What's That Rash?

Is gluten really the enemy?

There's no doubt people with coeliac disease should stay away from gluten, but what about the rest of us? There is nothing inherently harmful about gluten when it doesn’t cause you gut trouble. Norman and Tegan talk us through why a gluten-free diet is not necessarily a healthy one. Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We'd love to hear from you! References * Avoiding gluten when you’re not a coeliac - Health Report [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/healthreport/avoiding-gluten-when-youre-not-a-coeliac/11971562] * Coeliac disease: review of diagnosis and management [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja16.00788] * Gluten-Free Diet: Gaps and Needs for a Healthier Diet [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6357014/] * Gluten-free diet may increase risk of arsenic, mercury exposure [https://today.uic.edu/gluten-free-diet-may-increase-risk-of-arsenic-mercury-exposure/]

Phlegm — better out than in?

Feeling yuck? Have you ever wondered about the purpose of all that gunk you're coughing up? At least one of our listeners has … and she wants to know whether there’s any benefit to spitting or swallowing… In this live episode from the World Science Festival Brisbane, Norman and Tegan take us through the answer.

Is botox worth a shot?

It might feel like this wrinkle-busting procedure has been around forever, but it's a relatively recent cosmetic concoction. At first, it was a procedure for already aged skin. Now 20-somethings are using it to try prevent wrinkles from ever forming. Norman and Tegan unpack how we got to this point, and the do's and dont's of the procedure. References: * The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7874868/] * Botulinum toxin type A for facial wrinkles - Cochrane review [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34224576/] * Botulinum Toxin and Muscle Atrophy: A Wanted or Unwanted Effect [https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/36/4/482/2613920]

Should we all be vegetarian?

For the meat eaters still out there, you may be wondering how much is too much when it comes to your health. You will have to weigh up the benefits and the harms. Norman and Tegan take us through the recommendations, and the science to back them up. References: * Health effects associated with consumption of unprocessed red meat: a Burden of Proof study [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01968-z] * Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis [https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/179/3/282/103471] * Plant-based diets and long-term health: findings from the EPIC-Oxford study [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/plantbased-diets-and-longterm-health-findings-from-the-epicoxford-study/771ED5439481A68AD92BF40E8B1EF7E6]

Is apple cider vinegar a cure-all tonic?

Apple cider vinegar is revered in wellness spaces for its health-giving benefits, but is there anything to it? There are claims it can aid with weight loss, boost your gut microbiome and manage blood sugar levels.  Norman and Tegan explain how this salad dressing became so famous, and what the science tells us. References: * Apple cider vinegar for weight management in Lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study  [https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2024/01/18/bmjnph-2023-000823] * Antibacterial apple cider vinegar eradicates methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and resistant Escherichia coli [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78407-x] * The improvement effect of apple cider vinegar as a functional food on anthropometric indices, blood glucose and lipid profile in diabetic patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38028980/] Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We'd love to hear from you!