Podcast · 34 episodes
Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD
by iHeartPodcasts · English
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.
Latest episodes
It's the First Annual Wellness, Actually Grab Bag Episode!“Wellness Actually” first annual grab bag episode: rapid-fire debunking of small wellness fads (plus a health news segment).24 Sep 2026 · 1 h 7 min
What's the deal with artificial sweeteners?The episode explains how artificial sweeteners are used and what the evidence says about their health effects, using both “detective science” and study-quality arguments.17 Sep 2026 · 58 min
What's the deal with seed oils?Whether “seed oils” (a popular wellness target) are harmful, and how to evaluate claims about processing, inflammation, obesity/diabetes, omega-6/omega-3 ratios, and frying-related trans fats.10 Sep 2026 · 1 h 4 min
All episodes
It's the First Annual Wellness, Actually Grab Bag Episode!“Wellness Actually” first annual grab bag episode: rapid-fire debunking of small wellness fads (plus a health news segment).24 Sep 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 26 chapters
What's the deal with artificial sweeteners?The episode explains how artificial sweeteners are used and what the evidence says about their health effects, using both “detective science” and study-quality arguments.17 Sep 2026 · 58 min · 23 chapters
What's the deal with seed oils?Whether “seed oils” (a popular wellness target) are harmful, and how to evaluate claims about processing, inflammation, obesity/diabetes, omega-6/omega-3 ratios, and frying-related trans fats.10 Sep 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 30 chapters
What's the deal with poop?Rabies and measles health news, then a deep dive on poop—what it’s made of, what “normal” looks like (frequency, Bristol stool types, transit time), what to watch for (blood, black/pale stool, weight…3 Sep 2026 · 1 h 9 min · 32 chapters
Rerun, Actually - What's the deal with peptides?Explains what peptides are biologically, reviews evidence for specific peptide uses (collagen peptides for skin/joints; FDA-approved peptide drugs like GLP-1s, insulin, afamelanotide, and…27 Aug 2026 · 40 min · 21 chapters
What's the deal with ticks?Ticks and tick-borne illness, prevention, and how Lyme disease works; also critiques of related health-news studies and addresses Lyme “bioweapon” conspiracy claims.20 Aug 2026 · 1 h 10 min · 20 chapters
What's the deal with fluoride?Fluoride in municipal water—why it’s used, how it works for teeth, whether it’s still necessary now that toothpaste exists, and whether fluoride exposure is linked to lower IQ.13 Aug 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 21 chapters
What's the deal with gluten?What gluten is and when avoiding it is medically necessary vs when symptoms may come from other wheat components or expectations.6 Aug 2026 · 50 min · 24 chapters
What's the deal with the sun?The episode answers “what’s the deal with the sun?” by covering sun size facts, whether you need sun exposure, and how to think about sunscreen, vitamin D, and mood/health effects.30 Jul 2026 · 55 min · 19 chapters
What's the deal with alcohol?The episode asks “what’s the deal with alcohol?”—how alcohol works in the brain, why it’s historically popular, and what the best evidence says about light-to-moderate drinking versus problematic…23 Jul 2026 · 1 h · 30 chapters
What's the deal with pregnancy brain? (feat. Allison Williams)Pregnancy brain—what changes in the brain during pregnancy, what cognitive effects are measured, and how to distinguish “brain fog” from postpartum depression/anxiety and from later ADHD diagnoses.16 Jul 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 24 chapters
What's the deal with cortisol?Cortisol—what it is, how it’s measured, and whether “high cortisol from stress” is a useful explanation for common wellness claims (like belly fat and heart disease).9 Jul 2026 · 56 min · 28 chapters
What's the deal with mRNA vaccines?mRNA (and RNA more broadly): how it works, why the body reacts to it, what’s true vs conspiracy claims, and what risks and future uses exist beyond COVID vaccines.2 Jul 2026 · 59 min · 30 chapters
What's the deal with full body scans?The episode of Wellness Actually asks “what’s the deal with full body scans?” It opens with a social-media example: a direct-to-consumer Pernuvo full-body MRI (about $2,500) that found a 0.5 cm lung…25 Jun 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 27 chapters
What's the deal with sleep?Sleep biology, why it exists, how circadian rhythms control it, what different sleep stages do, and what happens when people don’t get enough.18 Jun 2026 · 58 min · 22 chapters
What's the deal with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD)?The episode explains hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) / “female sexual interest/arousal disorder,” how it’s defined in DSM-5, why it’s controversial, and what data suggests about sexual…11 Jun 2026 · 54 min · 26 chapters
What's the deal with cupping and dry needling?The episode evaluates cupping and dry needling for pain and recovery, emphasizing placebo effects, study design limits, and biological plausibility.4 Jun 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 27 chapters
What's the deal with red meat?The episode examines health benefits/risks of red meat, focusing on saturated fat, cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and cancer risk; it also critiques weak nutrition evidence and discusses…28 May 2026 · 56 min · 27 chapters
What's the deal with methylene blue?The podcast investigates methylene blue as a “wellness” supplement/dye, separating plausible biology from evidence and safety concerns.21 May 2026 · 57 min · 26 chapters
What's the deal with psychedelics?“What’s the deal with psychedelics?” The hosts (Emily Oster, economist/data expert; Perry Wilson, medical doctor) explain how psychedelics affect the brain (reality testing and salience), then review…14 May 2026 · 59 min · 27 chapters
What's the deal with colostrum?Bovine colostrum (first milk from cows after calving) and whether it’s useful for endurance/performance, gut health (“leaky gut”), and immune/respiratory outcomes; also discusses safety of…7 May 2026 · 53 min · 30 chapters
What's the deal with testosterone?Testosterone basics and whether “low T” or testosterone replacement helps with age-related symptoms; includes how testosterone varies, how it’s measured, and what evidence shows.30 Apr 2026 · 57 min · 27 chapters
What's the deal with hormone replacement therapy?Wellness Actually (two-part series) answers “what’s the deal with hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?” It explains what hormones are being replaced, how evidence evolved after the Women’s Health…23 Apr 2026 · 54 min · 20 chapters
What's the deal with continuous glucose monitors?Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)—what they measure, who benefits, and whether non-diabetics should use them.16 Apr 2026 · 50 min · 22 chapters