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All articles

- Episode 198 Sleep Part 1: Sleeping with one eye open: 2026 Jan 20

- Special Episode: Daniel Stone & American Poison: 2026 Jan 13

- Episode 197 Detox: Enemas for everyone: 2026 Jan 6

- Episode 196 Health Myths: Fact or fiction?: 2025 Dec 16

- Special Episode: Dr. Homer Venters & Outbreak Behind Bars: 2025 Dec 9

- Episode 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance: 2025 Dec 2

- Episode 194 Salt Part 1: The Seasoning: 2025 Nov 25

- Special Episode: Gabriel Weston & Alive: 2025 Nov 18

- Episode 193 Necrotizing Fasciitis: A strange beast: 2025 Nov 12

- Ep 192 New World Screwworm: Oh-oh here they come: 2025 Nov 5

JAN 20, 2026, 9:59 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 198 Sleep Part 1: Sleeping with one eye open

Sleep is a universal experience. It’s not just the lion that sleeps tonight – it’s also the butterfly, the chicken, the jellyfish, the dog, the snake, the worm, and of course the human. What is this widespread physiological process whose spell we are all under? What purpose (or purposes) does it serve? Why do we sleep the way we do? These are just some of the questions we’re going to get into in this week’s episode, the first half of our two-parter on sleep. We break down the different components of sleep in humans before diving deep into how animals sleep and what drives the different patterns we see. Night owl or daybird? Light sleeper or deep slumberer? Frequent naps or one big chunk? One eye open or both eyes closed? Tune in as we unravel some of the mysteries of sleep.

History

- McNamara, Patrick, Robert A. Barton, and Charles L. Nunn, eds. Evolution of sleep: phylogenetic and functional perspectives. Cambridge University Press, 2010.

- Allada, Ravi, and Jerome M. Siegel. “Unearthing the phylogenetic roots of sleep.” Current biology 18.15 (2008): R670-R679.

- Anafi, Ron C., Matthew S. Kayser, and David M. Raizen. “Exploring phylogeny to find the function of sleep.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 20.2 (2019): 109-116.

- Cirelli, Chiara, and Giulio Tononi. “Is sleep essential?.” PLoS biology 6.8 (2008): e216.

- Fruth, Barbara, Nikki Tagg, and Fiona Stewart. “Sleep and nesting behavior in primates: A review.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 166.3 (2018): 499-509.

- Hobson, J. Allan. “REM sleep and dreaming: towards a theory of protoconsciousness.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10.11 (2009): 803-813.

- Joiner, William J. “Unraveling the evolutionary determinants of sleep.” Current biology 26.20 (2016): R1073-R1087.

- Keene, Alex C., and Erik R. Duboue. “The origins and evolution of sleep.” Journal of Experimental Biology 221.11 (2018): jeb159533.

- Lyamin, Oleg I., et al. “Cetacean sleep: an unusual form of mammalian sleep.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 32.8 (2008): 1451-1484.

- Nunn, Charles L., David R. Samson, and Andrew D. Krystal. “Shining evolutionary light on human sleep and sleep disorders.” Evolution, medicine, and public health 2016.1 (2016): 227-243.

- Rattenborg, Niels C., et al. “The non-trivial functions of sleep.” Sleep Medicine Reviews 11.5 (2007): 405-409.

- Rial, Ruben Victor, et al. “The trivial function of sleep.” Sleep medicine reviews 11.4 (2007): 311-325.

- Roth, Timothy C., Niels C. Rattenborg, and Vladimir V. Pravosudov. “The ecological relevance of sleep: the trade-off between sleep, memory and energy conservation.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 365.1542 (2010): 945-959.

- Samson, David R. “The human sleep paradox: the unexpected sleeping habits of Homo sapiens.” Annual Review of Anthropology 50.1 (2021): 259-274.

- Siegel, Jerome M. “Sleep function: an evolutionary perspective.” The Lancet Neurology 21.10 (2022): 937-946.

- Yamazaki, Risa, et al. “Evolutionary origin of distinct NREM and REM sleep.” Frontiers in psychology 11 (2020): 567618.

Biology

- Lockley, S.W. and Foster, R.G., 2012. Sleep: A very short introduction (Vol. 295). Oxford University Press.

- Brown, R.E., Basheer, R., McKenna, J.T., Strecker, R.E. and McCarley, R.W., 2012. Control of sleep and wakefulness. Physiological reviews.

- Herberger, S., Aurnhammer, C., Bauerfeind, S., Bothe, T., Penzel, T. and Fietze, I., 2025. Performance of wearable finger ring trackers for diagnostic sleep measurement in the clinical context. Scientific Reports, 15(1), p.9461.

- Zisapel, N., 2007. Sleep and sleep disturbances: biological basis and clinical implications. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 64(10), p.1174.

- Ficca, G., Axelsson, J., Mollicone, D.J., Muto, V. and Vitiello, M.V., 2010. Naps, cognition and performance. Sleep medicine reviews, 14(4), pp.249-258.

- Samson, D.R., 2021. The human sleep paradox: the unexpected sleeping habits of Homo sapiens. Annual Review of Anthropology, 50(1), pp.259-274.

- Meyer, N., Harvey, A.G., Lockley, S.W. and Dijk, D.J., 2022. Circadian rhythms and disorders of the timing of sleep. The Lancet, 400(10357), pp.1061-1078.

- Fuller, P.M., Gooley, J.J. and Saper, C.B., 2006. Neurobiology of the sleep-wake cycle: sleep architecture, circadian regulation, and regulatory feedback. Journal of biological rhythms, 21(6), pp.482-493.

- Haghayegh, S., Khoshnevis, S., Smolensky, M.H., Diller, K.R. and Castriotta, R.J., 2019. Accuracy of wristband Fitbit models in assessing sleep: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(11), p.e16273.

- Robbins, R., Weaver, M.D., Sullivan, J.P., Quan, S.F., Gilmore, K., Shaw, S., Benz, A., Qadri, S., Barger, L.K., Czeisler, C.A. and Duffy, J.F., 2024. Accuracy of three commercial wearable devices for sleep tracking in healthy adults. Sensors, 24(20), p.6532. *funding by Oura*

- Chinoy, E.D., Cuellar, J.A., Huwa, K.E., Jameson, J.T., Watson, C.H., Bessman, S.C., Hirsch, D.A., Cooper, A.D., Drummond, S.P. and Markwald, R.R., 2021. Performance of seven consumer sleep-tracking devices compared with polysomnography. Sleep, 44(5), p.zsaa291.

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This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

JAN 13, 2026, 2:51 PM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Daniel Stone & American Poison

The widespread use of leaded gasoline in the 20th century led to one of the world’s biggest public health and environmental disasters, the effects of which are still present today. Since its development in the 1920s, leaded gasoline has been linked to premature death, cognitive impairment, and behavioral issues in millions around the globe. How was such a toxic substance permitted to be sold, despite the tireless efforts of industrial medicine warriors like Alice Hamilton? In American Poison: A Deadly Invention and the Woman Who Battled for Environmental Justice, award-winning author and historian Daniel Stone tells the story of leaded gasoline – its heroes, its villains, and the lessons we can learn. What will emerge as this generation’s leaded gasoline? PFAS? Microplastics? Something else entirely? History doesn’t have to repeat, but it will unless we heed the lessons of the past. Tune in for a fascinating episode!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

JAN 6, 2026, 9:57 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 197 Detox: Enemas for everyone

Ah, the new year. After the last month and a half of indulgent food and drink, disrupted schedules, and laying around the house, who doesn’t feel like they’re in need of a whole-body cleanse? There are plenty of companies who are more than happy to provide that product or service that promises to flush away toxins from your skin, gut, blood, brain, you name it. But what exactly are they selling you? In this episode, we explore the deep roots of the ever-expanding detox industry and the concept behind its billions of dollars in revenue: detoxification. What does detoxification even mean? Is there any truth to the claims that a certain diet or superfood or supplement or colonic or drink or enema or chelation therapy can “detoxify” you? Tune in to find out how many synonyms for scam we can come up with.

History

- Agnew, Jeremy. “Man’s purgative passion.” American journal of psychotherapy 39.2 (1985): 236-246.

- Alvarez, Walter C. “Origin of the so-called auto-intoxication symptoms.” Journal of the American Medical Association 72.1 (1919): 8-13.

- Bacchi, André Demambre. “The Eternal Allure of the Panacea: How Narratives and Biases Sustain Pseudocures.” Journal of Medical Humanities (2025): 1-23.

- Chambers, Chloe. “150 years of detox: How inadequate dietary supplement regulation undermines consumer safety in the weight loss industry.” Minn. L. Rev. 109 (2024): 1453.

- Chen, Thomas SN, and Peter SY Chen. “Intestinal autointoxication: a medical leitmotif.” Journal of clinical gastroenterology 11.4 (1989): 434-441.

- Suzuki, Nanami. “Popular health movements and diet reform in nineteenth-century America.” The Japanese journal of American studies 21 (2010): 111-137.

- De Regt, Anouk, Matteo Montecchi, and Sarah Lord Ferguson. “A false image of health: how fake news and pseudo-facts spread in the health and beauty industry.” Journal of Product & Brand Management 29.2 (2020): 168-179.

- Doyle, Derek. “Per rectum: a history of enemata.” Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 35.4 (2005): 367-370.

- Eberhardt, Maeve. “‘You probably have a parasite’: Neoliberal risk and the discursive construction of the body in the wellness industry.” Language in Society 53.1 (2024): 47-69.

- Friedenwald, Julius, and Samuel Morrison. “The history of the enema with some notes on related procedures (Part I).” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 8.1 (1940): 68-114.

- Friedenwald, Julius, and Samuel Morrison. “The history of the enema with some notes on related procedures (part II).” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 8.2 (1940): 239-276.

- Kellogg, John Harvey. “Should the colon be sacrificed or may it be reformed?.” Journal of the American Medical Association 68.26 (1917): 1957-1959.

- Mathias, Manon. “Autointoxication and historical precursors of the microbiome–gut–brain axis.” Microbial ecology in health and disease 29.2 (2018): 1548249.

- Shryock, Richard H. “Sylvester Graham and the popular health movement, 1830-1870.” The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 18.2 (1931): 172-183.

- Spadine, Mandy, and Megan S. Patterson. “Social influence on fad diet use: a systematic literature review.” Nutrition and Health 28.3 (2022): 369-388.

- Sullivan-Fowler, Micaela. “Doubtful theories, drastic therapies: autointoxication and faddism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.” Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences 50.3 (1995): 364-390.

- Tahreem, Aaiza, et al. “Fad diets: facts and fiction.” Frontiers in nutrition 9 (2022): 960922.

- The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs

- https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/detox-product-market

Biology

- Hodges, R.E. and Minich, D.M., 2015. Modulation of metabolic detoxification pathways using foods and food‐derived components: a scientific review with clinical application. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2015(1), p.760689.

- Klein, A.V. and Kiat, H., 2015. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics, 28(6), pp.675-686.

- Grant, D.M., 1991. Detoxification pathways in the liver. Journal of inherited metabolic disease, 14(4), pp.421-430.

- Blondet, N.M., Messner, D.J., Kowdley, K.V. and Murray, K.F., 2018. Mechanisms of hepatocyte detoxification. In Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract (pp. 981-1001). Academic Press.

- Cline, J.C., 2015. Nutritional aspects of detoxification in clinical practice. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 21(3).

- Obert, J., Pearlman, M., Obert, L. and Chapin, S., 2017. Popular weight loss strategies: a review of four weight loss techniques. Current gastroenterology reports, 19(12), p.61.

- Dearing, M.D. and Weinstein, S.B., 2022. Metabolic enabling and detoxification by mammalian gut microbes. Annual Review of Microbiology, 76, pp.579-596.

- Schlosser, P., Li, Y., Sekula, P., Raffler, J., Grundner-Culemann, F., Pietzner, M., Cheng, Y., Wuttke, M., Steinbrenner, I., Schultheiss, U.T. and Kotsis, F., 2020. Genetic studies of urinary metabolites illuminate mechanisms of detoxification and excretion in humans. Nature genetics, 52(2), pp.167-176.

- Aronica, L., Ordovas, J.M., Volkov, A., Lamb, J.J., Stone, P.M., Minich, D., Leary, M., Class, M., Metti, D., Larson, I.A. and Contractor, N., 2022. Genetic biomarkers of metabolic detoxification for personalized lifestyle medicine. Nutrients, 14(4), p.768.

- Wexler, P., Fonger, G.C., White, J. and Weinstein, S., 2015. Toxinology: taxonomy, interpretation, and information resources. Science & Technology Libraries, 34(1), pp.67-90.

- Cámara, M., Giner, R.M., González-Fandos, E., López-García, E., Mañes, J., Portillo, M.P., Rafecas, M., Domínguez, L. and Martínez, J.A., 2021. Food-based dietary guidelines around the world: a comparative analysis to update AESAN scientific committee dietary recommendations. Nutrients, 13(9), p.3131.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

DEC 16, 2025, 3:00 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 196 Health Myths: Fact or fiction?

Did your grandma ever warn you against going out in the cold with wet hair because “you’ll catch your death”? Or have you ever tossed a few more carrots into your shopping basket in the hope that they’ll improve your vision? There are countless health myths about how to prevent or treat disease, what food will give you superhuman powers or turn your kid into a whirlwind of energy. But is there any truth to them? Let’s find out. In this episode, we review a handful of the most popular health myths, exploring their origins and scouring them for any scrap of truth. Tune in to learn whether these myths are fact, fiction, or somewhere in between!

History

- General

- Dalmiya, Vrinda, and Linda Alcoff. “Are “old wives’ tales” justified?.” Feminist epistemologies. Routledge, 2013. 217-244.

- Ehrenreich, Barbara, and Deirdre English. Witches, midwives, & nurses: A history of women healers. The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2010.

- Fox, Adam. Oral and literate culture in England, 1500-1700. Clarendon Press, 2000.

- Wet hair/weather will make you sick.

- Jacobson, Carolyn Anne. Contagious transmissions and charged atmospheres: Disease theories and narrative in early Victorian novels. University of Pennsylvania, 2008.

- Waugh, Joanne Sarah. Talking about the weather: climate and the Victorian novel. Diss. University of York, 2008.

- Orton, Reginald. An essay on the epidemic cholera of India. Burgess and Hill, 1831.

- Buchan, William. Domestic medicine. Sowler & Russell, 1800.

- Haviland, Alfred. Climate, Weather, and Disease: Being a Sketch of the Opinions of the Most Celebrated Antient and Modern Writers. J. Churchill, 1855.

- Carrots give you night vision.

- Carrot, Wild. “Carrot: history and iconography.” Chronica 51.2 (2011): 13.

- Carrot History – Carrots in the Second World War, World Carrot Museum. Accessed September 27, 2025.

- WW2 – “Carrots Help you see in the dark”, World Carrot Museum. Accessed September 27, 2025.

- Carrots Can’t Help You See in the Dark. Here’s How a World War II Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth, Smithsonian Magazine. August 13, 2013. Accessed September 27, 2025.

- Sugar rush.

- Feingold, Ben. Why Your Child Is Hyperactive: The bestselling book on how ADHD is caused by artificial food flavors and colors. Random House, 1985.

- Kawash, Samira. Candy: A century of Panic and Pleasure. Macmillan, 2013.

- Krummel, Debra A., et al. “Hyperactivity: is candy causal?.” Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition 36.1-2 (1996): 31-47.

- Ginger ale cures tummyaches.

- Donovan, Tristan. Fizz: how soda shook up the world. Chicago Review Press, 2013.

- Wondrich, David, and Noah Rothbaum, eds. The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Oxford University Press, 2021.

- Prance, Ghillean, and Mark Nesbitt, eds. The cultural history of plants. Routledge, 2012.

- Isa, Mari. Thirsty Throwback Thursday: A History of Ginger Beer, MSU Campus Archaeology Program. April 27, 2017. Accessed September 28, 2025.

Biology

- Moriyama, M., Hugentobler, W.J. and Iwasaki, A., 2020. Seasonality of respiratory viral infections. Annual review of virology, 7(1), pp.83-101.

- Reiman, J.M., Das, B., Sindberg, G.M., Urban, M.D., Hammerlund, M.E., Lee, H.B., Spring, K.M., Lyman-Gingerich, J., Generous, A.R., Koep, T.H. and Ewing, K., 2018. Humidity as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for influenza A. PLoS One, 13(9), p.e0204337.

- Andrup, L., Krogfelt, K.A., Hansen, K.S. and Madsen, A.M., 2023. Transmission route of rhinovirus-the causative agent for common cold. A systematic review. American Journal of Infection Control, 51(8), pp.938-957.

- Moriyama, M., Hugentobler, W.J. and Iwasaki, A., 2020. Seasonality of respiratory viral infections. Annual review of virology, 7(1), pp.83-101.

- Stewart, P.D.S., 2016. Seasonality and selective trends in viral acute respiratory tract infections. Medical hypotheses, 86, pp.104-119.

- Douglas Jr, R.G., Lindgren, K.M. and Couch, R.B., 1968. Exposure to cold environment and rhinovirus common cold: failure to demonstrate effect. New England Journal of Medicine, 279(14), pp.742-747.

- Mourtzoukou EG, Falagas ME. Exposure to cold and respiratory tract infections. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 2007 Sep 1;11(9):938-43.

- Jaakkola, K., Saukkoriipi, A., Jokelainen, J., Juvonen, R., Kauppila, J., Vainio, O., Ziegler, T., Rönkkö, E., Jaakkola, J.J., Ikäheimo, T.M. and KIAS-Study Group, 2014. Decline in temperature and humidity increases the occurrence of influenza in cold climate. Environmental Health, 13(1), p.22.

- Liener, K., Leiacker, R., Lidemann, J., Rettinger, G. and Keck, T., 2003. Nasal mucosal temperature after exposure to cold, dry air and hot, humid air. Acta oto-laryngologica, 123(7), pp.851-856.

- George, T., Hall, D., Davis, T. and O’Shea, N., 2025. Seven cautionary tales we tell our children: a brief literature review. British Journal of General Practice, 75(751).

- Eccles, R., 2002. Acute cooling of the body surface and the common cold. Rhinology, 40(3), pp.109-114.

- Korzeniewski, K., Nitsch-Osuch, A., Chciałowski, A. and Korsak, J., 2013. Environmental factors, immune changes and respiratory diseases in troops during military activities. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology, 187(1), pp.118-122.

- Johnson, C. and Eccles, R., 2005. Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms. Family Practice, 22(6), pp.608-613.

- Ikäheimo, T.M., Jaakkola, K., Jokelainen, J., Saukkoriipi, A., Roivainen, M., Juvonen, R., Vainio, O. and Jaakkola, J.J., 2016. A decrease in temperature and humidity precedes human rhinovirus infections in a cold climate. Viruses, 8(9), p.244.

- Foxman, E.F., Storer, J.A., Fitzgerald, M.E., Wasik, B.R., Hou, L., Zhao, H., Turner, P.E., Pyle, A.M. and Iwasaki, A., 2015. Temperature-dependent innate defense against the common cold virus limits viral replication at warm temperature in mouse airway cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(3), pp.827-832.

- Vreeman, R.C. and Carroll, A.E., 2008. Festive medical myths. BMJ, 337.

- Burch, D.M., 1964. Incidence of Colds among College Women Who Swim During the Winter Months.

- Richer, S., Novil, S., Gullett, T., Dervishi, A., Nassiri, S., Duong, C., Davis, R. and Davey, P.G., 2021. Night Vision and Carotenoids (NVC): A randomized placebo controlled clinical trial on effects of carotenoid supplementation on night vision in older adults. Nutrients, 13(9), p.3191.

- Smith, W., Mitchell, P. and Lazarus, R., 1999. Carrots, carotene and seeing in the dark. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology, 27(3‐4), pp.200-203.

- Christian, P., West Jr, K.P., Khatry, S.K., Katz, J., LeClerq, S., Pradhan, E.K. and Shrestha, S.R., 1998. Vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation reduces but does not eliminate maternal night blindness in Nepal. The Journal of nutrition, 128(9), pp.1458-1463.

- Byun, S.S. and Spaide, R.F., 2021. Carrots, Blueberries, and Spinach—Vision Superfoods. Retina, 41(5), pp.895-897.

- Flood, V., Smith, W., Wang, J.J., Manzi, F., Webb, K. and Mitchell, P., 2002. Dietary antioxidant intake and incidence of early age-related maculopathy: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Ophthalmology, 109(12), pp.2272-2278.

- Cooper, D.A., Eldridge, A.L. and Peters, J.C., 1999. Dietary carotenoids and certain cancers, heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration: a review of recent research. Nutrition Reviews, 57(7), pp.201-214.

- Chong, E.W., Wong, T.Y., Kreis, A.J., Simpson, J.A. and Guymer, R.H., 2007. Dietary antioxidants and primary prevention of age related macular degeneration: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj, 335(7623), p.755.

- Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group, 2001. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Archives of ophthalmology, 119(10), pp.1417-1436.

- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Research Group, 2013. Lutein+ zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial. Jama, 309(19), pp.2005-2015.

- Trumbo, P.R. and Ellwood, K.C., 2006. Lutein and zeaxanthin intakes and risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts: an evaluation using the Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based review system for health claims. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 84(5), pp.971-974.

- Krummel, D.A., Seligson, F.H., Guthrie, H.A. and Gans, D.A., 1996. Hyperactivity: is candy causal?. Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition, 36(1-2), pp.31-47.

- Kinsbourne, M., 1994. Sugar and the hyperactive child. New England Journal of Medicine, 330(5), pp.355-356.

- Benton, D., 2008. Sucrose and behavioral problems. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 48(5), pp.385-401.

- Del-Ponte, B., Anselmi, L., Assunção, M.C.F., Tovo-Rodrigues, L., Munhoz, T.N., Matijasevich, A., Rohde, L.A. and Santos, I.S., 2019. Sugar consumption and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A birth cohort study. Journal of affective disorders, 243, pp.290-296.

- Hoover, D.W. and Milich, R., 1994. Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 22(4), pp.501-515.

- Wender, E.H. and Solanto, M.V., 1991. Effects of sugar on aggressive and inattentive behavior in children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity and normal children. Pediatrics, 88(5), pp.960-966.

- Kim, Y. and Chang, H., 2011. Correlation between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sugar consumption, quality of diet, and dietary behavior in school children. Nutrition research and practice, 5(3), pp.236-245.

- Yu, C.J., Du, J.C., Chiou, H.C., Feng, C.C., Chung, M.Y., Yang, W., Chen, Y.S., Chien, L.C., Hwang, B. and Chen, M.L., 2016. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is adversely associated with childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. International journal of environmental research and public health, 13(7), p.678.

- Kim, S., Shin, J., Cha, H.R., Ha, E.K., Kim, J.H. and Han, M.Y., 2024. Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages before 2 Years of Age and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 80(5), pp.276-286.

- Ernst, E. and Pittler, M.H., 2000. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. British journal of anaesthesia, 84(3), pp.367-371.

- Thomson, M., Corbin, R. and Leung, L., 2014. Effects of ginger for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: a meta-analysis. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 27(1), pp.115-122.

- Giacosa, A., Morazzoni, P., Bombardelli, E., Riva, A., Bianchi Porro, G. and Rondanelli, M., 2015. Can nausea and vomiting be treated with ginger extract?. European Review for Medical & Pharmacological Sciences, 19(7).

- Marx, W., Ried, K., McCarthy, A.L., Vitetta, L., Sali, A., McKavanagh, D. and Isenring, L., 2017. Ginger—Mechanism of action in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(1), pp.141-146.

- Zhu, W., Dai, Y., Huang, M. and Li, J., 2021. Efficacy of ginger in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 53(6), pp.671-679.

- Chaiyakunapruk, N., Kitikannakorn, N., Nathisuwan, S., Leeprakobboon, K. and Leelasettagool, C., 2006. The efficacy of ginger for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 194(1), pp.95-99.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

DEC 9, 2025, 3:00 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Dr. Homer Venters & Outbreak Behind Bars

[Content warning: self-harm, suicide, violence]

In this day and age, we are equipped with an abundance of tools and knowledge to fight the spread of disease. Yet what good does that toolkit do if we lack the resources or the will to implement it where it is needed? One area of great need is our correctional facilities, our prisons, jails, immigration detention centers, and juvenile detention centers. In these settings, communicable disease is often allowed to spread unchecked, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Meaningful change is needed, but what might that look like? In this week’s TPWKY book club episode, Dr. Homer Venters joins us to discuss his latest work, Outbreak Behind Bars: Spider Bites, Human Rights, and the Unseen Danger to Public Health. As the former Chief Medical Officer of the New York City jail system and through his current role as a federal monitor of health services in several jail and prison settings, Dr. Venters has extensive firsthand knowledge of the barriers that prevent adequate medical care to be delivered to these populations. And he has evidence-based solutions. Tune in for a necessary discussion of this humanitarian crisis.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

DEC 2, 2025, 3:00 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance

We ended last week’s episode on a bit of a cliffhanger: is salt actually bad for us and if so, why does there still seem to be a debate? This week’s episode holds all the answers. We’re sifting through the noise to figure out what salt actually does in our bodies, how it might impact our health, and why we crave this delicious substance. If you’ve ever wondered how we’ve arrived at the maximum daily sodium intake (2300 mg for adults) and why salt impacts blood pressure, then this is the episode for you!

History

- Biology

- Hunter, R.W., Dhaun, N. and Bailey, M.A., 2022. The impact of excessive salt intake on human health. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 18(5), pp.321-335.

- Geerling, J.C. and Loewy, A.D., 2008. Central regulation of sodium appetite. Experimental physiology, 93(2), pp.177-209.

- Hancock, C.E., Aryal, B., Ma, T., Wu, G. and Liu, Q., 2025. Targeted cravings: Unraveling the drivers of nutrient-specific appetite. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 93, p.103063.

- He, F.J. and MacGregor, G.A., 2018. Role of salt intake in prevention of cardiovascular disease: controversies and challenges. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 15(6), pp.371-377.

- Eaton, S.B. and Konner, M., 1985. Paleolithic nutrition: a consideration of its nature and current implications. New England Journal of Medicine, 312(5), pp.283-289.

- Mancilha-Carvalho, J.J., De Oliveira, R. and Esposito, R.J., 1989. Blood pressure and electrolyte excretion in the Yanomamo Indians, an isolated population. Journal of human hypertension, 3(5), pp.309-314.

- Kumar, S. and Berl, T., 1998. Sodium. The Lancet, 352(9123), pp.220-228.

- Elliott, P., Stamler, J., Nichols, R., Dyer, A.R., Stamler, R., Kesteloot, H. and Marmot, M., 1996. Intersalt revisited: further analyses of 24 hour sodium excretion and blood pressure within and across populations. Bmj, 312(7041), pp.1249-1253.

- Intersalt Cooperative Research Group, 1988. Intersalt: an international study of electrolyte excretion and blood pressure. Results for 24 hour urinary sodium and potassium excretion. BMJ: British Medical Journal, pp.319-328.

- Salman, E., Kadota, A. and Miura, K., 2024. Global guidelines recommendations for dietary sodium and potassium intake. Hypertension Research, 47(6), pp.1620-1626.

- O’Donnell, M., Mente, A., Alderman, M.H., Brady, A.J., Diaz, R., Gupta, R., Lopez-Jaramillo, P., Luft, F.C., Lüscher, T.F., Mancia, G. and Mann, J.F., 2020. Salt and cardiovascular disease: insufficient evidence to recommend low sodium intake. European heart journal, 41(35), pp.3363-3373.

- Afshin, A., Sur, P.J., Fay, K.A., Cornaby, L., Ferrara, G., Salama, J.S., Mullany, E.C., Abate, K.H., Abbafati, C., Abebe, Z. and Afarideh, M., 2019. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The lancet, 393(10184), pp.1958-1972.

- Oh, Y.S., Appel, L.J., Galis, Z.S., Hafler, D.A., He, J., Hernandez, A.L., Joe, B., Karumanchi, S.A., Maric-Bilkan, C., Mattson, D. and Mehta, N.N., 2016. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group report on salt in human health and sickness: building on the current scientific evidence. Hypertension, 68(2), pp.281-288.

- Neal, B., Wu, Y., Feng, X., Zhang, R., Zhang, Y., Shi, J., Zhang, J., Tian, M., Huang, L., Li, Z. and Yu, Y., 2021. Effect of salt substitution on cardiovascular events and death. New England Journal of Medicine, 385(12), pp.1067-1077.

- Powles, J., Fahimi, S., Micha, R., Khatibzadeh, S., Shi, P., Ezzati, M., Engell, R.E., Lim, S.S., Danaei, G., Mozaffarian, D. and Global Burden of Diseases Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Expert Group (NutriCoDE, 2013. Global, regional and national sodium intakes in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis of 24 h urinary sodium excretion and dietary surveys worldwide. BMJ open, 3(12), p.e003733.

- Carvalho, J.J., Baruzzi, R.G., Howard, P.F., Poulter, N., Alpers, M.P., Franco, L.J., Marcopito, L.F., Spooner, V.J., Dyer, A.R. and Elliott, P., 1989. Blood pressure in four remote populations in the INTERSALT Study. Hypertension, 14(3), pp.238-246.

- Ezekowitz, J.A., Colin-Ramirez, E., Ross, H., Escobedo, J., Macdonald, P., Troughton, R., Saldarriaga, C., Alemayehu, W., McAlister, F.A., Arcand, J. and Atherton, J., 2022. Reduction of dietary sodium to less than 100 mmol in heart failure (SODIUM-HF): an international, open-label, randomised, controlled trial. The Lancet, 399(10333), pp.1391-1400.

- Gunn, J.P., Kuklina, E.V., Keenan, N.L. and Labarthe, D.R., 2010. Sodium Intake Among Adults–United States, 2005-2006. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 59(24).

- Campbell, N.R., Lackland, D.T., Niebylski, M.L. and Nilsson, P.M., 2014. Is reducing dietary sodium controversial? Is it the conduct of studies with flawed research methods that is controversial? A perspective from the World Hypertension League Executive Committee. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 17(2), p.85.

- McCarron, D.A., Kazaks, A.G., Geerling, J.C., Stern, J.S. and Graudal, N.A., 2013. Normal range of human dietary sodium intake: a perspective based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion worldwide. American Journal of Hypertension, 26(10), pp.1218-1223.

- Bernstein, A.M. and Willett, W.C., 2010. Trends in 24-h urinary sodium excretion in the United States, 1957–2003: a systematic review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 92(5), pp.1172-1180.

- Zhou, B., Danaei, G., Stevens, G.A., Bixby, H., Taddei, C., Carrillo-Larco, R.M., Solomon, B., Riley, L.M., Di Cesare, M., Iurilli, M.L.C. and Rodriguez-Martinez, A., 2019. Long-term and recent trends in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in 12 high-income countries: an analysis of 123 nationally representative surveys. The Lancet, 394(10199), pp.639-651.

- Aburto, N.J., Ziolkovska, A., Hooper, L., Elliott, P., Cappuccio, F.P. and Meerpohl, J.J., 2013. Effect of lower sodium intake on health: systematic review and meta-analyses. Bmj, 346, p.f1326.

- Taruno, A. and Gordon, M.D., 2023. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of salt taste. Annual Review of Physiology, 85(1), pp.25-45.

- Gupta, D.K., Lewis, C.E., Varady, K.A., Su, Y.R., Madhur, M.S., Lackland, D.T., Reis, J.P., Wang, T.J., Lloyd-Jones, D.M. and Allen, N.B., 2023. Effect of dietary sodium on blood pressure: a crossover trial. Jama, 330(23), pp.2258-2266.

- Mente, A., O’Donnell, M.J., Rangarajan, S., McQueen, M.J., Poirier, P., Wielgosz, A., Morrison, H., Li, W., Wang, X., Di, C. and Mony, P., 2014. Association of urinary sodium and potassium excretion with blood pressure. New england journal of medicine, 371(7), pp.601-611.

- Ueshima, H., Okayama, A., Saitoh, S., Nakagawa, H., Rodriguez, B., Sakata, K., Okuda, N., Choudhury, S.R. and Curb, J.D., 2003. Differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors between Japanese in Japan and Japanese-Americans in Hawaii: the INTERLIPID study. Journal of human hypertension, 17(9), pp.631-639.

- Sadler, K., Nicholson, S., Steer, T., Gill, V., Bates, B., Tipping, S., Cox, L., Lennox, A. and Prentice, A., 2011. National Diet and Nutrition Survey – Assessment of dietary sodium in adults (aged 19-64 years) in England, 2011. A survey carried out on behalf of the Department of Health.

- He, F.J., Pombo-Rodrigues, S. and MacGregor, G.A., 2014. Salt reduction in England from 2003 to 2011: its relationship to blood pressure, stroke and ischaemic heart disease mortality. BMJ open, 4(4), p.e004549.

- Mozaffarian, D., Fahimi, S., Singh, G.M., Micha, R., Khatibzadeh, S., Engell, R.E., Lim, S., Danaei, G., Ezzati, M. and Powles, J., 2014. Global sodium consumption and death from cardiovascular causes. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(7), pp.624-634.

- WHO Guideline: sodium intake for adults and children. 2012 Annex 2 – examples of sodium content in various foods and food groups. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK133307/

- WHO Guideline: Sodium Intake for Adults and Children. 2012. Summary of evidence. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK133299/

- FDA: Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply. 11/2024 https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/sodium-reduction-food-supply

WHO: Sodium Reduction.2/2025  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sodium-reduction

Biology

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This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

NOV 25, 2025, 3:00 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 194 Salt Part 1: The Seasoning

Have you ever thrown a pinch of spilled salt over your left shoulder? Or said to someone “well, take his opinion with a grain of salt”? Or looked up the potential salary of a job listing? Salt is so deeply embedded in our cultures, our languages, our history as a species that we often take its influence for granted. We may forget (or perhaps we never knew) how much history is held within the unassuming yet ubiquitous salt shaker. In the first installment of this two-parter on everyone’s favorite seasoning, we delve deep into some salt lore. When did humans start to ramp up their salt intake? Why was salt such a big deal? Which places are named for salt? When did we start worrying about how much sodium we were eating? Tune in for a fun, fact-filled episode that’ll forever change the way you think about salt.

History

- Kurlansky, Mark. Salt. Random House, 2011.

- MacGregor, Graham A., and Hugh Edward De Wardener. Salt, diet and health. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

- Alderman, Michael H. “Salt, blood pressure, and human health.” Hypertension 36.5 (2000): 890-893.

- Aviv, Abraham. “Salt and hypertension: the debate that begs the bigger question.” Archives of internal medicine 161.4 (2001): 507-510.

- Bakris, George L., and Michael A. Weber. “Overview of the evolution of hypertension: from ancient Chinese emperors to today.” Hypertension 81.4 (2024): 717-726.

- Bayer, Ronald, David Merritt Johns, and Sandro Galea. “Salt and public health: contested science and the challenge of evidence-based decision making.” Health Affairs 31.12 (2012): 2738-2746.

- Bloch, M. R. “Salt in human history.” Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 1.4 (1976): 336-352.

- Cirillo, Massimo, et al. “A history of salt.” American journal of nephrology 14.4-6 (1994): 426-431.

- DiNicolantonio, James J., and James H. O’Keefe. “The history of the salt wars.” The American journal of medicine 130.9 (2017): 1011-1014.

- Durack, Edel, Mercedes Alonso-Gomez, and Martin G. Wilkinson. “Salt: a review of its role in food science and public health.” Current Nutrition & Food Science 4.4 (2008): 290-297.

- Grollman, Arthur. “The role of salt in health and disease∗.” The American journal of cardiology 8.4 (1961): 593-601.

- Kaiser, J. “Data access. Industry groups petition for data on salt and hypertension.” Science (New York, NY) 300.5624 (2003): 1350-1350.

- Perry, I. J. “Salt, science and politics.” Journal of human hypertension 17.1 (2003): 1-3.

- Pickering, Thomas G. “The history and politics of salt.” The Journal of Clinical Hypertension 4.3 (2007): 226.

- Ritz, Eberhard. “The history of salt—aspects of interest to the nephrologist.” Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 11.6 (1996): 969-975.

Biology

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

NOV 18, 2025, 3:00 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Gabriel Weston & Alive

In an anatomy and physiology class, you may learn how the different heart valves work to circulate your blood, how the structure of your kidney helps to maintain electrolyte levels, and how the expansion and contraction of your lungs sets off a carefully orchestrated cascade of gas exchange and transport. The human body is an endlessly fascinating machine. But when you spend so much time learning about the body, you can lose sight of the fact that it isn’t a machine. It is the story of your life. In this book club installment, I am joined by surgeon and award-winning writer Gabriel Weston to discuss her latest book Alive: Our Bodies and the Richness and Brevity of Existence. In this compelling blend of memoir, science, and meditation, Weston examines different body parts chapter by chapter – what they have meant to her or her loved ones, their significance in history, and how their meanings are shaped by our scientific understanding. Weston inspires readers to take a moment to reflect on what it’s like to live in your body, feel your heart beat, your lungs expand. Doing so can help us connect with ourselves and others. Tune in for a delightful conversation!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

NOV 12, 2025, 3:37 PM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 193 Necrotizing Fasciitis: A strange beast

If you were asked to describe necrotizing fasciitis in three words, you might choose: rapid, deadly, and rare. The third of those adjectives may provide some comfort, but the first two are the clear inspiration for this infection’s more lurid nickname: flesh-eating bacteria. In this episode, we get up close and personal with necrotizing fasciitis and its causative agents. We start off by examining step by step how these infections wreak so much havoc and why doctors still struggle with its treatment. Then we take a tour through its grisly history, featuring maritime misadventures and wicked war wounds. We wrap up the story with a look at the global trends in these infections as well as some promising new research. This episode may not be for the faint of heart, but it is for the endlessly curious.

History

- Bishop, E. J., et al. “Necrotizing fasciitis in captive juvenile Crocodylus porosus caused by Streptococcus agalactiae: an outbreak and review of the animal and human literature.” Epidemiology & Infection 135.8 (2007): 1248-1255.

- Blackadder, H. Home. Observations on phagedæna gangrænosa. 1818.

- Brewer, George Emerson, and Frank Lamont Meleney. “PROGRESSIVE GANGRENOUS INFECTION OF THE SKIN AND SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUES, FOLLOWING OPERATION FOR ACUTE PERFORATIVE APPENDICITIS*: A STUDY IN SYMBIOSIS.” Annals of Surgery 84.3 (1926): 438-450.

- CRUICKSHANK, ROBERT. “Hospital infection: a historical review.” British Medical Bulletin 2.12 (1944): 272-276.

- Dean, Malcolm. “Flesh-eating bugs scare.” The Lancet 343.8910 (1994): 1418-1418.

- Descamps, Vincent, James Aitken, and MartinG Lee. “Hippocrates on necrotising fasciitis.” The Lancet 344.8921 (1994): 556.

- Gorbach, Sherwood L. “Flesh-Eating Bacteria: A New Disease or an Old Story?.” Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice 4.3 (1995): 177-179.

- Jackson, Robert, and Michael Bell. “Phagedena: gangrenous and necrotic ulcerations of skin and subcutaneous tissue.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 126.4 (1982): 363.

- Jones, Joseph., and M. LX. “Hospital gangrene.” Nashville Med. and Surge] 1 (1866): 329-432.

- Loudon, Irvine. “Necrotising fasciitis, hospital gangrene, and phagedena.” The Lancet 344.8934 (1994): 1416-1419.

- Meleney, Frank L. “Hemolytic streptococcus gangrene.” Archives of Surgery 9.2 (1924): 317-364.

- Nasser, Waleed, et al. “Evolutionary pathway to increased virulence and epidemic group A Streptococcus disease derived from 3,615 genome sequences.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.17 (2014): E1768-E1776.

- Patiño, José Félix, and Daniel Castro. “Necrotizing lesions of soft tissues: a review.” World journal of surgery 15.2 (1991): 235-239.

- Pini, Pia. “Superbug stars in media-made epidemic.” The Lancet 343.8910 (1994): 1376-1377.

- Quirk Jr, William F., and George Sternbach. “Joseph Jones: infection with flesh eating bacteria.” The Journal of emergency medicine 14.6 (1996): 747-753.

- de Reijke, Theo M., and Karl H. Kurth. “Fournier’s gangrene.” Current Opinion in Urology 5.1 (1995): 60.

- Sarani, Babak, et al. “Necrotizing fasciitis: current concepts and review of the literature.” Journal of the American College of Surgeons 208.2 (2009): 279-288.

- Seal, D. V., and Barbara Leppard. “Necrotizing fasciitis—a disease of temperate and warm climates.” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 76.3 (1982): 392-395.

- Stevens, Dennis L. “The flesh-eating bacterium: what’s next?.” The Journal of infectious diseases 179.Supplement_2 (1999): S366-S374.

- Suijker, Jaco, et al. “The impact of necrotizing soft tissue infections on the lives of survivors: a qualitative study.” Quality of Life Research 32.7 (2023): 2013-2024.

- Trotter, Thomas. Medicina Nautica... Vol. 3. 1803.

- United States Sanitary Commission, and Frank Hastings Hamilton. Surgical Memoirs of the War of the Rebellion. [New York: U.S. sanitary commission, 187071.

- Wilson, B. “Necrotizing faciitis.” Am J Surg 18 (1952): 416-431.

Biology

- Bonne, S. and Kadri, S.S., 2017. Evaluation and management of necrotizing soft tissue infections. Infectious disease clinics of North America, 31(3), p.497.

- Stevens, D.L. and Bryant, A.E., 2017. Necrotizing soft-tissue infections. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(23), pp.2253-2265.

- May, A.K., 2009. Skin and soft tissue infections. Surgical Clinics of North America, 89(2), pp.403-420.

- Seal, D.V., 2001. Necrotizing fasciitis. Current opinion in infectious diseases, 14(2), pp.127-132.

- Allaw, F., Wehbe, S. and Kanj, S.S., 2024. Necrotizing fasciitis: an update on epidemiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 37(2), pp.105-111.

- Chen, Y., Huang, Y., Shou, J., Song, R., Tan, J. and Deng, J., 2025. Epidemiology and prognostic factors of necrotizing fasciitis in resource-limited regions based on 119 cases. Scientific Reports, 15(1), p.27458.

- Stevens, D.L., Bisno, A.L., Chambers, H.F., Dellinger, E.P., Goldstein, E.J., Gorbach, S.L., Hirschmann, J.V., Kaplan, S.L., Montoya, J.G. and Wade, J.C., 2014. Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections: 2014 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical infectious diseases, 59(2), pp.e10-e52.

- Oruç, E., Turunç, T., Beyaz, S., Demiroğlu, Y.Z. and Arslan, H., 2022. Necrotizing fasciitis: evaluation of 85 cases and usage of LRINEC score. Infectious Diseases & Clinical Microbiology, 4(2), p.81.

- Bechar, J., Sepehripour, S., Hardwicke, J. and Filobbos, G., 2017. Laboratory risk indicator for necrotising fasciitis (LRINEC) score for the assessment of early necrotising fasciitis: a systematic review of the literature. The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 99(5), pp.341-346.

- Wong, C.H., Khin, L.W., Heng, K.S., Tan, K.C. and Low, C.O., 2004. The LRINEC (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis) score: a tool for distinguishing necrotizing fasciitis from other soft tissue infections. Critical care medicine, 32(7), pp.1535-1541.

- May, A.K., Talisa, V.B., Wilfret, D.A., Bulger, E., Dankner, W., Bernard, A. and Yende, S., 2021. Estimating the impact of necrotizing soft tissue infections in the United States: incidence and re-admissions. Surgical Infections, 22(5), pp.509-515.

- Choi, H.K., Seo, G.H. and Han, E., 2020. The incidence and seasonal variation of necrotizing fasciitis in Korea: a nationwide cross-sectional study. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 26(8), pp.1090-e1.

- Tam, P.C.K., Kennedy, B. and Ashokan, A., 2023, April. Necrotizing soft tissue infections in South Australia: a 15-year review. Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Vol. 10, No. 4, p. ofad117). US: Oxford University Press.

- Tantirat, P., Rattanathumsakul, T., Praekunatham, H., Pachanee, K. and Suphanchaimat, R., 2020. Epidemiological situation of necrotizing fasciitis and factors in Thailand and factors associated with its morbidity and mortality, 2014–2018. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, pp.1613-1624.

- Khan, S., Ahmad, R., Munir, A., Nasir, S., Adnan, M., Naveed, F., Idrees, U., Fatima, S.M. and Iqbal, J., 2025. Trends in Necrotizing Fasciitis‐Associated Mortality in the United States 2003–2020: A CDC WONDER Database Population‐Based Study. World Journal of Surgery, 49(5), pp.1210-1218.

- Archer, E.J., Baker-Austin, C., Osborn, T.J., Jones, N.R., Martínez-Urtaza, J., Trinanes, J., Oliver, J.D., González, F.J.C. and Lake, I.R., 2023. Climate warming and increasing Vibrio vulnificus infections in North America. Scientific reports, 13(1), p.3893.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

NOV 5, 2025, 1:25 AM EST | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Ep 192 New World Screwworm: Oh-oh here they come

It’s the stuff nightmares are made of. A fly lands on an open wound and lays hundreds of eggs, from which hatch countless ravenous maggots. There they writhe, devouring flesh, insatiable and relentless. Every minute they dig deeper and deeper until flesh gives way to bone. Even the species name of these maggots inspires a shiver of fear: Cochliomyia hominivorax – “man eater”. This nightmare of a fly is the horrifying reality for many mammals in South America and some Caribbean islands, particularly cattle. And it seems to be making a comeback in the places it was previously eradicated – Central and North America. What exactly this fly does, why it’s such a problem, and how we came to defeat it (temporarily) all feature in this week’s episode. Sterile flies? Archival footage? Gnarly descriptions? This episode has it all.

History

- Silent Spring. Carson Rachel . 368 pp. illus.,  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. (1962)

- Gillman, Helen. The New World Screwworm Eradication Programme: North Africa, 1988-1992. Food & Agriculture Org., 1992.

- Graham, F. (1984). The Dragon Hunters. United States: E.P. Dutton.

- Alexander, James L. “Screwworms.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 228.3 (2006): 357-367.

- Aubertin, D., and P. A. Buxton. “Cochliomyia and myiasis in tropical America.” Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 28.3 (1934): 245-254.

- Coquerel, Ch. “Note sur les larves appartenant à une espèce nouvelle de diptère (Lucilia hominivorax) developpées dans les sinus frontaux de l’homme à Cayenne.” Annales de la Société entomologique de France. Vol. 3. 1858.

- e Souza, Kelly da Silva, et al. “Demographic and historical processes influencing Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae) population structure across South America.” Parasites & Vectors 18.1 (2025): 18.

- Fresia, Pablo, Ana Maria L. Azeredo-Espin, and Mariana L. Lyra. “The phylogeographic history of the New World screwworm fly, inferred by approximate Bayesian computation analysis.” PLoS One 8.10 (2013): e76168.

- Gutierrez, A. P., L. Ponti, and P. A. Arias. “Deconstructing the eradication of new world screwworm in North America: retrospective analysis and climate warming effects.” Medical and veterinary entomology 33.2 (2019): 282-295.

- Hall, M. J. R. “Screwworm flies as agents of wound myiasis.” World animal review 1991 (1991): 8-17.

- Klassen, W., et CF Curtis, and J. Hendrichs. “History of the sterile insect technique.” Sterile insect technique. CRC Press, 2021. 1-44.

- Knipling, Edward F. “The eradication of the screw-worm fly.” Scientific American 203.4 (1960): 54-61.

- Lindquist, D. A., M. Abusowa, and M. J. R. Hall. “The New World screwworm fly in Libya: a review of its introduction and eradication.” Medical and veterinary entomology 6.1 (1992): 2-8.

- Nasser, Mohamed G., et al. “Evolutionary profile of the family Calliphoridae, with notes on the origin of myiasis.” Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 28.4 (2021): 2056-2066.

- Spradbery, J. P. “Screw-worm fly: a tale of two species.” Agricultural Zoology Reviews 6.1 (1994).

- Stevens, Jamie R., and James F. Wallman. “The evolution of myiasis in humans and other animals in the Old and New Worlds (part I): phylogenetic analyses.” TRENDS in Parasitology 22.3 (2006): 129-136.

- Stevens, Jamie R., et al. “The evolution of myiasis in humans and other animals in the Old and New Worlds (part II): biological and life-history studies.” TRENDS in Parasitology 22.4 (2006): 181-188.

- Valdez-Espinoza, Uriel Mauricio, et al. “The reemergence of the New World screwworm and its potential distribution in North America.” Scientific Reports 15.1 (2025): 23819.

- Van der Vloedt, A. M., and W. Klassen. “The development and application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) for New World screwworm eradication.” World Animal Review (1991): 42-49.

- Vargas-Terán, Moisés. “The new world screwworm in Mexico and Central America.” (1991): 28-35.

- Welch, John B. “A detector dog for screwworms (Diptera: Calliphoridae).” Journal of economic entomology 83.5 (1990): 1932-1934.

- STOP Screwworms: Selections from the Screwworm Eradication Collection, National Agricultural Library, USDA.

- Severn Run’s Cazador (Caz), Screwworm Detection Dog, Collection: Screwworm Eradication Program Records

- Screwworm Eradication Program Records: Oral Histories. National Agricultural Library. Uploaded to Internet Archive.

- Who Shall Reap? Film by US Department of Agriculture. 1969. Uploaded to Internet Archive.

- Firsthand account video: United States Department of Agriculture. 1963. “Look Out for Screwworms.” Special Collections, USDA National Agricultural Library. Accessed August 28, 2025, https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/items/show/6900.

Biology

- Thomas, D.B. and Mangan, R.L., 1989. Oviposition and wound-visiting behavior of the screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 82(4), pp.526-534.

- Wyss, J.H., 2000. Screwworm eradication in the Americas. Annals of the new York Academy of Sciences, 916(1), pp.186-193.

- Scott, M.J., Concha, C., Welch, J.B., Phillips, P.L. and Skoda, S.R., 2017. Review of research advances in the screwworm eradication program over the past 25 years. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 164(3), pp.226-236.

- USDA: New World Screwworm Story Map March 2017.  https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/new-world-screwworm-mapping

- Alexander, J.L., 2006. Screwworms. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 228(3), pp.357-367.

- Thomas, D.B., 1993. Behavioral aspects of screwworm ecology. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, pp.13-30.

- Valdez-Espinoza, U.M., Fadda, L.A., Marques, R., Osorio-Olvera, L., Jiménez-García, D. and Lira-Noriega, A., 2025. The reemergence of the New World screwworm and its potential distribution in North America. Scientific Reports, 15(1), p.23819.

- Hickner, P.V., Mittapalli, O., Subramoniam, A., Sagel, A., Watson, W., Scott, M.J., Arp, A.P., de León, A.A.P. and Syed, Z., 2020. Physiological and molecular correlates of the screwworm fly attraction to wound and animal odors. Scientific Reports, 10(1), p.20771.

- de Barros, G.P. and Bricarello, P.A., 2020. Myiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel, 1858): a neglected zoonosis in Brazil. Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 10(6), pp.80-91.

- WOAH. Aug 22, 2025. New World screwworm continues to spread: WOAH calls for strong collaboration across livestock sectors and borders. https://www.woah.org/en/new-world-screwworm-continues-to-spread-woah-calls-for-strong-collaboration-across-livestock-sectors-and-borders/

- Treisman, R. Aug 25, 2025. The US confirms its first human case of New World Screwworm. What is it? NPR, All things considered. https://www.npr.org/2025/08/25/nx-s1-5515487/new-world-screwworm-us-human-case

- APHIS Sept 2,2025. New World Screwworm outbreak in Central America and Mexico. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm/outbreak-central-america

- USDA June 18,2025. New World Screwworm Domestic Readiness and Response Policy Initiative. https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/nws-visit-policy-brief.pdf

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This article was downloaded on Jan 21, 2026 at 11:29 AM EST.

Table of Contents

This Podcast Will Kill You: 2026 Jan 20

All articles

Episode 198 Sleep Part 1: Sleeping with one eye open: 2026 Jan 20

Special Episode: Daniel Stone & American Poison: 2026 Jan 13

Episode 197 Detox: Enemas for everyone: 2026 Jan 6

Episode 196 Health Myths: Fact or fiction?: 2025 Dec 16

Special Episode: Dr. Homer Venters & Outbreak Behind Bars: 2025 Dec 9

Episode 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance: 2025 Dec 2

Episode 194 Salt Part 1: The Seasoning: 2025 Nov 25

Special Episode: Gabriel Weston & Alive: 2025 Nov 18

Episode 193 Necrotizing Fasciitis: A strange beast: 2025 Nov 12

Ep 192 New World Screwworm: Oh-oh here they come: 2025 Nov 5