Causes or Cures: Recent Episodes

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Why do so many middle-aged Americans feel like they're barely keeping their heads above water?

In this episode, Dr. Eeks is joined by Dr. Frank Infurna, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University and lead author of a recent paper examining historical changes in midlife well-being in the United States and Europe. His research paints a concerning picture: today's middle-aged Americans appear to be faring worse than previous generations—and worse than many of their counterparts across Europe—in areas ranging from physical health and memory to loneliness and depression.

During the conversation, Dr. Infurna explains why these patterns are emerging, why they seem to be largely unique to the United States, and what they might tell us about the way we live, work, and age. We explore whether Americans are experiencing cognitive decline earlier or simply feeling mentally overwhelmed, how financial stress and "job lock" may be shaping health, why living farther from family could be taking a greater toll than many realize, and why spending more on healthcare hasn't translated into better midlife outcomes. We also discuss the challenges of interpreting these trends, whether today's generations are truly struggling more or simply more willing to talk about it, and what evidence-based strategies may help people navigate midlife more successfully.

Whether you're in your 40s or 50s, care for someone who is, or are simply interested in the intersection of psychology, aging, and public health, this episode offers an insightful look at one of the most important—and underappreciated—health trends facing Americans today.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why middle-aged Americans appear to be doing worse than previous generations
• Why these troubling trends are largely unique to the United States
• The growing roles of loneliness and depression during midlife
• Memory, cognitive health, and the difference between decline and mental overload
• Why education hasn't protected against worsening well-being
• The impact of financial stress, healthcare costs, and "job lock"
• Whether living farther from family affects health and resilience
• What the U.S. can learn from European countries
• Practical, evidence-based advice for improving well-being during midlife

You can follow Dr. Infurna's Substack here!

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Exploring the Spiritual Realm
Where spiritual belief meets health, culture, and skepticism

Disclaimer: This episode discusses spiritual and metaphysical beliefs that are not evidence-based public health methods or medical treatments. Nothing in this conversation is medical or health advice. If you have a health concern, please seek care from a licensed clinician. This is entertainment only.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with AlishaDas, author of Angelic Ancestry. Alisha shares her personal story and discusses how her experiences shaped her understanding of angels, healing, intuition, and what she describes as our spiritual ancestry.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• Alisha's personal journey and what led her to write Angelic Ancestry
• What she means by "angels" and how she understands them
• Why belief in angels appears across cultures and throughout history
• The concept of "angelic ancestry"
• Whether she believes people can communicate with loved ones who have died
• What she believes happens after death
• What "angelic language" is and how she experiences it
• Her personal healing journey and how it influenced her worldview
• Whether someone must follow a particular religion to connect with these ideas
• How she responds to skeptics and those who question her experiences

This conversation explores ideas that exist outside mainstream science and medicine. It is intended as an exploration of one person's beliefs and experiences rather than an endorsement or validation of those claims.

Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or simply curious, we hope you'll find the conversation interesting and thought-provoking.

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Seasonal Blues, Melancholy, and the Winter Splinter...

Do you only get the Winter Blues?

Lucky you.

In this episode of Eeks Speakeasy, Dr. Eeks confesses to suffering from the entire seasonal collection—from the Autumn Bottom and Spring Sting to the Summer Bummer and the newly diagnosed Winter Splinter.

Along the way, she explores why our moods seem to shift throughout the year, why spring doesn't bring optimism for everyone, why daylight saving time continues to confuse humans and dogs alike, and why melancholy might deserve a little more respect than it gets.

This isn't an episode about diagnosing depression or treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It's a short, lighthearted take on the many ways seasons shape our emotions, complete with bad puns, Greek medicine, philosophical detours, Jack and his "Winter Jollies," and her dog Barnaby's unwavering belief that breakfast should never be a political decision.

If you missed the first episode of Eeks Speakeasy, it's here: The Long Whatever.

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Can bananas change the nutritional value of your smoothie?

Bananas are often considered one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. But what happens when they're blended with berries or other foods rich in beneficial plant compounds?

In this episode, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Science, about his research examining how bananas may affect the absorption of flavan-3-ols—naturally occurring compounds found in foods like berries, cocoa, tea, and apples that have been associated with cardiovascular and cognitive health.

Together, they discuss:

• What flavan-3-ols are and why researchers study them
• The enzyme in bananas (polyphenol oxidase) and why it matters
• How the smoothie study was conducted
• Why the banana smoothie resulted in lower flavan-3-ol absorption than the berry-only smoothie
• Why this doesn't mean bananas are "bad" or that they destroy nutrients
• Whether other fruits may have similar effects
• The challenges of measuring diet and nutrient intake in nutrition research—and why nutrition studies can be difficult to interpret
• Common misconceptions about nutrition research and what individual studies can (and cannot) tell us
• Tips for building a smoothie if maximizing flavan-3-ol intake is your goal
• How food combinations—not just individual foods—may influence nutrition

Take-home message: Bananas remain a nutritious food. This study simply suggests that if your goal is to maximize absorption of flavan-3-ols, it may matter what foods you combine together. More broadly, this episode explores why nutrition science is often more complex than headlines suggest—and why interpreting nutrition research requires careful measurement and context.

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice.

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Can We Prevent Muscle Loss While Taking GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs?

GLP-1 medications like Zepbound have changed the way we treat obesity. But as more people lose significant amounts of weight, another question has emerged:

What happens to your muscle?

It's normal to lose some lean mass—including muscle—during weight loss. But researchers are now asking whether preserving more muscle could improve long-term health, particularly as we age.

In this episode, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Richard Pratley, lead author of a new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating whether an investigational antibody called apitegromab can help preserve lean mass in people taking tirzepatide (Zepbound).

Together they discuss:

• Why people lose lean mass during weight loss

• What "lean mass" actually means—and why it matters

• Why muscle preservation has become one of the biggest new questions in obesity medicine

• How apitegromab works by blocking myostatin—a protein that acts like a brake on muscle growth

• The results of the study and how much lean mass participants preserved

• Why preserving lean mass doesn't automatically mean preserving strength

• Whether concerns about muscle loss on GLP-1 medications have become exaggerated

• The importance of resistance training and adequate protein during weight loss

• Whether future obesity treatment will focus less on body weight and more on body composition

• The bigger question: Are we entering an era where one medication leads to another—or is there a better path???

This conversation explores one of the most interesting—and practical—questions in obesity research today: Can we lose fat without sacrificing too much muscle?

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Can using your smartphone on the toilet increase your risk of hemorrhoids?

In this episode of WTF Health News, Dr. Eeks explores one of the strangest health headlines of the year—and yes, it's based on a real scientific study.

Researchers found that adults who reported using smartphones while sitting on the toilet had a 46% higher likelihood of hemorrhoids compared with people who didn't bring their phones to the bathroom. But does that mean your phone causes hemorrhoids?

Not exactly.

Dr. Eeks breaks down what the study found.

Topics discussed include:

• Can smartphone use increase the risk of hemorrhoids?
• Why prolonged toilet sitting may matter more than straining
• The surprising study linking phones and hemorrhoids
• Why smartphone apps may distort our perception of time
• The difference between correlation and causation
• How technology quietly changes everyday human behavior

If you've ever found yourself scrolling on the toilet for "just a minute"...this episode might make you think twice.

Source: Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids, Plos 0ne, 2025.

About WTF Health News

WTF Health News is a recurring series within Causes or Cures, where Dr. Eeks breaks down strange, surprising, and occasionally ridiculous health headlines with evidence, context, and a healthy dose of dry humor.

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Many people living with migraines say they can "feel a storm coming" before an attack. But is there scientific evidence that environmental exposures can influence migraine risk?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Gal Ifergane, neurologist and headache specialist, about his research on migraines and the environment. The conversation explores how air pollution, heat, solar radiation, and weather conditions may help lower the threshold for migraine attacks in people who are already susceptible.

Professor Ifergane explains why migraine is often considered a threshold disorder, where genetics, biology, and environmental exposures may all interact to influence when an attack occurs.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Can air pollution trigger migraines?
• Are weather-related migraines real?
• Can heat, sunlight, or solar radiation increase migraine risk?
• How researchers study environmental migraine triggers
• Why some people may be more sensitive to environmental exposures than others
• What these findings could mean for migraine prevention

If you've ever wondered whether your surroundings—not just your brain—could influence migraine attacks, this episode explores what the current science says.

About Professor Gal Ifergane:

Professor Gal Ifergane is a neurologist, headache specialist, and clinical researcher who serves as Head of the Neurology Department and Chair of the Brain Medicine Division at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, Israel. He is also a faculty member at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

His research focuses on migraine, headache disorders, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effects of environmental exposures on neurological health. His work examines how factors such as air pollution, heat, and weather conditions may influence migraine risk and severity, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment for people living with migraine and other neurological disorders.

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Can listening to music help protect your brain as you age?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Joanne Ryan about her research on music, dementia risk, cognitive decline, and healthy aging.

Drawing on data from thousands of older adults participating in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), Professor Ryan discusses findings suggesting that frequent music engagement—including listening to music and playing a musical instrument—was associated with a lower risk of dementia and better cognitive outcomes over time.

The conversation explores:

• Whether listening to music can help reduce dementia risk
• How playing a musical instrument may affect brain health
• Proposed biological and cognitive mechanisms behind music's effects on the brain
• Music, memory, and why some people with dementia can still remember and perform music
• Whether certain types of music may be more beneficial than others
• The limitations of observational research and what questions still remain unanswered

If you've ever wondered whether your favorite playlist is doing more than entertaining you, this episode explores what the science currently says about music, memory, cognition, and the aging brain.

About Professor Joanne Ryan

Professor Joanne Ryan is a Principal Research Fellow and leader of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research team at Monash University in Australia. Her research focuses on understanding the causes, prevention, and early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly dementia and depression.

Her team investigates biological, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors that influence brain health and works to identify preventive strategies that may reduce the incidence of dementia and cognitive decline. The group also studies biomarkers that may improve the timing and accuracy of diagnosis and help evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Professor Ryan has published extensively on aging, cognition, dementia risk factors, mental health, and preventive approaches to healthy brain aging.

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What is The Long Whatever?

Good question.

It involves an asthma attack, a pet store, a nice guy afraid to help, a bathroom code, an emotionally fragile dog, ambulance rides, and several thoughts that probably should've stayed inside my head.

But here we are.

By the end of this episode, I promise you'll know what The Long Whatever Is.

DISCLAIMER: Eeks Speakeasy is part storytelling, part health discussion, and part one public health nerd failing to make sense of the world. Nothing here is health or medical advice. It's just Eeks thinking out loud.

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Can you be genuinely happy and, even thrive, as a single person?

In this episode, Professor Elyakim Kislev, author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living, discusses the growing global trend toward singlehood and what the research says about happiness, loneliness, marriage, and solo living.

We explore the difference between being alone and being lonely, why some people enter relationships out of fear of loneliness, and most importantly, what distinguishes happy singles from unhappy singles.

Professor Kislev also discusses the concepts of social loneliness and emotional loneliness, common myths surrounding singlehood, and findings suggesting that many never-married older adults report high levels of well-being and life satisfaction.

We also examine cultural pressures surrounding marriage and family formation, whether marriage itself improves health and happiness, how researchers study these questions, and what it really takes to build a meaningful, connected, and fulfilling life—whether you're single, married, dating, or somewhere in between.

Professor Elyakim Kislev is a faculty member in the School of Public Policy and Government at The Hebrew University and a Research Fellow at the Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University and holds master's degrees in counseling, public policy, and sociology. A Fulbright Fellow and recipient of the Award for Outstanding Fulbright Scholars, his research focuses on singlehood, family, well-being, and social policy. He is the author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living.

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Today's Causes or Cures' WTF Health News with Dr. Eeks starts with olive oil and somehow ends with the microbiome.

A recent study suggests that older adults consuming more virgin olive oil may perform better on cognitive tests than those consuming more refined olive oil. Researchers also found differences in the gut microbiome because, at this point, the microbiome appears contractually obligated to show up in every health study.

Join Dr. Eeks in WTF Health News for a fun, quick, jargon-free look at what the study found, what it didn't find, and why nutrition science continues to keep us humble.

Source: For nerds and readers, here's a link to the study and to her plain-language blog.

About WTF Health News

WTF Health News is a recurring series within Causes or Cures, where Dr. Eeks breaks down strange, surprising, and occasionally ridiculous health headlines with evidence, context, and a healthy dose of dry humor.

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What makes you you?

Is it your memories? Your personality? Your sense of humor? Your motivation? What happens when a neurological disease changes one of those things?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with neurologist, neuroscientist, and author Dr. Masud Husain about his new book, Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist's Patients Taught Him About the Brain.

Drawing on the stories of seven patients with different neurological conditions, Dr. Husain explores how changes in the brain can profoundly affect identity, behavior, memory, motivation, humor, and our relationships with others.

We discuss pathological apathy after stroke, personality changes caused by frontotemporal dementia, memory and Alzheimer's disease, the neurological basis of humor, and how cultural and spiritual beliefs shape the way people understand illness. We also explore bigger questions about free will, responsibility, consciousness, and whether there may be aspects of human experience that lie beyond a purely biological explanation.

Dr. Husain shares what decades of caring for patients with neurological disorders have taught him about the brain—and about what it means to be human.

Dr. Masud Husain is Professor of Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow at New College, Oxford. His work spans neurology, neuroscience, psychology, and brain imaging, with a focus on understanding how the brain supports cognition in both healthy individuals and people with neurological disorders. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Brain, one of the world's leading and most influential neurology journals. Our Brains, Our Selves is his first book.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Judson Brandeis, a board-certified urologist, sexual medicine specialist, surgeon, author, and founder of BrandeisMD, about erectile dysfunction, sexual wellness, aging, intimacy, and the rapidly growing men’s penile enhancement industry.

Dr. Brandeis discusses his recent clinical research exploring whether nitric oxide boosting supplements may work synergistically with medications like Viagra to improve erectile function, as well as broader issues surrounding circulation, lifestyle, vascular health, mental health and sexual performance.

He also describes 10 things men can do right now to improve their sexual health.

The conversation explores:

• What causes erectile dysfunction (ED) and why it becomes more common with aging
• The role blood flow and nitric oxide play in erections
• How ED can sometimes signal broader cardiovascular, metabolic or psychological issues
• The difference between prescription ED drugs and supplements
• Side effects and limitations of Viagra and Cialis
• Shockwave therapy and other emerging approaches in sexual medicine
• “Sexspan” and maintaining sexual health later in life
• Relationship dynamics, intimacy, and communication
• Men understanding women’s bodies and sexuality after menopause
• The psychology and emotional impact of erectile dysfunction
• Concerns surrounding the supplement industry and “male enhancement” products
• The difference between FDA approved medications and dietary supplements

Dr. Brandeis also discusses his “P-Long” protocol, which he describes as a safe and effective way to increase the length, girth and function of a healthy man’s penis.

Dr. Judson Brandeis is a board-certified urologist, surgeon, medical researcher, author, and physician educator with more than 25 years of experience in urology and men’s sexual health. Over his career, he has performed thousands of surgeries, helped pioneer surgical robotics, and served as Chief of Urology at John Muir Hospital and Hill Physicians for over a decade. Dr. Brandeis attended Brown University, earned his MD from Vanderbilt University, received a Howard Hughes research award at Harvard Medical School, and completed his surgery and urology residency at UCLA. In recent years, his work has focused on men’s wellness, sexual medicine, erectile function, intimacy, and “sexspan,” with an emphasis on helping men improve quality of life, physical intimacy, and overall health as they age.

You can learn more about Dr. Brandeis and his work at:
BrandeisMD

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Do you cough a lot?

Does someone you know cough a lot?

What if you could actually measure it, continuously?

For people with chronic cough, those question matters.

Because right now, most of what we know about cough comes from self-report. And that’s not very precise.

In this episode, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Peter Small from Hyfe, a company using AI to continuously detect and count coughs, turning a common but poorly measured symptom into something objective. Hyfe is the FIRST company to create a tool to continuously monitor coughing.

Their technology processes sound in real time and records cough events without storing audio, allowing for long-term, privacy-preserving monitoring.

Hyfe is part of a growing field called acoustic epidemiology, which uses body sounds, like coughs, to better understand health and disease patterns.

We talk about:

• what a cough actually is, and how you define and quantify it
• how many people struggle with chronic cough
• what “continuous cough monitoring” looks like in real life
• bad coughs vs good coughs
• how Hyfe measures cough
• why measuring cough is useful for people who want to monitor their health more closely
• and whether cough monitoring and patterns could eventually be used for public health surveillance

We also discuss cough suppression therapy (CST), a behavioral treatment often delivered by speech-language pathologists, which has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms in many patients with chronic cough. Hyfe plans to offer it as a digital therapy folks can access from home.

Dr. Peter Small is the Chief Medical Officer of Hyfe, where he focuses on using acoustic AI to improve human health. An infectious disease specialist, he has spent his career developing global health solutions, with a particular focus on tuberculosis. His work has spanned Stanford University, the Gates Foundation—where he led major TB initiatives—and global programs in India, Madagascar, and Nepal, using technology to expand access to care.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Amrita Vijay, a gut microbiome scientist who studies how diet shapes the microbiome and influences inflammation, mood, and overall health.

Her research tested three different dietary approaches over six weeks: a prebiotic fiber (inulin), omega 3 supplementation, and a synbiotic combining fermented kefir with prebiotic fiber. All three interventions reduced inflammatory markers compared to control, with the synbiotic approach showing broader effects across multiple markers.

We break down what prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics actually mean in real life, how inflammation was measured, and how quickly diet can influence inflammation in the body.

We also discuss the role of the microbiome, and how to think about food-based approaches for tackling inflammation and chronic illnesses.

About the Guest

Dr. Amrita Vijay is a gut microbiome scientist and researcher specializing in the intersection of diet, the gut microbiome, and health. She has conducted nutritional intervention studies in both India and the UK, exploring how food influences inflammation, mood, and overall well being. Her work focuses on translating microbiome science into practical, evidence based strategies for improving health. She has received the Best Research Award and Best Achievement Award from the University of Nottingham.

(Follow her on Instagram!)

What we cover

• What prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics mean in real terms
• Why it's important to reduce inflammation
• Why inflammatory markers are important
• How fiber, omega 3s, and fermented foods affect inflammation
• Why the synbiotic intervention showed broader effects
• How quickly diet can influence inflammation
• The role of the gut microbiome
• Whether food based interventions may shape the future of inflammation research

Takeaway

Simple dietary interventions including prebiotic fiber, omega 3s, and fermented foods may reduce inflammation, and even short term changes in diet can lead to measurable shifts in the body.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with transplant surgeon and author Dr. Josh Mezrich to talk about xenotransplantation—the use of animal organs, primarily from pigs, to try to address the massive shortage of human donor organs.

More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently waiting for a transplant. For many, time runs out. Xenotransplantation offers a possible path forward, but it’s not a simple one.

This conversation walks through both sides.

We talk about the history—from early, controversial experiments using primates to today’s gene-edited pig organs—and what’s actually happening right now in human patients. But we also spend time on the part that often gets pushed aside: the ethical questions.

What are we asking of these animals?
How are they treated in the process?
And how do we weigh that against the possibility of saving human lives?

We discuss:

• The evolution of xenotransplantation and key scientific breakthroughs
• Real-world cases of patients receiving pig organs
• The role of CRISPR and genetically engineered pigs
• Ethical concerns around animal welfare and the use of nonhuman primates in research
• Whether focusing on animal organs shifts attention away from improving human organ donation systems
• The risks, including cross-species disease transmission

Dr. Mezrich also shares insights from his new book Every Living Creature, which explores both the promise and the discomfort of this field.

Dr. Mezrich is a transplant surgeon and Professor at the University of Wisconsin, where he holds the Mark A. Fischer Chair in Transplantation and serves as Surgical Director of the kidney transplant program. His clinical and research work focuses on liver and kidney transplantation, including how factors like the microbiome and biomarkers influence organ quality. He is also the author of How Death Becomes Life and his latest book, Every Living Creature, which explores the science and ethics of xenotransplantation.

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Can what you eat influence your risk of colorectal cancer?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Fred Tabung, PhD, MSPH, a researcher studying diet, metabolism, and cancer prevention, about how certain dietary patterns may reduce colorectal cancer risk.

Drawing on data from nearly one million people across the United States and Europe, Dr. Tabung explains how low insulinemic and anti-inflammatory diets are linked to lower colorectal cancer risk, and what this means for real-world prevention.

We explore how insulin and inflammation may influence cancer pathways, how diet connects to obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and how those conditions are linked to cancer. We also discuss why early onset colorectal cancer is increasing in younger adults.

The conversation also covers childhood and early life exposures, the microbiome, and what a population level approach to diet and cancer prevention could realistically look like.

What we cover

• What low insulinemic and anti-inflammatory diets actually mean
• Foods associated with lower colorectal cancer risk
• How insulin and inflammation may influence cancer development
• The link between diet, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer
• Why early onset colorectal cancer may be increasing
• What a population level nutrition strategy for cancer prevention might look like

Dr. Fred Tabung is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University and a researcher at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James, where he leads the Diet, Metabolism, and Cancer Prevention Outcomes Lab. His work focuses on how dietary patterns influence cancer risk and progression, particularly through pathways related to inflammation and insulin. Using large-scale population studies and clinical research, he aims to identify practical, evidence-based dietary strategies for cancer prevention and improved outcomes across the cancer continuum.

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Can a plant-derived polysaccharide formula affect Alzheimer’s symptoms? A researcher explains his study, and its limits.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with researcher Dr. John Lewis about his study investigating an aloe polymannose multinutrient supplement in Alzheimer’s disease.

We discuss what polymannose is, why he feels mainstream wellness gets sugar wrong, why the intervention combines multiple nutrients rather than a single compound, and the biological theories behind how it might influence inflammation and immune signaling.

Dr. Lewis also walks through the study design, including the open-label approach, the cognitive and functional outcomes measured, his thoughts on testing against a placebo, and how to interpret mixed results across different tests.

We also talk about the bigger question: what early nutrition studies can suggest — and what they cannot yet prove.

John E. Lewis, Ph.D., is Founder and President of Dr Lewis Nutrition® and a Voluntary Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His research focuses on nutrition, dietary supplementation, and exercise in human health and disease, and he has led or contributed to over 30 studies and more than 180 peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Lewis has presented his work nationally and internationally, mentored students across all levels of training, and delivered a TEDx talk on nutrition and brain health. He is also a Diplomate and Faculty Member of the Medical Wellness Association and continues to promote evidence based approaches to health and wellness.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Majid Fotuhi about brain aging, memory, intelligence, Alzheimer’s disease, and his new book: The Invincible Brain: The Clinically-Proven Way to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life

We explore whether Alzheimer’s is being overdiagnosed and the idea that what we call Alzheimer’s may actually be a mix of different conditions.

Dr. Fotuhi breaks down intelligence beyond IQ, including why IQ tests were originally designed to detect deficits, and how environment can shape cognitive potential. We talk about memory, why we forget names but remember certain details, and he shares fun exercises anyone can do to significantly improve their memory.

We also examine how technology may be affecting the brain, the concept of use it or lose it, and the role of neuroplasticity in shaping brain function over time.

The conversation then turns to prevention. We cover genetics, including the APOE gene, and what you can do to lower your risk, even if you have the high-risk gene. We discuss lifestyle factors such as exercise, sleep, diet, and what having a sense of purpose means for your brain health. We also talk about current treatments, including antibody therapies targeting plaques, and why reducing plaques does not always improve function.

Finally, Dr. Fotuhi shares his approach to building brain reserve and maintaining cognitive health through his Brain Fitness Program.

Dr. Majid Fotuhi is a neurologist and neuroscientist trained at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School. He serves as an adjunct professor at the Mind Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins and also teaches at George Washington University and Harvard. With nearly four decades of experience in clinical care, research, and teaching, Dr. Fotuhi has developed a multidisciplinary approach to improving brain health and cognitive performance. His Brain Fitness Program combines personalized assessment with targeted lifestyle and cognitive interventions, with results published in peer reviewed journals. He is the author of several books, including Boost Your Brain, and is widely recognized for his work on memory, neuroplasticity, and successful aging, with lectures and media appearances around the world.

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Exploring the Spiritual Realm
Where spiritual belief meets health, culture, and skepticism

Disclaimer: This episode discusses spiritual and metaphysical beliefs that are not evidence-based medical treatments. Nothing in this conversation is medical or public health advice. If you have a health concern, please seek care from a licensed clinician. This is entertainment only.

In this episode, Dr. Eeks sits down with Master Nick Eagle,a man whose life has taken a dramatic and unexpected turn.

Before becoming a spiritual teacher, Nick Eagle was Nick Hawk, best known as the star of Gigolos, the Showtime series that followed male escorts in Las Vegas. He built a larger-than-life persona—muscular, confident, and unapologetically masculine. Along the way, he became a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, ran a stripper booking agency, wrote for Penthouse, and appeared in outlets like Cosmopolitan and TMZ.

Today, he goes by Master Nick Eagle.

He now leads a very different life...teaching meditation, studying philosophy, practicing yoga, and guiding others through what he describes as spiritual awakening. He runs retreats in Arizona and is the author of The Golden Laws of Enlightenment, a book centered on transcending suffering and connecting to a deeper sense of self.

In this conversation, we explore:

• His transition from nightlife and performance to spirituality and teaching
• How he defines masculinity...then vs. now
• What prompted his personal transformation
• His approach to meditation, Reiki, and Kundalini practices
• The philosophy behind his teachings and retreats
• What it means to “reinvent” your identity

This episode touches on spiritual perspectives that may not align with conventional medical or scientific views. Listeners are encouraged to approach these ideas thoughtfully and seek qualified medical advice when needed.

At its core, this is a conversation about identity, reinvention, and what happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels like your own.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Gil Bashe, author of Healing the Sick Care System, about why the US healthcare system is failing the very people it is meant to serve.

Bashe argues that the problem isn’t a lack of innovation or investment, but a system that has drifted away from empathy, human connection and patient-centered care. We discuss the growing disconnect between physicians, insurers, hospitals, and patients, the pressures that turn medical encounters into brief transactions, and how this fragmentation contributes to rising costs, declining trust, doctor burnout and patients who feel left behind.

The conversation also explores medical debt, the prevention gap in U.S. healthcare spending, the impact of poverty on health outcomes, and the unintended consequences of overspecialization.

Bashe shares why he believes the future of healthcare must focus on empathy, collaboration, prevention, and measurable patient outcomes.

Gil Bashe is Chair Global Health and Purpose at FINN Partners.

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In this episode of the Causes or Cures Podcast, Dr Eeks speaks with Dr. Sam West, a researcher at the University of Oxford, about his study on what happens after people stop taking GLP 1 weight loss medications.

While much of the attention has focused on how these drugs work while people are taking them, this conversation looks at what happens when people stop. Dr West discusses how quickly weight tends to return (and how much), what happens to cardiometabolic markers after stopping treatment, and how these outcomes compare with weight regain after behavior-based interventions.

They also explore what these findings mean in practice, including long-term weight maintenance, patient expectations, and how insurers may weigh coverage for these medications.

This episode offers important real world context for one of the most widely discussed drug classes in medicine today.

Dr. Sam West is a postdoctoral researcher with the Health Behaviours team based in the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. He completed his PhD with the Nutritional Physiology Research Group at the University of Exeter, where his research centred around assessing how modulating dietary protein form influences postprandial skeletal muscle metabolism. His current research focuses on understanding how lifestyle (diet and exercise) and pharmaceutical interventions can be used in the treatment and management of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

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"So how'd that person die?"

In this episode of Causes or Cures, I’m joined by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Byard, an internationally recognized expert who has spent decades investigating deaths that are rare, misunderstood, and often deeply unsettling.

We talk about what really happens at the edges of life and death, including:

• Fatal animal encounters involving kangaroos, roosters, cattle, and donkeys
• Whether pets truly consume their deceased owners, and what the evidence shows
• The real story behind the death of Rasputin and why the myths refuse to die
• Cannibalism, including its different forms and the true cases that shaped how we understand it
• Historical fears of being buried alive and the strange methods once used to confirm death
• The one case that has stayed with Dr. Byard long after the autopsy was finished

Dr. Byard is a repeat guest on Causes or Cures. The topic of his first episode was the forensic elements of killer selfies.

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Topics include forensic pathology, unusual causes of death, animal attacks, Rasputin’s death, cannibalism case studies, and historical death practices.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks talks with Joel Stanley, entrepreneur and biotech founder, about the long and often misunderstood road from plant based therapies to FDA approved medicines.

Joel shares the personal story behind building Charlotte’s Web, the company named after a young girl whose experience with severe epilepsy helped spark a global conversation about medical cannabis. He reflects on what it was like to grow a family run operation into a major force that reshaped public perception, while navigating science, regulation, and skepticism.

The conversation then turns to Joel’s current work at Ajna BioSciences, where he is pursuing FDA approval for botanical drugs, including a botanical-based drug being studied for autism, with trials to be conducted in 2 countries. Joel explains where this research currently sits in the regulatory process and why he has chosen the traditional drug approval route rather than supplements or wellness markets.

We also dig into the key differences between botanical drug development and conventional pharmaceutical development, from standardization challenges to clinical trial design, and why plant based medicines are often held to a different and sometimes contradictory standard.

Finally, Joel discusses his research into psychedelics, including psilocybin for depression, and why he believes these compounds represent more than a passing trend.

This episode is a grounded look at science, policy, and the tension between nature and modern medicine.

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Healthcare corruption doesn’t just happen in broken systems or far away countries.

It happens in hospitals with shiny floors.
In billion dollar healthcare industries.
In systems filled with rules, audits, and professionals sworn to protect patients.

It happens quietly. And it happens everywhere.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Professor Graham Brooks, an international expert on healthcare corruption and criminal justice, to expose how fraud and corruption operate across healthcare systems around the world, from low resource settings to some of the most regulated and well funded systems on Earth.

Rather than treating corruption as something that belongs “elsewhere,” this conversation reveals the shared vulnerabilities that allow it to thrive in plain sight.

We explore:

• The hidden ways corruption shows up in both poor and wealthy healthcare systems
• Real world schemes that drained millions while patients paid the price
• How much money vanishes globally each year and why the true cost is likely far higher
• Why rules, oversight, and trained professionals often fail to stop exploitation
• How financial incentives and conflicts of interest quietly shape care and clinical decisions
• Where today’s biggest corruption hotspots exist, from billing to drug pricing to procurement
• Whether AI and data could help uncover fraud or create new risks of surveillance
• What patients and clinicians can do when the system itself feels rigged

This episode pulls back the curtain on a side of healthcare most people never see and shows why corruption isn’t a rare scandal. It’s a systemic threat hiding in plain sight.

About the Guest

Professor Graham Brooks is an international expert on corruption in healthcare and criminal justice. He has advised governments, law enforcement bodies, and international organizations on counter fraud and anti corruption efforts, and has been a keynote speaker at major conferences across Europe.

He has participated in United Kingdom Cabinet Office round table discussions on anti corruption, worked with the Royal United Services Institute on money laundering and online business risks, and currently serves as a member of the Group of Experts for the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network.

Professor Brooks has published extensively with international collaborators and is the author of Healthcare Corruption: Causes, Costs, Consequences and Criminal Justice.

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Exploring the Spiritual Realm
Where spiritual belief meets health, culture, and skepticism

Disclaimer: This episode discusses spiritual and metaphysical beliefs that are not evidence-based medical treatments. Nothing in this conversation is medical or health advice. If you have a health concern, please seek care from a licensed clinician. This is entertainment only.

Recent surveys suggest around 69% of Americans say they believe in angels. Whatever you think of that, spiritual beliefs can shape real health decisions...what people trust, where they seek help, and how they make sense of illness.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Christopher Macklin, a British-born spiritual teacher and interfaith minister, and founder of the Global Enlightenment Project. Christopher describes his lifelong spiritual experiences and his belief that he can work with “angels” and other non-physical beings in ways he says help people.

We talk about what he believes, how he differentiates between types of angels, what he means by “Melchizedek beings,” and why some followers view his work as healing. And because Dr. Eeks is a skeptic, we also talk about skepticism: how he responds to critics, how he thinks about proof, and where he draws lines around claims.

This episode is part of Eeks' broader exploration of the “spiritual” element of health—not as endorsement, but because spirituality influences how many people approach health and wellness, interpret symptoms, choose treatments, and build meaning around suffering. Think of it as part belief, part culture, part mystery.

Guest bio:

Dr. Christopher Macklin is a British-born spiritual teacher, interfaith minister, and founder of the Global Enlightenment Project. He describes having unusual spiritual perceptions since childhood and now offers spiritual guidance and sessions to clients internationally based on his personal beliefs about non-physical realms.

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What if cancer didn’t have to be eradicated, but could be remembered, monitored, and controlled by the immune system itself?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Zachary Hartman, the lead researcher who revisited an extraordinary breast cancer vaccine trial conducted over 20 years ago. The trial involved a small group of women with advanced breast cancer. Women who, remarkably, are all still alive today.

By analyzing their blood decades later, the research team discovered that these women still carried immune cells capable of recognizing their cancer, suggesting durable immune memory lasting more than two decades. (Study link here.)

We discuss:

• The original breast cancer vaccine trial and what it was designed to do, in plain language
• What it was like to discover that the women from the trial were still alive more than 20 years later
• How the immune systems of these women continued to recognize cancer cells long after the trial
• What CD27-positive immune cells are and why they matter, explained simply
• Why helper CD4 T cells may be just as important, or more important, than killer CD8 T cells when it comes to cancer
• What happened when researchers combined a CD27-boosting antibody with a cancer vaccine in mice
• What surprised the research team most
• The challenges of translating findings from mice to human trials
• Whether cancer could someday be managed long-term by the immune system
• How generalizable this immune memory might be across different cancers
• What this research could mean for how we think about vaccines in a post-pandemic world
• The one key message the researcher hopes the public takes away
• What’s next in this line of research

Guest Bio: Dr. Zachary C. Hartman is an Associate Professor at Duke University in the Departments of Surgery, Pathology, and Integrative Immunobiology, where he also serves as Director of the Center for Applied Therapeutics and is a member of the Cellular and Molecular Biology and Genetics and Genomics programs. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and completed his PhD at Duke University, followed by postdoctoral training in tumor immunology and breast oncology at Duke and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2012, Dr. Hartman returned to Duke to establish a research program focused on tumor immunology and the development of cancer immunotherapies, including therapeutic vaccines, immune agonists, checkpoint inhibitors, antibody-based therapies, and strategies to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses.

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Disclaimer This episode is part of the Causes or Cures Public Health Is Weird bonus series and is for educational and entertainment purposes only. If you’re worried about a child or pet eating a poinsettia, contact a medical professional or veterinarian. This podcast is not a poison control center. :)

Every December, poinsettias show up, and so does the panic.

Suddenly, a festive red plant is treated like antifreeze with leaves: dangerous to kids, deadly to pets, and one accidental nibble away from an emergency vet visit. But where did this fear actually come from, and does the evidence support it?

In this bonus episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks dives into one of the most persistent holiday health myths and asks a very public-health question: How did a weak claim turn into a century-long panic?

Using poison-control data, toxicology studies, veterinary evidence, and a little personal history (including a dog named Barnaby and the hazards of NYC sidewalks), this episode unpacks what poinsettias really do, and don’t do, to humans and animals.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Where the myth of the “deadly poinsettia” originated and why it stuck
• What large U.S. poison-control data shows about poinsettia exposures in children
• Why poinsettias behave very differently in real life than in our imaginations
• What toxicology studies in animals actually found (hint: no lethal effects)
• What the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports when pets chew on poinsettias
• Why dose and curiosity matter more than fear
• How risk is often exaggerated when kids, pets, and holidays collide
• Whether Dr. Eeks would let her own pets near a poinsettia (spoiler: probably not, but not for the reasons you think)
• A Christmas legend behind the poinsettia...and a gentle reminder that miracles don’t pause for plant anatomy

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References: All scientific references discussed in this episode are below and available on the accompanying blog post at BloomingWellness.com.

1. New York Botanical Garden Article: Dispelling a Seasonal Myth: For Humans, The Poinsettia is Not a Toxic Plant – Science Talk Archive
2. Krenzelok, E. P., Jacobsen, T. D., & Aronis, J. M. (1996). Poinsettia exposures have good outcomes… just as we thought. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14(7), 671–674.
3. Evens, Z. N, & Stellpflug, S. J. (2012). Holiday Plants with Toxic Misconceptions. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 13(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2012.8.12572 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0q1973x2
4. Winek CL, Butala J, Shanor SP, Fochtman FW. Toxicology

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Microplastics are everywhere—but what are they doing inside the human body?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Christian Pacher-Deutsch about his lastest study and the growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may affect the digestive system, the gut microbiome, and long-term health. He explains why this problem has reached crisis level.

Rather than focusing on dramatic claims or quick fixes, this conversation explores what the science actually shows, including how probiotics may help mitigate some of the harmful effects of microplastics...not by breaking them down, but by supporting gut integrity and immune balance.

We discuss:

• What microplastics and nanoplastics are, how they’re formed, and where human exposure comes from
• Why nanoplastics may be especially concerning due to their size and biological interactions
• The range of health effects microplastics have been linked to, including immune, neurological, reproductive, and carcinogenic effects
• How microplastics may disrupt the gastrointestinal tract, including digestion, inflammation, barrier function, and gut permeability
• What the microbiome is and why it plays a central role in health
• Why probiotics were considered as a potential solution, and what the research found
• Why probiotic bacteria are unlikely to directly degrade plastics
• How probiotics may still help reduce inflammation and support the gut’s protective barriers
• Whether certain bacteria appear more protective than others
• The role of industry collaboration and whether probiotic formulations are being explored
• Whether probiotics can realistically help us get ahead of the microplastic crisis, or if they are only part of a larger solution
• Practical ways people can reduce exposure, and where reduction may be unrealistic
• How diet, including probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods, might help mitigate risk
• What this research changed about Dr. Pacher-Deutsch’s own habits
• What’s next in microplastics and health research

This episode offers a clear, evidence-based look at microplastics inside the human body—without panic, hype, or false promises.

GUEST BIO: Dr. Pacher-Deutsch is a scientist and researcher in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Zohar Rubinstein, a clinical psychologist, researcher and trauma expert about an early and deeply sensitive study examining how different substances may have influenced early trauma responses among survivors of the October 7 Nova music festival attack.

Many survivors had taken substances just hours before the traumatic event — including classic psychedelics, MDMA, cannabis, alcohol, or none at all. Dr. Rubinstein’s team approached this research with extreme care, focusing on respect, consent, and the ethical challenges of studying trauma in real time.

Together, they discuss:

• Why Dr. Rubinstein became interested in studying trauma at the moment it happens, not years later
• How the research team worked respectfully with survivors in the aftermath of mass trauma
• The challenges of studying real-world substance use without lab-verified dosing
• Why survivors who had taken classic psychedelics reported lower anxiety and fewer early PTSD symptoms compared with other groups
• How timing and state of consciousness during trauma may influence how the brain encodes memory and fear
• What we can, and cannot, conclude from an early, observational study
• Why these findings do not justify self-experimentation, but may justify further controlled research
• What mental health professionals and policymakers should take away from this work
• How doing trauma research has shaped Dr. Rubinstein’s own understanding of resilience and healing

This conversation does not promote psychedelic substance use. Instead, it explores how brain state, context, and timing may shape trauma responses, and why studying these questions responsibly matters.

Content note: This episode discusses trauma related to the October 7 attacks. Listener discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or mental health advice.

Dr. Zohar Rubinstein, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, organizational psychologist and founder of the Morphic Institute. He is a founding member of the Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Emergency and Disaster Management at the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, where he lectures on trauma, resilience, and mental health in emergency settings. His research focuses on trauma, testimony, and resilience, including how individuals and societies process extreme events. Dr. Rubinstein developed an intensive short-term group intervention model for treating traumatic casualties and has led multidisciplinary research collaborations on trauma across psychology, history, and architecture.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Claudia Suemoto in Brazil about her new 8-year study looking at whether artificial sweeteners are linked to changes in thinking and memory.

We cover:
• How she started studying dementia and why she became curious about sweeteners.
• What the research team hoped to learn and what they actually found.
• Why these results are different from older, one-time “snapshot” studies.
• Why the link between sweeteners and thinking problems showed up in people under 60, but not over 60.
• The seven sweeteners they studied and whether any looked more concerning than others.
• What a small decline on a cognition test really means in everyday life.
• Whether people who switch to sweeteners because of health issues make sweeteners look guilty.
• Whether there seems to be a “safe range” or if more sweetener means more risk.
• How to use studies like this when they show association, not proof.
• Easy ways to cut back on sweeteners without doubling your sugar.
• What policies she thinks make sense while we wait for more data.
• Her top tips for protecting your brain and lowering dementia risk.

If you want a clear, calm, evidence-based take on sweeteners and brain health, this episode is for you.

Guest Bio: Claudia Suemoto, MD, PhD, is a geriatrician and researcher at the University of São Paulo whose work centers on successful brain aging, dementia, and the cardiovascular risks that shape both. She runs the Suemoto Lab, directs the Biobank for Aging Studies, contributes to the major ELSA-Brazil cohort, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Suemoto has been recognized with major awards, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science honor and the Ewald W. Busse Research Award for her contributions to aging biology. She also serves in leadership roles with ISTAART and the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Jaap de Roode, an evolutionary biologist and author of Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves, about one of the most fascinating corners of biology: the ways animals use plants, minerals, insects, and even toxins as medicine.

They talk about:

• What sparked his interest in animals treating their own illnesses
• Why medicine isn’t only a human invention
• How scientists tell the difference between random behavior and true self-medication
• His favorite examples of animal doctors in the wild
• Whether animals know they’re taking medicine or if it’s instinct or trial-and-error
• The weirdest substances animals use to heal themselves
• What traditional healers who observed animals for years and years could teach us ,and what we ourselves could learn from observing this type of animal behavior.
• Whether animal self-medication could lead to new drugs or therapies
• The risks of over-romanticizing “nature knows best”
• The scientific challenges in proving an animal is self-medicating
• How seeing animals as medicine-users might change how we respect their lives and value their habitats
• And the big question: Who is the best doctor in the animal kingdom?

If you love animals, nature, weird science, evolutionary biology, or the idea that your pet might actually be a doctor or furry-little pharmacist, you’ll love this episode.

Dr. Jaap de Roode runs a research lab at Emory University focused on how hosts and parasites co-evolve, from monarch butterflies to honey bees. He also leads science outreach, directs the Infectious Diseases Across Scales training program, and hosts the Virulent Vortex podcast. You can learn more about him and his research here.

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Episode: Why Single Women Are Happier than Single Men, with Elaine Hoan
Guest: Elaine Hoan, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

Forget the “sad cat lady” cliché. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with researcher Elaine Hoan about her new study showing that single women are, on average, happier than single men. They explore what that says about modern love, independence, and the pressure to couple up.

In this episode:

• What sparked Elaine’s interest in studying singlehood and well-being
• How she actually measured happiness, satisfaction, and sex without making it weird
• Why women report more contentment and autonomy in singlehood
• What traditional masculinity has to do with men’s lower happiness scores
• How cultural expectations shape who thrives alone
• Whether singlehood could use a total rebrand
• And the advice Elaine gives to anyone feeling the “you should be partnered” pressure

Read Elaine's full study here and check out her and her team's lab here.

Elaine Hoan is a PhD researcher in Experimental Psychology at the University of Toronto where she uses surveys and various statistical models to examine the lives of single and partnered individuals. She studies the broad question of who is more likely to be happy single or in a romantic relationship.

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Episode: Psychedelics and Prolonged Grief with Dr. Greg Fonzo
Guest: Greg Fonzo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Charmaine and Gordon McGill Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at Dell Medical School.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Greg Fonzo about how psychedelics might help people suffering from prolonged grief,a form of grief that lasts longer and feels harder to heal than typical bereavement.

They discuss:

• The origins and mission of Dell Med’s Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy
• What “prolonged grief” really means and how it differs from normal grief
• Why his team is testing psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT for survivors who lost loved ones
• Theories for why psychedelics may help prolonged grief
• Study design details, inclusion criteria, and their unique recruitment focus
• Ethical and safety considerations when studying powerful psychoactive substances
• The broader promise and pitfalls of the fast-moving field of psychedelic research.

If you’d like to learn more or see whether you qualify for a clinical trial involving psychedelics, check out the current studies at the Fonzo Lab at the McGill Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at Dell Medical School.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Debbie Dobbins, international prosperity consciousness speaker/teacher and author of Your Inner Billionaire.

Why listen: Debbie’s origin story isn’t a soft-focus vision board. It's not feel-good Instagram or TikTok reels. It’s making millions..., then dollar-store cookies on food stamps; addiction, cancer, and IRS debt..., followed by a rebuild grounded in daily practices and a different relationship with money.

What's covered in this episode:

• “Inner Billionaire” 101: What it is (identity, not net worth) and why strategy fails without it.
• Prosperity ↔ Poverty cycles: How Debbie bounced after addiction, cancer, and tax debt, and the moment she stopped self-sabotaging.
• Knowing vs. Healing: Why giving great advice isn’t the same as living it and how she bridged the gap.
• Abundance as a foundation: “The universe responds to beliefs, not circumstances” She goes beyond the feel-good memes and tells us what that means in practice.
• Your money story: Spotting the script you’re running and rewriting it so it serves you.
• Body–mind money cues: Posture for prosperity, the “money dance,” and somatic nudges that reinforce belief.
• First steps if you feel lost: One mindset shift and one tiny habit to start today.
• Setbacks: How to expect them, metabolize them, and keep going.
• Why “money is your most important relationship”: What she really means, and how to make it a healthier one.
• Queen of Magic? Yes, Eeks asked.

Debbie’s book & links:

• Book: Your Inner Billionaire
• Learn more about Debbie or Contact Her

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Dr. Acosta returns to Causes or Cures to talk about the next big leap in obesity research: using genetics and machine learning to predict which patients will get side effects to popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound. Previously, he was on Causes or Cures to discuss your individual obesity type.

He and his team are uncovering why some people experience major weight loss while others face tough side effects—especially nausea. The goal? True precision medicine for obesity: matching the right treatment to the right person before treatment even begins. (You can learn more about their available tests and company here.)

Topics We Discuss

• Dr. Acosta’s background and what drew him to obesity research
• Why not all obesity is the same—and why that matters for patients and doctors
• The most common questions patients ask about GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound
• How big a problem side effects like nausea really are in practice
• New research using genetic markers to predict who’s more likely to experience side effects
• Whether eating style affects nausea and how Dr. Acosta coaches patients on nutrition while using these medications
• The possibility of genetic testing before prescribing GLP-1s
• What we know about rarer side effects, from vision to hearing changes, if he thinks more side effects will emerge
• What “satiation” (feeling full) means and why it varies so much between people
• How genetic risk and satiation scores could determine which obesity treatment works best
• Dr. Acosta's thoughts on obesity prevention, especially on renewed energy to take on the unhealthy food industry
• The persistence of stigma—why “willpower” doesn’t tell the whole story
• Whether the current obsession with obesity drugs distracts from prevention, nutrition, and community health

Listen if you’ve ever wondered:

• Why GLP-1 drugs don’t work the same for everyone
• What your genes have to do with weight loss, feeling full and side effects
• How soon doctors could use genetic tests to personalize obesity treatment
• Whether prevention is being overshadowed by the pharma spotlight

Why it matters

Obesity isn’t a one-size-fits-all condition—and neither should its treatment be. Dr. Acosta’s research could mark a turning point in how we approach weight loss: scientifically, compassionately, and individually.

Dr. Acosta is a Consultant of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, co-founder of Phenomix Sciences, as well as an Associate Professor of Medicine. His research focus is on gastrointestinal physiology and the complexity of food intake regulation as it relates to obesity. You can learn more about his work here.

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Disclaimer: Entertainment only. Eeks is not a public health historian; just a gremlin who reads too much and asks weird questions

What’s inside

• The myth of “truth serum” and why scopolamine never earned the badge
• From twilight sleep in childbirth to spy stories and interrogation lore
• What scopolamine actually does: amnesia, confusion, suggestibility
• Modern misuse and crime angles, plus real risks
• Ethics, consent, and why the legend still sells
• Eeks' thoughts on an "actual" truth serum, but she really wants to know yours

Why listen
A sharp, strange, funny tour of medicine, memory, and power—where a drug’s reputation outruns its evidence.

References cited in the podcast:

Embryo Project Encyclopedia

Physician's flowers

MKUltra

Jeremy Grey, AL.COM, Alabama Axe Murders

Alabama Axe Murder Confessions

Tinder Death News Story

State Dept Warning

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On this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Carlijn Wagenaar about the Plants for Joints research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA), exploring how a plant-centered lifestyle (not just diet) was tested and what changed in disease activity, inflammation, pain, and function.

Episode at a glance:

• Study design, plainly: who enrolled, program length, and how PFJ was evaluated for RA (disease activity & inflammatory markers) and OA (pain & function scores).
• What “plant-centered lifestyle” meant in real life: meals, movement minimums, sleep nudges, stress tools, and weekly support—not just a diet sheet.
• Why they taught cooking: inside the hands-on classes and how skills improved adherence.
• Primary outcomes: what shifted in RA activity and labs, OA pain/function—and how quickly.
• The biology (in plain language) as to why plants help our joints
• Participant takeaways: less stiffness, easier mornings, better energy; the habits that made it stick.
• What’s next: how programs like PFJ could reshape everyday arthritis care.

Dr. Wagenaar is a physician and researcher in the Netherlands. Check out her and her team's recently launched Plants for Health Website!

Disclaimer: This episode is for information only and not medical advice. Consult your clinician for personal care decisions.

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What if cancer could be detected years before symptoms ever appear? In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Yuxuan Wang, cancer researcher at Johns Hopkins, to discuss her team’s promising work on multicancer early detection (MCED) blood tests.

These ultra-sensitive sequencing tests can spot tiny fragments of tumor DNA circulating in the blood. In their recent study, the MCED test flagged early cancer signs in 8 out of 26 participants who were later diagnosed — half of them more than three years before their cancer was picked up clinically. While still experimental and not FDA-approved, this research points to a future where cancer screening might extend well beyond mammograms and colonoscopies.

In this episode, we cover:

• Dr. Wang’s journey into cancer research and what inspired her focus.
• What multicancer early detection (MCED) blood tests are and how they work.
• How the Johns Hopkins study was designed and what the key results showed.
• Which cancer types were detected and what limitations still exist.
• Challenges such as false positives, incidental findings, and overtreatment risks.
• The ethical and practical questions of telling patients they may have cancer years before symptoms.
• Cost and accessibility concerns: how to make such tests affordable if approved.
• Next steps toward larger trials, FDA approval, and clinical use.
• How MCED could change the landscape of cancer screening and prevention in the future.
• Balancing public enthusiasm, media attention, and scientific caution.

This is a fascinating and nuanced conversation about the possibilities, and challenges, of catching cancer earlier than ever before.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Katie Stewart, Holistic Nutritionist and founder of The Clear Skin Solution, about the emotional and physical toll of breakouts and unhealthy skin, and why lasting healing requires more than just spot treatment.

Katie shares how her own struggles with acne led her to ditch conventional prescriptions and create a protocol focused on addressing root causes like hormonal imbalances, gut health, stress, and diet. She explains her approach to identifying internal imbalances, common food triggers and additions, and what people can do today to start improving their skin.

They also dive into the skincare content overload on social media, topical trends, and how Katie handles pushback from the mainstream dermatology world. With a compassionate tone and science-backed perspective, Katie emphasizes that acne is not just skin deep, and there is real hope for those struggling.

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Psychedelics are in the spotlight. Some call them dangerous, others call them life-saving, and many believe they could reshape the future of mental health care. In this episode, Dr. Eeks talks with Martín Polanco MD, founder of The Mission Within Foundation and considered the most experienced ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT physician in North America. Over the past 25 years, he has treated more than 5,000 people — including over 1,300 veterans and special operators — giving him unmatched clinical credibility in a field often clouded by hype, controversy, and hope.

Dr. Polanco shares his perspective on why veterans and frontline workers struggling with overlapping mental health challenges — PTSD, addiction, depression, traumatic brain injury — are increasingly turning to these psychedelic medicines when conventional options fall short.

This episode covers:

• What ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT are, how they work in the brain, and what sets them apart from other psychedelics.
• Why mental health conditions rarely show up one at a time, and how these medicines may help with complex, co-occurring issues.
• How Dr. Polanco’s center guides people through treatment, integration, and long-term support — and why integration is just as important as the medicine itself.
• Results in veterans and first responders: what’s been seen, how long benefits last, and the factors that sustain recovery.
• The real risks, especially cardiac risks, and the safety protocols in place to minimize them.
• Misconceptions about psychedelic therapy and where skepticism is justified.
• The launch of the Mission Within Foundation, which has already raised over $2 million to provide psychedelic therapy scholarships for veterans and first responders.
• Why partnerships with institutions like UT Austin Dell Medical School are critical for building a scientific evidence base and wider acceptance.
• And finally: whether ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT are ready for mainstream mental health care, or if the science still needs to catch up.

This is a candid conversation about possibility, risk, and the urgent need for new tools in mental health.

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What if your biological age could be younger than the candles on your birthday cake? On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Chris Mirabile who says he did just that. After surviving a brain tumor at just 16 years old, Chris committed himself to mastering his health. That journey led him to found NOVOS, the first health company to develop science-based solutions targeting the 12 biological causes of aging.

Chris states he has reduced his biological age by 13.6 years and slowed his pace of aging by 37%. In this episode, he explains what biological age actually means, how it’s measured, why it matters (and what it doesn’t tell you), and what it means to age more slowly than the calendar says you should.

We cover:

• Chris’ fascinating personal story of surviving a brain tumor at 16 and how that led him down the path of slowing down aging.
• What aging means to him personally, and his ultimate goal — with a little philosophy sprinkled in.
• How he slowed his pace of aging by 37%, reducing his biological age by 13.6 years
• The 12 causes of aging and why they matter.
• The spiritual and emotional dimension of health — and how our inner life ties into the aging process.
• The story behind his supplement, NOVOS Core — what’s in it, the evidence so far (lab and human studies), and what future research is on the horizon.

👉 Quick disclaimer: Dr. Eeks does not endorse or recommend any specific supplements, including the ones discussed in this episode. But Chris brings a wealth of knowledge, real data, and genuine passion to this conversation, and I think you’ll find his story fascinating.

If you’ve ever wondered: Should I claim my chronological age or my biological age when someone asks? …this episode’s for you.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Irene Papanicolas, Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University, about her recent New England Journal of Medicine paper examining the links between wealth and mortality across the United States and Europe.

There’s a lot of focus on longevity today, from biohackers chasing longer lives to new medical innovations. But how much does the money in your bank account matter when it comes to lifespan? And why do those relationships between wealth and health look different across countries?

The study analyzed data from over 73,000 adults, exploring how wealth impacts lifespan within and across countries, including comparisons between the wealthiest and poorest quartiles, the concept of a “survivor effect,” and why even wealthy Americans may be dying earlier than poorer Europeans.

We discuss:

• How “wealth” was defined in the study.
• The differences in life expectancy between the U.S. and Europe.
• What factors might explain why U.S. outcomes lag (diet, food environment, culture, lack of universal healthcare).
• Which European countries stood out for protecting longevity.
• Policy implications, and what interventions could have the biggest impact if implemented tomorrow.

Read the full paper here: NEJM: Wealth, Mortality, and the U.S.–Europe Gap

If you’re curious about the intersections of wealth, health, and longevity, and want to understand what money can (and can’t) buy when it comes to living longer, this episode is for you.

Dr. Irene Papanicolas is a Professor of Health Services Policy and Practice at Brown University. A health economist and researcher, her work focuses on assessing how health systems perform and using international comparisons to inform policy. She leads the International Collaborative on Costs, Outcomes and Needs in Care (ICCONIC), a 16-country partnership studying care patterns and outcomes for high-need, high-cost patients. Dr. Papanicolas has published widely on health system performance and cross-country comparisons.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

🎙️ In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dane Johnson, CEO and founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle.

Dane shares his story of going from modeling and acting in Los Angeles to a life upended by severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. At the height of his career he looked like the picture of health, yet behind the scenes he faced extreme weight loss, pain, anemia, exhaustion, sleepless nights, and a long stretch of treatments that did not bring relief.

After a near-death hospitalization in 2014, Dane decided to become the "CEO" of his day-to-day health. He reassessed options, leaned into nutrition and lifestyle strategies, and rebuilt routines from the ground up. A decade later he describes full recovery and now works with others through Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle.

We discuss:

• Early warning signs and the spiral into severe IBD
• What it felt like when standard options did not help
• The turning-point moment in the hospital
• How he rebuilt daily habits around food, stress, sleep, and support
• Why he launched Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle and how his team operates with clinicians
• What “healing journey” means in real life when you live with a chronic condition

This is a raw, personal episode for anyone navigating Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or long-haul chronic illness, and for listeners curious about functional and holistic approaches from a patient’s perspective. It is also for people in that restless middle when tests are inconclusive, symptoms persist, and you are mapping your own next steps. We talk about what that search can look like in real life: asking better questions, trying thoughtful lifestyle changes, building a support team, and thinking outside the box while staying grounded and safe with your clinician.

🎧 Listen in, and share with someone who might need this story today.

Dane Johnson is a board-certified nutritionist who specializes in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He is the CEO and founder of Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle, where he and a team that includes licensed physicians support clients with practical nutrition and lifestyle strategies. After a near-fatal IBD crisis in 2014, he rebuilt his health and now focuses on helping others navigate day to day life with IBD.

Our Sponsor: Today’s episode is brought to you by my favorite coffee, Lifeboost Coffee! It is low acid for an easier sip, organic and non-GMO, and third-party tested for 450 plus contaminants. Shade-grown, bird-friendly, and fairly traded. Coffee without the junk! Get 58% off Your First Order HERE! (Use code DrEeks for 10% off all additional orders!) *Affiliate link,I may earn a small commission.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, drug safety watchdog, and author of Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take. If you’ve ever felt uneasy about the rising cost of prescription drugs, the process or speed by which new meds are approved, or why the side effects list is longer than your grocery receipt, this episode is for you.

Dr. Avorn pulls no punches. We talk about:

• How our current system rewards speed over evidence, and why “accelerated approval” may sound good but can lead to disaster.
• The rise of drugs approved with weak or surrogate endpoints, yet priced like gold (yep, you still pay full price for half-baked science).
• Shocking case studies, like the Vioxx heart attack debacle and the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm.
• The FDA’s evolution from watchdog to lapdog (in some cases).
• Conflicts of interest.
• Public funding, private profits: how taxpayer money fuels breakthroughs that we can’t afford. (WTF!)
• And, yes, we talk about the “Do Your Own Research” crowd.

Dr. Avorn’s mission? Help patients and doctors actually understand what they’re taking or prescribing, and what forces are shaping those decisions.

Why listen?
Because behind every pill is a story, and it’s not always the one you’re told in the ad with the beach scene and happy jazz flute.

Links:
Grab the book: Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take (Simon & Schuster, 2025)

Jerry Avorn, MD, is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a senior internist in the Mass General Brigham health-care system. He built a leading research center at Harvard to study medication use, outcomes, costs, and policies and developed the educational approach of “academic detailing” to provide evidence-based information about medications to prescribers. One of the nation’s most highly cited researchers, Dr. Avorn is the author of Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs, and he has written or cowritten over six hundred papers in the medical literature as well as commentaries in the New York Times, The Washington Post, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

Can a Daily Supplement Really Reverse Biological Age? A 12-Month Study, Explained

What actually happens when real people take a daily “healthy aging” supplement for an entire year?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Varun Dwaraka of TruDiagnostic to unpack the results of a 12-month clinical study of the Cel System, a supplement regimen tested in adults aged 54 to 84.

We dive into:

• Why this supplement was developed in the first place
• How the study was designed, including regular checkpoints
• What biological or “epigenetic” age tests really measure (in plain language)
• Why different biological clocks sometimes disagree
• What it means to analyze the apparent age of specific body systems
• What results the team saw after a year
• What those findings do—and don’t—mean for slowing aging
• Big caveats and what smarter, next-gen studies could look like

If you’re curious about “reversing” biological age or just want the hype filtered before you spend money on a supplement, this one’s for you.

🧪 Read the peer-reviewed study published in Aging: https://www.aging-us.com/article/206221/text

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Modern medicine rests on a centuries‑old decision to split mind from body. That fault line still runs through every clinic and classroom, raising an uncomfortable question: if the foundation ignores half of human experience, how scientific are we really? In this episode, Dr Eeks talks with physician‑author Dr Robert Smith about why his new book Has Medicine Lost Its Mind? argues it is time to reunite what never should have been divided.

What We Cover

• The Great Split: A medieval Church decree let scientists dissect bodies but barred them from the head, setting up the mental‑vs‑physical divide that still guides clinical practice.
• Primary‑Care Patchwork: Family doctors now manage roughly 75 percent of U.S. mental‑health care despite minimal formal training in mental health.
• Medicalizing Real‑Life Messes: Trauma, chronic stress, and tough social conditions often get reframed as diseases because the system lacks better options.
• The “Complex” Patient Label: How “complex” often translates to “we’re overwhelmed and don’t know what’s really wrong.”
• Culture on Autopilot: Rituals, hierarchy, and resistance to change can block genuine healing even when evidence points elsewhere.
• A Way Forward: The biopsychosocial model that addresses lab values and life stories—and what it would take for mainstream medicine to embrace it.

If you have ever felt that your doctor’s office visit left half of you outside the exam room, press play and join the conversation about what real, whole‑person healthcare could look like.

Dr. Robert C. Smith is a nationally acclaimed authority on evidence‑based mental health care and doctor–patient communication. A University Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at Michigan State University, he pioneered the first patient‑centered training approach that teaches clinicians how to forge strong, collaborative relationships with their patients. His contributions have earned him numerous honors, including Master status from the American College of Physicians and the prestigious George Engel Award for Outstanding Research. Dr. Smith has authored more than 150 peer‑reviewed articles and continues to garner hundreds of academic citations each year. His expertise has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Today Show, and he writes regularly for Psychology Today.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with immunology expert Dr. Maziar “Maz” Divangahi about his research on how fiber found in mushrooms may help us beat the flu, and he introduces us to the concept of disease tolerance.

What We’ll Cover

1. Beta-Glucan 101
   • What it is: a natural fiber in the outer wall of fungi (think mushrooms).
   • Why it matters: growing evidence says it may help fight off the flu by improving something called disease tolerance. More research is needed to confirm.
2. Two Immune Playbooks
   • Host Resistance: the classic “seek and destroy” tactic.
   • Disease Tolerance: a quieter, damage-control strategy our bodies use to stay functional even when a pathogen sticks around.
   • Dr. Maz will unpack how beta-glucan may tilt the balance toward disease tolerance.
3. From TB Labs to Flu Research
   • Insights from Dr. Maz’s tuberculosis studies that set the stage for his beta-glucan–flu work.
   • Early data on how this fungal fiber might boost flu-specific disease tolerance.
4. Should We Eat More Mushrooms or Supplement?
   • Practical tips and caveats on dietary vs. supplemental beta-glucan.
   • What the current evidence actually supports.
5. Beyond Infections: Beta-Glucan in Cancer Trials
   • Snapshot of ongoing studies in breast and bladder cancer.
   • Why disease tolerance is a hot oncology frontier.
6. Future Directions & Take-Home Points
   • Where Dr. Maz’s research is headed next.
   • Simple, science-backed actions listeners can try today.

Listen If You’ve Ever Wondered…

• Why some people sail through the flu while others end up in the ER.
• Whether “disease tolerance” might rewrite how we tackle pandemics.
• If tossing extra shiitakes into your stir-fry can really make a difference.

Dr. Maziar (Maz) Divangahi is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University. He is the Associate Director of the Meakins-Christie Laboratories and the Associate Director of the McGill Interna onal TB Centre. He is an internationally recognized pulmonary immunologist and the overarching focus of his research program is to inves gate the regulatory mechanisms involved in host resistance and disease tolerance against major pulmonary bacterial (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and viral (influenza virus and SARS-CoV2) pathogens. He is currently inves ga ng how to harness the power of innate memory response (Trained Immunity) in vaccine development. Throughout his career, he has been a prolifera ve inves gator publishing in outstanding journals and received numerous awards, including a CIHR New Inves gator Award, FRQS Award, and the CIHR Founda on grant. His scholarly work has been recognized by elec on to the Royal Society of Canada. He is currently holding the Strauss Chair in Respiratory Diseases.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks sits down with world-renowned cardiologist and nutrition dynamo Dr. Kim Williams to pull the lid off “healthy” plant-based restaurant meals, and a whole lot more.

What’s on the menu:

• First-of-its-kind restaurant study – How Dr. Williams scored plant-based dishes for heart health, what shocked him, and the sneaky “health halo” traps you’ll now spot a mile away.
• Plant-based vs. junk-based – Could plant-based be sliding toward the same fate as the Western diet? He breaks down where things are headed and how to dodge the pitfalls.
• Cardio-nutrition deep dive – The eating plan Dr. Williams follows himself, plus straight talk on saturated fat, carbs, sugar, cholesterol, animal welfare, and factory farming.
• Big-picture fixes – Population-level policies he believes could actually move the needle on improving nutrition at the public health level.

If you eat out, care about your heart, or just want the unvarnished science behind plant-powered plates, this episode is packed with gems you won’t want to miss.

Dr. Kim Allan Williams, MD, MACC, FAHA, MASNC, FESC is Chair of Medicine at the University of Louisville and a triple-threat in general, preventive, and cardiovascular-imaging cardiology. He’s a former President of both the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and he previously led the Association of Black Cardiologists as Board Chair. At Wayne State he launched the Urban Cardiology Initiative, and later created Rush University’s H.E.A.R.T. Program (Helping Everyone Assess Risk Today)—community screenings that pair education, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching. A lifelong advocate for nutrition literacy, health-equity, and system-wide reform, Dr. Williams has advised the FDA, CMS, and served more than 25 years as an AMA delegate. Most recently, he sat on the 2022 task force that briefed the White House Conference on Nutrition, Health, and Hunger.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Erin Williamson, a national expert on child trafficking and a leader at Love146, an organization dedicated to ending child trafficking and caring for its survivors.

We dive deep into what child trafficking really is—both labor and sex trafficking—and explore its prevalence, evolving risk factors, and the role social media plays in recruitment. Erin breaks down how traffickers often target children, sometimes people they know, and how some do it through the internet. She shares eye-opening examples and challenges some of the most persistent myths we’ve seen in media, pop culture, and even online activism.

We also explore:

• What makes a child more vulnerable to trafficking?
• Is child trafficking really increasing?
• Are "rescue missions" always the best path to freedom, or can they sometimes do harm?
• Why the idea that traffickers lurk in white vans is outdated and unhelpful.
• And why it’s not just girls who are trafficked for sex.

Erin also explains what Love146 actually does—why the name “Love146” matters—and offers practical, evidence-based tips for parents who want to protect their kids in a digital world. Finally, we talk public health and policy: What needs to change at the systems level to better prevent trafficking in the first place?

Erin is the Chief Programs & Strategy Officer at Love146, where she leads efforts to prevent child trafficking and exploitation. With over 20 years of experience in social services and child protection, Erin has developed trauma-informed programs that have reached thousands of vulnerable youth across the U.S. She is also a parent, advocate, and expert in human trafficking prevention and survivor care.

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Could gene drive mosquitoes be the key to ending deadly diseases like malaria and dengue or do the risks outweigh the benefits?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Michael Santos about the controversial yet potentially groundbreaking technology known as gene drive. Unlike traditional genetically modified organisms, gene drive mosquitoes are engineered to pass on specific traits to nearly all of their offspring, drastically altering or suppressing mosquito populations that spread disease. With real-world field trials set to begin very soon, we dive into how this technology works, how it differs from standard genetic modification, what diseases it targets, and what could go wrong. We also explore how the trials will be conducted, regulated, and monitored to ensure safety and transparency. Is this the dawn of a public health breakthrough or are we opening a Pandora’s box we can’t close?

Dr. Michael Santos is the Senior Vice President of Science Partnerships and Chief Population Health Science Officer at the Foundation for the NIH. He leads global programs focused on biomedical innovation and health equity, and directs the GeneConvene Global Collaboration, which supports informed decision-making around genetic biocontrol technologies like gene drive. Prior to this, he held leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and was a Principal at Boston Consulting Group, working across global health strategy. Dr. Santos began his career in astronomy and holds a Ph.D. from Caltech.

To learn more about GeneConvene, Gene Drive Mosquitoes (and gain access to the infographic discussed in the episode) please click here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Professor Maureen Cropper, Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Maryland and a leading environmental economist, about her recent research on the health and economic impacts of toxic chemicals in plastics.

We explore how an economist came to study chemical exposures and what her research reveals about the true cost of common compounds found in everyday plastic products. The conversation focuses on three major groups of toxic chemicals (BPA, DEHP, and PBDEs) and the serious health risks linked to them. Professor Cropper explains where these chemicals are commonly found, who is most at risk, and how she estimated both the public health burden and the economic costs tied to ongoing exposure.

You’ll also hear about what she believes needs to change: the policy actions, regulatory strategies, and paradigm shifts necessary to move toward safer, healthier materials.

If you're concerned about chemicals in consumer products, interested in environmental health policy, or curious how economists quantify health risks, this episode is a great listen!

Professor Maureen Cropper is a Distinguished University Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and Chair of the Economics Department. She is also a Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future and a former Lead Economist at the World Bank. Dr. Cropper is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research focuses on valuing environmental amenities, estimating consumer preferences for health and longevity improvements, and analyzing the trade-offs inherent in environmental regulations. Her recent work examines the public health and economic impacts of toxic chemicals found in plastics.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, we explore insights into brain health and longevity with NYT bestselling author and neurologist Dr. Dale Bredesen.

Dr. Bredesen explains why he believes cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging and outlines six biological processes he identifies as impacting brain aging. He also shares practical tools he recommends for assessing how well your mind is functioning.

We discuss the alarming rise in early-onset dementia among people in their 30s and 40s and the potential causes behind this increase. Dr. Bredesen also talks about the links between COVID, sugar intake, and dementia risk. He offers science-based advice on diet, sleep, and lifestyle strategies that support an ageless brain.

Additionally, Dr. Bredesen addresses how the for-profit healthcare system can hinder Alzheimer’s management and shares his comprehensive ReCODE Protocol™, which he presents as a promising approach to preventing and potentially reversing cognitive decline, though it has sparked passionate discussions and differing opinions in the Alzheimer's and broader medical communities.

About Dr. Dale Bredesen
Dr. Bredesen is an internationally recognized expert in neurodegenerative diseases and the author of The Ageless Brain and The End of Alzheimer's Disease. He earned his M.D. from Duke University Medical Center, completed his neurology residency at UCSF, and was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Nobel laureate Stanley Prusiner’s laboratory. He has held faculty positions at UCSF, UCLA, and UC San Diego, and was founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Dr. Bredesen’s pioneering research has led to innovative treatments and the development of the ReCODE Protocol™, offering new hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with aging and longevity expert Dr. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari about whether simple lifestyle interventions, like supplementation and exercise, can actually make us biologically younger.

Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari breaks down:
• What DNA methylation clocks are and how they’re used to measure biological age

• The design and findings of the DO-HEALTH Bio-Age Trial
• Whether vitamin D, algae-based omega-3s, and exercise can turn back your biological clock
• The science behind how these interventions may work
• Practical takeaways for longevity and healthy aging
• What’s next in this fast-moving field

Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari is a physician and researcher with board certifications in geriatrics, internal medicine, and rehab. She’s a professor at the University of Zurich where she chairs the Department of Geriatrics and Aging Research, and the principal investigator of DO-HEALTH, Europe’s largest study ever on healthy longevity. With a doctorate from Harvard and a long-standing commitment to aging research, she’s at the forefront of understanding how to extend not just lifespan, but healthspan. You can learn more about her here.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. Nazlie Latefi about her new research on an over-the-counter (OTC) product that takes a fresh approach to tackling cold symptoms. They explore how the common cold is defined, its massive economic impact, and why many popular OTC medications surprisingly lack scientific support.

Dr. Latefi, co-founder of Applied Biological Laboratories, discusses her innovative approach to treating the common cold and why Biovanta is different from what’s currently available. She also reveals the promising results from a recent randomized controlled trial and shares insights into her ongoing research in respiratory health.

🎧 Curious about why many cold remedies fall short and how new research is changing the game? Tune in for the full conversation.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Amir Baniassadi about how indoor temperature affects the aging brain.

Dr. Baniassadi shares what we know so far about the relationship between temperature and cognitive function, and explores the theories behind how temperature might influence cognition as we age. He discusses the findings of his recent study on temperature and cognition, including what surprised his team most. He also touches on an earlier study he conducted on temperature and sleep, and offers practical tips for optimizing your home environment. Is there a “sweet spot” for room temperature that supports both clear thinking and better sleep?

Dr. Baniassadi is an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a scientist at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research. His work focuses on the aging brain and how environmental factors affect health and well-being in older adults. He holds a PhD in Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering from Arizona State University and an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran. He also completed postdoctoral training in Translational Research in Older Adults, as well as a fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Learn more about his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Mary Abed Al Ahad about how long-term exposure to air pollution is quietly driving people to the hospital. Drawing from her recent study, Dr. Abed Al Ahad breaks down which specific pollutants were linked to higher hospitalization rates and how those effects vary—some pollutants hit the lungs harder, others may affect the immune system or even mental health. They also explore the science behind why certain pollutants cause different kinds of harm, and wrap up with ideas for how we can clean up the air and protect our health. If you've ever wondered what’s really in the air you breathe—and what it’s doing to your body—this episode is worth a listen.

Dr. Abed Al Ahad is a researcher and associate lecturer in Population and Health Geography at the School of Geography & Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews in Scotland. You can learn more about her research here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. David Amaral and Kathy Stein about the powerful impact of brain donations through Autism BrainNet in advancing our understanding of autism. Dr. Amaral offers a comprehensive overview of autism, exploring what science currently knows about its risk factors and potential causes. He discusses the rising rate of autism and explains how brain donations provide researchers with a rare and invaluable opportunity to study autism at the neurological level—offering insights that can’t be uncovered any other way. He also shares key discoveries that have already emerged through Autism BrainNet’s efforts.

Kathy Stein joins the conversation to share a deeply personal story: that of her brother Ed, who lived with autism and viewed it as "a different way of seeing the world." After Ed’s passing, Kathy donated his brain to Autism BrainNet, a decision she describes as a gift to science, one that reflects her commitment to supporting research that might bring answers to families in the future. Together, Dr. Amaral and Kathy explain how the brain donation process works, what it means for scientific discovery, and why it's an act of profound generosity.

Dr. David Amaral is a distinguished professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis. He serves as the scientific director of Autism BrainNet and was the founding research director of the renowned MIND Institute, a center for autism research founded in collaboration with parents of children on the spectrum. He is also a past president of the International Society for Autism Research and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of its journal, Autism Research.

Kathy’s brother Ed called Concord, New Hampshire home for 25 years. A beloved community member, Ed worked at the Concord Monitor, operating the advertisement insert machine until his retirement. A familiar and friendly face at the Concord Public Library, Ed had a wide range of passions—including steam trains, photography, travel, and musicals. He lived with warmth, curiosity, and an enduring grace that left an impression on all who knew him.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks is joined by neuroscientist Dr. Dwayne Godwin and cartoonist Dr. Jorge Cham, the creative duo behind Out of Your Mind, a book that makes neuroscience both fun and digestible—perfect for Nerds and Nerd Nots alike (yes, that’s my podcast tagline). They kick things off with love—what it is, why we fall for some people and not others, and whether science could create a love potion that turns romance into a biochemical hostage situation. From love, they move to hate and how some people actually get addicted to hate. They'll also discuss AI—whether it could ever develop consciousness and what that might mean for humanity—before diving into addiction and the ongoing debate over how much of it is choice versus biology. They'll talk about happiness, whether money can actually buy it, and a bizarre true medical case of a man who, after a brain surgery gone wrong, was left permanently stuck in the present moment. Finally, they'll explore what happens when we die and whether the authors ever get existentially bummed out thinking about how fragile and robotic we really are. If you like science with a side of humor and deep, slightly absurd questions, this episode is for you.

Dr. Dwayne Godwin is a neuroscientist, educator, and professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. His research focuses on abnormal brain rhythms, exploring calcium channel function, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury to develop potential treatments for neurological diseases. Beyond the lab, he is passionate about science outreach, co-creating Mind in Pictures for Scientific American Mind and contributing to blogs for the Society for Neuroscience and the Museum of the Moving Image.

Dr. Jorge Cham is a Daytime Emmy-nominated, best-selling cartoonist and the creator of PHD Comics, a popular online comic strip about academia. He is the co-creator, Executive Producer, and Creative Director of Elinor Wonders Why, a top-rated PBS Kids animated series. Cham has co-authored several popular science books, including We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe and Frequently Asked Questions about the Universe, as well as the children’s book Oliver’s Great Big Universe. He also co-hosts and co-creates the hit podcast Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Originally from Panama, Cham earned his Ph.D. in robotics from Stanford University and was a researcher at Caltech.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Kevin Maki to dive into his systematic review on the impact of beef consumption on heart disease risk factors. Dr. Maki breaks down the complexities of defining red meat in research, highlighting the challenges and inconsistencies in dietary studies. He explains the key differences between processed and unprocessed meats, and the comparison groups used in these studies, offering a deep dive into the heart health risk factors that matter most. Tune in as Dr. Maki shares the interesting findings from his research, how they should shape our diets and dietary recommendations, and the innovative dietary interventions he believes could optimize heart health in the future. (Since they are currently dominating the news...,he also discusses interesting research about seed oils!) If you're curious about the science behind beef, heart disease, and what dietary changes might make the biggest impact, this episode is for you.

Dr. Maki is the President and Chief Science Officer of MB Clinical Research and Consulting, LLC, specializing in clinical studies on nutrition, metabolism, and chronic disease risk management. He holds adjunct faculty positions at DePaul University and Illinois Institute of Technology and is a Fellow of the National Lipid Association, The Obesity Society, and the American College of Nutrition. Dr. Maki has contributed to over 250 clinical trials and published more than 200 scientific works. With a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and an M.S. in Preventive Cardiovascular Health, he is an expert in cardiometabolic disease prevention and the science of genetics, lifestyle, and chronic disease risk.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks to Dr. Sarah Daccarett about the "hidden hormone crisis" affecting women long before menopause. They dive into the basics of hormones—what they are, how they function, and the signs that something’s off when imbalances occur. Dr. Daccarett shares her thoughts on birth control, hormone replacement therapy, and the myths surrounding both. She also explains her unique, all-natural, bio-identical hormone approach to helping women feel their best.

Dr. Daccarett is a physician, hormone specialist, anti-aging expert and founder of Inner Balance.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Timothy Yeatman about the connection between diet, inflammation, and colon cancer. He’ll explain why cancer can be thought of as a "poorly healing chronic wound" and describe his recent study highlighting how chronic inflammation, fueled by dietary choices, plays a key part in the progression of colorectal cancer. We’ll explore the alarming rise of colon cancer in adults under 50 and any common patterns he’s observed in this population. Dr. Yeatman will shed light on the immune tumor microenvironment, how it influences colon cancer, and its potential role in future treatments. Plus, we’ll discuss natural approaches to prevention and treatment, including key lifestyle interventions, such as achieving the right balance of omega-3s and omega-6s.

Dr. Yeatman is the Associate Center Director for Translational Research and Innovation at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute and a Professor of Surgery at the University of South Florida. With a career spanning leadership roles at Intermountain Healthcare, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Moffitt Cancer Center, he has spearheaded groundbreaking research in colorectal cancer, genomics, and biomarker development. He founded the Guardian Research Network, led a $100M Moffitt-Merck collaboration, and co-founded M2Gen, a biotech company. His work has been funded by the National Cancer Institute since 1993, and he continues to advance cancer research and clinical innovation.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Benjamin Lightburn, CEO of Filament Health, to explore the key differences between natural and synthetic psychedelics—and why those differences matter. Ben breaks down how Filament Health develops its natural psychedelic medicines, shares insights from ongoing clinical trials with top academic institutions, and discusses the early results. He also explains how Filament plans to bring these treatments to market and what sets them apart in the rapidly growing psychedelic space.

Ben is a pioneer in natural drug development, having co-founded Filament Health to create the first-ever safe, naturally derived psychedelic medicines for conditions like substance use disorder. With 15 clinical trials underway across North America and Europe and a business now valued at $210M, Filament is making waves in the industry. Before this, Ben built and sold a successful natural extraction startup, Mazza Innovation, securing major deals with multinationals before its $26M acquisition.

Tune in for a fascinating deep dive into the future of psychedelics—where nature meets science!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Torkil Færø about heart rate variability and why he believes it's key to optimal health and longevity. Dr. Færø explains what heart rate variability is, the differences between high and low variability, and how to monitor it using top wearables. He also discusses his best-selling book, The Pulse Cure, which offers a revolutionary method to balance stress, optimize health, and live longer. Plus, he shares eight strategies everyone should adopt to add '24 years' to their life.

Dr. Færø is a physician, documentary filmmaker, author, and award-winning photographer. With 26 years as a freelance doctor across Norway and over 100,000 consultations, he recognized that many diseases stem from lifestyle-induced stress. After his father's death at 73, he overhauled his own health, shedding 40 pounds and using wearables to track and regulate his nervous system. He has authored The Pulse Cure, The Camera Cure, created TV films on pilgrimages, and traveled to over 80 countries, speaking eight languages. He lives in Norway.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Chris Kilham, the renowned "Medicine Hunter," to discuss his incredible global adventures in search of medicinal plants. Chris shares fascinating stories about traveling to over 45 countries, collaborating with indigenous communities, and transforming botanical discoveries into market-ready products. He provides practical advice on plant-based solutions for hair and skin health, managing anxiety, and even low libido, drawing on his deep exploration of natural aphrodisiacs.

Chris also delves into how plant-based medicinals can be thoughtfully incorporated into conventional approaches to medicine, bridging the gap between traditional remedies and modern healthcare. He explores the rising popularity of psychedelics and offers valuable tips for identifying reputable supplement companies in a crowded market.

With more than 50 years of experience in natural health, Chris leads Berkem's Global Plant Exploration Initiative, spearheading sustainable plant discovery and development, while simultaneously supporting the natural environment and indigenous communities. As a researcher, author, yoga teacher, and advocate for traditional remedies like ashwagandha, kava, and maca, Chris brings unparalleled expertise and insight into the world of medicinal plants and wellness.
*Keep in mind that this is a conversation and not medical advice. The podcast team does not endorse any supplements or natural products and advises anyone interested in either to do their homework.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Sherlock Li to explore his recent research on the impact of forever chemicals (PFAS) on sleep, a pressing public health concern given the strong links between poor sleep and a range of health issues. Dr. Li begins by providing an overview of what forever chemicals are and how they persist in the environment and human body. He then delves into the methodology of his latest study, detailing the observed effects of PFAS on sleep patterns and the emerging theories behind these disruptions. The conversation also touches on the broader public health implications of PFAS exposure and Dr. Li’s cautionary note that the replacement chemicals being introduced may not offer any improvements for our well-being.

Dr. Sherlock Li, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with international infectious disease expert Dr. Eskild Petersen to discuss the current bird flu outbreak. Dr. Petersen provides an overview of the history of influenza and the origins of avian influenza (bird flu), shedding light on the ongoing outbreak in animals and its unexpected detection in cows. He explores the science behind the receptors bird flu binds to, explains the differences in these receptors between humans and animals, and highlights how they play a crucial role in determining the severity of infections and the potential for human-to-human transmission. (As of now, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.) Finally, he outlines actionable steps for prevention, early treatment strategies, and shares his perspective on the current level of concern.

Dr. Petersen is a Professor Emeritus of infectious diseases, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Aarhus University, Denmark, and is a member of the PandemiX Center of Excellence at Roskilde University, Denmark. He served as chair of the European Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Emerging Infections Task Force, Basel, Switzerland and is internationally renowned for his contributions to global health, travel medicine and emerging infections. He worked at the Danish national public health institute, Statens Serum Institut, from 1989 to 2003 after which he returned to clinical work in hospitals and treating patients with infectious disease. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases from 2012 to 2022 and is now Editor-in-Chief of IJID Regions. Professor Petersen has authored several textbooks, including “Infectious Disease: a Geographic Guide” now published by Routlege in its 3rd edition.

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You’ve heard the phrase, “Sitting is the new smoking,” but is it really true—or just an oversimplification? And do standing desks at work actually improve your health? In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Bethany Barone Gibbs about her recent study on standing desks and their surprising effects on blood pressure, a key indicator of health. Dr. Gibbs explains how the study was conducted, what the outcome measures revealed, the unexpected findings, and her recommendations for the broader public. Plus, she shares her expert take on whether “sitting is the new smoking” holds up to scientific scrutiny.

Dr. Bethany Gibbs is the chair and professor of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at West Virginia University School of Public Health. Her research focuses on cardiovascular and physical activity epidemiology, as well as lifestyle interventions to prevent heart disease. Learn more about her work here.

So, before you fully commit to a standing desk, tune in to hear what the science really says about the workplace wellness trend!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Lorenzo Pasquini and Hannes Kettner about their research on the effects of psychedelics in older adults who attended psychedelic retreats! They delve into their shared interest in exploring psychedelics as a potential avenue for improving mental health and well-being in this population, where better treatments are urgently needed. The conversation covers their research process, details about the psychedelic retreats attended by participants, and the substances used. They also share key outcomes related to participants' health and well-being and discuss exciting future directions for their work.
Dr. Pasquini is Assistant Professor of Neurology at UCSF whose research focuses on the brain's role in emotional states and social behavior. Using neuroimaging and neurophysiological techniques, he explores how these systems change with aging, neuropsychiatric diseases, and novel interventions like psychedelics. Hannes Kettner is a researcher and PhD candidate at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College, London.

This episode is sponsored by Greco Gum, the all-natural chewing gum for your mouth and gut that is made from only ONE ingredient! Visit GrecoGum.com and use code ERIN15 to get 15% off your first order.

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Australian medical herbalist Lee Carroll about Ergothioneine—what he calls "the most important nutrient you’ve probably never heard of." Found in high concentrations in mushrooms, Lee explains its properties, functions, and why some researchers have dubbed it a "longevity vitamin." While the scientific evidence is still emerging, Ergothioneine’s unique characteristics have sparked significant interest with researchers. Lee also shares the best ways to cook and eat mushrooms to maximize their health benefits.

Lee Carroll, Chief Medical Herbalist with the Science Team at Real Mushrooms, brings over 30 years of expertise in holistic health and botanical medicine. A renowned educator and mentor, he has dedicated his career to exploring the health benefits of mushrooms. Since 2013, he has run a clinical practice in Australia and founded Herba Meditari, an innovative platform for educating health professionals worldwide.

With degrees in Western Herbal Medicine and Botany, Lee seamlessly blends traditional wisdom with modern science. His prior roles at MediHerb, where he excelled in research, development, and education, further highlight his extensive expertise.

This episode is sponsored by Greco Gum, the all-natural chewing gum for your mouth and gut. Visit GrecoGum.com and use code ERIN15 to get 15% off your first order!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Alan Lightman to explore "spiritual materialism," the idea that we can embrace awe-inspiring, spiritual moments without turning to the supernatural for explanations. Dr. Lightman shares insights from his new book, The Miraculous From the Material: Understanding the Wonders of Nature, and delves into profound topics like consciousness, near-death experiences, the possibility of a higher power, immortality, relationships, and whether falling in love leaves space for magic. If you love pondering life’s biggest questions, this episode is a must-listen.

Dr. Lightman is a renowned physicist, author, and entrepreneur. A former Harvard faculty member and current professor at MIT, he holds a degree from Princeton University and a PhD in physics from Caltech. He’s the bestselling author of the modern classic Einstein's Dreams, The Diagnosis, The Transcendental Brain, and The Accidental Universe. Dr. Lightman also hosts the acclaimed PBS series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science. Since 2023, he is a member of the United Nations’ Scientific Advisory Board.

This episode is sponsored by Greco Gum, the all-natural chewing gum for your mouth and gut. Visit GrecoGum.com and use code ERIN15 to get 15% off your first order!

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Disclaimer: Causes or Cures is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and no medical claims are being made. Always talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your personal health.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks welcomes Dr. Shai Efrati, a world-renowned physician from Tel Aviv specializing in internal medicine, nephrology, and hyperbaric medicine. Dr. Efrati is the director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, the largest hyperbaric center globally, treating over 350 patients daily. He is a leading researcher with over 170 scientific publications, a professor at Tel Aviv University, and co-founder of Aviv Scientific.

Dr. Efrati recently released his book, Beyond Normal, whichexplores how the latest advancements in enhanced medicine can boost performance and repair brain injuries. In this episode, he explains what enhanced medicine is, with a special focus on his pioneering protocols for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). They explore how HBOT can be utilized to enhance both body and mind, diving into studies on PTSD, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, and an ongoing investigation into its effects on dementia prevention. Dr. Efrati also shares insights on how professional athletes use this therapy to optimize performance and potentially slow the aging process.

Join us as we connect with Dr. Efrati to learn about the cutting-edge world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its potential to reshape health and performance enhancement.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Professor Joyce Harper to discuss her fascinating study on the effects of cold water swimming on premenstrual and perimenopausal symptoms. Prof. Harper kicks off by sharing her background and what inspired her to dive into this unique research. They explore what qualifies as cold water swimming and how the study was conducted, revealing interesting findings—like the differences in benefits between wearing bathing suits versus wetsuits and the optimal time women spent in cold water. The conversation delves into the potential physical and mental effects of cold water exposure and why it might alleviate certain symptoms. To wrap up, Prof. Harper offers insightful advice on aging gracefully and happily.

Professor Joyce Harper is an acclaimed author, researcher, and award-winning Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London's Institute for Women's Health. With nearly 40 years of experience in fertility, genetics, and women's health, she founded Reproductive Health at Work, leads the Reproductive Science and Society Group, and co-leads InTune, a UK-based menopause education and support program.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Hooman Allayee and James Hilser to explore their new research on the lasting impact of COVID-19 on heart health. They reveal surprising findings about how COVID—especially in those who were hospitalized—elevates the risk of severe heart issues long after recovery, even years down the road. The conversation dives into the connection between blood type and post-COVID heart risk, and the researchers share their theories on why blood type matters. Plus, they discuss the implications of these findings for public health and clinical practice, offering important recommendations for how the public health and medical community should respond.

Dr. Allayee is a professor of populations and public health sciences and biochemistry and molecular medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. His research focuses on utilizing genetics and genomics to better understand complex cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases.
James Hilser holds a masters of public health, is a bioinformatics specialist and a PhD candidate in molecular medicine in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine.

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Do you struggle with constipation or diarrhea? How is that linked to your overall organ health?
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Johannes P. Johnson-Martínez about his recent research on how variations in bowel movement frequency (BMF) can impact the gut microbiome, blood metabolites, and overall organ health. They discuss how abnormal BMF patterns are linked to toxins produced by gut microbes that enter the bloodstream and increase inflammation levels and how abnormal BMFs may be early warning signs of organ dysfunction. Finally, he highlights how diet and lifestyle choices can influence BMF variations and the larger health implications and "take-home" points of this research.

Dr. Johnson-Martinez is a researcher interested in the gut microbiome who conducted this research in the Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington.

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Are you afraid of clowns?
If you're like many who dread those painted smiles, you're not alone- especially as Halloween approaches and horror movies like It remind us just how unsettling they can be.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Sophie Scorey about her research on the origins for the fear of clowns or coulrophobia. Sophie dives into the global prevalence of this bizarre phobia and explores why so many people, from kids to adults, are terrified of clowns. Whether it’s their exaggerated features or eerie unpredictability, you'll want to tune in to this first-of-its-kind investigation into what makes clowns so nightmare-worthy.

Sophie is a psychologist and researcher working towards her PhD at the School of Psychology and Therapeutic Studies, University of South Wales.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with snake expert Bob Ashley on his fascinating new book, A Photographic History of Snakebite Treatments: Bad Medicine Snake Oils, Potions, Elixirs and Kits. From ancient remedies described in Hebrew Scriptures to modern day antivenom, he discusses the intriguing, sometimes shocking history of snake bite treatments throughout the centuries. He advises what everyone should do if they get bit by a venomous snake, and rest assured, it's not to use a snakebite kit from your local store.

Bob Ashley is a herpetologist, entrepreneur and museum director. He is founder of the Chiricahua Desert Museum in New Mexico and has a lifelong passion for reptiles and amphibians.

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Discovering new hope for hair loss!

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Sheila MacNeil and Dr. Muhammad Yar about their accidental discovery that a simple sugar compound may stimulate hair regrowth and help end male-pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia—a condition affecting many people. They dive into how an unexpected finding in a study on wound healing sparked their current study on hair loss, which they break down in the episode. The researchers walk us through how the study was conducted, results, how their findings compare to current prescription treatments for hair loss, and what’s next in their research.

Dr. MacNeil is an Emeritus Professor of Tissue Engineering at the University of Sheffield, UK, with over 550 peer-reviewed publications in soft tissue engineering. You can learn more about Dr. MacNeil here. Dr. Yar is an Associate Professor at the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Biomedical Materials at COMSATS University in Islamabad, Pakistan. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia. You can learn more about his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrea Casanova about his new research on how psilocybin impacts learning. This study is the first to explore how psilocybin (commonly known as "magic mushrooms") influences reinforcement learning, a type of learning driven by rewards and cues. Dr. Casanova breaks down how psilocybin affects the brain, the methods he and his team used to conduct the study, their key findings, and the potential future implications. He also shares a psychiatric perspective on how psychedelics could be used to treat common mental disorders that are often resistant to current medications. Lastly, Dr. Casanova touches on the current state of psychedelic treatment and research in his home country of Switzerland.

Dr. Casanova is a Swiss medical doctor specializing in psychiatry and training in Jungian analytical psychotherapy.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Simon Gadbois and Dr. Laura Kiiroja about how scent-detection dogs can detect stress in breath samples from individuals with traumatic histories when exposed to trauma cues. They discuss the current use of dogs in detecting diseases, explaining what exactly these dogs are smelling and how they were recruited and trained for this unique study. The conversation also covers the role of human participants, key findings, and the next steps, including the future practical implications of their work.

Dr. Gadbois leads the Canine and Reptile Behaviour and Olfaction Research Lab in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Kiiroja, who recently earned her PhD from Dalhousie University in biomedical scent-detection dogs, has also worked extensively with wolves for animal welfare purposes and contributes to official Estonian national animal websites with her writings on wolves.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with America's Happiness Doctor, Dr. Elia Gourgouris, about practical steps people can take to achieve lasting happiness. Dr. Gourgouris breaks down the definition of happiness and shares how we can leverage it in our daily lives, at work, in relationships, and even during times of crisis. He also explores its connections to positive psychology, fear, and forgiveness.

Dr. Elia Gourgouris, PhD, is a best-selling author of 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness and 7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis: A Practical Guide to Emotionally Dealing with Pandemics & Other Disasters. He is the President of The Happiness Center and a Founding Partner at The Global Institute of Thought Leadership. Known for his motto “Happiness is a choice!”, Dr. Gourgouris has become a leading authority on happiness and corporate wellness, offering coaching and keynotes around the world for the past 25 years. Through his work, he’s helped thousands find happiness and fulfillment, both personally and professionally.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with Dr. Naaheed Mukadam to explore her latest findings on dementia. Dr. Mukadam sheds light on her recent research, delving into the changes in incidence and prevalence of dementia globally. They discuss the most current, evidence-based risk factors associated with the disease, identify populations and countries with the highest rates, and uncover practical, cost-effective strategies for reducing dementia risk. Tune in to gain valuable insights into the science of dementia and learn actionable steps to safeguard your brain health.
Dr. Mukadam is a clinical specialist in psychiatry of older people, professor, and researcher at the University College London, UK who focuses on using inter-ethnic epidemiology to find new ways to prevent and treat dementia.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with filmmaker David Krissman about his groundbreaking grassroots initiative aimed at revolutionizing live kidney donations. David, a repeat guest (Episode 154) who previously discussed "The Great Social Experiment" and America's trial with universal healthcare for kidney disease, now shares how he's leveraging his filmmaking expertise and deep understanding of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplants to connect individuals in desperate need of a kidney with living donors. He explains how anyone can become an "angel advocate" and make a life-saving impact simply by sharing someone's filmed story. This episode highlights how spreading kindness can lead to finding a kidney and ultimately saving a life.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jason Block about his research on weight gain caused by antidepressants. He compares weight gain across different antidepressants and explains what those taking these medications should expect. Dr. Block also discusses other medications his team is evaluating for weight gain, explores why these medications cause weight gain, and shares the practical implications of his findings in relation to the obesity epidemic.

Dr. Jason Block, MD, MPH, is a physician, researcher, and associate professor in population health medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on social and environmental determinants of weight gain and obesity, as well as innovative strategies to improve diet quality.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Leonardo Tozzi about his research on identifying six unique biotypes for depression. He explains the current problem with the "one size fits all" diagnostic approach to depression, the development of personalized brain circuit scores, and how they led to the discovery of six distinct biotypes for depression. He explains how the identification of unique biotypes for depression may prove to be a gamechanger for how depression is diagnosed and treated in the future, as well as the broader impact and benefits of precision psychiatry.

Dr. Tozzi, MD, PhD is a neuroscientist and researcher who leads the Computational Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Program at the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Geoff Cole about his research on trypophobia, an aversion to clusters of small holes or bumps. If you’re a fan of American Horror Story, you might have come across trypophobia there. Dr. Cole delves into the details of this phenomenon, exploring what causes it, theories on its origins, and strategies for overcoming it.

Dr. Cole is a researcher and professor at the Center for Brain Science, University of Essex. You can learn more about his work here. You can read his recent publication on trypophobia here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jamie Zeitzer about his recently published research on the link between one's bedtime preference and mental health. He explains which sleep pattern correlates with better mental health and which correlates with poorer mental health. Unfortunately for night owls, he offers hypotheses on why going to bed late, regardless of preference, associates with worse mental health. He also discusses the benefits and risks of daytime naps, the best "sleep" temperature, and provides general recommendations for achieving the best possible sleep.
Dr. Zeitzer is a researcher, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Co-Director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at Stanford University.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Aaron Mitchell about his recent research on pharmaceutical industry payments to medical doctors for promoting specific drugs on X (formerly known as Twitter). Dr. Mitchell describes the financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and doctors, the prevalence of this issue, and what is known about its impact on prescribing practices and patient outcomes. He also shares his thoughts on direct-to-consumer drug advertisements and offers solutions to mitigate the massive influence of pharmaceutical companies on our health system.

Dr. Mitchell is an oncologist and health services researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, with a research focus on the interaction between financial incentives and physician behavior. You can learn more about him and his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andres Acosta MD PHD about the identification of 4 phenotypes for obesity and how they can revolutionize the future of obesity treatment. In great detail, he describes the 4 obesity phenotypes (Hungry Brain, Emotional Hunger, Hungry Gut, and Slow Burn) and explains what treatment, diet, and exercise plan works for each. He also describes his company, Phenomix Sciences, a precision-medicine company that predicts how well someone will respond to various obesity interventions.
Dr. Acosta is a Consultant of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, as well as an Associate Professor of Medicine. His research focus is on gastrointestinal physiology and the complexity of food intake regulation as it relates to obesity. You can learn more about his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with gastroenterologist Dr. David Clarke about the viral wellness trend of fart walking. He, an avid fart walker himself, describes the health benefits of fart walking, particularly how it can help with digestion, heart burn, bloating, and possibly even Type 2 Diabetes. He offers tips on how to optimize fart walking for your intestines and overall wellness.
Dr. Clarke is a repeat guest on Causes or Cures, having appeared on Episode 164 where he discusses the hidden causes of chronic pain. He is the President of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA), a nonprofit dedicated to ending the chronic pain epidemic. He earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His organization’s mission is to advance the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of stress-related, brain-generated medical conditions. You can learn more about him atEndChronicPain.org.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with ovarian cancer survivor Meg Wilkinson about the omentum, her cancer journey, and her advocacy group, The Omentum Project. As part of her cancer treatment, Meg had her omentum removed. Though little is known about this mysterious apron of "fat", Meg decided to explore further after she and other cancer survivors living without omentums developed debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms. On the podcast, Meg shares what she has learned about the omentum, including why it is known as the "abdomen's policeman", ongoing research on its many, fascinating functions, and the birth of The Omentum Project, a citizen scientist/volunteer effort to help those living without an omentum improve their quality of life. Meg also describes The Omentum Project's research study, Eat Popcorn for Science, for which they are currently recruiting.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with researcher Omar Almahayni about his published systematic review on the physiological and psychological benefits of the Wim Hof Method for both healthy and non-healthy individuals. Wim Hof, known as "The Iceman," is a Dutch extreme athlete and motivational speaker famed for his extraordinary ability to endure extreme cold.

During the podcast, Omar discusses his interest in Wim Hof, the components of the renowned Wim Hof Method, and theories on its potential health benefits. He explains his evaluation of the published studies on the method, the results, future research possibilities, and who might be interested in joining Wim Hof on one of his extreme excursions.

Omar conducted his research at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK, and now works for a mental health biotechnology company based in Syria.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with cardiologist, physician-scientist and CEO of Fractyl Health, Dr. Harith Rajagopalan about solutions his company is developing for the problem of keeping weight off after someone stops taking the obesity/weight loss medication, such as Ozempic. Dr. Rajagopalan explains the issue of weight rebound after stopping the medication, and describes two new therapies Fractyl Health is developing that would allow a person to sustain weight loss without the need for ongoing medication. He also provides an overview of the multifaceted approach necessary for tackling obesity and offers a unique perspective on chronic disease.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with internationally renowned music publicist Mary Lou Falcone to discuss her new book, I Didn't See It Coming. The book takes readers on an emotional journey filled with love, a dream job working with some of the world's most famous classical music stars, romance, and profound loss. Mary Lou shares her experiences as a caretaker, first for her sick father during her childhood and later for her soulmate, Nicky Zann—a 1950s rock 'n' roller turned world-famous cartoonist and illustrator who battled Lewy Body Dementia until his passing. Part of her motivation for writing the book was to raise awareness about Lewy Body Dementia. In the podcast, Mary Lou vividly recounts the early signs that something was wrong with Nicky, the series of doctor visits and tests that led to his diagnosis, and how she cared for him in his final years. She also explains how Lewy Body Dementia differs from more commonly known dementias, such as Alzheimer's Disease.
You can learn more about Mary Lou here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Randall Urban about his research on the link between Long COVID and growth hormone and how growth hormone may potentially reverse or decrease the neurological symptoms/brain fog associated with Long COVID.
Dr. Urban is an endocrinologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. He is the Vice Dean of Clinical Research in the School of Medicine, Vice President and Chief Research Officer, and the Principle Investigator of UTMB's Clinical Translational Science Award. You can learn more about his research here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Valter Longo about his latest research on the fasting-mimicking diet (FMG) and how it has been shown in studies to reduce biological age and disease risk. In great detail, he describes the fasting-mimicking diet and its components while explaining how it was tested in clinical trials for its effect on biological age and disease risk. Dr. Longo describes the difference between biological age and chronological age and how he and his team measured biological age in the studies. Not attributing the benefits of the fasting-mimicking diet to weight loss alone, Dr. Valter offers theories for how it reduces biological age. Importantly, he comments on the controversial fasting study that suggests 8-hour-time-restricted eating is linked to a 91% higher risk of death from heart disease and closes by telling us what he thinks is the best fasting protocol and why.
Dr. Longo is a professor of gerontology and biological sciences and director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, a leading center for research on aging and age-related diseases. He also serves as the Director of the Longevity and Cancer Program at the Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy. He is author of the internationall best-selling book, The Longevity Diet. Holding a PhD in biochemistry from UCLA, his research focuses on the mechanisms of aging, including dietary and genetic interventions to slow biological aging. Read more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jay Maddock about his research on the scientific link between nature and mental health benefits. The focus is on one of his recently published studies that analyzed the link between communities' "Nature Score" and anxiety, stress and depression. He explains what a "Nature Score" is, how they did the study and the results. He describes other research showing that exposure to nature is beneficial for PTSD and ADHD and explains theories for why nature is linked to mental health benefits and lack of nature may be detrimental. Finally, he discusses ongoing research in this area and implications for public health practices.

Dr. Maddock is a researcher and regents professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Texas A&M University. He is director of the Center for Health and Nature, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living and Chair of the Nature and Health Alliance.

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On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Diana Noga about her new research on the relationship between short sleep and the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. This is especially relevant in a busy world that doesn't prioritize sleep and is already facing growing rates of Type 2 Diabetes, even in younger age groups.
In the podcast, she discusses how they conducted their study and the theories for why a short nightly sleep duration may increase risk for Type 2 Diabetes. She also explains a surprising finding, which was that a healthy diet did not mitigate risk of Type 2 Diabetes when short sleep was involved.
Dr. Noga is a researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden where she focuses on the relationship between sleep and health. You can learn more about her work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Mark Mamula about the vaccine he and his team created for cancer in dogs. In the podcast, he explains how they created the vaccine, how it works, how they are testing it in dogs, and what is currently known about how well it works. He describes the types of cancers in dogs that the vaccine is targeting, the similarities between cancer in dogs and cancer in humans and how the vaccine could one day also be used for cancer in humans.
Dr. Mamula is a researcher and professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. His lab focuses on cancer immunology, tumor biology and autoimmune disease. You can learn more about his work here. You can read a scientific paper on the vaccine for cancer in dogs here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with venom expert Tim Friede about his twenty plus years' "unusual" journey with the world's most venomous snakes: Seeking protection from snake bites, Tim purposely injected himself with diluted venom at escalating doses until he achieved a level of hyperimmunity unknown to humans. Working by himself in his Wisconsin home, Tim achieved the uncanny ability of being purposely bitten by the world's deadliest snakes, including cobras, rattlers, black mambas, et al and surviving with no major side effects. He has been bitten by snakes at least 200 times. He has had some close calls, which he discusses in the podcast.
Understanding that his blood was an anomalous, potentially life-saving stew for future victims of snake bites, Tim joined forces with Jacob Glanville, founder of biotech company Centivax, to create the world's first fully human broad-spectrum antivenom. In the podcast, Tim explains how Centivax is using his blood to do this and where they are in their research to create universal antivenom.

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On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Prabhat Jha about his fascinating research recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the extent and speed at which quitting smoking reduces death rates from smoking-related illnesses. What he describes in the podcast will be encouragement for anyone, no matter how long they smoked, to consider quitting. In addition to his research, we also chat about evidence for and against vaping, and he also shares a colorful tale on the lows the tobacco industry will go to keep people hooked.
Dr. Jha is an epidemiologist, researcher and founding director of the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. His research focus is death resulting from HIV, tobacco, alcohol, malaria and both infectious and non-communicable diseases in general. You can read more about him on his Wikipedia page here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Wilson Merrell about his recently published research on the percentage of people who hide the fact that they are sick with an infectious disease. In the podcast, he discusses who hides the fact that they are sick, when they do it, why they do it and how they do it. He explains their motives, things the researchers found surprising and the wider implications of his research.
Dr. Merrell is a researcher who completed his PhD in social psychology at the University of Michigan. He is currently doing postdoc research at the Center for the Experimental-Philosophical Study of Discrimination at Aarhus University. His research focus is on psychological processes that help people manage fundamental threats and opportunities in their environment.

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On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats wtih Dr. Dmitry Abramov about his and his team's research on the impact of substance use on heart-related deaths over time in the US. The research was recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. In the podcast, he explains how he did the research, what substances have the greatest impact on heart-related deaths, and what subpopulations are most at risk, including some surprising trends. Substances assessed include alcohol, opioids, marijuana, and psychostimulants. He also describes how these substances may damage the heart.
Dr. Abramov is a practicing cardiologist and researcher at Loma Linda University. His specialties include cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Erica Fernandes about the identification of a new syndrome linked to fentanyl exposure while in the womb.
Dr. Fernandes first discusses how a new syndrome related to developmental or genetic abnormalities is identified and then explains how they carried out their study at Nemours Children's Hospital. She discusses the specific characteristics identified in the babies enrolled in their study and how fentanyl was identified as the common exposure. She explains how other known syndromes were ruled out and discusses ongoing research to determine how exactly fentanyl causes the new syndrome. Finally, she offers next steps in terms of informing the public and public health.
Dr. Fernandes is a practicing physician and researcher in the division of medical genetics at Nemours Children's Health. Her and her team's study on the new syndrome was recently published here in Genetics in Medicine Open.

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"Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food."
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Marissa Toussaint about how she is using culinary medicine to help her patients lose weight, maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic illnesses. Taking a holistic approach to health, she explains what culinary medicine is and how she uses it in conjuction with her training in family medicine and obesity medicine to help patients get to their healthiest state. She describes how people can eat healthier on any budget and what foods to prioritize, and she discusses our current approach to obesity, including the new obesity drugs, and what else needs to be done. She also describes how the body positive movement fits in with the war on obesity, as the two are not at odds with one another.
Dr. Toussaint is a board-certified family physician, obesity medicine physician, and is certified in culinary medicine. With over fifteen years of clinical experience, she has spent much of her career working with underrepresented communities and is a champion for eliminating health disparities. If you are interested in learning more about her or are interested in working with her, please visit her website Anise Medical.
You can also follow her food and cooking tips on her Instagram here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures I chat with Dr. Scott Kaplan about his research on the effectiveness of putting a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Sugar-sweetened beverages are significantly linked to heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses, and taxes are one (albeit controversial) approach we can take at the population level. Dr. Kaplan discusses price and purchasing changes afte a sugar-sweetened beverage tax was implemented in five major US cities. He discusses economic outcomes, health outcomes, and addresses criticism of these types of taxes, including that they are too "Big Brotherish" and discriminate against the poor.
Dr. Kaplan is an applied microeconomist whose research interests include consumer behavior and food and health policy. He is an Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at the United States Naval Academy.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Paul Sutter about the declining trust in science and why it is happening. They discuss how regulatory capture and the pressure to publish as many papers as possible is leading to bad science and fueling a culture of distrust. They discuss the difference between an effective scientific communicator vs a polarizing one and what happens when you politicize science. They talk about how to manage an overwhelming amount of information and opinions (often conflicting) in a digital, social-media obsessed age. Finally, Dr. Sutter outlines a path forward on how to rebuild trust in science.
Dr. Paul Sutter is a theoretical cosmologist, award-winning science communicator, NASA advisor, U.S. Cultural Ambassador, and a globally recognized leader in the intersection of art and science. He is a research professor at the Institute for Advanced Computational Science at Stony Brook University and a visiting professor at Barnard College, Columbia University. He is also a seasoned author and his next book, Rescuing Science in an Age of Doubt, is available this March.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Melanie Jay about the new weight loss drugs (Wegovy, Ozempic (Semaglutide), Manjaro (Tirzepatide), Zepbound). She starts by explaining what obesity is and how it impacts the body. Then she breaks down how the medications work; how effective they are at taking off weight and keeping it from coming back on; side effects; risks, and benefits. She talks about the best diet and exercise programs to follow while taking these medications and how to slow down muscle loss. She discusses access issues and how the medications may be widening health disparities related to obesity and remaining questions that require more research.
Dr. Jay is an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and an Associate Professor, Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She leads the "Jay lab" at NYU and her research focus is improving the treatment and prevention of obesity. You can learn more about her work on obesity here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jeffrey Iliff about his research on changes in sleep patterns over time and how that is linked to cognitive function. He discusses the relationship between sleep and cognitive function in general, and then describes how some sleep patterns over time may be more prone to cognitive decline than others and explains the theories behind that. He talks about the optimal number of hours of sleep a person should get each night and how that was determined. Finally, he explains the larger health impact of his work, particularly in an age when cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease are on the rise.
Dr. Iliff is a researcher and professor at the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Associate Director for Research at the Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. His research focuses on traumatic brain injuries and neurodegeneration.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Chinwé Williams about the teen mental health crisis, what is causing it, and how we can address it. Dr. Williams discusses how social media impacts teen mental health, the "lying" spiral of anxiety, and offers practical tips for parents and guardians to try at home. She also comments on the link between faith and teen mental health.
Dr. Williams is a trauma therapist, best-selling author and speaker with over twenty years of experience working with teens and adults. She is the co-author of the books Seen and Beyond the Spiral. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Board Certified Counselor and a Counselor Educator & Supervisor, and a certified EMDR therapist with a doctorate in Counselor Education. You can learn more about her on her website and follow her Instagram here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Daniel Barvin, Vice President of Operations and Patient Advocacy at Coya Therapeutics, a trailblazing company working on groundbreaking treatments for ALS and Alzheimer's. In the podcast, Daniel will tell us more about the debilitating and fatal disease ALS and the therapies they are testing at Coya Therapeutics which target T cells, cells that form an important part of the immune system.
Daniel's fight against ALS is personal. He has lost several family members to ALS, including his father, uncle, grandfather, and aunt. He is also a carrier of the ALS gene, and realizes it may only be a matter of time until he shows signs of the disease. As a young man now, he discusses what that feels like in the podcast.
Daniel also talks about finding a way to have kids with his wife to avoid passing on the ALS gene and finding the group End the Legacy, a not-for-profit organization that provides support and resources for the 1 million individuals with or at risk of genetic ALS and FTD.
Thank you to everyone who reviews and rates the podcast!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with neuroscientist Dr. Katja Valli about what the function(s) of dreams is. She describes what a dream is and the potential theories for why we dream. She discusses the content of our dreams, who appears in our dreams, and if our dreams impact our behavior. She touches on nightmares, lucid dreaming and if we can "make ourselves" dream things we want to dream. Finally, she chats about the meaning of dreams and the important link between dream research and unraveling the mystery of consciousness.
Dr. Valli is a neuroscientist and senior researcher who has researched various aspects of dreams and dreaming for the past 20 years. She works as a senior researcher at the Department of Psychology University of Turku, Finland and as an Associate Professor at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Skovde, Sweden. Her research focus is states of consciousness and the biological function of dreaming. You can learn more about her here.

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Kicking off the New Year with a fun one! In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Naor Sagy on whether or not space aliens are out there; what they look like and how they act; our motivation for wanting to meet them (and their motivation for wanting to meet us); and what could possibly happen if we meet each other.
Consider this a fun, shooting-the-breeze podcast. Neither Dr. Eeks nor Dr. Sagy have any special knowledge on space alien life form. However, they both like space, mysteries and shooting the shit. You can learn more about Dr. Eeks at her websites below. Dr. Sagy is an electrical engineer who also has a PhD in molecular biology and conducts anti-aging research at the University of Tel Aviv.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. David Clarke about the hidden causes of chronic pain and something he refers to as "the biggest blind spot" in the healthcare community. He discusses how adverse childhood experiences, traumas and stresses create chronic pain in adults and how they makes changes in the body. He also shares remarkable stories of patients he has successfully treated with something called Pain Relief Psychology.
Dr. Clarke is the President of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA), a nonprofit dedicated to ending the chronic pain epidemic. He earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His organization’s mission is to advance the awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of stress-related, brain-generated medical conditions. You can learn more about him atEndChronicPain.org.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jamie O'Driscoll and Jamie Edwards about their research recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on what is the best exercise for maintaining a healthy resting blood pressure. In the podcast, they explain how they conducted their study, their results, and the theories behind why one exercise did significantly better than others at lowering blood pressure. They will tell you how you can do the best exercise right now and also offer advice on how their findings should impact current exercise guidelines when it comes to high blood pressure, a serious health problem that affects millions of people!
Dr. O'Driscoll is a researcher in Cardiovascular Physiology at Canterbury Christ Church University and a Clinical Scientist in Cardiology. You can learn about him here. Jamie Edwards is a PhD student at Canterbury Christ Church University.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tera Fazzino about her research on how the biggest US tobacco companies owned the leading food companies from 1988 to early 2000s and disproportionately produced hyper-palatable foods (HPFs). She explains what a hyper-palatable food is and how they are created, the theory for why some Americans get hooked on them, and how these foods may impact our health. Then she takes us back in history to describe when and why the tobacco industries owned and controlled leading food companies (Kraft, Nabisco, General Foods...) and how her and her team determined that they were making hyper-palatable foods. She also discusses what is happening with the current food industry, why this is a big public health issue, and what we can do to move toward a healthier food supply.

Dr. Fazzino is Associate Director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment at the University of Kansas and a Professor in the Department of Psychology. She has a doctorate in experimental psychology and her research focuses on addiction, obesity, eating disorders and health-risk behaviors.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jay Joshi about his new book, Burden of Pain, a Physician's Journey through the Opioid Epidemic. Dr. Joshi was a practicing physician at a clinic in rural Indiana when his world was turned upside down. The DEA, using a fake patient and a prescription monitoring system, investigated Dr. Joshi for his opioid prescription practices. He was eventually arrested, tried in court and served a prison sentence. While in prison he wrote the book Burden of Pain, which is his side of the story. After serving his time, he is back to practicing medicine. No matter your views on the causes and perpetrators of the opioid epidemic, in this episode Dr. Joshi provides valuable insights on the complexity of the epidemic; how we view and treat pain; the patient-Doctor relationship, the role of the DEA; and what he feels are the best steps forward. He also shares what it was like to be a doctor in prison, coming out and starting over.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with journalist Kristina Marusic about her book A New War on Cancer, the Unlikely Heroes Revolutionizing Prevention. In the podcast, Kristina discusses how rising cancer rates are linked to our widespread exposure to chemicals, specifically chemicals in everyday products that we all use. She provides an overview of how the United States regulates these chemicals compared to other countries and what testing is or isn't done before a chemical hits the market. She talks about the public health researchers and health advocates who are revolutionizing our understanding of cancer and its causes, as well as leading the fight against chemical pollution and corporate influence with scientific evidence. Finally, she describes her vision for the new war on cancer, including putting a "face" to prevention.

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Why do some people NEVER get sick from COVID?
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jill Hollenbach about her recently published research on how a person's genes may keep them from getting sick from COVID. In the podcast, Dr. Hollenbach explains why genes influence how a person responds to a virus; she describes the specific genes she studied and why, and then explains how she carried out her research in an easy-to-understand way. She also discusses the potential public health implications of her work, including how it may impact future vaccine development.
Dr. Hollenbach is a Professor in the Department of Neurology and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. You can learn more about her and her lab here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Michelle B. Slater, PHD about her book Starving to Heal in Siberia. After working with a team of medical experts, trying everything in the book and contemplating assisted suicide, Michelle went all the way to Siberia as a last effort to heal from late-stage Lyme Disease, a chronic illness that devestated her. She spent months in Siberia where she was monitored by a Russian physician and engaged in a rigorous dry-fasting routine, along with other more unconventional therapies. Michelle credits dry-fasting for putting her on the path to healing.
What drives a person to go all the way to Siberia to engage in an unconventional therapy that many would consider risky and dangerous? What did her team of conventional doctors, friends and family think? What do folks suffering with chronic illness do and feel if all conventional approaches to treatment have been exhausted, but the person just isn't getting better? Michelle answers that, and more, in the podcast.
*PLEASE NOTE: Eeks does not recommend anyone hopping on a plane to Siberia to try dry-fasting. She does not endorse dry-fasting. This podcast episode is not an endorsement of Siberia or dry-fasting or dry-fasting in Siberia. Eeks works in public health, doesn't practice medicine, and advises everyone to work with their team of doctors when it comes to overcoming a chronic illness. She didn't know much of anything about dry-fasting until she read Michelle's book, and there are currently no peer-reviewed published studies to support its effectiveness. She doesn't think she'd make it through the Siberia routine, but everyone is wired differently. (She once went to a juice camp where they ban coffee, but feeling like a tranquilized bear, she ended up breaking the rules and running to a mini mart to sneak some in.) However..., she recommends reading Michelle's book because it's a compelling close-up look of what it's like for someone struggling day after day with a chronic illness and what happens when a feeling of hopelessness starts to set in. This is a podcast (not news or advice or Gospel), and this episode is one woman sharing her story. (Apologies for the long disclaimer, but we need them in today's painfully reductive, slap-label-happy world.)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Raj Khanna, director of NYU's Pain Research Center and professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU School of Dentistry, about his and his team's new research on potential future ways to tackle chronic pain. Given that chronic pain is a growing issue that impacts people of all ages and that there really are no good, long-term, reliable solutions out there, this is a key area of research. Without reliable, long-term solutions from conventional medicine and therapies, many suffering from chronic pain seek out more alternative and unconventional approaches to find some relief. This is an especially timely topic given the ongoing US opioid epidemic.

In the podcast, Dr. Khanna starts with the basics and defines chronic pain and its causes. He describes his and his team's research and why a "special" sodium channel and a "special" protein that regulates this sodium channel are important when it comes to regulating chronic pain. He explains how he and his team used gene therapy to influence the interaction of the "special" protein and sodium channel, tested their hypothesis in animals and cells, and the results and outcomes related to chronic pain. Towards the end of the podcast, he discusses if the field may move towards replacing animals in research with other ways to test treatments, alternative approaches to chronic pain, and what the future of chronic pain treatment may look like.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Kirk Schneider about his new book Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World. In the podcast, Dr. Schneider tells us about himself and his own struggle with anxiety and how that got him on the path to discovering life-enhancing anxiety. He explains how we get from a state of anxiety to a state of Awe and why it's important that we go through that entire (often difficult) process and not plug or drug it away. He discusses ways to overcome the fear of uncertainty, COVID and life-enhancing anxiety, the shortcomings of Positive Psychology and even how life-enhancing anxiety can be used to bridge political divides.

Dr. Schneider PhD is a licensed psychologist and leader for contemporary existential-humanistic psychology. He was a 2022 Candidate for President of the American Psychological Association and cofounder and current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute. He is a presenter of the bridge-building dialogue approach the Experiential Democracy Dialogue and a trained moderator for the conflict mediation group, Braver Angels. He is also a faculty member at Columbia University and Saybrook University. You can learn more about him and his book here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Sikora about the link between HPV, the most common sexually-transmitted disease, and head and throat cancers in men. While we hear more about HPV-linked cervical cancer in women, Dr. Sikora will discuss the types of cancers HPV causes in men, risk factors, signs and symptoms, how it is treated once diagnosed, and prognosis after treatment. He will also talk about prevention and the HPV vaccine.
Dr. Sikora is professor and director of Research in the Department of Head and Neck surgery at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is also the Co-Deputy Division Head for Research in the Division of Surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
His clinical expertise is in throat cancer and HPV-related heaed and neck cancers and his research focuses on tumor immunology and immunotherapies for cancer. You can learn more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with filmmaker and documentarian David Krissman about his investigative podcast series, "The Great Social Experiment", about America's only experiment with universal healthcare, the treatment of patients with kidney failure.
David will take us back to 1972, when congress guaranteed healthcare coverage to people with kidney failure, regardless of race, socioeconomic status and age. And while on the surface, this sounds like a great and altruistic endeavor, David describes why it is a cautionary tale of inequity, faulty decision-making processes on life-or-death matters, putting profits first, questionable incentives and at the core, what drives human behavior. Throughout the podcast, David will reference media reports, government data, interviews with prominent experts and kidney patients. So fasten your seatbelts, because this is an incredible story by an amazing storyteller. (And after you listen to this, absolutely check out David's podcast here.)

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Nicholas Seyfried about his research on a protein(s) in the brain that may hold the key to making people resilient to Alzheimer's Disease, a growing concern in western nations with aging populations and those who have a family history of the disease.
In the podcast, Dr. Seyfried discusses what the pathological hallmarks are of Alzheimer's Disease and why cognitive impairment happens. He then describes why certain proteins in the brain, with a special focus on one called Neuritin, may make people resilient to Alzheimer's and how approaches to Alzheimer's disease may evolve over the next several years. He also discusses evidence-based prevention strategies that are good for everyone to know.

Dr. Seyfried is a director of the Emory Integrated Proteomics Core at Emory University School of Medicine and a professor in the department of biochemistry. The Seyfried Lab at Emory focuses on the relationship between proteomics and biology to tackle Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

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There has been recent reports and concerning articles suggesting that COVID-19 is leading to an uptick of new cases of Type 1 Diabetes in kids but is this potential link something parents and kids have to worry about?
Dr. Lars Stene joins Dr. Eeks on the podcast to discuss risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes and the trend of diagnosing new cases in kids over the last several years. He then discusses the potential, talked-about link between COVID and Type 1 Diabetes and provides his perspective on the current evidence. He discusses relative risk vs absolute risk (a good lesson for everyone), his current research on risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes and also talks about the "exposome."
Dr. Stene is a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. For over 20 years, his focus is researching environmental factors, infections, nutritional factors and gene-environment interactions that may be risks for Type 1 Diabetes. You can learn more about his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Ari Green about the latest thinking on what causes Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and who it impacts most, current treatment approaches, and research on potential new treatments involving remylenation therapies. He chats about the ReBUILD trial and something called the "Myelin Water Fraction" and how it can be used to measure remylenation. He also discusses the latest evidence on preventive factors for MS.
Dr. Green is a neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist and medical director of the UCSF Multiple Sclerosis Center. He is also director of the UCSF Neurodiagnostic Center. His research focus is on reparative treatments for people with MS and slowing down neurodegeneration. You can learn more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tom Parsons about his study called The Weight of New York City, Possible Contributions to Subsidence from Anthropogenic Sources published in Earth's Future. He tells us what subsidence is and how it is measured, how and by how much the skyscrapers and buildings of NYC are contributing to it, why we should care about it, and what are the potential short-term and long-term implications. He talks about the potential implications from a "One Health" perspective, specifically in the realm of how our environment impacts our health. He also talks about what his study shows versus how it was presented by many media outlets, serving as an interesting case study for those in the scientific communications field.
Dr. Tom Parsons earned his PhD in geophysics from Stanford University and is a Research Geophysicist at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California. You can learn more about his work, publications and research interests here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Lance Price about his recent study published in One Health on the link between the meat we eat and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
In the podcast, he will explain how he conducted the study and break down the more technical stuff so that it is understandable. He will discuss the results of his work, antibiotic resistance, the types of meat most significantly linked to UTIs and how eating and preparing these types of meat may lead to UTIs. Then he will talk about preventive strategies on the individual level and the population level.
Dr. Lance Price is a professor at George Washington University's School of Public Health in Washington DC and the founding director of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center. You can learn more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Stephanie James about the potential use of genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) to fight diseases that mosquitoes carry and spread, such as Malaria and Dengue Fever.

In the podcast, Dr. James provides an overview on GMMs, as well as what something called Gene Drive Modified Mosquitoes (GDMMs) are. She talks about the current state of research, testing, and describes the GeneConvene Global Collaborative "GeneConvene", which was created to advance best practices and informed decision making for developing GMMs and GDMMs. She talks about the potential benefits versus the potential risks, how they are conducting risk assessments, how they plan to test GMMs, the ethical and safety concerns, and how local communities will be included in the decision-making process.

Dr. James is the Senior Scientific Advisor, Population Health Science at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. She helps lead the work being conducted by the GeneConvene Global Collaborative, has a doctorate in microbiology and a background in research on parasitic disease. She’s also led global health programs at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH and the Ellison Medical Foundation.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Comninos about Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and his and his team's research on a potential new treatment called Kisspeptin. He will discuss prevalence, diagnosis, symptoms, how the diagnosis may be misdiagnosed as Erectile Dysfunction Disorder, and current treatment approaches to HSDD. In detail, he'll describe what Kisspeptin is and how it might help. He'll also talk about the clinical trials he has conducted involving both men and women diagnosed with HSDD and how well Kisspetin worked in those clinical trials.
Dr. Comninos is a Consultant Endocrinologist at Imperial College London where he also leads the Imperial Endocrine Bone Unit. He has authored over 75 clinical and translational publications in reproductive endocrinology, with a focus on reproductive hormones and their influence on both behavior and bones. You can learn more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrei Gudkov and Dr. Joseph Wakshlag about their research on extending a dog's lifespan. They both are part of a group of scientists at Vaika, a non-profit medical research organization that is dedicated to extending the lifespan of domestic animals. In the podcast, they will discuss the aging process, how it might be reversed and how some of the things they are learning may apply to humans too. They will also talk about some of the research they are doing, including testing drugs to slow or prevent the aging process in retired sled dogs that were in kennels around the US and are now living out their retirement on spacious grounds in upstate NY. You will hear more about the dogs and their way of life in the podcast too.

Dr. Gudkov is one of the founders of Vaika and a professor of oncology and senior vice president of research technology and innovation at Roswell Park Cancer Center. Dr. Wakshlag is a veterinarian with Cornell University and the medical director of this "sled dog study."

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On a topic near and dear to her, in this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with "misinformation scientist" Dr. Sacha Altay on what we are getting wrong about misinformation. This podcast will focus on his and his peers' paper published in the journal Social Media and Society titled Misinformation on Misinformation: Conceptual and Methodological Challenges. His article (issues that resonate with my experience working on national scicomms campaigns) identifies 6 big misconceptions about misinformation and provides a lot to think about when it comes to our current aproaches to identifying and managing misinformation.
In the podcast, Sacha will discuss some of the misconceptions about misinformation when it comes to prevalence and circulation, as well as misconceptions associated with impact and reception. Essentially, concerns with how we are measuring the impact of misinformation and communicating that to the public. He will then discuss how the aformentioned things are associated with misinterpretation of research results. Finally, he will suggest a better path forward when it comes to misinformation.

Dr. Altay is an experimental psychologist working on misinformation, misperceptions, and (dis)trust. After completing his PhD in Cognitive Science at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, he did a postdoc in Oxford at the Reuters Institute.
As "misinformation policies" is a "triggering" topic for many, I request that you listen with a few deep breaths and a curious mind.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Naveed Sattar, a clinician, researcher, and professor of metabolic medicine at the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow and a leading expert in diabetes and cardiovascular disease research. In this podcast, he will discuss the most accurate ways to measure body fat and why that matters; he will talk about the "obesity paradox", what that is and how the obesity paradox unravels when using more accurate measures of body fat...particularly when it comes to a specific kind of heart failure. (If you are interested, you can read his study on it here.) He will discuss how tackling chronic diseases without specifically focusing on and tackling excess weight leads to significantly more problems. (And you can read his study on that topic here.) He'll share his views and concerns on the new obesity medications that are trending in the news, and what a good, population-level approach to obesity might look like.
You can read his bio here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Victor Tseng about his and his team's study on how AI (ChatGPT) came close to passing the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE), tests that all medical doctors must take and pass in order to practice medicine in the US. The study was published in Plos Digital Health here.
Dr. Tseng will tell us more about what ChatGPT is and its current capabilities, how they set up the study to test its performance on the USMLE, results, future studies and analyses his company may perform, results, and perhaps most importantly, where ChatGPT could take medicine and public health in the future, while highlighting some of the ethical and philosophical concerns.
Dr. Tseng is a practicing pulmonologist (lung doctor) and the Medical Director and Executive Vice President for AnsibleHealth, a digital theranostics and AI-enhanced medical practice focused on polychronic care for lower respiratory diseases.

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Would you ever donate your kidney to a stranger?
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Elaine Perlman, Director of Waitlist Zero, an organization with the mission of representing kidney donors and ending the waitlist by making it easier for living donors to donate a kidney. Elaine will walk us through her journey, from start to finish, of donating her kidney to a stranger, as well as her son's, who donated his kidney when he was just a teenager.
She will also explain what the "kidney crisis" is, how long the waitlist is and the cost to living donors, a burden which Waitlist Zero hopes to decrease. And she'll talk about the biggest reason people give for donating a kidney to a stranger, and the main reasons people give for not wanting to do it.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats wit Dr. Michael Santos about the A-PLUS trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which looked at the effects of a cheap, widely available antibiotic, Azithromycin, in preventing sepsis and death in women during childbirth in low- to middle-income countries. Dr. Santos will explain the prevalence and life-threatening nature of sepsis in women during childbirth, particularly in low-resource settings. He will discuss what they knew about Azithromycin and maternal sepsis prior to the study, how they recruited for this study and conducted it, the results they found, and the wider public health implications.

Dr. Santos is Vice President of Science at the Foundations for the National Intitutes of Health (FNIH) and was in charge of the work FNIH did on the A-PLUS trial. He was previously Deputy Director of the Global Health program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Brennen McKenzie, a veterinarian, epidemiologist and Director of Veterinary Medicine at Loyal, a clinical-stage veterinary medicine company developing drugs to prolong the lifespan and healthspan of dogs.
He will discuss the aging process in dogs, age-related biomarkers, and the link between dog size (big vs small) and lifespan. He will explain what a dog's "methylation age" is, how that relates to "epigenetics" and how that is similar to and differs from a dog's chronological age. Then he will talk about some of the studies Loyal is conducting and discuss some of the drugs they are developing to prolong a dog's lifespan. (You may be able to enroll your dog in a study, right from home, if interested.) Finally, he'll describe when he thinks we might see a "noticeable" difference in a dog's lifespan.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Anushka Ataullahjan about her reserach on the polio eradication efforts in Pakistan. Wild polio is still endemic in Pakistan, and Dr. Ataullahjan will discuss different eradication programs and initiatives they've tried over the years and the different barriers they've met, including threats of insecurity, people's beliefs and concerns, and global events, including how the CIA's 2011 fake vaccine campaign in Pakistan contributed to vaccine mistrust. She also will offer insight and recommendations for the future.
Dr. Ataullahjan is a professor, poet and researcher who studies public health issues as they relate to Pakistan, including this study on polio eradication efforts published in Expert Review of Vaccines. You can follow her on Twitter here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with author Susan Salenger about her book, SIDELINED, How Women Manage & Mismanage Their Health. Some of the topics covered in the book and on this podcast include why women put themselves second when it comes to health issues, why "nice girls finish last," the shame and blame game for when women are hit with an illness, a breakdown of communication when navigating the healthcare system, how pharmaceutical industries target women with their ads, the downside of the wellness industry and positive psychology, and an intriguing stroll through history to explain the context for why women mismanage their health. She will also provide tips on how women can better manage their health and even save their lives. You can learn more about Susan on her website.

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On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Professor Marianne Nissen Lund, who is a researcher and professor of food chemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. She will elaborate on what "food chemistry" means and how the chemical mechanisms in food and between foods can impact quality, stability and health. In this episode, she will focus on her recent work here and here and break down the chemistry into plain language to show how adding milk to coffee can increase its anti-inflammatory effects and lead to positive health outcomes. She will explain how they did the research, what they measured and describe the potential health benefits. A great one for coffee drinkers! ;)
(Photo Credit: Claus Boesen)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Siwen Wang about her research published in JAMA Internal Medicine on the link between pre-infection healthy lifestyle factors and risk of Long COVID. She will talk about the 6 lifestyle factors they assessed and why, how they did the study and created a "healthy lifestyle score", and how they defined "Long COVID" for the purposes of her study. Then she will discuss results, "take-home" points, and implications for a wider population.

Dr. Wang is a medical doctor and Research Fellow at the Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Joseph Maroon about hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), what it is, and how it is administered. He will explain why he believes it is beneficial for improving brain health, particularly for helping people recover from traumatic brain injuries, strokes and PTSD. Dr. Maroon will also explain how it can be used to promote healthy aging and describe his own experience with HBOT at Aviv Clinic, as well as how he uses it with his patients.
Dr. Maroon is a neurosurgeon, a former doctor for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vice President of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, founder of the New Global Aging Consortium, a competitive triathlete and marathoner. You can read his book Square One and learn more about him on his website here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Sebastian Goetze on his and his team's discovery of fungi-killing compounds, which they subsequently named after the famous actor Keanu Reeves. (You can read the study here in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.)
While the study has created a lot of buzz for being named after Keanu, in the podcast, Dr. Goetze will describe the need for anti-fungals, particularly in a world experiencing an "anitmicrobial crisis." He will walk us through how they discovered the compounds, break down the chemistry, and teach us what "gene mining" means. He will discuss how these "Keanumycins" may be beneficial for our health (and the Earth's health), the difficult process of developing an anti-fungal drug, safety issues, and answer a question a lot of folks have: why/how he and his team named the compounds after Keanu and not John Wick. He'll end the podcast by describing future avenues of research.
Dr. Goetze is a scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology. You can learn more about him and see his publications here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. James Giordano about narrowing in on the cause of Havana Syndrome, a mysterious illness targeting the intelligence community. Havana Syndrome was first identified in 2016, when diplomats and intel officers working in Havana, Cuba began experiencing a mysterious set of symptoms. Dr. Giordano was one of the experts tasked to investigate the cause of Havana Syndrome, and while other reports of Havana Syndrome have occurred in other locations, this podcast will focus on what happened in Havana in 2016.

"Dr James Giordano is Pellegrino Center Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and Chief of the Neuroethics Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. He is Senior Bioethicist of the Defense Medical Ethics Center, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, and is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Brain Science, Health Promotions, and Ethics at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany. He is the author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications, 9 books, and 40 government reports on brain science, ethics, and biosecurity. Dr. Giordano was elected to the European Academy of Science and Arts; is an International Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK); was a Senior Fellow and Task Leader of the EU Human Brain Project; and was an appointed member of the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections."
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jay Shah about why he believes that high blood pressure is a silent epidemic affecting millions of people. Dr. Shah will first describe what blood pressure is and how we measure it, what high blood pressure is, and why he believes we are experiencing a silent epidemic of high blood pressure. He will also make the case for why we should be continually monitoring blood pressure versus traditional methods of monitoring blood pressure, such as periodic visits to a healthcare provider or taking measurements at home with a blood pressure cuff. He'll explain the technology he is currently working with to do this. Finally, he'll also offer a few lifestyle tips for improving cardiac health.

Dr. Shah is a cardiologist who trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. He founded and built the cardiovascular services at The Portland Clinic and served as the medical director of the Aortic Disease Program at The Mayo Clinic. He currently serves as the medical director for Aktiia.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Nick Washmuth about how swearing (cursing, saying "bad" words, dropping "f bombs") can be used to help manage physical pain. He discusses the theories for why swearing helps with physical pain, the evidence for it, specific case studies, and how it might be used in a clinical setting. He also describes if some swear words are "better" than others for managing physical pain and whether or not making up swear words has any benefit. In addition, he'll talk about how swearing might help build a therapeutic alliance and help with physical performance too.
Dr Washmuth is a doctor of physical therapy and an Associate Professor at Samford University, School of Health Professions.
Disclaimer: If swearing disturbs you, this isn't the podcast for you. If you're fine with it...then let's f'ing go!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Madeline Li about Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Law or MAID. The Parliament of Canada passed MAID in 2016, allowing eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying. In 2021 the law was revised to allow for more chronic conditions to be included, and now they are in discussions to expand eligibility to those with a diagnosed mental disorder.

Dr. Li is a psychiatrist specializing in cancer and palliative care who also has clinical expertise in applying MAID. She has done eligibility assessments for MAID and helped develop the MAID program for the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada.

In the podcast, she will tell us more about what MAID is, how the original eligibility criteria evolved since 2016, and will describe how the law is applied to people who request MAID. She will discuss the reasons put forth for expanding MAID to include those with chronic conditions, including mental disorders, and how she personally feels about that, as well as share some of the challenges and ethical concerns. Finally, she'll offer her suggestions for improving MAID to overcome some of the challenges.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Kyle Flanigan, CEO and co-founder of US Specialty Formulations about his company's work on creating a COVID-19 vaccine you can swallow. Basically, a vaccine you drink instead of a shot in the arm. He will discuss his company's vaccine platform, called QYNDR, and how it produces oral vaccines. He'll tell us what an oral vaccine is and how it differs from the traditional vaccines we are used to, including differences in immune response, storage, accessibility and scalability. Dr. Flanigan will walk us through how they are testing the vaccine, the funding requirements involved, early results from an early-stage trial in New Zealand, safety concerns, and what's in store for the future.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Col Michael McGurk (Ret), Director of Research for the US Army's Center for Initial Military Training, about the Army's Holistic Health and Fitness System, or H2F. Col McGurk was instrumental in the development of the system and directs test implementation, standards and evaluation of H2F components for the US Army. You can read his bio here.
In the podcast he will discuss what H2F is, describe its components (physical, mental, sleep, nutritional and spiritual readiness) and link each component to the broader picture of holistic health. He'll explain why there was a need for H2F and relate it to soldier health and readiness. He'll tell us about H2F Human Performance Teams and plans for the Soldier Performance Readiness Center. Col McGurk will also discuss the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), one component of H2F, why it replaced the Army's Physical Fitness Test (APFT), some of its initial challenges, and how the Army is overcoming those challenges. Finally, he'll discuss how they are measuring outcomes and success rates for each of the H2F components, as well as ongoing and future research.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Karen Van Nuys and Dr. Neeraj Sood about the pricing of insulin in the United States. It's no secret that insulin is unaffordable for many Americans who need it. This discussion will center around how the price of insulin is set, all the players involved, and who is to blame for the high price of insulin in the US. We will explore who benefits the most from increasing insulin prices, whether or not the Inflation Reduction Act will make a significant difference, and what can practically be done to make insulin more affordable for more Americans.
Dr. Van Nuys is the executive director of the Value of Life Sciences Innovation program and a fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center. She is also a research assitant professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy. You can learn more about her work here.
Dr. Sood is a professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy with joint appointments at the USC Keck School of Medicine and USC Marshall School of Business. He is also a senior fellow at the USC Schaeffer center and you can learn more about his work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Elena Conis, author of the book Vaccine Nation, America's Changing Relationship with Immunization. Dr. Conis will describe her interest in this topic and why she decided to write the book. She will discuss how the history of vaccination in the USA (particularly from the 1960s and onward) ties into the prevailing culture, societal beliefs and movements, political initiatives, an evolving body of epidemiological and scientific research, and biotechnological breakthroughs. She'll describe how and why the American public's views on vaccination changed over time, as well as shifts in regulatory power when it comes to things like mandates. She'll discuss anti-vaccination sentiment and vaccine skepticism, when and why they spiked in the population, and how they impacted political and scientific agendas and vice versa.

Dr. Conis is a writer, historian of medicine, and an associate professor at the graduate school of journalism in the department of history at the University of California, Berkley. Previously she was a professor of history at Emory University and an award-winning health columnist for the Los Angeles Times. You can learn more about her here and order her book Vaccine Nation here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Mandy Gulla about the PADs for Parkinson's Program, the first program of its kind in North America that teaches dogs how to detect an odor associated with Parkinson's Disease.
In the podcast, she will provide an overview of Parkinson's Disease, talk about a dog's sense of smell and how good it is, and discuss when they first discovered an odor associated with Parkinson's Disease. She will discuss how the program trains the dogs to detect the odor, their accuracy rate, more specifics about the dogs that join the program, the importance of early detection, and the overall goals of the program.
Dr. Gulla is a holistic physician and founder and medical director of the Living Medical Arts Center that serves the San Juan Islands. Her dog Piglet is one of the biodetection dogs in the PADs for Parkinson's Program.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Rachel Stein about the Amish community and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stein is an Associate professor of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University. Her research focuses mostly on community building and health in Old Order Amish Communities. You can learn more about her here.
She will discuss how she became interested in studying the Amish, specifics about the Amish community (their values and way of life), how the Amish responded to the pandemic and any risk-reduction strategies they used. She will discuss their excess death rate during the pandemic, their views on preventive medicine and vaccination in general, and then their views specifically on the COVID-19 vaccine. She will talk about where and how the Amish obtain health information compared to mainstream society and any issues with what people call "misinformation." Finally, she'll discuss their lifespan and specific attributes the Amish community values that might give them a health advantage over mainstream society.

Thanks for listening! :)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Thais Russomano about human health in space. Dr. Russomano will discuss changes that occur to the human body when in space; health concerns and differences between living on Mars vs living on the Moon; how medicines might behave differently in space; diagnostic tools needed in space; long-term health surveillance; and how clinical trials "in" space could be conducted. Finally, she will discuss her thoughts on if humans could truly live on Mars one day and how that would happen from a health perspective.

Dr. Russomano is an internationally recognized expert on space medicine. She is a medical doctor and a doctor (Phd) of space physiology. She's worked as a space scientist at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Germany and founded the Microgravity Center, an international reference center to study human space physiology, which she headed for years. She's been a professor of space physiology at King's College in London and a visiting professor at several other universities in different countries. She's written numerous publications on space-related health issues, and she is co founder and director of InnovaSpace. You can read more about her and her work here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD, about his and his team's study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine on the association between daily steps/step intensity and new cases of cancer, cardiovascular disease and death. (To date, it is the largest population sample and analysis of adults wearing an accelerometer.)
In the podcast, Dr. Pozo Cruz will discuss his current research interests and why he is interested in the link between number of daily steps and health. He will explain how he and his team conducted the study and what they were measuring, including daily step counts, cadence-based metrics, and stepping intensity. He'll discuss their findings related to number of daily steps and association with cancer, cardiovascular disease and death, and if there were any differences noted among age groups. He'll answer the question, "Is there a magic number" of steps we should be taking to reduce our risk of disease and death. Finally he'll discuss limitations, potential individual and public health implications based on his findings and where he's taking his research next.
Dr. Borja del Pozo Cruz is a scientist, professor and senior researcher with the Department of Sport Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics at the Center for Active and Healthy Aging at the University of Southern Denmark.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Emily Luisana about her recent study on dog bowl and dog food hygiene and the link to human and dog health published here.
In the podcast, Dr. Luisana will discuss how she became interested in this topic and provide an overview of the potential bacteria/viruses that may grow on dog bowls and the potential impact for dog and human health. She'll discuss results from her survey that assessed how many people knew about the FDA's pet dish cleaning recommendations as well as the most common current practices for handling/storing dog food and cleaning dog bowls. She'll describe results from a survey to assess bacterial growth on dog dishes among groups, one of which used the FDA guidelines, and discuss differences. Then she'll offer general guidance and a bit of nutritional wisdom for dogs.
Dr. Luisana is a practicing veterinarian and board-certified clinical nutritionist for veterinary medicine. You can read more about her here.

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In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Christopher Murray about his recent article published in The Lancet (2022) titled The Global Burden of Cancer Attributable to Risk Factors, 2010-2019, a Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. This is the largest effort to date to determine the gobal burden of cancer due to risk factors. He will discuss what the global burden of disease study is, how he and his team estimated the burden of cancer, the risk factors and the assessment framework used to link specific cancers to specific risks, what percentage of cancer is attributed to risk factors, what the greatest risks are, differences in high income vs low income countries and public health implications.

Dr. Murray is Chair of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington and Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). He also leads the Global Burden of Disease collaboration ( a systemic effort to quantify the comparitive magnitude of health loss due to diseases, injuries and risk factors.)He is both a physician and a health economist and his work has led to innovative methods for strengthening health measurements, analyzing the performance of health systems and producing forecasts for the future state of health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House, European Commission, WHO EURO and Africa CDC have used IHME forecasts and policy scenarios as sources of evidence.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Carinne Chambers-Saini, CEO of DIVA and founder of the DIVA menstrual cup about how the mainstream dialogue around menstruation has changed over the years, what menstrual inequity and period poverty is, how the DIVA Cup works and its benefits over pads and tampons, anything we have to worry about with the DIVA Cup, and finally how she implemented a "menstrual health leave policy" at her company and how folks responded.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Christoffer Clemmensen about his research on the psychodelic drug, psilocybin, and its connection to weight and energy balance. This podcast will mostly cover his animal study published here in Translational Psychiatry. As there is renewed interest in psychedelics and, of course, the ongoing obesity epidemic that is increasing around the globe, this is a doubly timely topic.
Specifically, he will discuss psilocybin, how it works in the body, its relation to "cognitive flexibility", and how it might be used for obesity. He will explain the results of his animal study involving psilocybin, the dosing riddle, and why he feels it should next be studied in humans.
Dr. Clemmensen heads the Clemmensen Group studies at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research. His research focuses on the biological regulation of body weight and aims to develop new therapeutic approaches for obesity and its metabolic consequences. You can learn more about him and his lab here.
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In this Causes or Cures episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Shuji Ogino about his recent paper published in Nature Reviews, Clinical Oncology, titled "Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications."
In the podcast, Dr. Ogino discusses what "early onset" means, what types of cancer are showing up earlier in younger people, and the evidence and data that supports this trend. He discusses how exposures early in life and in utero may be contributing to early-onset cancer in young people ( in their thirties and forties), and the specific risk factors that have been linked to early-onset cancer. He talks about why molecular pathological epidemiology is important for future analysis of this trend and what we need to do to slow the epidemic from an individual perspective, a public health perspective, and a research one.
Dr. Ogino, originally from Japan, is chief of the program in Molecular Pathological Epidemiology, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. He is also a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. You can learn more about him here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Jack Swain, head of clinical operations at Mindbloom. Mindbloom is a mental health and wellness company dedicated to expanding science-based treatments for depression and anxiety, and they are starting with at-home, sublingual Ketamine treatment that is supplemented with telehealth and peer support.

There is an explosion of interest in how psychedelics and other kinds of alternatives might be used to treat depression and anxiety, diseases that are notoriously difficult to treat, particularly for the long-term. In this episode, Jack will discuss a recent study involving Mindbloom that was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in October'22. He will discuss what Ketamine is, the theory for why it helps with depression and anxiety, and Ketamine's disassociation effect. He breaks down the "methods" section of the research (what the outcomes were, how they were measured and how the study was set up) and the results of the study. He talks any safety or side effect concerns with Ketamine and finally, the benefits of sublingual (under-the-tongue) Ketamine vs IV Ketamine. He'll also touch on what else is in store for Mindbloom.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Marko Lukic, a physician and researcher at the Arctic Univeristy of Norway, who recently did a study on modifiable risk factors for colon cancer, an interesting and timely topic considering the concerning rising rates of colon cancer in young people. The study was published in the International Journal of Cancer.

In the podcast, Dr. Lukic will talk us through his research; what data he used; about the specific, modifiable risk factors and their link to colon cancer incidence (or new cases) and how much these risk factors explain the burden of colon cancer and how much of the burden remains unexplained. For the coffee drinkers out there, he will also add some interesting tidbits about his research on coffee and its relationship to cancer.

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The opioid epidemic is still raging, and people are still dying as a result.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Jeremiah Lindemann about how he is using his data, geographic information system and mapping skills to combat the opioid epidemic. Inspired by the loss of his brother to the opioid epidemic, he will discuss the creation of the "Celebrate Lost Loved Ones" map, hosted by the National Safety Council, who visits the map, and stories being shared on the map daily. He will discuss how he became an "accidental" public health professional and how he obtains data to create specific maps that are useful for helping state and local governments take on the opioid epidemic in more efficient ways. Finally, he will share what he thinks needs to be prioritized to bring the opioid epidemic, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, to an end.
Jeremiah is an ArcGIS Solutions product engineer with over 20 years of experience, including consulting for state and local governments.

If you lost someone to the opioid epidemic and would like to share his/her story and/or photo on the Celebrate Lost Loved Ones map, you can do so here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks will chat with neuroscientist Dr. Mark Mattson about his new book titled, The Intermittent Fasting Revolution: The Science of Optimizing Health and Enhancing Performance. Dr. Mattson is a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, the former chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at the National Institute of Aging and someone who has done a lot of research on intermittent fasting. The National Institute of Health (NIH) considers him one of the world's top experts on the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting.

In the podcast, he will discuss how food scarcity sculpted the brain, including creativity and imagination; why 3 meals a day (plus a snack) isn't the best nutritional advice; the mechanisms of how intermittent fasting slows aging and prevents specific diseases; why stuffing our bodies with antioxidants may not be the best idea and why some "free radicals" are necessary; what hormesis means and why exercise and intermittent fasting are "good" kinds of stress; how intermittent fasting increases cortisol, but neurons respond differently to cortisol produced by intermittent fasting vs, say, chronic lifestyle stress. He will talk about how intermittent fasting relates to "old cells", Alzheimer's disease, cancer and autism. He will discuss a ketone ester that is on the market and finally, why we have an "ass backwards" health system.

To order Dr. Mattson's book, go here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Professor Maggie Wang about the first, real-time platform to predict the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The podcast is based on her and her team's work published in Nature Medicine in June of 2022. The platform has the potential to be used for other vaccines as well.
In the podcast, Professor Wang will discuss the research behind the platform, how vaccine effectiveness relates to "genetic distance"; how, when using the platform, the different COVID-19 vaccine platforms compare; why over 80% of variation in vaccine effectiveness is due to the genetic distance measure; how the platform can predict vaccine effectiveness by vaccine type and geopgraphical area; reverse vaccinology, and the larger, practical implications of this real-time platform.

Professor Wang is founder and director of BethBio, a biotech company located in Hong Kong that focuses on vaccine development and translating frontier research results into vaccine technologies. She is also the Co-Director of the Master of Science Program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Review Editor for Human Genetics.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Hector Aguilar-Carreno about his and his team's research published in Nature, May'22 titled: A TMPRSS2 inhibitor acts as a pan-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic and therapeutic.

In the podcast, he will break down the study and in an easy-to-understand way explain what TMPRSS2 is and how it relates to COVID-19 infection; the inhibitors and how they work; results when tested on cells and mice; why a nasal spray would be the most ideal way to administer this; public health implications, and where they are at in the research process.

Dr. Aguilar-Carreno is a virologist, professor and researcher with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tal Patalon, head of Kahn, Sagol, Maccabi (KSM), the Research and Innovation Center of Maccabi Healthcare Services in Israel about her recent study (still in preprint), titled: Naturally-acquired Immunity Dynamics against SARS-CoV-2 in Children and Adolescents, which you can access here. Currently, this is the largest, real-world, observational study looking at this research question during the Delta wave in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of kids and adolescents included in the study.
In the podcast, she will discuss why she was interested in this research question, how she and her team conducted the study, what they discovered, any differences observed between reinfection rates without symptoms vs reinfection with symptoms in kids and adolescents, and since she is also a practicing clinician in Israel, what she is seeing from a clinical perspective and if that coincides with her research findings. Hope you tune in to the conversation! :)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Krista Varady about the evidence base for intermittent fasting (IF). Dr. Varady has conducted numerous randomized controlled trials on intermittent fasting and is with the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Her recent review on IF was published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, which you can read here. You can follow her on Instagram here.
In the podcast, she will discuss the evidence for intermittent fasting, its relationship to weight loss, if it helps with certain disease states, long-term results vs short-term results, different results in adults vs kids, if there is something "unique" about IF or if any health benefits come down to calorie restriction, and if she thinks it's a better diet to follow than others.
Tune in!

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Melissa Mialon about how the food industry influences public health policy and nutritional guidelines. She will describe the many characters of the food industry, what corporate political activity is and how they use it to influence health policy and nutritional guidelines, food labels, conflicts of interests involving decisionmakers of important nutritional guidelines, how the industry biases the scientific evidence base and what we can do to make sure the system is not biased towards food industry interests and profits.

Dr. Mialon is a food engineer, a Research Assitant Professor at Trinity College, Dublin and an honorary Research Fellow at the University of San Paulo in Brazil. She is also an independent consultant currently working in France. She works for many health and consumer organizations, including the WHO, Blommberg Philanthropies and the Ministry of Health Ghana and is the co-cordinator of the Governance, Ethics and Conflicts of Interestin Public Health. She is highly published in the area of how the food industry influences health policy in numerous countries and is the author of a recent book, Big Food and CIE. You can learn more about her and read her publications on her website here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jerry Heindel about his and other researchers' recent reviews published in Biochemical Pharmacology on how chemicals in everyday products may be fueling the obesity epidemic here in the US and elsewhere. He will discuss what these chemicals are and how we get exposed; what the term "Obesogen" means and why that term should be on our radar; the potential mechanism of actions for how these chemical lead to obesity; when getting exposed to these chemicals puts us more at risk; the current evidence base for these chemicals fueling obesity, and things that we can do on both the individual and population level to reduce or mitigate our exposure.
Dr. Heindel has his doctorate in biochemistry and worked in the area of reproductive biology and toxicology while a faculty member at the University of Texas Medical School and the Univeristy of Mississippi. He worked for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) for 25 years where he focused on the potential impact of environmental chemicals on the developmental origins of health and disease. He is currently the director of the Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), an organization that is funded by grants and personal donations, not corporate interests.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Dimie Ogoina about the human monkeypox outbreak that started in Nigeria in 2017, after the country had not seen a case for approximately 40 years. Dr. Ogoina is an infectious disease specialist and president of the Nigerian Infectious Disease Society whose hospital saw the first (index) case of human monkeypox in 2017. He has published several papers on this topic which can be found here.

In this episode, he will describe the beginning of the monkeypox outbreak in Nigeria in 2017, symptoms, thoughts on transmission and things that struck him as unusual. He will talk about how Nigeria tried to warn the rest of the world that they were seeing something unusual. He will discuss similarities between what he observed (and treated) in Nigeria to what many countries around the world are now experiencing. He will also discuss the rate of mutations in this particular monkeypox virus, possible animal reservoirs, the link to the smallpox virus and what we can do better going forward as a global health community when it comes to addressing outbreaks.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Vera Schluessel about her work on the cognitive abilities of fish, with a specific focus on her latest study published in Nature Scientific Reports, "Cichlids and Stingrays can add & subtract 'one' in the number space from 1 to 5. Basically, she is going to tell us about fish doing math! In the podcast she will discuss why she started researching the cognitive abilities of fish, why the general public rarely considers it and wrongly assumes "fish are dumb", some of her unique fish studies and results, and the overall message she hopes to convey to the general public.
Dr. Schluessel runs the Schluessel Cognition Lab at the Institute of Zoologie at the University of Bonn in Germany.

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Continuing the exploration of industry's influence on healthcare and health policy, in this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Joel Lexchin and Dr. Lisa Parker about the influence drug companies have over patient groups. They will describe what patient groups are (why they are needed & the variety of work they do), why drug companies have a vested interest in patient groups, how drug companies fund and influence the groups (and sometimes even create them) and how the groups influence healthcare policy. They will also discuss practical things that can be done to make the overall health system puts patients over profit.

Dr. Lexchin is a professor at York University, where he teaches pharmaceutical policy, an emergency medicine physician, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, a member of the Ontario Drug Quality and Therapeutics Committee and was chair of the Drugs and Pharmacotherapy Committee of the Ontario Medical Association. Dr. Parker is an honorary senior lecturer at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney and on the faculty of medicine and health. She is a clinician who practices in the field of oncology(cancer) and her research focuses on public health ethics and policy.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. David Smith about the history and future of psychedelic medicine. He will discuss early research on psychedelics (including experiments the CIA ran), the potential health benefits and disorders they may treat, any potential side effects we should worry about, the current state of research, and why he remains cautiously optimistic. (You'll also hear about some of your favorite bands and how their contributions kept some of the earliest clinics open.)

Dr. David Smith is one of the founders of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, founded in 1967 during the Summer of Love. He is a recognized national leader in the treatment of addictive disease and the psychopharmacology of drugs. Now in his eighties, he continues to serve as medical director for several medical centers and is chair of addiction medicine for a residential center for teens with substance abuse. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine and the California Society of Addiction Medicine and founding editor of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Mathias Schmidt and Dr. Nils Gassen about their recent research published in Science Advances that involves a protein in the brain that may link autophagy to metabolism to weight control and the fight against obesity. In the podcast, they will discuss why they are interested in obesity research, why they have a specific interest in this protein, what they knew about the protein before the study and what they learned, what autophagy is, how it is linked to the specific protein, how autophagy is linked to metabolism, and what their research might mean for weight control and the fight against obesity going forward..
Dr. Schmidt is the Research Group Leader of the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany and Dr. Gassen is a Research Group Leader at the University of Bonn Medical Center in Germany.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Cheryl Juaire, founder of Team Sharing, INC. Cheryl will discuss Team Sharing, a not-for-profit for parents who have lost their kids to substance abuse disorder, including opioids, and why she started it. She will talk about what it was like to navigate loss and grief after losing two of her sons to the opioid epidemic and how Team Sharing helps parents and family members navigate through grief. She will also discuss what she thinks the public health response to the opioid epidemic should look like, and she will talk about what it was like to personally address the Sackler Family, owners of the disgraced pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma that led a wide and false marketing campaign that misinformed patients and providers about the addictive potential of prescribed opioids.

(If you are interested in joining a virtual 5K on May 7th to help raise money for TeamSharing, the sign-up link is here! For a great cause!)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Brad Pickering about COVID-19 spillover from humans into other animals, particularly his work on viral spillover into white-tailed deer in Canada, as well as the case he and his team discovered that might be the first, identifiable case of deer to human transmission of the virus. He will discuss the unique mutations in the deer viral samples, the potential first case of deer to human transmission (how it was identified and how it might have occurred), vaccine effectiveness against the deer viral samples and what this potential spillover and spillback might mean for managing the COVID-19 virus going forward.
Dr. Pickering is the head of the Special Pathogens Unit at the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease for the Canadian Government. You can read his study here.

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Continuing our exploration of the pharmaceutical industry's influence on health and health policy at a global level, in this podcast, Dr. Eeks has a conversation with Emily Rickard about her research on how the industry influences the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Groups. She will explain what the All-Party Parliamentary Groups, particularly the health-related ones, are and what they do. She'll talk about both the direct and indirect ways the pharmaceutical industry influences those groups and why that matters from both a transparency issue and a health-policy one.
Emily is a researcher and doctoral student with the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Bath.

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Rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, are only increasing in developed nations as scientists race to find treatments and identify preventive strategies.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Margaret Gatz about her research published in the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association titled: Prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in indigenous Bolivian forager-horticulturalist. In the podcast she will discuss these indigenous populations, including their lifestyle, diet and educational levels, how she conducted her research to assess their risks and rates of dementia, how their rates compare to the developed world, some intriguing findings, and what developed nations with growing rates of Alzheimer's disease can potentially learn from them in terms of risk factors for dementia and prevention.

Dr. Gatz is a professor of psychology, gerontology and preventive medicine at the University of Southern California's Lenoard Davis School of Gerontology. Studies in her Gatz lab include age-related changes in cognition, depression, personality and preventive factors for Alzheimer's Disease and other kinds of dementia.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrea Saltelli about his recent paper on regulatory capture titled: Science, the Endless Frontier of Regulatory Capture.
He will discuss what regulatory capture is, what cultural capture is, what an epistemic ladder of corruption is and how all of these things impact science, influence policy and ultimately, all of us. He will use specific case studies to highlight elements of regulatory capture in science that make it easier to understand. He will also discuss ways to make regulatory capture less of an issue for science and subsequent policies.

Dr. Saltelli has done a lot of research on physical chemistry, environmental science and applied statistics. His main area of focus is sensitivity analysis of model output, where statistical tools are used to interpret outputs from mathematical and computational models, and sensitivity auditing, an extension of sensitivity analysis applied to the entire evidence-generating process from a policy context. Till 2015, he worked at the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, leading a team devoted to econometrics and applied statistics. Between 2016-2020, he was associate professor at the Center for the Study of the Sciences of Humanity at the University of Bergen. His recent work includes the reproducibility of scientific results, principles of modeling & the ethics of quantification.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Janet Currie about the factors that caused the opioid epidemic. They will discuss her recent research published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, "The Opioid Epidemic was Not Caused by Economic Distress but by Factors that Could be More Rapidly Addressed." In this podcast, she will discuss the history of the opioid epidemic, how it started and explain why prescriptions for opioids and healthcare market policies are what fueled the epidemic, not economic factors.
Dr. Currie is an economist and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University and the co-director of Princeton's Center for Health and Wellbeing. She is also codirector of the Program on Families and Children at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She was named a Nomis Distinguished Scientist in 2019 and 1 of the top 10 women in economics by the World Economics Forum in 2015. She has served as the President of the American Society of Health Economics, The Society of Labour Economics and Vice President of the American Economics Association. She is considered a pioneer in the economic analysis of child development and her current research focuses on the socioeconomic differences in health, access to healthcare, and environmental threats to health.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Joel Lexchin about his recent research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine titled: A Ray of Sunshine: Transparency in Physician-Industry Relationships Is Not Enough. He will discuss what the Sunshine Act was designed to accomplish in terms of being transparent about physician-industry relationships, what it actually did, and how it did or did not change physician behavior, industry behavior and consumer behavior.

Dr. Lexchin is a professor at the York University Faculty of Health where he taught pharmaceutical policy, an emergency medicine physician, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the author of over 160 peer-reviewed publications. He was a member of the Ontario Drug Quality and Therapeutics Committee and chair of the Drugs and Pharmacotherapy Committee of the Ontario Medical Association for 2 years.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Msgr Stephen Rossetti about his work as an Exorcist. He has conducted hundreds of exorcisms. In this podcast, he will describe what it means to be possessed and how possessions manifest, how one discerns possession from an underlying mental or physiological issue, who Spiritual Sensitives are and why they are important, what happens during an exorcism and some of his scarier moments, how long exorcisms take and what he says to the doubters.
Msgr. Rossetti is the author of A Diary of an American Exorcist. He has a Ph.D in psychology and is a licensed psychologist, is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and is President of the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal and a research associate professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington. He helped create the app, Catholic Exorcism , which provides deliverance and exorcism prayers in English and Spanish and maintains an active blog.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Sergio Sismondo, a professor of philosophy at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada about his work titled "Epistemic Corruption, the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Body of Medical Science" published in Frontiers Research Metrics and Analytics. His years of empirical research has shed light on the various ways drug companies influence the practice of medicine and the body of medical science for profit. His research also allowed him to develop a framework for understanding the relationship between politics and pharmaceutical companies. In addition to his research, he has published two books titled: An Introduction to Science and Technology and Ghost-Managed Medicine, Big Pharma's Invisible Hands.

(Keep in mind that this is a podcast. It's a conversation and/or philosophical discussion, not news.)

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In this episode of The Causes or Cures Podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Katherine Roe, a neuroscientist working on developing evidence-based strategies to replace animals in scientific research. While preclinical studies with animals is widely accepted in scientific research as a necessary step, many people worry about the welfare of the animals and wonder if there are viable, better alternatives. Some researchers do not want to do research on animals and struggle with the idea that they might have to, to advance their career. In this podcast, Dr. Roe will discuss potential alternatives to animal research, her view on how valuable and applicable results from animal trials are for humans, the "pressure to publish" and how that might lead to unnecessary animal trials, and why she believes it is more valuable for overall human heatlh to fund other kinds of research.
Dr. Roe is a neuroscientist who used to work at the National Institute of Health. She is the chief of the scientific advancement outreach division at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

(Keep in mind that this is a podcast. It's a conversation and/or philosophical discussion, not news.)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Lisa Parker on her research about how drug companies influence DTC (Drug and Therapeutic Committee) decisions at hospitals in Australia. She describes who is part of a DTC and what it does, conflicts of interest with industry, ways DTCs try to decrease industry's influence and the things drug companies do to get around those mitigation efforts. Finally, she makes suggestions for improving the system.

Dr. Parker is a honorary senior lecturer in the school of Pharmacy at The University of Sydney and on the faculty of medicine and health. Her research focuses on public health ethics and policy, specifically the influence of values, evidence and industry on healthcare policy. She is also a practicing clinician and works in the field of oncology.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Trine Tetlie Eik-Nes about her new intervention for obesity with binge eating disorder (BED) that was recently tested in a feasibility study and published here. Obesity is an epidemic affecting many developed nations, and rates only increased during the pandemic, for both adults and kids.

In the podcast she will discuss in detail her intervention, called People Need People (PnP), along with the link between obesity and binge eating disorder. She will also discuss the relationship of obesity and binge eating disorder with stigma, shame and our attachment style, and why it is crucial to address those issues in order to help someone recover.

Dr. Eik-Nes is an Associate Professor at the Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). She completed her MSc at NTNU and has her PhD in public health. She has worked as a clinician for 20 years in the mental health sector and also conducts research with a special interest in adult psychopathology, the epidemiology of obesity, weight disorders, eating disorders, body image and stigma.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Tonya Winders, CEO of the Allergy and Asthma Network, an organization that represents millions of Americans, about the relationship between asthma and COVID-19. The relationship has been "confusing" to decipher from news articles, so she will shed light on that for us.
She will also discuss what her organization prioritized during the pandemic to address COVID. In addition, she will provide information on the types of tools her organization offers for folks struggling with asthma and allergies and talk about advances being made in research, the social determinants of health that lead to worsening asthma and her thoughts on lifestyle changes and steroid treatments.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Guillermo Barrios Morales about his recent research that modeled the effects of Mealses-induced "Immune Amnesia" while another outbreak is happening simultaneously. In this podcast he will discuss what immune amnesia is and its association to Measles, his predictive model and the assumptions he made, and the impact immune amnesia could have on the immune system's ability to fight off other viruses, both at the individual and population level. Could Measles wipe out herd immunity for another virus? Find out.
Dr. Barrios Morales is a scientific researcher and physicist affiliated with the Universidad de Granada in Spain. A link to his study on measles and immune amnesia is here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dave Hickey, president of Life Sciences at BD about their new AI-powered, smartphone-enabled, at-home test for COVID-19 called BD Veritor. We discuss the importance of testing, how accurate the test is, cost and accessibility, which are two current and concerning barriers for many people. You can visit BD's website here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Blima Marcus, an oncology nurse practitioner at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, about her community-level, grassroots initiative to address concerns about childhood vaccines in her religious orthodox community that experienced a Measles outbreak not too long ago. (In general, there have been concerns about increases in Measles outbreaks in various countries due to lower vaccination rates during the pandemic.) Blima will discuss why she pursued this initiative, what "PIE" is, her approach to people who think differently than she does about vaccines, the type of feedback she's been getting and how she handles negative feedback. Blima has a doctorate degree in nursing and is also the president of EMES, where you can go and learn more about her "PIE" initiative and even get a copy for yourself.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk about his recent study on intermittent fasting, published in JAMA Network here. He will discuss his study, what he and his research team learned about intermittent fasting when it comes to health benefits and health associations; the health differences between intermittent fasting and plain ol' calorie restriction; what the evidence says about intermittent fasting working for specific diseases and most importantly, if there is enough evidence to say that we should try intermittent fasting in our battle against a growing obesity problem.
Dr. Chaiyakunapruk is a researcher and professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy in Salt Lake City. He earned his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his PhD in Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program from the University of Washington. You can read his full bio and research publications here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks interviews Dr. Azza Halim MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist and doctor who specializes in aesthetic, regenerative and anti-aging medicine. She is a national medical director for several aesthetic startup companies and runs her own medical consulting company. You can learn more about her and follow her on Instagram here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Israel's Dr. Ariel Israel, MD, PhD about his new study that resulted in the creation of a web-based calculator for determining your risk of hospitalization and death once infected with COVID-19. While the study is still in preprint and not peer-reviewed, statistical tests show that the predictive model is accurate. Anyone can access the calculator here and put in his/her risk values to determine overall risk of hospitalization and death. (Keep in mind that nothing is written in stone yet.)
In this podcast, Dr. Israel discusses the study that resulted in the formation of the COVID calculator; what the predictive model tells us in terms of risk of hospitalization and dying of COVID-19, and he also discusses the current COVID and vaccine situation in Israel, along with what early treatment drugs they are using and how they assess vaccine safety vs how the US does.
Dr. Israel is Director of Leumit Research Institute in Israel and has been highly published throughout the pandemic. He has an MD and PhD degree and his expertise is in Data Mining and Analytics, Bioinformatics, Human Genetics, Computational Biology, Machine Learning, Database and Network programming, Mobile Applications development, VPN and Network Security.

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Fluvoxamine is a cheap, generic, oral drug that is classified and used as an antidepressant. That said, recent trials have tested its use as early, at-home treatment for COVID-19 and so far, the results look extremely promising. So promising that an application was recently submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization as early treatment for COVID-19.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Eric Lenze, a psychiatrist and clinical trialist at Washington University in St. Louis, who ran one of the randomized controlled trials on fluvoxamine. His study was published here in JAMA. In this episode, he will discuss what fluvoxamine is, why he and his team decided to study its use against COVID-19, results of the trial and subsequent trials, dosing issues, side effects, concerns about withdrawal and how the drug can help bring an end to the pandemic.

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We have heard a lot about mRNA vaccines in relation to COVID-19, but researchers are studying the technology to see if it can be used to make vaccines for other diseases. Lyme Disease is one of the most prevalent vector-borne diseases in the US that can have both short-term and long-term consequences, like chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, kidney dysfunction, constant muscle pains and more.
In this episode Dr. Erol Fikrig, an infectious disease expert and professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine who runs a lab studying vector-borne diseases, explains his preclinical research on an mRNA vaccine for Lyme Disease. He explains what is in the vaccine; how it works (differently than ANY other vaccine out there), results from his research conducted in animals, current studies and whether or not he sees this as something that might come to humans.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Ashley Tyrner, CEO of FarmboxRx, a company that helps get healthy and fresh foods to low-income and senior communities. Physicians can prescribe these food boxes for their patients, and Farmbox is partnering with a growing number of health insurance companies. Farmbox recently partnered with the USDA.
Ashley was a single, Hispanic mother who started out in fashion and struggled herself with access to healthy foods. Passionate about connecting marginalized communities to healthy, affordable foods that are shown to cut down on rates of chronic illness, Ashley went on to create Farmbox.
Here she discusses the beginnings of Farmbox, how the program works, the types of food in one box, successful case studies and current research, partnerships with health insurance companies and how anyone interested can sign up with Farmbox.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with former CIA officer Marc Polymeropolous about his experience with the mysterious Havana Syndrome that has impacted many people in the intelligence community. Marc discusses when he was first impacted in Moscow, his symptoms, the CIA's response, what he thinks might have happened to him and what he hopes to accomplish by sharing his story.

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To listen to her comedic parody/audiobook on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi about his newly published research on the presence of SARS-Cov-2 ( COVID-19) in white-tailed deer. He will discuss how they conducted the study, its findings and what they could mean for viral transmission, the "spillover" of SARS-Cov-2 from humans to deer and how it most likely happened, the symptom profile in deer, how multiple hosts may complicate mitigation efforts, and what this may mean for the trajectory of the pandemic.

Dr. Kuchipudi is a clinical professor at Penn State University's College of Agricultural Sciences and is Associate Director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory where he oversees the microbiology department. He is a trained veterinarian and a board-certified specialist in virology and immunology. His research focuses on infectious diseases, zoonotic and emerging viruses, viral pathogenesis, diagnostic assay development and pathogen-host interactions. Currenty his lab is focused on SARS-Cov-2. Recently he was named the prestigious Huck Chair of Emerging Infectious Diseases. You can learn more about him and see his publications here.

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Most people are focused on the mRNA vaccines ( Pfizer-BioNTech & Moderna) or the viral-vector vaccines, like J&J, but many researchers and companies are working on protein subunit vaccines for COVID-19. Dr. Petrovsky and his company, Vaxine, created a protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19 that was tested in randomized controlled trials in Iran and just recently approved for use there. ( I believe it is the first protein subunit vaccine approved for use anywhere.)
In this podcast he will discuss how it was made, efficacy and safety results, possible side effects, where it is currently available, if it is easily updated and more. In the second half of the podcast he shares his experience of the political situation in Australia. I can't comment on that, because I don't know exactly what is happening in Australia, but it sounds concerning.

Dr. Petrovsky is a doctor, vaccine researcher and director of endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre in Australia. He is vice-president and secretary-general of the international immunomics society. He is the founder and chairman of Vaxine, a company funded by the NIH to create new vaccine technology. Dr. Petrovsky has developed vaccines for influenza, hepatitis b, malaria, rabies and more. He is author of over 90 papers and book chapters.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks discusses "misinformation vs dissent" with Dr. Joe Schwarcz. Topics discussed include: who/what are credible sources; censorship; who is doing the fact checking; who defines what misinformation is/isn't; how do you weed out scientific dissent from misinformation; what to do with anecdotes; and how one measures the potential impact of misinformation.

Dr. Schwarcz is Director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society which has the mission of "separating sense from nonsense." The office is currently focused on determining what is misinformation and what is not regarding COVID-19. Dr. Schwarcz is also a spokesperson for ScienceUpFirst, a national initiative funded by Public Health Canada, whose mission is to weed out COVID-19 misinformation. Dr. Schwarcz is also a chemistry professor, hosts "The Dr. Joe Show" on Montreal's CJAD and has appeared hundreds of times on The Discovery channel, CTV, CBC, TV Ontario and Global Television. He is also a magician.

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In 2020, Singapore was the model country when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic. They had exceptionally low case numbers and an almost non-existant death rate. Many people in the US, a country with high case and death numbers, would ask, "Why couldn't we do it like Singapore did it?" In Dec'2020, I had Dr. Walid Abdullah, a professor and researcher in Singapore, on the podcast to discuss Singapore's model response. Unsurprisingly, Singapore also had a very successful vaccination campaign, having quickly vaccinated over 80% of their population. But fast forward to today and cases are surging in Singapore. Their death rate, while still low, is increasing. That does not make sense to a lot of people. What went wrong? Dr. Abdullah came back on Causes or Cures to explain what happened in Singapore.

Dr. Abdullah is a professor of social sciences and researcher at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He recently published a critical assessment of Singapore's response to COVID-19. His areas of research include political systems and elections, state-religion relations, political Islam and Southeast Asia politics.

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Come one, come all, with your sarcasm hats and senses of humor, while Dr. Eeks provides pandemic updates and her perspective on why Big Pharma has our privileged selves between its teeth and is prolonging the pandemic.
*Opinions do not reflect anyone Dr. Eeks works for.
Don't be so serious, it's unbecoming & no one gets out of here alive.

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In this podcast, Dr. Eeks discusses the current battle over the COVID-19 vaccine boosters, and how that ties into mandates, building the public's trust and what's happening in the rest of the world.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks (Dr.  ErinKate Stair) chats with Dr. Jonathan Baktari about the rise of the Delta variant and the changing recommendations regarding masks; Delta and kids and whether kids should be required to wear face masks; issues with testing; vaccines and vaccine equity; natural immunity and what he thinks the future of the pandemic looks like.

Dr. Baktari is a pulmonary and critical care medical doctor who also serves as CEO of  e7Health and US Drug Test Centers. He has served as clinical faculty for several medical schools, including the University of Nevada. You can read more about his bio here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Mary Pegington about her research into why young women gain weight. Mary is a research dietitian with the Prevent Breast Cancer Research Unit in Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. 
She will discuss the reasons young women gain weight and have trouble losing it, when they are most at risk of gaining weight, life events and factors that lead to increased weight gain in young women, diets that put young women at a heightened risk of gaining weight, and she will also dispel common age-related myths about when most women gain weight and have trouble keeping it off.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Katie Sturgeon about the link between diet, exercise and breast cancer outcomes and survivability. This podcast will explore what diet, lifestyle changes and exercise program is optimal for improving breast cancer outcomes and survivability and why. Dr. Sturgeon will dive into the research. The podcast will also explore best preventive measures pre-menopausal women can take to lower their risk of getting breast cancer.

Dr. Sturgeon is a researcher and assistant professor at Penn State Cancer Institute and works in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Epidemiology. Her research focuses on how exercise and lifestyle changes impact chronic diseases and cancer.

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In this episode Dr. Eeks chats with the obesity doctor, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, about all things obesity. In the first part of the podcast, they discuss why obesity is a disease and why every public health measure fails to lower obesity rates in the US. Dr. Stanford will explain the relationship between obesity and sleep, what a set point is and why that is so important, and the relationship between obesity and stress. They also discuss what to do for people who are "doing everything right" but still unable to lose weight.
In the last part of the podcast they discuss how addressing obesity fits in with the Body Positive and Fat Acceptance movements, both prominent in society and on social media, and where her message about obesity intersects with theirs and where it deviates.

"Dr. Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS practices and teaches at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/ Harvard Medical School (HMS) as one of the first fellowship-trained obesity medicine physician in the world. Dr. Stanford received her BS and MPH from Emory University as a MLK Scholar, her MD from the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine as a Stoney Scholar, her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a Zuckerman Fellow in the Harvard Center for Public Leadership, and her executive MBA as a merit-based scholarship recipient from the Quantic School of Business and . She completed her Obesity Medicine & Nutrition Fellowship at MGH/HMS after completing her internal medicine and pediatrics residency at the University of South Carolina. She has served as a health communications fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as a behavioral sciences intern at the American Cancer Society. Upon completion of her MPH, she received the Gold Congressional Award, the highest honor that Congress bestows upon America’s youth. Dr. Stanford has completed a medicine and media internship at the Discovery Channel. An American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation Leadership Award recipient in 2005, an AMA Paul Ambrose Award for national leadership among resident physicians in 2009, she was selected for the AMA Inspirational Physician Award in 2015. The American College of Physicians (ACP) selected her as the 2013 recipient of the Joseph E. Johnson Leadership Award and the Massachusetts ACP selected her for the Young Leadership Award in 2015. She is the 2017 recipient of the HMS Amos Diversity Award and Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) Award for Women’s Health. In 2019, she was selected as the Suffolk District Community Clinician of the Year and for the Reducing Health Disparities Award for MMS. She was selected for The Obesity Society Clinician of the Year in 2020. In 2021, she has been awarded the MMS Grant Rodkey Award for her dedication to medical students and the AMA Dr. Edmond and Rima Cabbabe Dedication to the Profession Award which recognizes a physician who demonstrates active and productive improvement to the profession of medicine through community service, advocacy, leadership, teaching, or philanthropy."

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In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Cecilia Rikap of Argentina, Dr. Marc-Andre Gagnon of Canada and Dr. Mercedes Garcia Carrillo of Argentia who, along with a few other researchers, conducted a study and wrote a paper titled: "Whose shoulders is health research standing on? Determining the key actors and contents of the prevailing biomedical research agenda."
In the podcast, they will discuss what the dominant biomedical research agenda is and why it's so important; what its chief contents are; the players that have the most influence over the dominant research agenda (including how much industry influences it), and what is not included in the agenda and why that is important. They will also suggest ways to improve the contents of the agenda and ensure that no one has a monopoly over influencing it. In addition, they talk a little about science, funding and vaccine access as it relates to the current pandemic.

Dr. Mercedes García Carrillo is a biologist and a CONICET postdoctoral scholar. Currently, she is part of the Cancer Systems Biology and Philosophy Laboratory at the Institute of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Translational Biology of the University of Buenos Aires. Her research is focused on studying the impact of commonly used herbicides on human cell lines and microbial soil communities. Mercedes holds a PhD in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires. Her PhD research was focused on the development of emergent food preservation techniques for the treatment of fruit and vegetable beverages.

Dr. Cecilia Rikap is a tenure researcher at the CONICET, Argentina’s national research council, and visiting professor of the IDHES, Université Paris Saclay. She is also an associate researcher of COSTECH, Université de Technologie de Compiègne and CEPED, IRD/Université de Paris, and a professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Her research is centered around the rising concentration of intangible assets, focusing on power relations and the distribution of data and innovation-related economic gains, resulting geopolitical tensions, and the effects on knowledge commons & development. She is the author of the book Capitalism, Power and Innovation: Intellectual Monopoly Capitalism Uncovered (Routledge, 2021). She holds a PhD in economics from the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Dr. Marc-André Gagnon is Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). He is a Research Fellow with the WHO Collaborating Center on Governance, Accountability and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector. His research focuses on pharmaceutical policy and on the political economy of the drug industry. More specifically, his on-going research focuses on comparative analysis of health care coverage (and pharmacare), on innovation policy and intellectual property in the knowledge-based economy, as well as institutional corruption in pharmaceutical research. He holds a PhD in political science from York University, a Diplôme d’études approfondies in economics from Paris-I Sorbonne and École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay/Saint-Cloud. His did his postdoctoral studies in Law with the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy at McGill University and in Ethics with the Edmond J. Safra Centre for Ethics à l’Université Harvard.

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We hear a lot about COVID Long Haulers and the symptoms they experience, but are there any predicting factors for becoming one?

In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Chuck Downs about his ongoing research on COVID Long Haulers. He discusses predicting factors for becoming a Long Hauler ( including age, sex, BMI); one's risk of becoming a COVID Long Hauler when he/she has asymptomatic COVID vs symptomatic COVID; the most common long-haul symptoms and how long they last; if vaccinations help Long Haulers or not, and the predominant theories about why long-haul symptoms happen in some people.

Dr. Downs was the Associate Dean for Research at the University of Miami and is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing and Health Studies. He and his team have published several papers on COVID long-haul symptoms.

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Many countries and states are considering vaccine passports that would show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter certain places and do certain things. While the idea has merit, there are many ethical, legal and social concerns.
In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dimitry Kochenov, "The Passport Professor", about concerns over vaccine passports, including privacy issues; the further stigmatization of marginalized communities; the "immunoprivileged"; what we know and don't know about the science of the vaccines; the potential for the politicalization of vaccines; who will enforce vaccine passports; and personal liberties vs government mandates.
Dimitry Kochenov leads the Rule of Law research group at CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest and teaches Global Citizenship at CEU Legal Studies department in Vienna. He's an author, having written the book Citizenship and several scholarly papers, and has been a researcher or professor at numerous universities, including Oxford, Princeton and NYU. He's written or co-authored several papers on vaccine passports, including this one and his latest, The Commission against the Internal Market and EU Citizens Rights: Trying to Shoot down Sputnik with the 'Digital Green Certificate."

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Steven Hyman about PANDAS, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. A child with PANDAS might have a Strep throat infection and then develop psychiatric symptoms soon after. Dr. Hyman will discuss what PANDAS is, why it's considered controversial, what the medical community thinks about it and their approach, research shortcomings, how potential patients with PANDAS are treated and how that treatment is different than conventional psychiatric treatment, as well as prognosis and outcomes.
He also will discuss the broader implications of PANDAS, which is a bacterial or viral infection being the cause of psychiatric symptoms and disorders in both adults and kids, and what that means for the future of the field.

Dr. Hyman is a trained psychiatrist and director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He is a graduate of Yale and Harvard Medical School and previously served as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. He is currently the president of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, past president of the Society for Neuroscience and founding president of the International Neuroethics Society.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with lung doctor, Dr. Sandra Zaeh, about how proning is saving the lives of COVID-19 patients. It's a very cost-effective technique that requires little resources, and Dr. Zaeh will explain what it is, the theory behind why it works, the ideal patients for it and how it's done. We will also discuss the evidence for proning in different patient populations.

Dr. Zaeh is a fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital who has done research on proning.

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What is a Near Death Experience? Is it a glimpse into what happens after we die or is it a side effect of something happening inside the brain as the body shuts down?
Dr. Walter van Laack joins Dr. Eeks on this episode of Causes or Cures to discuss near death experiences. In addition to being an orthopaedic surgeon and professor of medicine at the Fachhochschule Aachen in Germany, he is one of the most popular researchers worldwide on the topic of Near Death Experiences. He's written many books on the topic, newspaper columns and has appeared on numerous shows.
In this episode, he will discuss what a near death experience is, how they are most commonly described, the current evidence base and theories for how and why they happen, and his theory of 2 polar-symmetrical worlds, the informational world and the physical world.

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Ivermectin is an anti-parasite drug that has been used in human and animal medicine for many years. Early in the pandemic, it was suggested that it might help prevent and/or treat COVID-19. The NIH felt there was not enough evidence to support its use against COVID-19 and in August made a recommendation AGAINST its use. In early January of 2021, the NIH invited doctors from the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance ( FLCCC), a group of crtical care physicians who strongly advocated for the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19, to present evidence for its use to their Treatment Guidance Panel. Following that meeting, the NIH removed their recommendation against its use, leaving it up to individual doctors. The WHO is currently assessing a new meta-analysis by Dr. Andrew Hill et al of Liverpool ( in preprint) on the evidence for Ivermectin and should make a ruling on its use soon.
One of the doctors to provide testimony on the benefits of Ivermectin is Dr. Pierre Kory, the president of the FLCCC Alliance. He presented evidence to both the NIH and the Senate Homeland Security Committee in a video that has now gone viral and gained millions of views. He joins Dr. Eeks on this episode of Causes or Cures to discuss Ivermectin in detail, the current evidence base for its use in treatment and prevention, the dosing riddle, and how he responds to critics. He also discusses how he thinks the future of the pandemic will play out.
Dr. Kory is a pulmonary and critical care specialist and considered a world pioneer in the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. In addition to numerous publications, he developed the first national course in Critical Care Ultrasonography in the US and is the senior editor of the most popular textbook in the field titled "Point of Care Ultrasound." The book is translated into 7 languages worldwide. During the pandemic, he has led ICUS in multiple COVID-19 hotspots, including New York City, Greenville and Milwaukee. He helped author 2 protocols regarding the use of Ivermectin in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, which you can find here. Early on in the pandemic, he received widespread criticism for promoting the use of dexamethasone as treatment for COVID-19. Month later, and after more research emerged, dexamethasone became a standard part of treatment for COVID-19 patients.

***Please keep in mind that at the time of this podcast, Ivermectin is NOT approved for use for COVID-19. You should NEVER take Ivermectin outside a doctor's supervision. This podcast is information only and never to be taken as medical or health advice.

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There are several viral videos with millions of views referencing something called Antibody-Dependent Enhancement as a potential effect of COVID-19 vaccines or vaccines in general. Some make very bold claims and it's difficult to sort fact from fiction from hyperbole in these videos. On today's episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks will chat with Dr. Robert Malone about Antibody-Dependent Enhancement and how it relates to vaccine development. He will describe it in an easy-to-understand way, discuss the specifics of vaccine development, antibodies, COVID-19 and his thoughts on herd immunity and the future of the pandemic.

Dr. Malone is a physician, vaccinologist, scientist and internationally recognized as one of the original inventors of DNA and mRNA Vaccination. He has done extensive research and clinical development in the areas of clinical trial design and vaccines, gene therapy, biodefense and immunology. In 2014, he built and led the initial team, under NewLink Genetics, that took the Canadian rVSVZEBOV-G Ebola vaccine from an abandoned vaccine candidate to a viable contender and eventually a successful vaccine for Ebola. He has worked with numerous high-level government and private organizations and has been involved in the design, development and oversight of over 40 Phase 1 Clinical trials, 20 Phase 2 clinical trials and 5 Phase 3 trials. His infectious disease pathogen advanced development oversight include HIV, Influenza, Plague, Anthrax, Tularemia, Tb, Ebola, Zika, Ricin toxin, Botulinum toxin and engineered pathogens. He has over 100 peer-reviewed papers, over 11 thousand citations and has sat on or served as chairperson on many NIAID and DoD study sections. You can learn more about his consulting firm and background here.

Please keep in mind that this podcast is information only and never to be taken as medical or health advice.

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Countless songs, poems, movies and books are about heartbreaks. We often hear people talk about their broken hearts. Maybe your heart has been broken before, maybe it's breaking now.
While none of that is to be taken literally and are expressions for how many of us will feel at some point in time..., did you know that there is actually a medical condition called Broken Heart Syndrome? It's sometimes called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy, and it's linked to states of mental or physical distress.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Antonio Abbate, a cardiologist who has researched this topic and treats patients with it, chats with Dr. Eeks about all-things Broken Heart Syndrome. He describes what it is, in simple terms, why it happens and when, who is most at risk, how you diagnose and treat it and what your chances are of getting it more than once. He'll also talk about interesting cases he's seen and risk factors you wouldn't think about.
It's a fascinating discussion that will make you think differently next time you hear someone's heart is broken.

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Many people realize that a history of head trauma or concussions is significantly linked to cognitive decline and/or dementia later in life. More awareness has been created about this issue specifically in retired NFL players who take a lot of hits to the head during their professional playing years. Harvard's Football Players Health Study studies this issue and others in retired NFL players.
While the link between head trauma and later-life cognitive decline is clear, are there any modifiable factors, or things a former player can do to lower his risk of cognitive decline? Dr. Andrea Roberts, one of the researchers involved with the Football Players Health Study, studied this in-depth and published several studies related to this issue. She joins Dr. Eeks in this episode of Causes or Cures to talk about those risk factors and what football players can do to lower their risk. She also discusses what positions are most at risk, what parents should do if they are worried about their kids being hurt and what more can be done to address this issue overall.

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GERD is a common, painful and annoying health issue, but are there evidence-based changes people can make to prevent and/or treat it? 

In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Raaj Mehta, an internal medicine physician and gastroenterology fellow at the Massachussetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who recently published a study in JAMA on specific lifestyle changes and dietary changes one can make to prevent GERD and/or improve treatment outcomes. He will talk about those factors in this podcast, along with the best medication options for GERD and any long-term side effects that should concern people.

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What policies should and should not be in place for transgender athletes to compete in sports is a hotly debated topic. There are different rules and regulations for the elite level vs high school vs youth. But what should the path forward look like? What does the science show and how can we use that to implement better policies?
In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Timothy Roberts, a researcher and physician who studies this topic. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and the director of Adolescent Medicine. He recently published a study on transgender athletes in the The British Journal of Sports Medicine that was widely cited in the media and on social media.
On this podcast, he will discuss the findings of his study, differences in policies for transgender athletes at the elite, high school and youth levels, and what he thinks is the best path forward.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Conor Farren about mental health and addiction during the pandemic, and particularly during the lockdowns. Dr. Farren will discuss the trends he's seeing, differences between adults and kids, alcohol use and the link between alcohol and suicides, what people should do if they think they need help and how to find help that actually works.
Dr. Farren is a consulting psychiatrist at St. Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin and a senior lecturer at Trinity Dublin. He is an international expert on addiction and alcohol-use and has written several books on this topic, as well as conducted years of research. He also developed UControl Health, an evidence-based digital intervention for alcohol use and addictions.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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PCOS affects millions of people all over the world. It's associated with high rates of infertility, depression, anxiety and obesity. It's difficult for those struggling with PCOS to lose weight, which can by itself fuel feelings of depression and anxiety.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Geranne Jiskoot, a researcher and therapist who works in the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Department of Medical Psychotherapy at Erasmus MC in the Netherlands. She works daily with people with PCOS and weight struggles and has done research on what the best diet, exercises and lifestyle modifications are for people with PCOS to lose and maintain a healthy weight. In this podcast, she will discuss the link between PCOS and obesity, what diet, therapies and lifestyle modifications the research supports or doesn't support, and she will also dispel popular myths.

To contact Dr. Eeks do so through bloomingwellness.com
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Fleming about the new COVID-19 vaccines that were recently produced and the ones still undergoing testing. They chat about what the vaccines do and what they don't do, safety concerns, ingredients and adjuvants, the potential for antibody dependent enhancement (and what that is), how long immunity is expected to last and immunity to COVID-19 in general. They also talk about how long people will be expected to wear face masks and why.

Dr. Fleming is an infectious disease doctor and researcher at NYU Langone Hospital in New York City. He has done research on antibody responses, particularly antibody responses to COVID-19.

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US has been comparing its response to other countries. People who aren't happy with how the US responded to COVID-19 often say, "Why couldn't we respond like Singapore did?" They say this because Singapore has been praised for its response and has an extremely low mortality rate.
So, why was Singapore so successful in its pandemic response? Would it be possible for a country like the US to respond in a similar way? What's the difference between our public health and political systems and populations? To answer these questions and more, Dr. Walid Jumblatt Abdullah joins Dr. Eeks on Causes or Cures.
Dr. Abdullah is a professor of social sciences and researcher at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He recently published a critical assessment of Singapore's response to COVID-19. His areas of research include political systems and elections, state-religion relations, political Islam and Southeast Asia politics.

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We hear a lot about blood type and COVID-19, but is there a significant relationship? Do certain blood types increase one's risk of getting COVID-19 or increase one's risk of having a more severe infection, or even dying? Do certain blood types lower the risk of getting COVID-19 and/or having a serious infection? And if there is a connection, what is the mechanism of action?
To answer some of these questions, Dr. Chrisophter Latz joins Dr. Eeks on Causes or Cures. Dr. Latz is specializing in vascular surgery at Harvard Medical School affiliate, Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his MD from Texas A&M College of Medicine and his MPH from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. He has advanced training in observational research and recently authored a study on blood type and COVID-19 that was published earlier this year.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with JL Keez, founder of Anorexia Unlocked, a powerful online program to help people overcome anorexia and other eating disorders. JL suffered from anorexia for years, after a history of family sexual abuse, bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts and not knowing who she truly was. When she finally met the right person who could help her, she made a full recovery and went on to become a counselor specializing in reality therapy. She will discuss the darkest parts of her story, her recovery journey and what she can offer those who are currently struggling. To learn more about JL, her upcoming book, or to try the Anorexia Unlocked program, visit her website here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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While most people are focused on vaccines, face masks and lockdowns, some doctors are trying to get people to focus on, or at least consider, early ambulatory treatment for COVID-19. This means care that is initiated right when a person is diagnosed or starts to show symptoms, while he/she is still at home or self-isolating, and well before a person has to go to the hospital. These doctors believe early ambulatory treatment would significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths.
In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist and epidemiologist who authored a paper on this topic that included a protocol for early treatment. The protocol lists specific drugs to use and when to use them. Dr. McCullough discusses the rationale behind this protocol, what other countries are doing for early ambulatory treatment ( things that the US is not doing), and why the media is not addressing early ambulatory care since he believes it could save many lives.
Dr. McCullough is the Vice Chief of Internal Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Tx and a consulting cardiologist. He is a Principal Faculty in internal medicine for the Texas A&M University Health Sciences, has over 1000 publications and over 500 citations in the National Library of Medicine. You can read his full bio here.

Keep in mind that this podcast is information only and not medical advice!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Prior to the current pandemic, the news cycle was dominated by the opioid epidemic, a beast that has taken the lives of many people from all walks of life. Just yesterday, the Sackler family's Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to the marketing and selling of opioids. Universities, like NYU, just announced that they are removing the Sackler family name from their campuses. Many other drug companies face serious legal issues. Prior to COVID-19, the opioid crisis was the top public health issue that everyone was talking about. National, state and local governments were desperate to find ways to address it. It was a top election issue. Since COVID-19, the opioid epidemic has been removed from the spotlight..., but it has not gone away. In fact, it's gotten significantly worse. We just aren't talking about it as much.

In this podcast, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. John Kelly about the current state of the opioid epidemic. Dr. Kelly will identify who is getting hit the hardest, why the epidemic is getting worse, overdose deaths, why stress and isolation affect a person struggling with opioids more than a person who is not, and if someone is in recovery, when is the most critical time period he or she is most likely to relapse. He will also discuss changes to treatment, telemedicine, digital Apps and what he thinks is the best path forward for putting a major dent in this public health crisis.

Dr. Kelly is a Professor of Psychiatry in Addiction Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine, and the Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service. He is a former President of the American Psychological Association's Society of Addiction Psychology and has served as a consultant to U.S. federal agencies and non-federal institutions, as well as foreign governments and the United Nations. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, chapters and books in the field of addiction medicine. Finally, he was the author on the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Sharonza Penson, a very talented artist and single mom in Texas. Sharonza is mom to Elijah, her beautiful four year old son.

When Elijah was born, Sharonza learned that Elijah had a rare genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. The doctors told her that Elijah wouldn't be able to do much and in the podcast, Sharonza talks about that day and how that conversation made her feel.

While Elijah has many medical difficulties, has already undergone numerous surgeries, and is currently non-verbal, Sharonza is confident he will talk one day. Elijah has already found other ways to communicate though, including the keyboard and the drums. He has a peg tube to assist with feeding and though he's small for his age, Elijah has a larger-than-life personality. In the podcast, Sharonza discusses Elijah's medical issues and what her day-to-day looks like as Elijah's sole caretaker. In fact, she recorded the podcast from the hospital, because Elijah is there for a procedure.

Sharonza is also an incredibly talented artist, and you can see for yourself on her Instagram feed. In the podcast she discusses her art, what inspires her and her goals. When Elijah was born, Sharonza left a successful career to take care of him full time, though as you can imagine, that hasn't been easy. She talks about that transition and the financial difficulties it brought, especially after a car accident that totalled her car. In fact, she sells her art and raises funds with the hope of raising enough money to purchase a new car to take Elijah to his frequent doctor appointments.

After you listen to the episode, if you are interested in contacting Sharonza or seeing more of her art, you can contact her on Instagram or via email: sharonza@sharonza.com.
If you are interested in contributing to her and Elijah's cause, you can do so via GoFundMe or Zelle ( sharonza@sharonza.com), Paypal (smp3716@yahoo.com), or CashApp : ($Sharonza9)

Thanks for listening and hope you find her story inspiring!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks discusses the scientific evidence for The Shroud of Turin with Barrie Schwortz. The Shroud of Turin is a cloth that has an image of a man ( a negative image) that some people believe was the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, others do not believe that. To this day, no one can explain how the image was created. In this podcast, Dr. Eeks and Barrie Schwortz discuss the evidence base for the Shroud, possible theories that could explain the characteristics of the image, the 1988 Carbon dating, as well as eye-opening, new details that emerged related to it, why he believes it is authentic and the future of Shroud research.

Barrie Schwortz was the Official Documenting Photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the team that conducted the first in-depth scientific examination of the Shroud in 1978. Today, he plays an influential role in Shroud research and education as the editor and founder of the internationally recognized Shroud of Turin Website, the oldest, largest and most extensive Shroud resource on the Internet, with more than fifteen million visitors from over 160 countries. In 2009 he founded the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.), a non-profit corporation, to which he donated the website and his extensive Shroud photographic collection, as well as many other important Shroud resources, in order to preserve and maintain these materials and make them available for future research and study. He currently serves as the President of STERA, Inc

Thanks for listening!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Wendy Ractcliffe and Angela Peacock about the documentary film, Medicating Normal. Wendy is a director and executive producter of the film and Angela, a combat veteran, is featured in the film. Angela is also a social worker and part of the film's outreach team.
From the website, Medicating Normal is the "untold story of what can happen when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress." The documentary follows Angela, a Naval Academy Graduate and his wife, a teenager and a waitress as they struggle with unexpected prescription side effects, polypharmacy, dependency and withdrawal symptoms from drugs that were taken as prescribed.
This podcast covers what "medicating normal" means, the importance of informed consent, the struggle to be heard and taken seriously, while not being labeled "anti-psychiatry," how people overcame their unexpected struggle with prescription medication, the future of mental health and what optimal, long-lasting healing looks like. Angela also shares her insight on how these topics relate specifically to the veteran community.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks discusses Wellness Paranoia Syndrome. (WPS for short, because acronyms are wonderful.) Please note that this isn't a real syndrome recognized by any reputable medical organization. But it is a "thing" that can suck the enjoyment out of your life, and it is a thing that marketers can use against you in the business of "Wellness." Take a listen with a healthy sense of humor and sarcasm. :)

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Do you believe in medical miracles or do you believe science can explain everything?

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with The Miracle Hunter, Michael O'Neill. Michael "hunts" for miracles around the globe and describes them in detail on his popular website, the Miracle Hunter. He is considered an expert on miracles and has been featured on popular TV shows and in numerous magazines, including National Geographic's feature on the Virgin Mary.

He will discuss the requirements for something to be considered a miracle, how the Catholic Church investigates miracles and how science plays into the entire process. He will also discuss apparitions of Mary, Stigmata, specifically the well-documented case of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, and the Incorruptibles, or bodies of the holy deceased that do not decay. He will also discuss what he says to those who remain cynical.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. John McDonough about Medicare for All. They discuss what the slogan really means, the details of Medicare, who would be covered, what role private insurance companies would play, quality of care, personal values, how much it would cost over ten years and who will pay for it.

Dr. McDonough is a professor of practice at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy & Management and Director of the HSPH Center for Executive & Continuing Professional Education. Between 2008 and 2010, he served as a Senior Advisor on National Health Reform to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions where he worked on the writing and passage of the Affordable Care Act. Between 2003 and 2008, he was Executive Director of Healthcare For All, a Massachusetts consumer health advocacy organization, where he played a leading role in the passage of the 2006 Massachusetts Health Reform Law. From 1998 through 2003, he was an associate professor at the Heller School at Brandeis University. From 1985 to 1997, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he co-chaired the Joint Committee on Health Care. His articles have appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs and other journals. He has written: Inside National Health Reform in 2011 and Experiencing Politics: A Legislator’s Stories of Government and Health Care in 2000, both by the University of California Press and the Milbank Fund, and Interests, Ideas, and Deregulation: The Fate of Hospital Rate Setting in1998 by the University of Michigan Press. He holds a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan and a master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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Wellness is a Luxury Brand. Dr. Eeks explains why. ;)

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut about the characteristics of mass shooters, mass shootings, the media's role and its impact, and the best, evidence-based prevention and response strategies. Dr. Schildkraut discusses her recent research on school lockdown drills and provides advice on how to conduct them. She also provides trusted websites to visit for helpful tips.

Dr. Schildkraut is a national expert on mass shootings. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University and is currently an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York at Oswego. She is highly published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and the majority of her research focuses on mass and school shootings, media effects, social problems, moral panic, school safety and survivor needs. She's made numerous media appearances and is the author of several books, including Columbine, 20 Years Later and Beyond: Lessons from Tragedy, Mass Shootings, Media, Myths and Realities, and Lights, Camera, Execution!: Cinematic Portrayals of Capital Punishment.

Hope you listen, share and subscribe!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Rami Nakeshbandi and Rohan Maini about their research and the paper they recently published in the International Journal of Obesity, The Impact of Obesity on COVID-19 Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study. The CDC and other health organizations have unequivocally stated that obesity is a significant risk factor for increased severity of COVID-19 infections and clinical outcomes. While it's well established that obesity is a significant risk factor for numerous health problems, Dr. Nakeshbandi and Rohan Maini will discuss the results of their research, particularly differences noted between men and women, ages, fat deposition, what outcomes were significantly impacted, and, perhaps most interestingly, why and how obesity impacts COVID-19 and its link to inflammation. They also use their sample population to elaborate on the causes of obesity and what we can do to prevent or slow down the USA's rising obesity rates.
Dr. Nakeshbandi is the Interim Chief Medical Officer at Suny Downstate Medical Center and the Chief Quality Officer. He is also the Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases. Rohan is a 4th year medical student at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where he cofounded a Street Medicine organization and serves as the director of a student-run asylum clinic. He will be applying for an Internal Medicine residency this year.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Doula and Birth Educator Sierra McClain-Henry about the US maternal mortality rate and the Black maternal health crisis. The US has a shockingly high maternal mortality rate, especially for Black women who are 4x as likely to die as White women, and more likely to die than any other race. Sierra is a certified doula, hypnobirthing instructor, founder of Sankofa Mama Birth Services and founder of the 100 Black Mamas initiative. Sierra is going to talk about her experience as a Black doula, mom and why she feels the maternal mortality rate is so high for Black women and how doulas can play a significant role in creating a positive birth experience. She is also going to talk about her new initiative, 100 Black Mamas, a grassroots birth education project designed to address the Black maternal health crisis by providing comprehensive, holistic and culturally- aware birth education on a scholarship basis. After hearing from Sierra, if you are interested in donating to 100 Black Mamas, please click here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Alessio Fasano about the Hygiene Hypothesis and its connection to our guts, microbiomes and chronic inflammatory diseases.
The Hygiene Hypothesis is a proposed explanation that states that improved hygiene in an industrialized world and less exposure to infectious agents ( bacteria & viruses) has led to an increase in chronic inflammatory conditions. ( This is why some supporters of the Hygiene Hypothesis will tell you to take your kids to a farm or play in the dirt.) In this episode, Dr. Fasano discusses how this hypothesis relates to a leaky gut and how our modern way of life may affect our microbiome ( bacteria that live in our gut) in a way that puts us at risk of developing a chronic inflammatory condition. He will discuss the 5 pillars that he believes need to be in place for this to happen, how probiotics and gluten relates to this, and ways we can improve leaky guts.
Dr. Fasano is a pediatric gastroenterologist and researcher. He is a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. He is the director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Mass General for children and co-director of the Harvard Medical School Celiac Research Program. He's the director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, where he oversees over 50 researchers and staff. Dr. Fasano is credited with discovering Zonulin, a protein responsible for regulating intestinal tight junctions ( and he explains this in the podcast) and he is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications. He is considered a world expert on Celiac disease and is in the top 1% of scientists cited worldwide.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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To open or not reopen our schools during the COVID-19 pandemic is a contentious topic that is currently being debated by parents, doctors, public health professionals, politicians and teachers. There are strong opinions on both sides of the issue.

On this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson who will explain why he believes it's safe for schools to be open. Dr. Ludvigsson is both a pediatrician and epidemiologist in Sweden. Between 2011-2014, he was the chairman of the Swedish Epidemiological Association and between 2014-2016, he was the chair of the Swedish Society of Pediatrics and has done extensive research in the area of pediatrics, as well as set up the first national gastrointestinal pathology register. He is an honorary professor at Columbia University School of Medicine in New York City and at Nottingham University School of Medicine in the UK. He's on the editorial board of the European Journal of Epidemiology and in 2019, he was named the staff pediatrician for the Swedish Television Station TV4. In May of 2020, he wrote a paper, Children are unlikely to be the main drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic , and he will discuss his current viewpoints on this issue, as it relates to schools.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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As always, this is just information and a conversation, not advice!

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In this Causes or Cures episode, Dr. Eeks chats with artist Elsha Stockseth.

Elsha is a 37 year old woman, award-winning artist, racer and the world's greatest U2 fan. She was born with Werdnig-Hoffman Disease, a form of Muscular Dystrophy and progressive muscle weakness. The doctors told her parents that she wouldn't be able to do anything, and although Elsha has never been able to walk, she has accomplished a lot. Elsha is also the designer of the Blooming Wellness ZENBands, the headband, pillow speakers and eye-mask combo that Dr. Stair sells through her website.

In this episode, Elsha discusses her journey as an artist. She used to use her arms, but as her muscles grew weaker, and she lost the use of her limbs, she devised a new way to create art without having to use her limbs. It seems there are no obstacles this woman can't overcome. She also describes the races in which she participates and how she participates in them, what inspires her, and what it was like to meet Bono and U2 13 times.

To learn more about Elsha and view her art, please click here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Victoria Albina NP, MPH about her journey from clinical practice to becoming a Certified Life Coach, Certified Breathwork Meditation Facilitator and the host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast. They chat about perfectionism, codependency, authenticity and how Victoria's personal and clinical experience shape the work she is doing now.
In addition to being a Nurse Practitioner, Victoria has a Masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. She has worked in health & wellness for over 20 years and has a passion for helping women to heal mind, body and spirit.

To learn more about Victoria Albina, visit her website here.
To learn more about the Feminist Wellness Podcast, click here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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There has been a lot of chatter in the news about COVID-19, increased clotting, and the possibility of strokes in old and young people in their thirties and forties. How does this happen? And what can we do about it?

In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Ricardo Jose who has over ninety publications in the area of respiratory (lung) infections and how they affect us systemically. He is a Respiratory Consulting Physician at the Royal Brompton and HareField NHS Hospital in London who has a special interest in how inflammation caused by lung infections relates to coagulation (clotting). He has published several papers on COVID-19, one of the most recent ones being in the Lancet: COVID-19 cytokine storm: the interplay between inflammation and coagulation.

You don't have to be a doctor or have a scientific background to listen to this. In easy-to-understand terms, he will explain what causes the cytokine storm, how that relates to coagulation and clot formation, how doctors are currently addressing it and what we have to worry about. He also covers the latest evidence, including the use of steroids for certain cases, and provides ideas on future approaches. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to learn more about COVID-19 and how it affects the body, as well as anyone concerned that he/she or his/her loved ones might become affected one day.

Please note: This isn't medical advice! This is a conversation with the hopes of shedding more light around the medical side of the pandemic in an easy-to-understand way.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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While this podcast focuses on what's happening with COVID-19, it could be applied to any public health intervention in present times.
In this episode, Dr. Eeks discusses inconsistencies in public health messaging, political and industrial biases, and how those factors interact and impact how people will respond. She explains why consistent and objective public health messaging is more important now than ever. She discusses how inconsistent messaging and underlying biases will affect who people trust when it comes to healthcare advice, who wears a face mask and who doesn't, who complies with future lockdown or social distancing orders and how these factors will affect vaccine hesitancy, which is clearly on the rise.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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CBD products are incredibly popular and marketed for numerous health ailments. But do they do what they claim to do? Do they contain what they claim to contain? When it comes to CBD products or supplements, how do we know who to trust?
In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Bill Gurley, the principal scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Gurley has studied commercial supplements for over 25 years and recently did a study analyzing the content in commercial CBD Products vs the claims made on the label. He talks about the study's findings, CBD products in general, the supplement industry and things to watch for, and tips for distinguishing "good" CBD products and supplements from "not so good" ones.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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What is the evidence for wearing a face mask? Can it significantly slow the spread, or no? Who should wear a face mask and when should a face mask be worn? What's the most effective face mask? Should we keep them handy for a second (or third) viral wave? These questions and more are answered in this podcast.

In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks has a conversation with Dr. Benjamin Cowling, who recently published a study on the effectiveness of face masks in Nature Medicine. But more than that, he's been researching the pandemic since its initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, and authored several of the first papers, like this one in the New England Journal of Medicine, on the characteristics of the virus as well as its transmission dynamics.
Dr. Benjamin Cowling is the Head of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health at Hong Kong University. He earned his PhD in medical statistics at the University of Warwick and did his postdoc fellowship at the Imperial College in London. In addition to leading the Epidemiology department, he is a co-director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control.

His primary area of research is infectious disease epidemiology, including modes of respiratory virus transmission, influenza vaccination effectiveness and immunity to infections on the individual and population level. He works closely with China CDC and the NIGMS-funded Harvard Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. Dr. Cowling's has over 426 publications, is a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, and an Associate Editor of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks interviews Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy about the effectiveness of the most popular commercial supplements for male fertility and erectile dysfunction. He recently published two papers on these topics and provides the most up-to-date evidence. He also discusses his recommendations for both of these issues, lifestyle interventions and provides interesting information on how marijuana may affect both male fertility and erectile dysfunction.

Dr. Ramasamy is the Director of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at the University of Miami in Florida. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Urology. He specializes in male infertility and sexual dysfunction. He completed his Urology residency at Cornell Medical College and then a fellowship in Male Reproductive Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He has published over 100 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and is on the editorial board of several journals. He also created the "Urology" App.

To contact Erin, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Piotr Rzymski, who is a researcher with the Department of Environmental Medicine at Poznan University of Medical Sciences. He has over 140 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has a strong interest in analyzing the ingredients in commercial supplements, as well as the presence of any contaminants or teratogenic compounds, meaning things that can harm a developing fetus. This particular conversation will focus around his paper, "Essential and toxic elements in commercial microalgal supplements." The microalgal supplements include Spirulina and Chlorella, both of which are very popular and often called "Superfoods." The podcast covers his research findings related to these supplements and others, his recommendations to consumers and his advice on how to make the industry safer.

To contact Erin, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks talks with Emily Copland, a registered nurse and nurse educator who has been diagnosed with EMF-Sensitivity. EMF-Sensitivity is also sometimes called EHS, or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. The World Health Organization classifies it as IEI-EMF, or Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance to Electromagnetic Fields. (EMF stands for electromagnetic fields or frequencies.)

In the first part of the podcast, Dr. Eeks presents background information on EMF-Sensitivity, including what's known about it and what's not. In short, there are a lot of unknowns. Then Emily tells her story, from when mysterious and frightening symptoms first started to appear to figuring out what was wrong and finally to discussing how she manages it.

To contact Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, host Dr. Eeks discusses intermittent fasting with Dr. Mark Mattson. Dr. Mattson talks about his paper on the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting, recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Potential health benefits include Alzheimer's Disease prevention, reduced memory and cognitive decline as we age, improved balance and coordination, prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and obesity and improved prognosis for other diseases, like Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Mattson also discusses how intermittent fasting may be an effective lifestyle intervention for children with autism. In addition, Dr. Mattson gives his opinion on how intermittent fasting compares to the Keto diet ( discussed on a previous Causes or Cures episode) and how it compares to calorie reduction.
Dr. Mattson is a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University and founding editor of NeuroMolecular Medicine and Ageing Research Reviews. He is the former Chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute of Aging and The National Institute of Health considers him "one of the world's top experts on the potential cognitive and physical health benefits of intermittent fasting."

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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This is a podcast for diligent, dedicated dog and cat parents on topics that have been in the news lately.
Recently, the FDA issued a report citing 16 dog food brands linked to cases of dilated cardiomyopathy ( DCM), essentially a form of heart failure. Specifically, the FDA linked grain-free products and "exotic" foods to DCM. The proposed mechanism of action is that grain-free diets lead to a depletion of taurine, a non-essential amino acid made from cysteine and methionine in the liver, which then leads to cardiomyopathy. As one can imagine, the FDA's report caused massive panic amongst dog parents who worried that their dogs, if on a grain-free or exotic diet, may be at risk for DCM. In the second half of this podcast, Dr. Dodds discusses the FDA report, the data for and against the notion that grain-free diets cause DCM, benefits vs risks of a grain-free diet for dogs, and what dog parents can do if they are worried about their dog having DCM.
Vaccines are always in the news. In the first half of this podcast, Dr. Eeks and Dr. Dodds discuss Dr. Dodds' recommended vaccination protocol for dogs and cats, the concept of vaccinosis, dogs at the highest risk for vaccinosis, lifestyle vaccines ( Leptospirosis, Lyme Disease, Bordetella and Canine Flu) vs core vaccines, and why she recommends getting titer tests vs getting boosters.
Dr. Jean Dodds received her doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1964 and has been a clinical research veterinarian and hematologist for over 5 decades. She was a grantee of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications in top journals. She started HemoPet, the first national nonprofit blood bank for animals, in 1986. Some of the services HemoPet provides include: Providing canine blood components, adopting retired Greyhound blood donors as companions and the Hemolife diagnostic division which focuses on hematology ( the study of blood cells), blood banking, immunology, endocrinology, nutrition and holistic medicine. She invented NutriScan, a food sensitivity and intolerance diagnostic test for dogs, cats and horses and is also a Co-Trustee of the Rabies Challenge Fund, a nonprofit project for assessing the duration of immunity and safety of current rabies vaccines in animals. She's an active member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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The Keto diet is incredibly popular. Passionate followers say they feel significantly better on the Keto diet, lose weight and even have better lab values. Keto recipes and tips are all over the internet, as it's a favorite diet of many wellness proponents. Yet others claim there is more hype than health benefits to the Keto diet, and that it doesn't really live up to its many claims. Who's right? What does the evidence say? How does it compare long-term to other well-studied diets, such as the Mediterranean Diet? In this Causes or Cures podcast, Dr. Shivam Joshi will discuss these issues, his published paper and more with Dr. Eeks.
Dr. Joshi is a board-certified physician who earned his medical degree at the University of Miami and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed his nephrology (kidney) fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and currently works as a clinician and clinical assistant professor at New York University. He has published over a dozen papers on various topics related to diet and health, including plant-based diets and the management of kidney disease, the Keto diet and its effect on obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, and the effect of unrefined carbohydrates on Type 2 Diabetes. He is currently writing a book on how a carnivorous diet impacts health.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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Alzheimer's disease is frightening, heartbreaking and tragic. To some it seems like an unavoidable disease of aging, but others are more hopeful and believe there are things we can do to prevent it and/or slow its progression. One of those people is Dr. Douglas Watt, who happens to be today's guest on Causes or Cures.
Dr. Watt took time out of his busy day to talk to Dr. Eeks about all the latest research on Alzheimer's Disease, what really causes it, who is at risk and what you should do if you think you are at risk. Most importantly, he talks about evidence-based things we all can do to significantly lower our risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. As heartbreaking as Alzheimer's Disease is, this podcast should leave you hopeful.
Dr. Douglas Watt is a repeat guest on Causes or Cures. In a past episode he discussed the social brain hypothesis of depression, also worth listening to since depression is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease.
Dr. Watt is a clinical neuropsychologist who is on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Boston Institute for the Study of Violence. He has served as director and chief of two clinical neuropsychology departments in Boston-area hospitals.
In addition to seeing patients with a range of neuropsychological issues, Dr. Watt has published 60 peer-reviewed papers on emotion, cognition, behavior and the brain. He currently lectures all over the world on depression, head trauma, delirium and various forms of dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Please listen, share and subscribe.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Most people think that it's impossible to survive a nuclear bomb. It is if you're stuck in the fallout plume or come outside before it's safe and get a lethal dose of radiation. But, is it possible to increase your chances of surviving a nuclear bomb? Dr. Andrew Karam, a world-wide nuclear radiation expert says it absolutely is. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Karam. He will talk about where you should go once you hear a nuclear bomb is launched, how much time you have to prepare, what you should eat, drink, what you should do for your kids and pets, and he even talks about when it's okay to use hair conditioner again. And, since Iran was in the news recently, he talks about their nuclear capabilities, which might listen folks from an international relations perspective.

Dr. Karam has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School and the Naval Nuclear Power School. Since 1981, Andy has worked in the radiation safety field. He started out working for the Navy and designed numerous radiation safety courses for the military and universities, including The University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, American University of Kosovo and The Center for Advanced Defense Studies. He's a board-certified international consultant for all radiological and nuclear matters, including radiological terrorism, and has consulted for the NYPD Counterterrorism division, NYC Department of Health, NASA Lewis Research Center, Honeywell, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Panama Canal, the Canadian Army, Constellation Energy group and more. He's worked as a professor and has written over 200 peer-reviewed articles, several books and over 100 technical papers on the subject.
Listen, subscribe and if you have any questions:

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Amber Romaniuk, an Emotional Eating, Digestive and Hormone Expert who now helps women achieve optimal health through mindful eating and teaching them how to overcome their struggles with food. Amber describes her own struggle with emotional eating that involved her gaining and losing a total of 1000 pounds and spending 50,000 dollars on binge foods. She discusses how to identify if you are struggling with emotional eating, how it may be affecting your relationships, how she overcame it and how you can overcome it. She also talks about her Body Freedom program and how it's helping women all over the world. To learn more about Amber, visit amberapproved.ca.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Julie Ryan, a medical intuitive and psychic who works with clients remotely.
Before Julie started a career as a medical intuitive, she founded several companies and invented surgical devices that are used around the world. Some of the services Julie offers include scanning a person for potential illnesses, energy healings, scanning pets for potential illnesses, accessing past lives, and communication with spirits. She also helps remove ghosts from folks' homes, and in this podcast, discusses a time a ghost's behavior shocked her.
Now, if you're a complete skeptic, good. Dr. Eeks is a skeptic too. But she also knows that the world is full of mysteries that go beyond conventional understanding. Please listen with an open mind.
Julie also discusses the "12 Phases of Transition" everyone goes through when he/she is dyings and her new book, Angelic Attendants.
To contact Julie and learn more about her work, visit AskJulieRyan.com.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Society loves to shame people for their weight. It's called fat-shaming, and even though it doesn't do anything beneficial for physical or mental health on a societal or individual level, it happens all of the time. It's a form of bullying that often gets a pass under the guise of concern, small-talk or encouragement to lose weight.
Celebrities face constant scrutiny over their looks and weight and when they are fat-shamed, it's in a very public way: a viral social media post, a magazine article, a TV show, etc. And while we can imagine that this is a painful experience for the person being fat-shamed, does it impact the rest of us, and if so, how?
Today's Causes or Cures podcast features Amanda Ravary, a clinical psychologist and researcher at McGill University that researched this topic. Specifically, she analyzed high-profile incidents of celebrity fat-shaming and studied the effects they had on a large sample of women.
Click to listen, subscribe to the podcast! :)

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
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What is Comedic Meditation?
Listen to find out, and we promise you'll want to try it.
In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Eeks (Erin) chats with Carla Collins and Katie Reese, co-founders of Comedic Meditation. Carla Collins is an award-winning comedian who performs all over the country. She's also the bestselling author of Angels, Vampires and Douche Bags. You can watch her reality show Carlawood on Amazon Prime.
Katie Reese is a former comedian and co-founder of Elements of Wellness, a LA-based functional medicine and wellness center.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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The world has an obsession with selfies, and while there are many elements to analyze from a health and wellness perspective, this episode of Causes or Cures focuses on selfies that kill people.
In this episode, Dr. Roger Byard discusses the forensic elements of killer selfies, or when people die taking selfies. Listen to find out who's most at risk, the countries with the highest rate of selfie deaths and how they are responding, and some of the more dramatic examples of selfie deaths. Dr. Byard dives into other interesting topics as well.
Dr. Byard is a forensic pathologist and Professor of Pathology at The University of Adelaide. He has written over 700 papers in peer-reviewed journals and is the Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology. If you watch The History Channel, you might have seen him recently featured in Lawless: The Real Bushrangers. He also has a book coming out called The Pathology of Old Age.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Paul Heroux chats with Dr. Eeks about electromagnetism ( EMF exposure from things like cellphones, wireless, Bluetooth, and the up and coming 5G...) and why the popular EMF shields are not effective and may actually be worsening your EMF exposure.
Dr. Heroux has his PhD in physics and is a researcher who focusses on EMF exposure and biological effects. He is highly published in this area and runs InVitro Plus, a toxicology laboratory out of McGill University Health Center, dedicated to studying the therapeutic and pathological effects of electromagnetism.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Alkaline ( High pH) water is a very popular wellness product,and one you'll see in natural stores across the country.The alkaline diet is also trendy, with many websites and books dedicated to it. Both alkaline water and the alkaline diet are linked to various health benefits, but is there any solid evidence to support these claims?
In this Causes or Cures episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Tanis Fenton, a researcher who studied the alkaline diet, alkaline water and potential health effects.Through her research, she discovered that health claims made about alkaline water and the alkaline diet are unfounded and make no sense on a basic scientific level.
Dr. Fenton is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary, a Registered Dietitian, Epidemiologist and Evidence Analyst for Dietitians of Canada. She is the Nutrition Research Lead for Alberta Health Sciences.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In the world of wellness, skepticism around commercial sunscreen is at an all-time high. Wellness bloggers, moms, influencers and others have taken to creating their own sunscreen with various SPF claims. But are these "natural", homemade sunscreens effective at all? What's in them? How is their SPF value being determined?
In this podcast, Dr. Eeks has a conversation with Dr. Julie Merten about her recently published research, "Pinterest Homemade Sunscreens: A Recipe for a Sunburn." Dr. Merten answers the above questions and in general, discusses the widespread dissemination of wellness advice from "wellness advocates" on social media and what that means for consumers. Dr. Eeks asks Dr. Merten about concerns over some of the chemicals in certain sunscreens, and Dr. Merten offers her advice on how to avoid them and still protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer.
Dr. Merten is an associate professor of public health at the University of North Florida. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Public Health Review and Chair of the Skin Cancer Prevention Task Force for the Northeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative. Her research involves behavioral skin cancer prevention. Take a listen!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Our continual reliance on wireless technology has increased our exposure to EMF ( Electro Magnetic Field) radiation like never before. While technology companies continue to produce faster and smarter wireless technology at rapid rates, they don't seem to ever address safety issues when it comes to EMF exposure and our health. (Mainly because they don't have to.) The good news is that independent researchers and scientists, some previously featured on this podcast, have performed animal studies and written up human case studies concerning EMF exposure. That growing body of evidence suggests that EMF exposure is certainly not benign, absolutely impacts mammalian cells, and the World Health Organization should, at the least, readdress the dangers of EMF exposure. It has been linked to brain tumors, heart tumors, ADHD and cognitive impairment, neurological issues and infertility issues. It seems especially harmful when exposed as a child or while in-utero. Many health advocates call EMF the "new smoking." Yet, it's everywhere and only getting worse. As my guest for this podcast aptly puts: "We can no longer do a controlled experiment on EMF exposure, because it's everywhere. We are all currently part of the experiment."
Dr. Pritchard is a researcher and professor at Bournemouth University in the UK and a professor of Psychiatry at The University of Southampton School of Medicine. He is internationally known for his work on suicides and child abuse. Recently, he has been using data provided by the World Health Organization to document changing rates in deaths due to neurological diseases in developed nations. These neurological diseases include ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkison's Disease, and early-onset dementia. The trend Dr. Pritchard has documented is significantly increased rates of deaths overall, with the USA having the highest increase over the last several years. He has also documented more cases of early-onset dementia, as early as forties and fifties, especially in the US. What is causing this increase? Dr. Pritchard offers his theory ( and more) on this podcast.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Anyone who struggles with depression or knows someone who struggles with depression should listen to this podcast. Dr. Douglas Watt is a forensic neuropsychologist with over 30 years of clinical practice. He has degrees from Harvard and Boston College, has served as the director of clinical psychology in two Boston teaching hospitals and has been on the faculty of the Boston University School of Medicine for 15 years. He teaches classes on affective neuroscience and its implications.
In this podcast, Dr. Watt joins Dr. Eeks to discuss his theory for depression, The Social Brain Hypothesis, and why he believes depression is an evolutionary shut-down mechanism, the chemical imbalance theory is reductive and why conventional antidepressants fall short. He discusses what social rejection and loss of relationships does to us neurologically and why folks with an impaired capacity to make meaningful social attachments can become addicted to social media as a failed replacement for real-life intimate connections. Finally, he discusses why playfulness is a great promoter of intimacy, play as a mammilian prototype, play deficit and what we can do to fix it.
This is a longer podcast, but it's full of wise gems. I highly recommend listening to at least some of it. Depression and chronic loneliness are both increasing around the globe, and Dr. Watt offers a solid reason why.
( Apologies for the clicking noise- I think that was from his phone/laptop, and couldn't remove it entirely!) :)

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Do you think the current political climate is impacting our mental health..., or are you living under a rock? If you are living under a rock, do you have room for a few more? Just kidding, sort of.
There's been a surge of requests for therapists due to stress, anxiety and relationship troubles due to the current political situation. Social media sites are saturated with tribal and reductive back-and-forths that only increase our individual and collective sense of angst. Long-term friendships have dissolved, marriages have ended, Twitter is a battlefield and toxic stress is the name of the game. In short, we've come a long way, baby.
In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Gabriel Nathan, chief editor of OC87 Recovery Stories, about the state of our mental health in the current political climate, why our interactions are toxic and broken, and what can be done to move us towards recovery.
Be mindful that specific people and events are mentioned in this podcast, and though not the intent, some things mentioned might offend or anger you. Erin and Gabe have different political opinions, but let this serve as a fair warning to those whose blood pressure rises when politics comes up.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode, Dr. Eeks interviews renowned cancer epidemiologist, Dr. Anthony Miller, on why he believes our widespread use of cell phones and exposure to wireless technology may be fueling a future cancer epidemic, especially in young people. He talks about the data, mechanisms of action, why folks don't seem to take this threat seriously and why technology companies don't feel the need to mitigate risk. While this is his belief based on his expertise and research, it's not a widespread belief and no mitigation efforts or warnings have been issued by regulatory bodies. Given our widespread use of wireless tech, it's worth hearing what he has to say.
Dr. Miller is a trained medical doctor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto's Dall Lana School of Public Health. He is a longtime advisor to the World Health Organization and was the Senior Epidemiologist for the International Agency for Research on Cancer. He also served as the Head of Epidemiology at the German Cancer Research Center and as a consultant to the Division of Cancer Prevention of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. He's published numerous studies on the epidemiology of breast cancer; cancer evaluation and screening tools; environmental causes of cancer, and cancer control measures. Dr. Miller has served as the director of the epidemiology unit for the National Cancer Institute of Canada, a clinical professor for the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University and was the Chairman for the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto.

He's received numerous awards for his work, including: The Medal of Honour from the International Agency for Research on Cancer; The Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Society for Preventive Oncology; and The Distinguished Contributions Award from the Canadian Society of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Benzodiazepines (Benzos) are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world for anxiety. Despite how common they are, most people, including doctors and pharmacists, don't know the extent of benzodiazepine withdrawal, including the vast array of symptoms, nor do they know how to treat it. Many doctors and stakeholders confuse addiction with chemical dependence, which can be extremely frustrating for the person going through withdrawal, who took the medication as prescribed. Folks afflicted often turn to online forums and seek out others with similar withdrawal symptoms for advice. They are part of the "prescribed harm" community. Between searching for answers and managing symptoms, many people become so frustrated and exhausted that they resort to taking their own lives. As Dr. Huff mentions in the podcast, in the past year alone, she knows of at least 30 people who were going through benzo withdrawal and ended up killing themselves.
In this podcast, Dr. Huff opens up about how she felt while on benzodiazepines and her horrific experience coming off of them. She talks about the guidance she did/did not receive and what ultimately helped her. She does not mince words.
Dr. Christy Huff is a cardiologist by training, a mom and currently serves as director of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks interviews Dr. Fiorella Belpoggi about the potential health risks of wireless technology and radiation from EMFs (electromagnetic fields). The safety of EMFs is in the news due to the rollout of 5G and because of a recently resurfaced petition to the World Health Organization that was signed by 250 scientists warning about EMF exposure and health effects. That said, there have been no randomized controlled animal trials involving 5g. The 2 largest animal trials to date did not evaluate 5g. There has been no formal guidance to minimize exposure and no regulatory body has stated that there needs to be such guidance.

Dr. Belpoggi is the head of research at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy and Director of the Cesare Mal-toni Cancer Research Center, where she has worked since 1981. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and has done research on a variety of environmental exposures, including pesticides, plastics, food additives and hormones. To date, she has performed the largest animal study involving EMF (cell phone) exposure and cancer risk, which is covered in this interview, along with her recommendations for use of cell phones and wireless technology. ( For those with short attention spans, a summary of her recommendations will also be included in Dr. Eeks' blog at bloomingwellness.com.)

Dr. Belpoggi is a fellow of the International Academy of Toxicologic Pathology; a member of the European Society of Toxicologic Pathology, and she has served as an expert witness or adviser for the European Parliament, the World Health Organization, the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs, and the European Center for Environmental Health.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Nicole LePera talks about her own personal journey and health struggles, her approach to overcoming them and how that experience, plus her experience with others as a professionally trained psychologist, guided her approach to healing the mind and body. With Dr. Eeks, Dr. LePera talks about whether the holistic lifestyle is accessible to everyone, how aging affects mindset, how to handle the challenges of social media and use it in a way that's beneficial for the mind and body, and the steps anyone can take, right now, to enhance his/her mind-body wellness journey. She's also very candid about facing obstacles and what keeps her motivated.
Dr. LePera was trained at Cornell University and The New School as a traditional psychologist and went on to find the Mindful Healing Center in Philadelphia, where she focuses on relationships, gut health, sleep, cellular health, belief and mindfulness. She has close to 1 million followers on Instagram, and you can follow her here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart!
Or follow her on Instagram here.
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Talks about climate change are heated and ongoing. You often hear, especially from fans of The Green New Deal, "We literally only have 12 years to fix the problem!" Is that hyperbolic, or is that the truth?
While there are various governmental committees working on solutions to reduce carbon emissions, one thing we don't hear a lot about is nuclear power. No one really dives into the details of nuclear power. Nuclear power sounds scary and turns a lot of people off. But what exactly is it and how does it compare to oil and coal? What are the risks and the benefits? Should nuclear power be part of the cure for man-made global warming or will it cause a host of problems?
In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Andy Karam discusses nuclear power in detail and its potential role in reducing carbon emissions. Andy has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School and the Naval Nuclear Power School. Since 1981, Andy has worked in the radiation safety field. He started out working for the Navy and designed numerous radiation safety courses for the military and universities, including The University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, American University of Kosovo and The Center for Advanced Defense Studies. He's a board-certified international consultant for all radiological and nuclear matters, including radiological terrorism, and has consulted for the NYPD Counterterrorism division, NYC Department of Health, NASA Lewis Research Center, Honeywell, International Atomic Energy Agency, Panama Canal, the Canadian Army, Constellation Energy group and more. He's worked as a professor and has written over 200 peer-reviewed articles, several books and over 100 technical papers on the subject. This only touches on his extensive CV. For his full bio, please visit Dr. Karam's website here.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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In this episode of Causes Or Cures, Dr. Eek talks with Dr. Marcelo Gleiser about atheism, agnosticism, belief in God and the intersection of science and the spiritual dimension. He explains why he believes radical atheism goes against the scientific method. What's a rational position to take? What about theism and radical theism? What are the limitations of science, if any, when it comes to explaining how we got here? These, and other questions, are addressed during the interview. ( The interview is only 30 minutes, however, so please don't hold your breath for the meaning of life.)
Dr. Gleiser is a theoretical physicist, author of several popular science books and over a hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals, professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College, and most recently, recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize.
Take a listen.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Some people call it the "War On Antidepressants" and others call it the "War Over Antidepressants." Either way, antidepressants are in the news a lot, most recently related to the topic of withdrawal. Many doctors and stakeholders believe that antidepressant withdrawal ( symptoms that occur when you stop taking the drug) lasts, on average, up to 2 weeks. Others say that isn't true, and that symptoms can last much longer. Some say antidepressants are very effective for clinical depression. Others say that just isn't true. Strong opinions are at the heart of the debate over antidepressants, which has escalated to a heated social media exchange and what some call a "Twitter War."
Today's guest is Dr. Michael Hengartner, a highly published senior researcher and lecturer at Zurich University of Applied Sciences whose area of expertise includes psychiatric epidemiology, public mental health, psychosomatics, health services research, social psychiatry and psychopathology. In this episode, he presents evidence that challenges the notion that antidepressant withdrawal lasts, on average, only two weeks and also presents evidence that challenges the notion that antidepressants are effective drugs for clinical depression.

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
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Amanda Anderson is the founder of Spoonie World And Chronic Illnesses That Keep You Cooped Up, a Facebook support group for individuals with chronic illnesses. The group has over seven thousand members from all over the world and is very active, night and day. Amanda is also a Spoonie and talks to Dr. Eeks host of Causes Or Cures and founder of bloomingwellness.com, about Spoonies, pain, the opioid epidemic and marijuana, with the essential questions being: Would increasing access to marijuana reduce opioid use? Are pain patients being treated unfairly because of the opioid epidemic? Are we overlooking the benefits of opioid medication?
Tune in!

To contact Dr. Eeks, do so through bloomingwellness.com
To read or listen to her new comedic parody on the sleazy side of the wellness industry, check out Yours in Wellness, Krystal Heeling on Amazon.
Or you can listen to it from Google Play or Walmart!
Or follow her on Instagram here.
Or Facebook here.
Subcribe to her newsletter here!