Health Wanted

OOooh you ever get all hot and sweaty? You get that itch? You know you’re just gonna be up all night? Because you’re going through menopause. This week on Health Wanted we’re talking about the comeback queen known as menopause hormone therapy, and where the science stands on alleged miracle cure.

Plus: What’s with all the aspartame hate? Are oral vitamin K drops just as good as the shot? Are toner printers f...

2025 saw the start of a particular focus on detentions and deportations. This week on the show, we’re taking a look at the way increased immigration enforcement activity impacts public health.

Plus: What’s going on with blood screening tests for cancer? How scientific are personality tests? How dangerous is raw chicken? And the Sick of the Week.

For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a...

Let’s be honest, Americans love to watch a contact sport. We cheer at hockey fights, make highlight reels of the most brutal football tackles, yell, “kill him!” When our favorite wrestlers get their opponent in a headlock. We know massive hits can take a toll on the old noggin', but as it turns out, it might just be the lesser hits that happen over and over and over again that are causing more damage to the most p...

There’s a saying in parenting: “The days are long, but the years are short.” This could also apply to the whirlwind first year of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. This week on Health Wanted, we take a walk down memory lane to review all that RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement have been able to accomplish in their first year…for better or for worse.

Valentine’s day is here, and with it, mountains of sweets! Boxes of chocolates! Candy hearts that somehow still have phrases like “fax me!” There’s no limit to confectioneries for your cutie pie, but what does the research say about our sweet tooth’s connection to our overall health? This week on Health Wanted, we’re talking sugar, sugar.

Plus: Does measles vaccination protect against SSPE? Are t...

This week’s episode of Health Wanted has it all: Covert influencer sponsored content! Taco Bell! School lunches! The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans! And it all comes back to dairy. Join us as we take a look at the udder-ly fascinating history of how milk became the essential drink for kids…and if it’s really as healthy as advertisers might have you believe.

Plus: How to respond to chemical irritants. An upd...

In a post-Roe world, more people are opting for a more permanent form of birth control, but their access might be limited by rules intended to prevent us from repeating violations of the past. This week on Health Wanted, we’re taking a look at the history of sterilization, and how well-intentioned laws can end up hurting people they meant to protect.

Plus: Can you get ringworm from your pets? Are people who say cilantro taste...

The internet is a mecca for DIY enthusiasts. You can find out how to remodel your house, fix your car, and even…become your own doctor? This week on Health Wanted: As more Americans become disillusioned with our health care system, more tech companies are providing DIY alternatives to doctor’s offices…but is that a good thing?

Plus: Is getting shingles protective against dementia? Do we all need to be testing ou...

Do you have acne? Low energy? Stinky feet? Ugly face? Crossed eyes? Well have we got the cure for you: RADIOACTIVE DECAY. This week on Health Wanted, we’re putting on our lead aprons to look back at the history of radiation as a cure-all, including an interview with Timothy Jorgensen, author of Strange Glow.

Plus: Why returning to working out after a break might make you sick. Does viral load mean someone who’s sicker t...

Mind control—it’s often thought of as a science fiction trope, borne from fears of body snatchers or domineering overlords. But what if we’re thinking about the term the wrong way? Maybe we should be considering the reverse. This week on Health Wanted, we talk about how brain-computer interfaces are expanding the possibilities for our minds to control our worlds, including an interview with Dr. Chethan Pandarinath...

New Year, new you, new opportunities to punish yourself for being human! This week on Health Wanted…we’re kicking off the new year by putting you on a cleanse to detox you from useless health morality. Laurel Bristow talks with health psychologist Dr. Charlotte Markey about so-called “fresh starts” and the role of body image in weight loss.

Plus: Is testosterone the most active hormone during your period? W...

2025 was a year of big questions: from our government, from our public health institutions, and, of course, from you, our lovely listeners.

For this final episode of the year, we’re bringing you your best questions and Laurel’s best answers from 2025, including: Are indoor waterparks just a close cousin of cruises? Are there any real world applications of the finding that axolotl mucus attacks breast cancer and MRSA? Wh...

We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, which usually comes with enough liquid cheer to kill a horse…or at least get some people to consider wringing themselves out in the new year. This week on Health Wanted, it’s a not-so-happy hour as we take a big old swig of the truth about the health risks of alcohol. Host Laurel Bristow also interviews with Dr. Marissa Esser, former head of the CDC’s Alcohol ...

In the mid 2010s “designer jeans” became a topic of conversation not just in the fashion world, but in the world of medical intervention as well. This week on Health Wanted: CRISPR was supposed to be the gene-editing tool to end all disease, so where has it gone? Host Laurel Bristow also talks to Dr. Ben Hurlbut about the ethics of curing disease through CRISPR.

Plus: how do you address inaccurate health information at ...

Health insurance: seems like a straightforward concept. Every month you put money into an account so that, when you need to pay health care costs, that account will cover it. If you’re laughing at the idea of using THAT description for THIS country, that’s probably because it’s a ridiculous oversimplification to the point that it’s closer to a lie. 

This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow gives ...

Did you know Laurel has never had a pumpkin spice latte? Well, you do now! We're back with another ALA! With your help, we Ask Laurel Anything.

Health Wanted host Laurel shares her Halloween recap and Christmas preview and explains why she is only just getting into Vanderpump Rules. Plus, we close things out with the ever-speedy Lightning Round.

We'll be back next week to break down more science, in the pursuit of better health.

Ha...

In 1968, biologist Paul Ehrlich cautioned that by the 1980s we’d see hundreds of millions of people starving to death due to overpopulation. Turns out… he was a bit off. This week on Health Wanted, the so-called “fertility crisis” is creating a panic about the fate of society and inspiring a movement for more babies. But what’s really driving our low birth rate, and what can we do to reverse it? Host ...

After a month of Halloween-themed shows, everyone is probably a little tired of talking about dying. Finally, it’s time to start LIVING. Maybe FOREVER. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow is looking at the field of longevity science to see how close we are to cheating death, and what’s still in the realm of fantasy. Laurel also sits down with Dr. Tom Frieden to discuss his new book “The Formula for Bet...