Back in 2013 (goodness how time flies) I published an article in the Montreal Gazette about the benefits of fluoride in drinking water. http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/opinion+opposition+fluoridated+wat... I got the typical amount of hate mail but then to my surprise the Gazette published a rebuttal the next day, which was surprising because I didn't know anyone was reading my articles. My favorite line in the piece was this one: "It’s hard for ordinary lay people, such as myself, to…

Continue reading

It seems as if Keanu Reeves once said that healthy living can lead to cancer and unhealthy living can make you super healthy, so we should all indulge 'cause "none of us are getting out of here alive". Did he say that? And is this a good argument for laissez-faire?

Continue reading

  There is a particular flavour of disappointment that slowly builds up in some tongue-like brain region when someone we look up to in our own field fails publicly. It's one of those concepts that have a word in German but that seem to be missing in English, like Schadenfreude. I pinned hopes on Bill Nye because, as a nobody in the field of science communication, I want him to succeed. He has name recognition,…

Continue reading

  Jonathan is being more of a prick than usual by giving Chris a testosterone prick to boost his manliness. But is "low T" a real diagnosis or an ad man creation? Thanos, our comedian, takes us to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu class to interview sweaty men about aging and andropause. Back in the studio, Chris and Jonathan talk about the difficulties of measuring testosterone levels, whether or not T can reverse aging decline and will…

Continue reading

We spend a lot of our time giving people facts about what medical intervention works and what doesn't and why. But facts don't always matter to people. In a beautiful long-form cartoon, The Oatmeal takes us a on a journey to make us realize why. Take 10 minutes out of your time to check out "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you". It's really important.

Continue reading

Would you like natural health products to be approved on the basis of whether or not they work? Instead, Health Canada is considering revising its approval process and basing it on risk. *** TRANSCRIPT: Hey, this is Jonathan from The Body of Evidence. Today, we need to talk about Health Canada and natural health products. As you probably know, herbal supplements, homeopathy, and these types of products are currently approved for sale by Health Canada…

Continue reading

Justin Trudeau, this video is for you. With great power comes the great responsibility of showing young Canadians that pseudoscience doesn't fool you. Why cupping doesn't work and why science matters.

Continue reading

After the report from Choosing Wisely came out, I was asked why extra testing is actually bad for you. Most people understand why it wastes money. But for the individual, wouldn't extra testing pick up something that would otherwise be missed? The answer is here in my latest Montreal Gazette article. Happy reading. http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-beware-of-unnecessary-medical... ************************************************************************ “Do you really need that test?” That’s the question raised by a new report, “Unnecessary testing in Canada,” which finds that 30 per cent…

Continue reading

  On an eventful trip to Cincinnati, Chris and Jonathan discuss the possible dangers of aspartame and of arguing while behind the wheel. Will artificial sweeteners help you lose weight or will they give you cancer? Plus: Zamboni's liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis fails to impress in a major Canadian trial and self-regulating naturopaths think it's OK to prescribe with the laying of hands. Also, Jonathan and/or Chris may be coming to your town soon!…

Continue reading

  What do weight loss diets and books on how to be successful have in common? They often both fall prey to the survival bias. You may sometimes hear how a particular intervention was a success for someone, but ask yourself this: for how many people did it not work?  

Continue reading