Episode 5 Part 1 - Turmeric - is it the ultimate super food? And how fish oil is actually snake oil.
I had one of those moments the other day. One of those moments of sudden doubt when I suddenly ask myself- "what the hell am I doing?" Now it was not exactly existential doubt about the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Or even about whether it was worth continuing with this podcast project.....No, much smaller scale than that....
You see, I've been taking Turmeric on and off for a couple of years now for my creaky joints. But it suddenly occurred to me that I knew next to nothing about whether it actually helps or not. I had seen an article on a website about how ubiquitous the yellow spice had become, and that got me thinking. And this podcast episode is the result.
I thought the episode would be about the health benefits of Turmeric. And that is how it starts off. But as you will hear, it morphs into a discussion about how easy it is to be convinced when you already want to believe. How nice it is to believe in an easy fix when the alternatives require time and effort. And how we have all been down this supplement track before - think fish oil, calcium, glucosamine....pills are just so attractive to the doctor and the patient. So maybe it's not so small scale after all - and maybe you will hear something that will add 10 years to your life span.
Is it appetising? or advertising?
Hope you enjoy it while you sip your Turmeric latte and procrastinate about going to the gym.
Here are some links:
ABC article about health benefits Tumeric. A well balanced article explaining why Turmeric may help with various conditions. (By James Bullen 2018)
2018 view on fish oil. Summarises the latest thinking on fish oil, and makes you realise that about a gazillion fish have been pointlessly ground up and put into capsules for no benefit.
The five simple habits that add 10 years to your life. A report about a profoundly important study that may add a decade to your life - but - spoiler alert - you already know what it says....