In this Ask Me Anything episode, Medical News Today editors Yasemin Nicola Sakay and Maria Cohut ask registered dietitian Lisa Valente all about fiber — what it is and why we need it. They also discuss how much fiber everyone needs to consume, whether whole foods are better than supplements like psyllium husk, and whether fiber can help improve insulin sensitivity and aid weight loss. You can find the accompanying feature and research in the following link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/in-conversation-podcast In Conversation is an original podcast by Healthline Media. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today. This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.

In the age of viral content and fast and furious social media communication, health disinformation and misinformation are spreading more widely than ever. Why is this the case, and how can we learn to spot inaccurate and even malicious health information? Why do we fall so easily for false health info, and how can we update our mistaken beliefs? These are some of the questions we answer in this episode, with the help of our special guests, Prof. Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair in Cognitive Psychology at the School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and Dr. Jenny Yu, MD, FACS, Chief Health Officer at RVO Health, the parent company of Medical News Today and Healthline. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this episode, editors and co-hosts Yasemin Nicola Sakay and Maria Cohut discuss some of the most significant studies of 2024 related to improving brain, heart, and metabolic health, focusing on sleep, diet, and exercise habits. They list the biggest takeaways from these findings and share three actionable resolutions that can help people improve their health in the new year. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

This episode discusses some of the most important information everyone should have about perimenopause and menopause, in a world where, until recently, these key stages of life have received insufficient attention. Our special guest is Prof. Kate Clancy, professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, a human reproductive ecologist who specializes in uterine health, feminist science, and feminist science studies. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this episode, editors and co-hosts Yasemin Nicola Sakay and Maria Cohut are joined by Dr. Thomas Barber, associate professor at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and honorary consultant endocrinologist. They discuss how type 2 diabetes affects cognitive health and the steps people can take to help slow down brain aging. They focus on two recent studies showing how diabetes is linked to Alzheimer's as well as lifestyle changes that can protect brain health against the negative effects of diabetes. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today. 

In this podcast episode, editors and co-hosts Maria Cohut and Yasemin Nicola Sakay discuss whether tampons, pads, and other menstrual products pose a threat to health, as a recent study found traces of 16 heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, in several tampon brands. Anna Pollack, PhD, MPH, professor of global and community health at George Mason University College of Public Health, joins the podcast as a special guest to discuss what these findings mean and whether people should be concerned. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this podcast episode, editors and co-hosts Maria Cohut and Yasmin Nicola Sakay discuss whether having tattoos can increase the risk of different types of cancer, particularly blood cancer, as recent evidence from a Swedish cohort has suggested. Special guest Dr. Milena Foerster, who researches the link between tattoos and cancer at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO), explains what we do and do not know about this association.In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this episode, Feature Editor Maria Cohut and Global News Editor Yasemin Nicola Sakay dive into the science behind how extreme exercise may help some people live longer. The study in question tracked a group of elite runners and found they could live an average of 5 years longer than the general population. Prof. Michael Papadakis, president of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), discusses the health benefits and risks associated with such forms of exercise and gives easy to follow advice. In Conversation is an original podcast by Healthline Media. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this episode of our podcast, Feature Editor Maria Cohut discusses matters related to diet and heart health with Prof. Oyinlola Oyebode, PhD, from Queen Mary University of London, in the United Kingdom. Some of the questions we address are: Why are certain foods, regardless of whether or not they are plant-based, so bad for the heart? How does salt impact the cardiovascular system? And what makes a truly heart-healthy diet? In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

This episode of our podcast takes a deep dive into intermittent fasting and its effects on health. Joining the conversation is Ali Javaheri, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine from the Center for Cardiovascular Research at Washington University. Dr Javaheri explains what intermittent fasting does to the body and discusses the benefits and dangers of this eating plan in light of a recent viral study that found 8-hour time-restricted eating may relate to a higher risk of cardiovascular death. In Conversation is a Healthline Media original podcast. This episode was produced by Flamingo Media for Medical News Today.

In this episode of our podcast, we take a deep dive into the topic of semaglutide — or GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs — use for weight loss. How does semaglutide help with weight management, why do some people on Wegovy hit a weight loss plateau, and what are some issues to keep in mind when it comes to using semaglutide for weight loss? Dr. Simon Cork, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom helps us answer these and more questions.

In our wrap-up of 2023’s most pressing and perhaps controversial research in the health and wellness field, Medical News Today’s editors — Andrea Rice, Maria Cohut, and Yasemin Nicola Sakay — delve into three interesting topics: The WHO’s decision to declare sucralose a potential carcinogen, the symptoms of colon cancer and the worrying rise of cases in young people, and the still-elusive male birth control pill.

How do we prolong our longevity? Plenty of recent evidence suggests that exercise — in the correct amount and combination — can help us live longer, healthier lives. This episode of our podcast discusses how and why intentional physical activity prolongs our health span. Joining the conversation is Dr. Borja del Pozo Cruz, principal researcher in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Cadiz, who has studied the relationship between longevity and different forms of exercise, and Dr. Edwina Brocklesby — nicknamed “Iron Gran” — who is CEO of Silverfit and Britain’s oldest woman to have completed an Ironman triathlon.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — an umbrella term for conditions including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — affects millions of people worldwide, sometimes severely affecting their quality of life. How is the gut microbiome of a person with IBD different, and can we use diet to change it and help with disease management? To answer these and other questions, we are in conversation with Dr. Marcel de Zoete, associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology at UMC Utrecht in The Netherlands, who has studied the gut microbiome in IBD. Also joining us is Zosia Krajewska, who lives with IBD after receiving a diagnosis at age 14.

In this episode, Dr. Hilary Guite and Medical News Today editors Maria Cohut and Yasemin Nicola Sakay discuss why it's so hard for humans to change their minds and behaviors. They give us a peek into their daily lives while sharing the three podcast episodes that inspired them to change their habits surrounding nutrition, pain, and helping others. They also offer their own tips and tricks on how to spark purposeful and lasting behavioral change.

In this episode, we discuss why health disparities between different racial and ethnic groups, including those that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, cannot be explained by biological race. We also explore how racism affects the health and well-being of future generations. Joining the conversation are Dr. Monique Rainford, obstetrician and gynecologist at Yale School of Medicine and author of the book "Pregnant While Black," and Angela Saini, science journalist and author whose most recent work includes the book "Superior: The Return of Race Science."

In this episode of our podcast, we discuss why the gut microbiome is important in Parkinson's disease and what researchers are doing to discover more about the link between Parkinson's and gut health. Our guests are Dr. Ayse Demirkan, senior lecturer in AI multiomics for health and well-being at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, and Gary Shaughnessy, chair of trustees at Parkinson's UK, who lives with Parkinson's disease and is a staunch advocate of research into the condition.

In this episode, Medical News Today investigates whether reversing prediabetes via lifestyle changes — such as diet and exercise — is possible. Joining the conversation with Dr. Hilary Guite and Global News editor Yasemin Nicola Sakay are Dr. Thomas Barber, associate clinical professor at Warwick Medical School and consultant endocrinologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, and Angela Chao, Managing Editor at Healthline Media, who shared her experiences about how she reversed her prediabetes diagnosis.

In this episode of our podcast, we delve into the science behind how sounds and silence affect our cognitive health and seek to uncover whether music can be healing for people with dementia. Joining the conversation this month with Dr. Hilary Guite and global news editor Yasemin Nicola Sakay are Dr. Kelly Jakubowski, assistant professor in music psychology at Durham University in the United Kingdom, and Beatie Wolfe, singer, songwriter, and ambassador for the charity Music for Dementia, who witnessed music's direct effect in a care home for people with dementia.

In this episode, we discuss how and why diet could help manage the symptoms of endometriosis and which interventions might be the most effective. We are in conversation with Dr. Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine — a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC — and Hannah Alderson, a registered nutritionist with the British Association For Nutrition And Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and founder of The Positive Method – The Path to Happier Hormones. Dr. Kahleova is the co-author of a recent study looking at nutrition as a factor in the risk for and management of endometriosis. Alderson’s precepts for well-being stem from her own long journey seeking a diagnosis and treatment for PCOS and endometriosis.