Unbiased Science

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...

On this week's episode of the pod we tackle something that over 40% of Americans are currently battling-- pandemic-related anxiety, specifically COVID anxiety, OCD-related anxiety, hypochondria (and cyberchondria) and “returning to normal” anxiety. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’ve gotten a lot of Heard from the Herd questions regarding how to manage mental health issues directly rel...

On this week’s episode of the pod, we continue our discussion on the basics of cancer. We briefly review the fact that cancer is a catch-all phrase for hundreds of different illnesses, all ultimately linked to dysregulation of normal cellular processes. We elaborate on some cellular processes that break down during the development of cancer, particularly with regard to gene mutations. While last w...

Please note: We experienced some unavoidable technical difficulties during recording, which you may notice throughout the episode. We are always working to improve quality and appreciate your patience and support!  On this week’s episode of the pod, we take a break from discussing COVID-19 to discuss something that has undoubtedly touched all of our lives—cancer. We kick things off with a populati...

On today’s episode of the podcast, we provide an update on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and walk through the details of the ACIP hearing on safety-- and the ultimate decision to lift the pause. We describe thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), treatment considerations, and side effects to monitor. We reiterate that the benefits outweigh the small risk for this adverse event an...

On this episode of the pod, we return to our discussion on COVID-19. We present updates on the state of COVID-19 with regards to number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. We also provide updates on vaccine rollout and the percentage of the population that has been partially and fully vaccinated. We also share some CDC-generated forecasts for next month. We spend some time discussing variants-...

On this week’s episode, we are continuing our discussion on Lyme disease. After a brief refresher of some key points from last week’s episode, we focus on the physical manifestations of Lyme disease, including signs and symptoms. We then discuss the diagnostic method, with an emphasis on some of the unreliable labs that use unproven tests to overreport Lyme diagnoses. We also cover the approved (a...

On this week’s episode, we start our discussion about Lyme disease, an infection that is riddled with misconceptions and misinformation. First, we open the conversation with a primer on ticks as disease vectors, including an overview of different tick species and the array of different tick-borne pathogens that exist. We then discuss Lyme disease specifically, a bacterial infection caused by Borre...

On this week’s episode, we take a trip into the past to discuss the history of vaccines. We start with an overview of smallpox, a debilitating illness that has plagued humans for thousands of years, and how attempts to prevent smallpox resulted in the first rudimentary immunizations through the process of variolation. Over time, variolation evolved to the first instances of vaccinations, and we de...

On this week's episode of the pod, we discuss the history of epidemiology. We kick things off with a definition of the term and clarify that epidemiology is not specific to infectious disease but rather all diseases, as well as their risk factors. We take a trip down memory lane and revisit the different eras of epidemiology including the sanitary era, the infectious disease era, the risk factor a...

On this week's episode of the pod we talk about our respective careers in STEM. We discuss the paths that led us here, our education and training, and the different fields that one can pursue with advanced degrees in a STEM field ranging from academia to applied science. Andrea discusses her relatively linear path from a child fascinated by bugs to her PhD in immunology, and Jess describes her mor...

On this week's pod, we continued the fun of exploring the science (or lack thereof) behind some popular old wives' tales! We tackled the old adage (pun intended) that pulling out a grey hair will result in two more growing in its place. Next, we discuss whether it's safe to swim within an hour of eating. We then revisited a topic we've covered in the past-- taking vitamin C to "cure" a cold (we do...

On this episode of the pod, we take a little break from COVID-19 to debunk some common old wives' tales related to health. Lots of listeners wrote in with many great ideas, so this will be a two-parter! We kick things off by breaking down the old adage, "feed a cold, starve a fever" (and we recommend changing it to "feed a cold, feed a fever"). Next, we tackle the myth that you’ll get sick from be...

On this week’s podcast episode, we get back to COVID-19 vaccine discussions, but with a different angle: focusing on the vaccine manufacturing, development, and deployment pipelines. We start with the U.S. and global statistics for vaccination rates, and then focus on a discussion of the parameters that impact the access to vaccines for countries around the world. We summarize the currently utiliz...

On this episode of the pod, we take a little break from COVID-19 to discuss essential oils. We kick things off with a description of essential oils, their history, and their applications. We discuss some of the purported benefits of essential oils and touted medicinal applications. We then dive into the scientific evidence (or lack thereof) on the actual benefits of essential oils and the findings...