What's Up Docs?
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves. Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and as doctors, they want this for everyone. Yet they tussle over how best to get there. When it comes to looking after our own health, it can be confusing. Medicine and science produce amazing new treatments and diagnostics every day and we are bombarded with so many headlines and pieces of advice; but how are we supposed to know what's really best for us and then successfully apply it to our lives? Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken embrace this challenge; even as they marvel at the scientific breakthroughs, they grapple with the competing claims about health, wellbeing and how to live. From understanding testosterone therapies to microplastics in our diets, and the concept of 'hangriness' to the power of saying no - this podcast deals with the health stresses we all face every day, while taking on board how the decisions by corporations and governments affect all our health. Each episode, Chris and Xand are joined by an expert guest to examine the latest research, psychological insights, and data, to help listeners navigate the overwhelming amount of information and advice out there. They talk about the trials and tribulations in their own lives in their characteristically witty way - each teasing the other as they search for solutions. Xand has trouble sleeping , Chris has noisy knees, one of them has got an embarrassing itch. They have different ways of looking at things and find it really helpful to get the other one's point of view. These doctors are trying their best and encouraging listeners to do the same. Email: whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk Whatsapp: 08000 665123 A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
Episodes
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about embarrassment with Dr Tiffany Watt Smith, a cultural historian interested in the histories of emotion and medicine.
They want to know: how power and hierarchical structures in your relationships affect your levels of embarrassment, and how embarrassment functions within the context of other emotions.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, the Doctors turn their attention to the curious emotion of embarrassment - why do we feel embarrassed? They want to know how it links to blushing, how it differs from shame or guilt, and whether it might actually serve a useful, protective and e...
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about nature with Baroness Kathy Willis, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University.
They look a little deeper into the relationship between nature and our health and wellbeing. They also discuss Kathy's thoughts on how society interacts with nature. These insights go beyond the science to explore the bigger picture of our relationship with the natural world. Plus, they discuss what we ...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this special episode, Chris and Xand are out of the studio and into the woods, exploring something a little different - the connection between nature and our health and wellbeing.
You’ve probably heard claims that just being in green spaces can boost your mood,...
Chris and Xand continue their conversation with Dr James Rucker, a consultant psychiatrist at King's College London who is leading the European arm of a global trial of a psychedelic designed to treat people with severe depression.
They discuss the history of psychedelics, the discovery of LSD and the popular (and often illegal) practice of microdosing. Is there any evidence to suggest that taking minute quantities of psychedelic su...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
This week, Chris and Xand meet Dr James Rucker, a consultant psychiatrist at King's College London who is leading the European arm of a global trial of a psychedelic called psilocybin in a study designed to treat people with severe depression for whom other phar...
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about fibre with Dr Deirdre Tobias, an obesity and nutritional epidemiologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA.
Together, they dig further into the relationship between our fibre intake and our microbiome. Plus, they delve into some of the socioeconomic aspects of increasing our intake of fibre.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any ...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken clear up the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they want to answer some of the most important questions about dietary fibre. What is it and why do our bodies need it? They’ll explore the best sources of fibre - both natural and processed - and unpack the growing trend of fibre-enriched foods...
Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire.
They discuss how mental health issues can contribute to back pain, what women can do to manage back pain during pregnancy, and the difficulties of living with long-term back pain alongside other medical conditions. Plus, are there any types of beds an...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
On the agenda this week is back pain. It’s a condition that will affect around 80% of us at some point during our lives, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability worldwide.
Joining Chris and Xand in the studio to discuss the science behind th...
Chris and Xand continue their conversation with Professor Stella Volpe, head of the department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.
They talk to Stella about her work as a sports nutritionist, specialising in diabetes and obesity, about whether athletes need to think about magnesium differently, and the relationship between magnesium and diabetes.
If you’...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around health and wellbeing.
In this episode, the Doctors turn their attention to the mineral of the moment - magnesium. Hyped up on social media, Chris and Xand want to dig into the different roles magnesium plays in regulating the human body, what happens when we’re deficient in magnesium, and whether we...
Chris and Xand are back with a bonus episode, as they continue their conversation with Dr Chi Eziefula, Associate Professor in Global Health and Infection and menstrual health expert.
They talk about how menstrual health is covered in medical school, delve further into the stigma that still surrounds it, and what institutions are doing - or not doing - about it.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered ...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around health and wellbeing.
In this episode, the Doctors turn their attention to the menstrual cycle. Menstrual health and periods are still surrounded by myths, misunderstandings and stigma. So what are we getting wrong? They're interested in understanding what the menstrual cycle is, the benefits it pro...
Sshhh! Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are back to hear more about noise in this episode of Doctors’ Notes. Continuing their conversation with Charlotte Clark, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology at City St George’s, University of London, they dig deeper into the science around environmental noise and its damaging effects on our health and wellbeing. Charlotte tells Chris and Xand about her research exploring the effects of noi...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the noise around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
This week, Chris and Xand speak to Professor Charlotte Clark, Environmental Epidemiologist at City St George’s, University of London. She explains how being exposed to transport noise over long periods of our life can have disastrous consequences for our cardiova...
Urine for a treat in this week’s Doctors’ Notes, as Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their fascinating conversation with Dr Kate Bramham, Consultant Nephrologist at King’s College Hospital and Reader at King's College London.
In this bonus episode, the Docs delve into the issue of chronic kidney disease and why some communities are disproportionately affected by it. They also explore the effectiveness of kidney transplants a...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
Chris and Xand have always found the kidneys somewhat mysterious and elusive, going all the way back to medical school. Now they want to understand what makes this pair of organs so complex, and why they are so much more than simple filters. How do the kidneys wor...
Chris and Xand continue their discussion with Dr Yusur Al-Nuaimi, Consultant Dermatologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Clinical Lead for the British Hair and Nail Society. They dive deeper into the science of nails and the vital clues they can provide about a plethora of serious health conditions. Plus, Yusur tells Chris and Xand about what first piqued her interest in dermatology, and the research she has carried ou...
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
This week, Chris and Xand are exploring the topic of nail health. As well as being useful tools on our hands and feet, nails can also be important signs of many diseases and disorders. But what exactly is a nail made of? How did nails evolve? And what should we be...
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