Episode 21: Creatine, Nicotine and Big Wellness, Where the S

In this episode Kate Thomas and Annie McCubbin cover:

• Why creatine is not just for gym bros and how it actually works in muscle and in the brain
• What the evidence does and does not show for creatine and cognitive function
• Why mechanism is not the same thing as proof
• How nicotine acts on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
• Why nicotine patches were studied in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment
• What the clinical trials actually found and what wellness culture has done with those findings
• Mental endurance, physical endurance and resilience in midlife
• Why interesting is not the same thing as proven

One of the most important ideas in Episode 21 is the distinction between mechanism and proof, and it applies far beyond creatine. Just because a substance acts on a biological pathway does not mean it produces a clinically meaningful outcome in real people at real doses. Wellness culture consistently exploits this gap, taking a legitimate piece of biochemistry and inflating it into a health claim that the evidence does not support. Kate and Annie return to this principle repeatedly throughout the episode, giving listeners a reliable framework for evaluating any supplement or wellness claim they encounter. 

One of the most discussed and most misrepresented areas of current wellness culture is the claim that nicotine prevents or treats dementia. In Episode 21, Kate unpacks the actual science with precision and clarity. Nicotine does act on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are involved in memory and cognitive function. Nicotine patches were studied in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. But what the trials actually found is far more modest and far more complicated than the viral wellness content suggests. Kate explains what the research showed, where the limitations lie, and how a tiny grain of scientific plausibility becomes inflated into certainty when wellness marketing gets hold of it. 

Episode 21 moves between science and something more personal, exploring the connections between mental endurance, physical endurance and the kind of resilience that builds over time. Kate and Annie discuss what it means to push through hard things, whether that is running long distances, navigating perimenopause, or learning to think critically in a world full of confident-sounding misinformation. The conversation is a reminder that the skills required to evaluate a wellness claim and the skills required to keep going when things are difficult are more connected than they might first appear. 

The thread running through all of Episode 21 is an argument for scepticism as a form of self-care. Not cynicism, not reflexive dismissal of anything new, but the kind of careful, curious critical thinking that asks for evidence before investing time, money or health into a claim. Kate and Annie model this approach throughout the conversation, demonstrating that being genuinely interested in science and being appropriately cautious about wellness marketing are not in tension but are in fact the same thing. 

If this episode has raised questions about supplements, medications or your health, a telehealth pharmacist consultation with Kate is a great next step. In a dedicated one-on-one session you can go through your questions, your current medications and your health concerns in plain language, without rushing. 

Book a consultation with Kate Thomas.

You can view the transcript for this episode below