The Body of Evidence Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry

Chris and Jonathan talk to Michelle Cohen, MD, CCFP, FCFP, an assistant professor at Queen University’s Department of Family Medicine and a staff physician at Lakeview Family Health Team. Dr. Cohen provides gender-affirming care and is here to dispel myths surrounding trans people, especially the panic around the mistaken idea that children are being rushed to transition. If you have a child who is questioning their gender identity, make sure to listen to this episode before reading what the media typically reports on trans issues.
Of note, the “1 Million March for Children” is scheduled to take place on September 20th across Canada. It is part of our current anti-trans panic, with the organizers claiming to “peacefully protest against the push for LGBT ideology in schools.”
(2:10) What is gender-affirming care and how easy is it to access?
(8:39) Gender vs. sex
(13:44) Estrogen is not just for women
(19:08) Children are not being rushed through trans medical care
(23:15) Puberty blockers are not just for trans teens
(28:27) Transition surgeries are not happening for teens under the age of legal majority
(31:31) Is “trans” the new “emo?”
(35:30) Intersex people and non-consensual surgeries
(37:24) The media fuels the trans panic, which has ties to the anti-vaccine movement
(42:46) Canadian transphobia: imported or homegrown?
(45:28) Your kid is questioning their gender. Now what?
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.
To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
  
Links:
1) The anonymous National Post editorial: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/np-view-canada-must-slow-down-and-reform-transgender-treatments-for-minors
2) The San Francisco Chronicle article by Soleil Ho: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/new-york-times-trans-18214925.php
3) Michelle Cohen on X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/DocMCohen
4) Michelle Cohen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/docmcohen.bsky.social
5) Michelle Cohen on Informed Opinions: https://informedopinions.org/view-expert-profile/?expert-id=45189
 

Is there a mysterious neurological syndrome harming the people of New Brunswick? And is the Government of New Brunswick suppressing the truth so as not to upset commercial interests? That is certainly the story strongly hinted at by the Canadaland podcast, which has featured a New Brunswick neurologist who now claims to have identified over 200 cases of this strange new sickness.
Jonathan and Chris are joined in their discussion of this story by Aigul Zaripova, a medical student who collaborates with them on the podcast. Together, they will unpack the official timeline of events and their thoughts on how diseases present in patients, and Jonathan will put forward an important hypothesis that seems to have been ignored by those pushing a conspiracy theory.
CORRECTION: We incorrectly refer to glyphosate as a "pesticide." We misspoke. It is an herbicide: it kills weeds, not insects. We regret the error!
(2:55) The official timeline of events
(7:50) Chris’ initial thoughts
(14:07) Aigul’s initial thoughts
(16:18) The appeal of special diagnoses
(19:03) Canadaland’s coverage of this alleged syndrome
(22:34) Conspiracy theories and the demonization of glyphosate
(28:45) The last neurologist standing
(32:16) Jonathan’s theory
(38:28) Dr. Marrero vs. the government
(46:54) Concluding remarks
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
 To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
 
Links:
1) The Government of New Brunswick’s official timeline: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/neuro-cluster.html
2) Final report on the situation: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h-s/neuro/final-report.pdf
3) Canadaland #746: Is New Brunswick Covering Up a Deadly Brain Disease? https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/746-is-new-brunswick-covering-up-a-deadly-brain-disease/
4) Canadaland #808: Is New Brunswick Covering Up a Deadly Brain Disease? Revisit. https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/808-is-new-brunswick-covering-up-a-deadly-brain-disease/
5) Canadaland #894: Mystery Brain Disease Cases Quadruple, Says New Brunswick Doctor. https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/894-mystery-brain-disease-patients-quadruple-says-new-brunswick-doctor/
 

What does the body of evidence say on air quality and how to protect ourselves from airborne pollution? Plus: a birth control pill becomes easier to access in the Republic of Gilead, and Chris returns to the hot seat to help a lawyer with blood-streaked loose stool!
Block 1:
(2:11) Air Quality: forest fires and their causes; major air pollutants; what causes air pollution; improvements in air quality
Block 2:
(8:56) Air Quality: what the air quality index is; why there are different indices in different countries; whether poor air quality leads to poor health outcomes; biomass air pollution; how we can protect ourselves
Block 3:
(24:03) An over-the-counter birth control pill in the USA
Block 4:
(33:15) Chris becomes House, MD. His patient: a lawyer with blood-streaked loose stool
  Jingle by Jillian Correia of Roctavio Canada * Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
 
To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
 
References:
1) Basics of air quality: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-pollution/research-science/about/air-quality-overview.html
2) Sources of air pollution: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/air-pollutant-emissions.html
3) Quantifying the risk of air pollution: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1104975
4) The WHO’s estimates of premature deaths worldwide in 2019 due to poor air quality: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
5) The Air Quality Index: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index/about.html & https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index/understanding-messages.html & https://www.epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data/how-aqi-calculated
6) Report on the health effects of air quality: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/news/reducing-air-pollution-uk-progress-report-2018
7) The Harvard Six Cities study: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200503-443OC
8) Cochrane review on individual-level interventions to reduce exposure to air pollution: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013441.pub2
9) The case of the 36-year-old lawyer with blood-streaked loose stool: https://reference.medscape.com/viewarticle/993938_1
 
It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:
1) Jonathan’s article on transcranial direct current stimulation: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-technology/brain-zapping-may-probably-appear-be-doing-something
2) Jonathan on the Conspirituality podcast to discuss Andrew Huberman: https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/163-the-huberman-paradox-jonathan-jarry
3) Jonathan is now on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjarry.bsky.social
4) Chris wrote a book called Does Coffee Cause Cancer? Pre-order it now! https://ecwpress.com/products/does-coffee-cause-cancer?_pos=1&_sid=e672b52c1&_ss=r
 

Jonathan and Chris speak to Anna Merlan, a senior reporter with Motherboard and the author of the book Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power.
How has the anti-vaccine movement changed since the COVID-19 pandemic? Its influencers deny the “mainstream narrative” on vaccine safety, which makes them prone to embrace other conspiracy theories. And what happens when one of their leading figures makes a run for the American presidency?
(1:18) Today’s anti-vaccine influencers
(7:09) Malice versus stupidity
(8:20) The anti-vaxx media ecosystem
(10:46) Doctors becoming anti-vaccine
(12:23) RFK Jr. for the presidency
(20:20) Contradictions in the conspiracy world
(23:50) How do you responsibly interview an anti-vaxxer (or a cholesterol-denying doctor)?
(29:44) Debating vaccine safety
(39:41) Are all anti-vaxxers conspiritualists?
(46:02) How profitable is the anti-vaccine industry?
(48:48) How much opposition to vaccines is due to the needle?
(53:59) Reconciling Pharma skepticism and a pro-vaccine stance
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.
 To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
 
Links:
1) Anna Merlan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annamerlan
2) Anna Merlan on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/annamerlan.bsky.social
3) Anna Merlan’s Vice News author page: https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/anna-merlan
4) Anna Merlan’s email address: anna(dot)merlan(a)vice(dot)com

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of bioidentical hormones? Plus: a new gene therapy troublingly gets approved by the FDA, and Health Canada finally changes how it regulates natural health products (a little).
Block 1:
(2:19) Bioidentical hormones: sex hormones, hormone replacement therapy, testosterone replacement therapy, and what “bioidentical hormone” means
Block 2:
(9:36) Bioidentical hormones: biosimilars, compounding pharmacies, regulation, the all-natural claim, why bioidentical hormones are not safer, and the individualization claim
Block 3:
(22:17) A controversial new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Block 4:
(39:32) Health Canada is coming for your vitamins (or not)
 
* Jingle by Joseph Hackl
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl
* Assistant researcher: Aigul Zaripova
To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
To make a one-time donation to our show, you can now use PayPal! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9QZET78JZWCZE
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
 
References:
1) Our previous episode on menopause and hormone replacement therapy: https://bodyofevidence.ca/071-menopause-and-psychedelics
2) Our previous episode on testosterone: https://bodyofevidence.ca/028-testosterone-and-bad-food-science
3) Chris’ article on the overprescription of testosterone therapy: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/christopher-labos-many-men-prescribed-testosterone-dont-need-it
4) Jonathan’s article on biosimilars: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/general-science/when-living-things-make-our-drugs-us
5) A recent New England Journal of Medicine study about testosterone safety: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2215025
6) FDA review of compounded products: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/report-limited-fda-survey-compounded-drug-products
7) Report of endometrial cancer in women using compounded hormonal therapy: https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01210.x
8) Jonathan’s article on Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical/controversial-gene-therapy-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy
9) Health Canada’s changes to the regulation of natural health products: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/legislation-guidelines/protecting-canadians-unsafe-drugs-act-vanessa-law-amendments-food-drugs-act.html
 
It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:
1) Jonathan’s article on the milkmaid myth: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-history/white-lie-heart-vaccine-history
2) Jonathan quoted in TIME magazine about Andrew Huberman: https://time.com/6290594/andrew-hubman-lab-podcast-interview/
3) Pre-order Chris’ book! http://doescoffeecausecancer.com/
 
 

Chris and Jonathan speak to Ken Milne, the host of the Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine and a physician who practices rural emergency medicine in Ontario.
What is it like treating patients away from major urban centres? It may actually be better in some ways! Also, the trio tackles the unfolding crisis in which Canadian emergency departments are temporarily closing due to a lack of proper resources. When doctors complain they lack beds, they don’t mean furniture.
(2:06) The Batdoc and the Flash
(2:50) What is rural emergency medicine?
(19:52) ER vs. Scrubs vs. M*A*S*H vs. House, MD
(24:45) The crisis in Canada’s emergency medicine departments
(48:48) The future of our healthcare system
 
* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.
To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.
Patrons get a bonus show on Patreon called “Digressions”! Check it out!
  
Links:
1) Ken’s website: https://thesgem.com/
2) Ken’s Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/TheSGEM