Viral Bs: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them (Hardcover)

Introduction
1. Do the flat tummy detox teas touted by Instagram celebrities actually work?
2. Should you eat your baby's placenta?
3. Do vaccines cause autism?
4. Can autism be cured?
5. Are children being paralyzed by the common cold virus?
6. Do we inherit trauma from our parents?
7. Are genetically modified foods safe?
8. How long can you eat leftovers?
9. Is MSG addictive?
10. Is drinking diet soda linked to Alzheimer's disease and stroke?
11. Do mammograms cause more problems than they detect?
12. Is it dangerous to be pregnant in America?
13. The raging statin debate: Should you take a cholesterol-lowering drug?
14. Does aspirin prevent cancer?
15. Did the maker of aspirin test medicines in Nazi concentration camps?
16. Does the birth control pill cause depression?
17. Do vitamin D supplements protect against obesity, cancer, and pneumonia?
18. Will fish oil supplements prevent heart disease or give you cancer?
19. Are heartburn medicines linked to a serious gut infection?
20. Were dietary supplements linked to a deadly outbreak of hepatitis?
21. Can gay and bisexual men donate blood?
22. Are e-cigarettes helpful or harmful?
23. Is marijuana a performance-enhancing drug for athletes?
24. Did a morning sickness pill for pregnant women cause birth defects in thousands of babies?
25. Is there lead in your lipstick?
26. Why do immigrants in America live longer than American-born people?
27. Has the US government banned research about gun violence?
28. The Frackademia Scandal: Did oil and gas companies pay academics to say fracking was safe?
29. Does playing American football give players brain damage?
30. Did the US government infect people with syphilis and gonorrhea?
31. Does talcum powder cause ovarian cancer?
32. Does infection with Ebola cause lifelong symptoms?
33. Are older adults at higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections?
34. Did genetically modified mosquitoes spread Zika, and does the virus cause birth defects?
35. Can your cat's poop make you better at business?
36. Is suicide contagious?
37. Are suicide rates linked to the economy?
38. Are there more suicides during the holiday season?
39. Are you more likely to die from a medical mistake than from a car crash?
40. Is it dangerous to go to the hospital in July?
41. Do patients cared for by female doctors live longer?
42. Can a pill make racists less racist?
43. Are airplane condensation trails, aka chemtrails, bad for your health?
44. Do bad teeth cause heart disease?
45. Can your zip code predict when you will die?
46. Does debunking a myth help it spread?
Dr. Yasmin's Bullshit Detection Kit
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index