time discussing how attempts have been made to repurpose existing medications for treatment which saves time rather than developing new ones from scratch. We kick things off with remdesivir-- the only FDA-approved treatment for adults and some...

On this episode of the pod, we answer the question, "are probiotics beneficial?" We kick things off with a description of probiotics and, more generally, all the microorganisms that live in symbiosis with us (collectively called the microbiome). We discuss the complexity of our microbiome and the fact that no two people have the same microbial cells (not even twins)! We spend some time talking spe...

On this episode of the pod, we continue our conversation on e-cigarettes. Last week, we focused on the harms of nicotine itself, but this week we start our discussion on the harms of other ingredients in e-cigarettes including toxic chemicals and heavy metals. We spend some time discussing popcorn lung-- a serious lung disease caused by e-cigarette use. We discuss the flavorings in e-cigarettes an...

On this episode of the pod, we address the question: are e-cigarettes harmful? We kick things off with an introduction to e-cigs -- what they are, and the different types of e-cigs on the market. We discuss the global e-cigarette and vape market and the blurred lines between the vaping and tobacco industries. We spend some time discussing how e-cigarettes compare to traditional, combustible cigare...

On this episode of the pod, we answer the question: How do tattoos work? We kick things off with a summary of the tattooing process and some statistics on how common tattooing is (broken out by demographics). We talk about the various reasons why people get tattooed -- some of which are cultural and/or religious. We summarize some history of tattoos as far back as several thousands of years ago. W...