On this episode of the pod, we take a step back to re-introduce ourselves! We talk about our careers and day-to-day lives as scientists in two very different scientific fields. Andrea details her career as an immunologist/microbiologist and team manager at a biotech company, and Jess speaks about her life as the CEO of a data science consultancy and public health scientist. We then discuss some of the things we wish people knew about scientists and the need for scientists in fields outside of academia (including government, industry, healthcare, media, etc). We shift gears and talk about our g ..read more

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, vitamin C, or vitamin E, and the importance of a well-balanced diet. We discuss some of the short and l ..read more

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 the nose (yes, you read the correctly). This practice is said to help treat congestion and alleviate ..read more

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 buildup . While there are some nuggets of truth, there's a whole lot of pseudoscience wrapped up in ..read more

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 made when treating patients. We discuss the societal stigma of obesity as a medical issue, and how ..read more

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 screening (Pap smears) and the impact that prevention has made on incidence of cervical cancer. We als ..read more

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 discuss European infant formulas (with a distinction between illegal importation from 3rd party vendors an ..read more

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 supply. Next, we dug into studies that compare outcomes for babies who are breastfed versus formula ..read more

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. Then, you guessed it, we turn to the data and discuss studies conducted on IF for weight loss, obesi ..read more

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 Featherstunn, 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. Then, you guessed it, we turn to the data and discuss studies conducted on IF for weight loss, obes ..read more