Inflammation Pseudoscience (Conspirituality podcast #321)

Inflammation is an important and necessary part of the body’s healing process. It’s also long been a wellness buzzword used to sell products that do very little to treat it. This week, we look at inflammation through the lens of a new Mother Jones article, “The Great Inflammation Panic,” including an interview with the author, Julia Métraux, in segment two. We’ll also discuss what inflammation is, how wellness influencers weaponize it, and what it represents in the context of Ayurveda.

Interview: 

https://www.conspirituality.net/episodes/321-inflammation-pseudoscience

Robert F Kennedy Jr claims seed oils are ‘poisoning’ us. Here’s why he’s wrong

For example, more than 15 randomised control trials, a type of trial typically considered the gold standard in nutrition and health research, have shown that refined seed oils have no effect on inflammation – and in fact, linoleic acid, which is found in sunflower and grapeseed oils, among others, typically lowers inflammation...

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/13/robert-f-kennedy-jr-claims-seed-oils-are-poisoning-us-heres-why-hes-wrong

Racism takes its toll on brain and body | EurekAlert!

"This new study sheds light on the broad impact of exposure to racism on emotions, brain activity, inflammatory markers in the blood, and the composition of the gut microbiome. We would not be surprised to learn that exposure to racism affects how we feel and how we cope with this exposure and other life stresses. However, this study goes further to highlight brain patterns of response to racism and other factors that affect physical health, including the types of bacteria growing in the gut and the levels of inflammation in the body. These are factors that influence many disease processes in the body."…

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/974349