Critically Speaking

Peptides are being sold online as miracle fixes for energy, healing, and longevity—but what if the science behind them is shaky, or even dangerous? 
 
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Leigh Baxt pull back the curtain on the peptide craze, revealing what we really know (and don't know) about these heavily marketed "biohacks." They discuss the complexities and risks of unapproved peptides, which are often marketed for health enhancement. Dr. Baxt explains what peptides are and speaks to those drugs that are FDA-approved, like GLP-1 agonists and insulin, but also highlights the safety concerns of unapproved peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, which lack appropriate clinical trial data and are often synthesized in unregulated labs. Dr. Baxt emphasizes the importance of proper clinical trial processes and regulatory oversight to ensure drug safety and efficacy.
 
 Key Takeaways:
A peptide is just a short chain of amino acids. They can be created synthetically, they can be isolated, and they are natural. The body doesn't care whether a peptide is "natural" or synthetic; what matters is its exact molecular structure.

FDA-approved peptide drugs go through years of rigorous testing in animals and humans to prove both safety and effectiveness before reaching the market.

Calling something "scientifically proven" can be misleading when the underlying evidence is weak, preliminary, or based only on rat studies. Especially as much of the "science" cited on peptide marketing sites comes from small, limited animal, or cell studies, not large, controlled human trials. 

Just because a product is available online or from a compounding pharmacy does not mean it is FDA-approved, well-studied, or safe; consumers must look beyond hype and ask what evidence truly exists.

A naturally occurring peptide is generally not going to be suitable for use therapeutically.

 
"You can say that something is scientifically demonstrated because it showed something interesting in a rat. The key is that the people may not ask that, because a lot of times people hear 'scientific terminology' and it makes something sound really legitimate, but it doesn't mean that there's solid data." —  Dr. Leigh Baxt
 
Evaluation of Research Grade Peptides Marketed Directly to Consumers Reveals Extensive Variability in Purity and Measured Abundance: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202604.1748 
 
Connect with Dr. Leigh Baxt:
Professional Bio: https://www.mskcc.org/profile/leigh-baxt 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-baxt-314b877 
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
 
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dr. Kate Mangino exposes the hidden burden of cognitive and emotional labor at home and explains how "benevolent sexism" and unequal household roles quietly push women to the breaking point.
 
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kate Mangino discuss gender inequality in household responsibilities. Kate differentiates between structural and social inequalities, noting that societal norms perpetuate these "male" and "female" roles. She also emphasizes the importance of cognitive labor, which often falls on women, and addresses the emotional impact of household tasks on whichever partner carries the burden of the larger load. Dr. Mangino also encourages intentional conversations about division of labor in relationships from the time you're dating, rather than after marriage. Finally, she advocates for challenging traditional gender roles and promoting equal partnerships to improve overall well-being. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
While there have been some improvements in the structural and social components of inequality, we are at a milestone point, not an end point. There is still a lot of work to be done.

Cognitive labor is the project management work that happens in households - it is all about planning in your head, which is oftentimes more cumbersome than the actual physical work. It's the anticipation, research, decision-making, and evaluation of every decision within the home. 

If you're trying to push back on social norms, you may need to reconsider who our role models are, and maybe pick some new ones who are closer to where you want to be or where your family wants to be.

We need to be better at preparing young people of all genders to match their dating habits a little bit more closely with the person they want to end up with. The more intentional that we can be about gender roles and what we're looking for in a partner, the better.

 
"Broadly speaking, women do more and men do less. Broadly speaking, but you can find representations of all different kinds of families, and I think what it comes down to is, regardless of gender, the person who is doing more feels burdened, feels bitter, resentful, tired, frustrated." —  Dr. Kate Mangino
 
Connect with Dr. Kate Mangino:
Website: https://www.katemangino.com/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemangino 
Book: Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home - https://read.macmillan.com/lp/equal-partners/ 
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
   
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Our cities are anything but concrete jungles. Listen in as Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb reveal the hidden world of synanthropes - the wild animals that not only live alongside us, but thrive because of us.
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb discuss Dan's new book "Our Wild Familiars", which explores how animals (and plants) adapt to urban environments. They dive into the history and impact of synanthropes, such as raccoons, coyotes, and rats. He also highlights the adaptability of these animals and why they have expanded into cities. Dr. Werb emphasizes the importance of viewing cities as living, thriving ecosystems and the need for human ecosystem-based solutions for the good of humans and animals alike in these ecosystems. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
Humanity has a much higher risk of experiencing viral spillover events now than before, because we are increasingly intersecting with wild animals that we have never seen before in urban spaces that carry pathogens that we've never been exposed to before.

As humans, we have a relationship with synanthropes that is so deep and long-standing that it has become central to our spiritual selves as well. 

With more small animals being drawn into cities, that is going to continue to draw in more predators, such as coyotes, which have expanded their home range by about 50 kilometers per year for the last 150-200 years.

It may be impossible to eliminate any synanthrope that has found an ecosystem within a city. Even if you remove one creature from an area, the niche they had developed will still be there, ready for the next synanthrope to move in.

Solutions that make life better for humans can actually be profoundly beneficial for animals as well, or at least for the functioning of our urban ecosystems. 

 
"Cities are more biodiverse than the areas that surround them, and that's because humans, like any other organism, want to live in places that are as fertile and rich as possible." —  Dr. Dan Werb
 
Connect with Dr. Dan Werb:
Professional Bio: https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/dan-werb/,  https://profiles.ucsd.edu/daniel.werb 
Website: https://danwerb.substack.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danwerb/ 
Books: 
PREORDER: Our Wild Familiars - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769255/our-wild-familiars-by-dan-werb/ 

City of Omens - https://www.amazon.com/City-Omens-Search-Missing-Borderlands-ebook/dp/B07QLN4K3T 

The Invisible Siege - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670859/the-invisible-siege-by-dan-werb/ 

 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
 
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Boris Konrad discuss the striking impact of memorization on functional changes and connectivity in the brain. Dr. Konrad is a neuroscientist as well as an international Memory Champion. He not only studies brain connectivity, but also trains other memory athletes, as well as those who simply wish to improve their memories. They discuss more specific aspects of memorization and its benefits across a range of other activities and problem-solving, independent of the particular memorization training utilized. Dr. Konrad summarizes his recent study, published in the journal Neuron, and the techniques used to train the brain to improve memory. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
Memorization and memory are not a part of the brain; they are functions of the brain. It is a capability of our brain and our neural system. 

Without exception, memory athletes use the method of loci (colloquially called the "memory palace") as a technique to memorize and remember information. 

Memory training actually decreases the brain activity needed to complete a range of tasks.

 
"Learning and thinking in your brain are not separate. We don't have a thinking brain and a learning brain; it's exactly one brain which does both." —  Dr. Boris Konrad
 
Connect with Dr. Boris Konrad:
Donders Institute: https://www.ru.nl/en/people/konrad-b 
Website: https://www.boriskonrad.com/en/ 
Memory Training: Superbrain! Memory Training with Boris Konrad - https://memory1.teachable.com/p/memory-training    
TED Talks: 
How to use memory techniques to improve education - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qIBe0h0-Ig 
The mind and methods of a Memory Champion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t76N00urDlU 
https://www.ted.com/talks/boris_nikolai_konrad_how_to_use_memory_techniques_to_improve_learning_and_education_jan_2018
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
  
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Long COVID isn't just lingering fatigue. It's a complex, often life-altering condition that can follow even mild or unnoticed infections. Listen in as Mayo Clinic's Dr. Stephanie Grach breaks down what we really know about Long COVID, who's at risk, and why believing and individualizing care for patients is absolutely critical.
 
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Stephanie Grach discuss the emergence and impact of Long COVID. Dr. Grach explains that Long COVID affects an estimated 18 million Americans with a wide variety of symptoms that can manifest differently from patient to patient, influenced by a variety of factors, such as viral variant, genetics, and immune responses. Dr. Grach emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment and highlights ongoing research and the need for better understanding and management of this complex chronic condition. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
Long COVID can look very different from person to person, with over 200 symptoms. However, common symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, changes in smell, and more, affecting nearly every organ system. 

The larger proportion of people with Long COVID had multiple COVID infections, partly because of sheer numbers - each additional infection is another opportunity for post-acute symptoms to develop or worsen. 

The presentation of the Long COVID symptoms is not going to be consistent - patients may have good weeks and feel pretty close to normal, as well as bad weeks, where the symptoms are at their strongest. 

Telling someone to "push through" on the assumption that it will just get better really isn't what helps the Long COVID patients.

 
"Long COVID is real. Patients deserve to be believed, and treatment should be individualized, rather than trying to fit or wait for a one-size-fits-all." —  Dr. Stephanie Grach
 
Connect with Dr. Stephanie Grach:
Professional Bio: https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/grach-stephanie-l-m-d-m-s/bio-20536370 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegrach 
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
   
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.