Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD

iHeartPodcasts

A staggering amount of health and wellness news and information is bombarding us everywhere we look – and who’s got time to parse it out, to verify it, and then to actually do the work of improving our health?

We do! We are Emily Oster, best-selling author and data expert, and Perry Wilson, a medical doctor. And unlike the influencers, we actually know how to read a medical paper. This podcast separates fact from fiction, causality from correlation, so that you can stay informed without being overwhelmed. Every episode, we cover the health news of the week, take listener questions, and do a deep dive into a buzzy and misunderstood wellness topic so that you can actually make the best decisions for your own health.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Thursday · 56 min
What's the deal with the sun?
This week, Emily and Perry discuss the Sun. Sure, it’s necessary for life on earth and occupies over 99% of our solar system’s mass, but seriously, what’s its deal? Specifically, with respect to vitamin D and sunscreen, two oddly controversial topics in the wellness space. How much sun should we safely be exposed to? What’s the value of sunlight for our mood, health, and overall well-being? And…should we be tanning our buttholes? Plus: coffee is good for you, actually, the United States is a “cool mom” when it comes to peptide production, and yet another infuriating record set with measles cases. Past episodes referenced: What's the deal with peptides? What's the deal with red light therapy? Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 23 · 1 hr
What's the deal with alcohol?
This week, Emily and Perry raise a glass to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. How does it actually affect our brains? How much should we, or should we not, safely be drinking? Why are studies about responsible consumption such hot, noisy garbage? And does everything always have to be good for us to be enjoyable? Plus: the latest on cyclospora, a sad upper bound on the human lifespan, and some overcompensating in the military. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 16 · 1 hr 6 min
What's the deal with pregnancy brain? (feat. Allison Williams)
This week, Emily and Perry are joined by actress Allison Williams to discuss all things pregnancy brain. Are the fog and forgetfulness due to actual brain shrinkage? Does it replenish itself postpartum? Do women ever actually "bounce back"? What's all this change in the service of, exactly? And, most importantly, how do we support the women in our lives going through this? Plus: lactate gels at the Tour de France, Bryan Johnson's pesky autoimmune disease, and hail and farewell to the last American Polio survivor. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 9 · 55 min
What's the deal with cortisol?
This week, Emily and Perry take on cortisol, the much-maligned stress hormone blamed for heart attacks and stubborn belly fat. But how much heat should cortisol really be getting? How do you know when yours is too high? Too low? Is it ever really worth measuring? And you guys, what did Mendelian randomization ever do to Emily?! Plus: the FDA signs off on ZYN pouches, explosive diarrhea in the Midwest, and apparently GLP-1s are really, really easy to get. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 2 · 58 min
What's the deal with mRNA vaccines?
This week, Emily and Perry explore RNA, a tiny molecule of extraordinary potential. What is it? How is it different from DNA? How have vaccines and an incredible array of potential medical treatments managed to unlock its magic? And what are the conspiracy theories that have been standing in the way? Prepare for medical science to shake hands with technological wonder. Plus: the FDA vs. Whoop, unpacking botulism outbreaks in baby formula, and a mystery “compassionate use” patient for retatrutide. Previous episodes referenced: What's the deal with protein? Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 25 · 1 hr 2 min
What's the deal with full body scans?
This week, Emily and Perry debate full body scans: MRIs that scan your entire body like a giant humming hammer in search of nails. Will it find something wrong with you? (Yes.) Will it be something you should be worried about? (Almost always no.) But what if that one time it's the one thing that ends up saving your life? (Yeah, this is actually kind of complicated.) Plus: a totally not shocking flu outbreak amongst our troops, fantastic news about the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer, and RIP blue and brown M&Ms. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 18 · 57 min
What's the deal with sleep?
This week, Emily and Perry tackle the weirdest, most wonderful thing all living things do: sleep. If evolution has forced us to be completely vulnerable for eight hours at a stretch, there must be a darn good reason. So what is actually happening to our brains when we sleep? What disrupts it, and how do we optimize for quality and quantity? And what are the risks of getting too little sleep...and enlisting chemical help to get more? Plus: screwworm is (appropriately) nightmare fuel, a cure for Ozempic butt, and hard seltzer vs. your kidneys. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. ParentData episode on the placenta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 11 · 53 min
What's the deal with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)?
This week, Emily and Perry are coming in hot to discuss the existence of sex, specifically whether or not women have a DSM-5-designated disorder when they don't want it, or if that's a pathology designed to sell women meds. Turns out the data of sexual desire is a complicated and noisy thing to study, but fortunately that's a turn-on for our intrepid hosts. Plus: a diabetes conference gets politicized, losing sleep over getting sleep, and preventative HIV drugs in South Africa. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. ParentData survey on sex after kids ParentData episode with Emily Nagoski Buy her book! Previous episodes referenced: What's the deal with testosterone? What's the deal with HRT? What's the deal with peptides? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 4 · 1 hr 1 min
What's the deal with cupping and dry needling?
This week, Emily and Perry dig into dry needling and cupping, the wellness equivalent to pain equals gain (maybe?). What are the therapeutic properties, and the risks, of yanking at or poking holes in your skin? Warning: this episode is not for the faint of heart. Plus: extraordinary developments in pancreatic cancer treatment, Google wants to fill the air with millions of sterile mosquitoes, and also farts. Past episodes referenced: What's the deal with creatine? Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 28 · 56 min
What's the deal with red meat?
This week, Emily and Perry pull out their steak knives to cut through both the hypers, and the detractors, of red meat. Is it as bad for you as people say? Is there value to a (fiberless) carnivore diet? What makes it red, anyway? And why is nutritional science such a heap of hot, correlation-is-not-causation garbage? Plus: a peptide scandal in the running world, myths around mitochondria, and more Ebola, unfortunately. Past episodes discussed: What's the deal with peptides? What's the deal with protein? Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 21 · 57 min
What's the deal with methylene blue?
This week, Emily and Perry bravely platform methylene blue, a synthetic dye with almost godlike properties according to the influencers, and some fascinating uses (and risks) in reality. Fatigued (?) mitochondria, the electron transport chain, and blue poop? AP Bio was never this fun. Plus: strawberries won't kill you, Ebola might, and keeping teens out of tanning beds. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 14 · 58 min
What's the deal with psychedelics?
This week, Emily and Perry take a trip into the groovy world of psychedelics: what they are, what they do to our brains, and the myriad mental health problems that they seem to have a pretty interesting effect on. Join us for the most uniquely incredible experience of your life, we promise. Plus: hantavirus redux, the (now former) FDA commissioner pressured to approve flavored vapes, and a bad breast cancer study regarding perennial topic GLP-1s. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 7 · 52 min
What's the deal with colostrum?
This week, Emily and Perry explore bovine colostrum, the alleged secret weapon for muscle growth and immunity, and cure for the much-maligned leaky gut. Does it actually work, who does it work for, and how do you know when it's safe? What's so wrong with having a gut that leaks anyway? And should someone be thinking about the poor deprived baby cows? Plus: Ozempic for Alcohol Use Disorder, the hantavirus outbreak on that cruise ship, and, finally, an end to the saga of perennial-no-longer Surgeon General candidate Casey Means. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 30 · 57 min
What's the deal with testosterone?
This week, Emily and Perry take on testosterone, the raging yang to last week's sober estrogen yin. Do men actually experience "manopause" in ways similar to women? How much testosterone is not enough, what are the risks of too much, and how do you know if you need an extra boost? And what does testosterone do for men anyway? (Note: this episode on both endogenous and exogenous male sex hormones contains the existence of sex.) Plus: the U.S. military no longer mandating the flu jab, the fishy effects of fish oil on your brain, and promising news about pancreatic cancer treatment. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 23 · 53 min
What's the deal with hormone replacement therapy?
This week, Emily, a woman, and Perry, a man, wade into the complicated world of hormone replacement therapy, the first of a two-part series on exogenous hormones and the sexes who love them. What do hormones do for women, and what happens when they recede? And why was HRT so closely -- and erroneously -- linked to breast cancer? Plus: a new type of diabetes, a normie CDC director nominee, and the groovy (?) reclassification of psychedelics. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 16 · 49 min
What's the deal with continuous glucose monitors?
This week, Emily and Perry discuss continuous glucose monitors -- a gamechanger for diabetics and just kind of an overabundance of information for everyone else. What does glucose do to the body and what's the value of tracking it, along with everything we eat? Should we be using this data to regulate our intake? And what are the risks of knowing so much? Plus: rising and falling birthrates, Jay Bhattacharya's politicized Covid vaccine report, and welcoming folate into our corn tortillas. Registration link for Emily's interview with Jay Bhattacharya. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 9 · 50 min
What's the deal with protein?
This week, Emily and Perry explore the vast array of protein vehicles that's taken over our influencer culture and supermarket aisles. How much protein are we told we need, and what's the over/under on how much we really need? What does protein do for our bodies anyway? And given the protein bars and protein water and protein Pop Tarts available (protein is having a moment, you guys), is it possible to have too much? Plus: GLP-1s all over the news cycle, the rising use of gas station kratom, and, ladies and gentlemen, the American Contact Dermatitis Society presents our 2026 Allergen of the Year. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 2 · 53 min
What's the deal with creatine?
This week, Emily and Perry tackle creatine, a beloved amino acid derivative with surprisingly robust health properties. What is it actually doing to our muscles, and our brain? Pop a gummy, or stir in some powder, and find out. Plus: Casey Means might be out for Surgeon General, stem cells don't help heart attacks, and just how much sugar intake affects your kids. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 26 · 50 min
What's the deal with stem cell therapy?
This week, Emily and Perry go toe-to-toe with the scammier side of the wellness industry: regenerative medicine clinics that claim to inject you with stem cells. Are they the fountain of youth? (No.) Are they even injecting you with stem cells? (Not really.) Are they preying on sick people? (Most definitely yes.) From knee cartilage to sickle cell disease, we've got the miraculous, the bad, and the truly ugly of stem cell therapy. Plus: the generational woes of lead poisoning, debunking stress as a cause of cancer, and doulas for all! Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 19 · 51 min
What's the deal with microplastics?
This week, Emily and Perry dive into the here, there, and everywhere of microplastics. We know they're in the air we breathe and the water we drink, but how bad are they for us, really? How do our bodies respond to them, and how long do they even stay inside us? And can they be avoided? Plus: Leucovorin approved to treat autism, whether ChatGPT is a trustworthy triage nurse, and curious reports of painful sex in college students. Submit a question for our weekly mailbag at wellnessactually.fm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD

What's the deal with the sun?

What's the deal with alcohol?

What's the deal with pregnancy brain? (feat. Allison Williams)

What's the deal with cortisol?

What's the deal with mRNA vaccines?

What's the deal with full body scans?

What's the deal with sleep?

What's the deal with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)?

What's the deal with cupping and dry needling?

What's the deal with red meat?

What's the deal with methylene blue?

What's the deal with psychedelics?

What's the deal with colostrum?

What's the deal with testosterone?

What's the deal with hormone replacement therapy?

What's the deal with continuous glucose monitors?

What's the deal with protein?

What's the deal with creatine?

What's the deal with stem cell therapy?

What's the deal with microplastics?