Radio Health Journal
Each week, Radio Health Journal breaks down important news in medicine, science and technology with the help of world-renowned experts. Our three weekly segments will help guide you to a happier, healthier life – with some fun facts to share at dinner parties. Can magic mushrooms cure your depression? Have we outrun natural selection?
Hosted by Elizabeth Westfield, Greg Johnson and Maayan Voss de Bettancourt and produced by Kristen Farrah and Amirah Zaveri. New shows posted each Sunday by 5 a.m. EST. Subscribe, listen, and rate. If you’re looking for older episodes, you can find our entire segment catalog on our website radiohealthjournal.org. Also, check out the latest on Facebook and Instagram @radiohealthjournal and on X @RadioHealthJrnl.
576
Getting Through Grief
Grief is a process virtually everyone will face sometime. It’s unfortunately more common during the Covid-19 pandemic. But many people don’t know what to do when their pain does not follow the road map they expect--the well-known five stages of...
15 min
577
The Mind of a Musician
Music is more than a fun pastime. Studies show that especially in children, studying music rewires the brain in beneficial ways, giving them an advantage in other cognitive skills. The scientist who’s done much of this pioneering work discusses its...
11 min
578
Medical Notes: Week of October 3, 2021
Children as young as five may soon be part of the tug of war over vaccine mandates. Then, several important studies on Covid and vaccination are released by CDC. And finally, a study finds that people with a history of trauma get more of a high from...
1 min
579
The Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness has been increasing across all ages even before the pandemic. It’s especially noteworthy among seniors, and it can dramatically affect health. An expert geriatrician who has studied the effects of loneliness and the leader of an...
17 min
580
An Odd But Common Fear: Trypophobia, The Fear o...
As much as 16 percent of the population suffers from trypophobia, which makes them uneasy at the sight of holes clustered together, as in a honeycomb. Two experts and a sufferer discuss this phobia, which can be remarkably debilitating.
11 min
581
Medical Notes: Week of September 26, 2021
A study suggests recovery from concussions might take twice as long as we thought. Then, researchers say they have a solution for "Zoom fatigue." Next, a study finds cannabis use may hurt men's fertility. Plus, new research finds that certain kinds of...
2 min
582
Healthcare Data Breaches
Government reports say more than 265 million healthcare records have been stolen, lost, or improperly disclosed in the last decade. It may create a financial risk, but it could also mean your health conditions and secrets are all over the internet....
15 min
583
Why We Don’t Stop Preventable Heart Attacks
Heart disease is often preventable, but how people look at it often keeps them from doing as much about it as they could. Often this is a result of myth and misinformation. An expert physician discusses some of the most harmful of these myths. ...
9 min
584
Medical Notes: Week of September 19, 2021
With the Delta variant of COVID-19, far more Americans are worried about getting infected. Then, American children and adolescents now get two-thirds of their calories from ultra processed foods. And finally…it’s good to be productive… but if...
1 min
585
Nail Biting: More Than Just A Bad Habit
Nail biting is an extremely common habit, but some people bite their nails so badly and so often that they suffer damage to their hands. Experts discuss why so many of us are driven to bite our nails, what can be done to stop it, and the damage that...
11 min
586
Forced Sterilization Still Exists in the U.S.
Entertainer Britney Spears claims in court that her conservator father won’t let her remove birth control. It’s merely the most celebrated recent case of something most people find surprising: forced sterilization still exists in the US, usually...
16 min
587
Medical Notes: Week of September 12, 2021
A new study shows that naps don't make up for lost sleep. Then, research finds that people who have someone they can count on to listen to them have brains that age much slower than others. Next, a study suggests that for teens, a close, supportive...
1 min
588
3D Printing of Replacement Organs
Scientists are developing 3D printing technology using human cells to build human organs. The technique could be used to grow organs for transplant, relieving the long waitlist. Experts discuss. Learn more at:
11 min
589
Back To School With The Pandemic
Schools that just a couple of months ago imagined opening free of great pandemic worry are now facing a Delta variant that’s even more contagious than the original. Yet last year’s experience is telling experts and administrators that school can...
15 min
590
Medical Notes: Week of September 5, 2021
A look at the top medical headlines for the week of September 5, 2021 including: Growing up in poverty physically changes the brain… which makes it much more likely poor kids have cognitive and behavioral difficulties later. A study showing almost a...
1 min
591
The Difficult-To-Follow Plant-Based Anti-Heart ...
Heart disease is the number one killer in the US, but a well known cardiologist says if everyone would follow a plant-based, oil-free diet, heart disease could be eradicated. Yet many cardiologists won’t prescribe such a diet, fearing it’s so...
10 min
592
Prisons And The Mentally Ill
Many people in prison have a mental illness that keeps them from following the rules of society. Prison, its rules, and often its punitive intent may be the worst place for them, especially since treatment is often lacking there. A noted prison...
14 min
593
Medical Notes: Week of August 29, 2021
A look at the top medical headlines for the week of August 29, 2021 including: A study showing that a person’s risk for old age illnesses can be accurately predicted years earlier based on chronic inflammation in the body. Then, the key to an easier...
1 min
594
Medical Notes: Week of August 22, 2021
A look at the top medical headlines for the week of August 22, 2021 including: Some people still have fears of the Coronavirus vaccine. Then, Do you get migraines? Eating fish might be the solution. And finally… your sense of taste may be keeping...
1 min
595
Veterinarian Stress And Suicide
A new CDC report shows that suicide among veterinarians is much higher than in the general population. Experts discuss the unique stresses that affect these professionals, including financial, compassion fatigue, euthanasia, and online harassment....
17 min
596
"Nursemaid’s Elbow"
Swinging small children around by their arms may be fun, but it can lead to a very common injury, “nursemaid’s elbow,” an elbow dislocation, and each instance makes the next more likely. Physicians who treat it—and have experienced it in their...
12 min
597
The Dangers of Symptom Searching on the Internet
One of the most popular searches on Google is for symptoms and what they mean. It’s created a much more well informed patient population, but one that may panic at the least pain or discomfort. Two experts discuss how to think of symptoms and how to...
9 min
598
Medical Notes: Week of August 15, 2021
Scientists have finally found something good about having a cold—it makes you less likely to be infected by Covid-19. Then, childhood exposure to lead may affect your personality later. And finally, scientists have developed clothing that can...
1 min
599
The Psychology of Adoption: Birth Mothers
Adoption and how it is carried out have well-studied psychological effects on adoptees. However, how birth mothers are affected by giving up their child is less well studied. Birth mothers have historically been shunned and stigmatized, and often...
17 min
600
Danger Signs in the Increase in Extreme Weather
Climate change has been discussed as a serious issue impacting future generations. However, the recent rash of extreme weather worldwide, which has killed hundreds, is making scientists wonder if we have reached a turning point more quickly than we...
16 min