Science

Keto and paleo diets are bad for your health and the environment

New science research shows that not only is the keto and paleo diets of low quality for health but they are also bad for the environment.

Vaccine safety and effectiveness are settled science

by Michael Simpson
2023-03-16
Andrew Wakefield, Anti-vaccines, Climate change, Del Bigtree, Evolution, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Vaccines

Anti-vaccine activists always want a “debate” about vaccine safety and effectiveness, but it is already settled science based on evidence.

Science says GMO foods are safe

The scientific consensus says that GMO foods are safe for humans, livestock, and the environment. There is no need to avoid them.

USDA announced new guidelines for the organic food label

USDA announces new guidelines for groceries that have the “organic food” label. This article reviews what that means for consumers.

Coffee is linked to reduced cardiovascular disease and mortality

A new peer-reviewed paper indicates that coffee may be linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Organic foods — are they safer and healthier?

We review whether organic foods are actually safer and healthier to consume than conventional foods. Organic foods may not be worth the cost.

Red No. 3 food coloring — does it really increase risk of cancer?

Red No. 3 is a food coloring used in some foods, many of which will be familiar to you. As the name implies, it’s a red dye that makes candies and foods look better. It’s really not been in the news for decades, but then someone sent me an article about it, which piqued my interest.

Predictably, the chemophobia crowd, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who thinks any chemical is a lousy chemical while ignoring the fact that every living thing on this planet is made up of billions of chemicals, is pushing the narrative that Red No. 3 causes cancer. You know what happens next, I go looking for any published evidence of whether the food coloring is linked to anything, including cancer.

Anyway, let’s take a look at Red No. 3 and find out what it does or does not do to humans.

Cell phones and brain cancer — is this still a thing?

I thought that this disappeared long ago, but I guess the belief that cell phones cause brain cancer is still a thing. It doesn’t, and we have science on our side. But still, the myth endures.

This article is going to review a few studies that debunk the claim that cell phones are linked to brain cancer. I know, most of you already know this, but it’s always good to have a science-based article that helps you when your crazy uncle makes that claim.

Glyphosate (Roundup) causes convulsions in nematodes! What?

And here we go again, another paper that attempts to link something terrible, in this case, convulsions, to the weedkiller glyphosate, also known as Roundup. Except this is about nematodes or roundworms.

I seem to be writing about roundworms a lot lately, I wonder why. Oh wait, I remember. Quacks were pushing a drug, that treats roundworm infections, to be used against COVID-19. Of course, you all remember ivermectin.

Let’s look at glyphosate and this new paper, which made me laugh. Then I got annoyed.

Artificial sweeteners linked to obesity – poor evidence

This article about artificial sweeteners and obesity was written by Linda Tock, an American living in Denmark, who has an extensive research background in the biomedical sciences. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Chemistry and Health and will be pursuing a Ph.D. Ms. Tock has a fascination for Daphnia, an interesting planktonic crustacean, that is an important organism in studying pollution and environmental stresses.

So I received a message from a friend of mine, wanting my opinion on this news article, which loudly proclaims that artificial sweeteners are linked to obesity. Because it was a genuine question regarding the science behind the study, and not a ‘concern troll’ about my preference for diet cola, I went and looked at the study itself to see what the fuss was about.