Causes Or Cures

Send us a textWhat 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 languageWhat it was like to discover that the women from the trial were still alive more than 20 years laterHow the immune systems of these women continued to recognize cancer cells long after the trialWhat CD27-positive immune cells are and why they matt

Send us a text*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 poinsettia

Send us a textMicroplastics 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 fromWhy nanoplastics may be especially concerning due to their size and biological interactionsThe range of health effects microplastics have been linked to, including immune, neurological, reproductive, and carcinogenic effectsHow microplastics may disr

Send us a textIn 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 laterHow the research team worked respectfully with survivors in the aftermath of mass traumaThe challenges of studying real-world substance use without lab-verified dosingWhy survivors who had taken classic psychedelics reported lower anxiety and fewer early PTSD symptoms comp

Send us a textIn 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 sug

Send us a textIn 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

Send us a textEpisode: Why Single Women Are Happier than Single Men, with Elaine HoanGuest: Elaine Hoan, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, University of TorontoForget 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-beingHow she actually measured happiness, satisfaction, and sex without making it weirdWhy women report more contentment and autonomy in singlehoodWhat traditional masculinity has to do with men’s lower happiness scoresHow cultural expectations shape who thrives aloneWhether singlehood could use a total rebrandAnd the advice Elaine gives to anyone feeling the “you should be partnered” pressureRead Elaine's full study here and check out her and her team's lab here. Elaine Hoan is a PhD resea

Send us a textEpisode: Psychedelics and  Prolonged Grief with Dr. Greg FonzoGuest: 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 TherapyWhat “prolonged grief” really means and how it differs from normal griefWhy his team is testing psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT for survivors who lost loved onesTheories for why psychedelics may help prolonged griefStudy design details, inclusion criteria, and their unique recruitment focusEthical and safety considerations when studying powerful psychoactive substancesThe broader promise and pitfalls of the fast-moving field of psychedelic research.If you’d like t

Send us a textIn 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

Send us a textDr. 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 DiscussDr. Acosta’s background and what drew him to obesity researchWhy not all obesity is the same—and why that matters for patients and doctorsThe most common questions patients ask about GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and ZepboundHow big a problem side effects like nausea really are in practiceNew research using genetic markers to predict who’s more likel

Send us a textDisclaimer: Entertainment only. Eeks is not a public health historian; just a gremlin who reads too much and asks weird questions BONUS Episodes are part of the "Public Health is Weird" Causes or Cures Series. What’s insideThe myth of “truth serum” and why scopolamine never earned the badgeFrom twilight sleep in childbirth to spy stories and interrogation loreWhat scopolamine actually does: amnesia, confusion, suggestibilityModern misuse and crime angles, plus real risksEthics, consent, and why the legend still sellsEeks' thoughts on an "actual" truth serum, but she really wants to know yoursWhy 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 EncyclopediaPhysician's flowersMKUltraJeremy Grey, AL.COM, Alabama Axe MurdersAlabama Axe Murder ConfessionsTinder Death News StoryState Dept WarningWork with me? Perhaps we are a good match. Follow Public Health is

Send us a textOn 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 jointsParticipant takeaways: less stiffness, easier mornings, better energy; the habits that made it stick.What’s next: how programs like PFJ could resh

Send us a textWhat 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

Send us a textIn 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.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.O

Send us a textPsychedelics 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

Send us a textWhat 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 b

Send us a textIn 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

Send us a textDisclaimer: 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. 

Send us a textIn 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

Send us a textCan a Daily Supplement Really Reverse Biological Age? A 12-Month Study, ExplainedWhat 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 placeHow the study was designed, including regular checkpointsWhat biological or “epigenetic” age tests really measure (in plain language)Why different biological clocks sometimes disagreeWhat it means to analyze the apparent age of specific body systemsWhat results the team saw after a yearWhat those findings do—and don’t—mean for slowing agingBig caveats and what smarter, next-gen studies could look likeIf 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.