In modern, industrialized nations such as the United States and Norway, where I live, it’s the norm rather than the exception to have suboptimal eyesight. A lot of people are either near or farsighted, and many also develop cataracts and macular degeneration as they get older. These conditions are so common nowadays that having issues […]
Health disorders
Obesogenic Gut Bugs: How Bacteria Can Make Us Fat
The microbiome and the brain are the chief regulators of adiposity and eating behavior in humans. In many respects, the microbiome is even more important than the brain. Obviously, it’s the processes of the brain that ultimately shape our thoughts and behavior. What’s important to recognize though, is that these processes, in turn, are greatly […]
How Bread Messes With the Head
Yesterday, as I was rushing through a local grocery store that was one the verge of closing up for the day in pursuit of something to eat the remaining days of Easter, I was taken off guard by a craving for bread that came out of nowhere. I could feel that my body wanted some […]
Do We Really Need to Brush Our Teeth?
Many diseases and health problems that we – contemporary humans – consider to be largely unavoidable, such as acne vulgaris, a skin disorder that afflicts more than 90% of the adolescent population in some westernized countries, and malocclusion, a very common condition nowadays that is characterized by a misalignment of the upper and lower jaw, […]
Darwinian Medicine: The Best Remedy for Cancer?
Every year, government-run agencies issue hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for cancer-related research. Scientists who’ve applied for funding and gotten their requests approved reach out and grab a hold of this money, which they use to pursue their goal of solving the riddle that is cancer. They investigate tumor-generating processes in animal models, […]
Do Hunter-Gatherers Get Cancer?
A lot of people, including some health professionals and scientists, seem to operate under the belief that cancer is an (almost) inevitable part of the human life cycle. This isn’t surprising, seeing as cancer is today a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world. In industrialized nations in particular it’s […]
Modern Foods Drive the Development of Acne Vulgaris
Almost half a century ago, two small studies on diet and acne that would turn out to greatly influence the evolution of the field of dermatology, in particular the parts of the field that deal with acne vulgaris, a skin disorder that is today highly prevalent in westernized nations, were published (1, 2). Those studies, […]
Are Non-Communicable Diseases Really Non-Communicable?
A long-standing practice in medicine has been to classify diseases as either non-communicable or communicable. Whereas conditions such as influenza, tuberculosis, and AIDS have long been known to be contagious, disorders and diseases such as colon cancer, acne vulgaris, and type-1 diabetes are generally considered to be non-communicable. Scientific research that has emerged over the […]
The Dark Side of Artificial Light
Over the past couple of centuries, artificial light has gradually become a ubiquitous part of our environment. The modern man is constantly exposed to artificial light emitted by smartphones, lamps, and computers. It’s easy to forget that these light-emitting devices are extremely novel additions to our environment. Throughout the vast majority of our evolutionary history, […]
The Standing Glute Squeeze: A Simple Exercise That Can Help You Prevent Bad Posture and Back Pain
The glutes of the modern man are in a sorry state. They are weak and small, largely because they spend most of their time resting on a chair, couch, car seat, or bed. The gluteus maximus – arguably the king of all the muscles of the human body – in particular bears the mark of […]