Whether you can or not, it feels like a sign of fitness to be able to reach down and touch your toes.But how important is flexibility when it comes to your physical fitness? Is it a necessary part of healthy ageing?Norman and Tegan stretch through the evidence on flexibility – when does it count, and how can you achieve it?References:Genetics of Muscle Stiffness, Muscle Elasticity and Explosive StrengthGenetic associations of body composition, flexibility and injury risk with ACE, ACTN3 and COL5A1 polymorphisms in Korean ballerinasWhole-spine dynamic magnetic resonance study of contortionists: anatomy and pathologyPractical recommendations on stretching exercise: A Delphi consensus statement of international research expertsThe ideal stretching routine – Harvard HealthHow stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh for Ted-EdIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Working out? Why 'No Pain No Gain' is bullWhat on earth is grounding?!Can you zap yourself buff with electrical muscle stimulation?You can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.
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Butter vs margarine: what's better for you?
The battle between butter and margarine has been happening since margarine was invented in the 19th century.So have we figured out which one is better for your health – butter with its high saturated fat content, or margarine which is an ultra-processed food?Norman and Tegan unpack the winding history of this debate from its inception to the present day.References:The Butter Wars: When Margarine Was Pink – National Geographic The Butter-Margarine Controversy - 1946What the margarine vs butter argument says about nutrition – University of MelbourneDietary fats - Healthdirect What’s better, butter or margarine? - Diabetes Australia Serum cholesterol response to replacing butter with a new trans-free margarine in hypercholesterolemic subjectsIndividual Cholesterol Variation in Response to a Margarine- or Butter-Based Diet: A Study in FamiliesEffects of margarines and butter consumption on lipid profiles, inflammation markers and lipid transfer to HDL particles in free-living subjects with the metabolic syndromeBMI modifies the effect of dietary fat on atherogenic lipids: a randomized clinical trialFrom margarine to butter: predictors of changing bread spread in an 11-year population follow-upAssociation between dairy intake and multiple health outcomes: a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses | European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses on Consumption of Different Food Groups and Risk of All-cause Mortality - ScienceDirectIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Is emu oil the new snake oil?Is daylight saving time bad for us?Should you be avoiding nightshades?You can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.
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No-poo: Why do we shampoo our hair?
Do you ever wonder while you’re shampooing and conditioning – is this really necessary?The no-poo movement encourages people to ditch their products and turn to homemade concoctions, or nothing at all.Norman and Tegan rinse out the evidence for and against hair care, and how we got here in the first place.References:Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and PurityShampoo and Conditioners: What a Dermatologist Should Know?The "No-poo" Craze: What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian, Adele and Howie Mandel have in common? They don’t "poo" - McGill UniversityEssentials of Hair Care often Neglected: Hair CleansingUnlocking the secrets of the hair microbiome: From scalp health to therapeutic advancesParabens in Cosmetics - US Food and Drug AdministrationIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Can you get away with skipping your daily shower?Which hair loss treatments actually work?Does magnesium work against muscle cramps?You can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.
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Is running bad for your knees?
It’s marathon season, but whether you’re running 40 kilometres or four you might’ve wondered what it’s doing to your joints.It used to be thought things like osteoarthritis of the knee or the hip were caused by wear and tear, and running made things worse.Norman and Tegan jog through how the evidence has evolved, and answer the question: should you be hopping on the run club trend?References: Running and your knees - ABC listenEffects of Running on the Development of Knee Osteoarthritis: An Updated Systematic Review at Short-Term Follow-upThe Association of Recreational and Competitive Running With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisThe risk of osteoarthritis with running and aging: a 5-year longitudinal study. - AbstractCan marathon running improve knee damage of middle-aged adults? A prospective cohort studyHow much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort studyUsing metformin to treat knee osteoarthritis - ABC listenChanging the brain to reduce pain and walk the Camino - ABC listenMetabolic syndrome meets osteoarthritis | Nature Reviews RheumatologyMechanical loading and orthobiologic therapies in the treatment of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA): a comprehensive reviewLeisure-Time Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality RiskIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!Is sitting the new smoking?Sweaty sauna bathing for better healthIs being an Olympian bad for your health?You can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.
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Is loving your pets bad for you?
A post from Queensland Health has been ridiculed after for urging people not to kiss their pets or let them sleep in the same bed.So how do the risks of pet ownership stack up to the presumed benefits of having a furry (feathery or scaly) friend?Norman and Tegan take a look at the evidence – and some of its flaws – and reignite the age-old cat vs dog debate.References:If you have a pet as a kid, does this lower your risk of asthma and eczema? | WEHIZoonotic diseases and pets | American Veterinary Medical Association Behavioral changes induced by Toxoplasma infection of rodents are highly specific to aversion of cat odors | PNASPet Ownership and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of the LiteratureIs Dog Ownership Associated with Mental Health? A Population Study of 68,362 Adults Living in EnglandNo beneficial associations between living with a pet and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large UK longitudinal sample - ScienceDirectPet ownership, loneliness, and social isolation: a systematic review | Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric EpidemiologyThe Relationship Between Attachment to Pets and Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Systematic Review Pet ownership and maintenance of cognitive function in community-residing older adults: evidence from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) | Scientific ReportsDog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog: An investigation of the association between dog ownership and physical activity levels in a UK community | Scientific Reports A modest protective association between pet ownership and cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis | PLOS OneDog, cat, bird, fish, and other pet ownership and mortality: Evidence from the HILDA cohortLong-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners | Scientific ReportsIf you enjoyed this episode, check these out!How worried should you be about microplastics?Is daylight saving time bad for us?MSG's messy myths and racist tropesYou can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.
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