What's That Rash?

We've been searching for a fountain of youth for millennia. How can we not only live longer, but live healthier for longer?Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is the latest anti-ageing candidate under the microscope.Norman and Tegan explain what it is, and whether supplements promising to boost NAD actually do what's advertised on the bottle.References:NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageingNAD+ in Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative DisordersWhat is really known about the effects of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in humansDietary Supplementation With NAD+-Boosting Compounds in Humans: Current Knowledge and Future DirectionsThe use of a systems approach to increase NAD+ in human participantsSpecific ablation of Nampt in adult neural stem cells recapitulates their functional defects during aging

Vampires and werewolves and zombies, oh my! Where did all these monsters come from?Undiagnosed medical conditions might have fuelled the mythology behind some of these creatures.Norman and Tegan delve into why vampires drink blood, why werewolves howl at the full moon and how a hex might have its intended effect.References:ABC's FrankenScience: Can Vampires Get Syphilis? and Witchcraft or Just a Placebo?All in the Mind: What's behind a paranormal experience?Porphyria and Vampirism—A Myth, SensationalizedMoon and Health: Myth or Reality?The undead in culture and scienceReversibility of apoptosis in cancer cellsMedical practice and placebo response: an inseparable bond?

It’s hay fever season, and as you sniffle away next to an air purifier, you might be wondering why we haven’t cured such a common ailment.Allergic rhinitis, as it’s scientifically known, has plagued people for generations. It's thought up to 24 per cent of Australians suffer from it.Norman and Tegan run through what hay fever is, how we identified it and what can be done to treat it. References:Allergic Rhinitis: A ReviewO Rose thou art sick… history of allergic rhinitisI’m considering allergen immunotherapy for my hay fever. What do I need to know?Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis: evidence from a randomized placebo-controlled trialThe Potential use of Honey as a Remedy for Allergic Diseases: A Mini ReviewCan you adapt to allergies or does the dog have to go?

Many of us are disconnected from nature – we live in cities, work in offices, exercise indoors.There is a hypothesis that our disconnection from the earth itself – the ground – is causing a range of illnesses.But the people selling this hypothesis are also trying to sell you a range of expensive products.Norman and Tegan debunk a pseudoscience that has been gaining traction.References:Electrical Grounding Improves Vagal Tone in Preterm InfantsAssociations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence