What is Medical Bullshit?
We’ve all seen and heard enough BS to last several lifetimes. If you can imagine our cultural landscape as a landscape, and BS as, well...
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Blog Posts
Mar 30, 20213 min read
Cutting through the Hype IV: Expert Opinion – the Lowest Level of Evidence
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being...
Mar 23, 20213 min read
Cutting through the Hype III: Anecdotes – The Gossip of the Medical World
Read past blogs in this series: Part I, Animal Research | Part II, Correlations | Part IV, Expert Opinion In this series of blogs, we...
Mar 17, 20213 min read
Cutting through the Hype II: The Misleading Appeal of Correlations
Read other blogs in this series: Part I, Basic Science and Animal Research | Part III, Anecdotes | Part IV, Expert Opinions In a recent...
Mar 8, 20214 min read
Cutting through the Hype I: The Limitations of Basic Science and Animal Research
Read other blogs in this series: Part II, Correlations | Part III, Anecdotes | Part IV, Expert Opinions In a recent blog, we looked at...
Mar 3, 20213 min read
If It’s Not Proven to Work in Humans, It’s Not Proven to Work: The Vitamin A and Lung Cancer Story
In 1996, when I was 19, I landed my first research job as a summer student intern doing lung cancer epidemiology. In 1997, I got another...
Feb 22, 20212 min read
Tell Dr. Benzi: “An Alkaline Diet May Have a Role in Kidney Disease”
Dear Dr. Benzi, I disagree with your blog about alkaline diets and the conclusions you came to. There is a ton of research on alkaline...
Feb 9, 20213 min read
The High Cost of Medical Bullshit Part IV: False Hope, Shame, and Regret
Read the other blogs in this series: Part I | Part II | Part III “There is no such thing as an incurable disease, only incurable people.”...
Feb 4, 20213 min read
The High Cost of Medical Bullshit Part III: Dangerous Side Effects
Read the other blogs in this series: Part I, Part II, Part IV “If there is an effect, there has to be a side effect.” – Rajeev Jayadevan,...
Jan 28, 20213 min read
The High Cost of Medical Bullshit Part II: Money and Society
Read the other blogs in this series: Part I, Part III, Part IV My book manuscript is entitled Dangerous and Expensive Bullshit. Let’s...
Jan 19, 20213 min read
The High Cost of Medical Bullshit Part I: Whose Problem Is It Anyway?
Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi from Pexels Read the other blogs in this series: Part II, Part III, Part IV Question: Is medical bullshit really...
Jan 12, 20214 min read
Ask Dr. Benzi: What’s the Deal With Alkaline Foods?
Question: What is the deal with alkaline foods? What are people even talking about? – R Reply: Hello, R. This is a great question and one...
Jan 7, 20213 min read
Follow Who You Want, but Always Check Your Sources
Photo courtesy of LA Times Like many, I was very shaken by the events of yesterday. On my morning dog walk I wondered what I could say...
Dec 28, 20203 min read
Ask Dr. Benzi: “Drug Reverses Cognitive Aging Within Days”
Question: Hi, Dr. Benzi. I have Parkinson’s disease and am searching for things that can help improve my quality of life. Attached below...
Dec 15, 202011 min read
The Medical Bullshit Detector Part II: Unreliable Experts
Read Part I here While it’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can often learn a lot by looking at its author. In the...
Dec 11, 20202 min read
Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Should Know
There has been much excitement and some confusion about the new Covid-19 vaccines. For the record, I plan to get a Covid-19 vaccine as...
Dec 5, 202011 min read
The Medical Bullshit Detector Part I: Untrustworthy Products and Unbelievable Ideas
Read Part II here People who care about reality—including scientists, philosophers, doctors, teachers, and other concerned citizens—have...
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