# F. Perry Wilson, MD MSCE

> Yale physician, clinical researcher, and science communicator. Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator (CTRA) at Yale. Host of the Wellness, Actually podcast with Emily Oster and author of How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't.

F. Perry Wilson is a nephrologist and Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Yale University. His work focuses on separating medical fact from fiction through rigorous analysis of the evidence. This site collects his evidence-based podcast episode articles, his book, his popular writing, media appearances, research, and teaching.

## Main pages
- [About F. Perry Wilson](https://fperrywilson.com/#about): Bio, credentials (Harvard College, Columbia P&S, Penn), and board certifications in internal medicine and nephrology.
- [Wellness, Actually podcast](https://fperrywilson.com/#podcast): Weekly evidence-based wellness podcast co-hosted with economist Emily Oster, distributed by iHeartMedia.
- [How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't](https://fperrywilson.com/#book): His 2023 book (Grand Central Publishing) on evaluating medical claims and knowing who to trust.
- [Understanding Medical Research (Coursera)](https://www.coursera.org/learn/medical-research): Free Yale course on how to critically evaluate medical studies.
- [CTRA at Yale](https://medicine.yale.edu/internal-medicine/ctra/): The clinical and translational research lab he directs.

## Episode articles
Evidence-based deep dives, one per podcast episode. Each answers a specific wellness question with what the research actually shows.
- [Are seed oils actually bad for you?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/are-seed-oils-actually-bad-for-you.html): Canola, soybean, and corn oil are accused of causing inflammation, obesity, and worse. Here's what the randomized trials and biobank data actually show.
- [What can your poop actually tell you about your health?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/what-your-poop-says-about-your-health.html): How often should you poop, does transit time matter, do squatty potties work, and is a microbiome test worth $400? A doctor walks through the actual evidence.
- [What ticks actually do to your body, from Lyme to alpha-gal](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/what-ticks-actually-do-to-your-body.html): Ticks infect you, poison you, or rewire your immune system. What the evidence says about Lyme, Powassan, alpha-gal, chronic Lyme, and the new vaccine.
- [Is fluoride in drinking water safe, and does it still work?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/is-fluoride-in-water-safe-and-does-it-still-work.html): Fluoride in tap water: how it protects teeth, what happens when towns stop, and whether the IQ studies hold up at the 0.7 ppm levels used in the US.
- [Is gluten actually bad for you?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/is-gluten-actually-bad-for-you.html): Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, sorted out. What blinded challenge trials show about who really reacts to gluten, and who doesn't.
- [What does the sun actually do to your health?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/what-does-the-sun-actually-do-to-your-health.html): Sunscreen doesn't cause cancer, vitamin D pills don't do much, and sunlight does help mood. A nephrologist sorts the sun evidence from the Instagram noise.
- [Is one drink a day actually bad for you?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/is-moderate-drinking-actually-bad-for-you.html): The evidence on light to moderate drinking, from cancer and heart disease to sleep, and why most warnings about a single glass rest on weak data.
- [Pregnancy Brain: What Actually Changes in Your Brain During and After Pregnancy](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/pregnancy-brain-what-actually-changes.html): Does pregnancy actually change your brain? A nephrologist breaks down the 5% shrinkage, memory effects, postpartum depression, ADHD, and what to check.
- [Does high cortisol really cause belly fat and heart disease?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-high-cortisol-cause-belly-fat.html): Cortisol gets blamed for belly fat, heart disease, and burnout. The evidence says most of that is wrong. Here is what the data actually shows about cortisol.
- [How do mRNA vaccines actually work, and are they safe?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/how-mrna-vaccines-work.html): mRNA is the most misunderstood molecule in your cells. Here's what it does, why the COVID vaccine timeline was so fast, the real myocarditis risk, and what comes next.
- [Are full-body MRI scans worth it? What the evidence actually shows](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/are-full-body-scans-worth-it.html): Full-body MRI scans like Prenuvo promise early cancer detection. Here's what the data says about incidentalomas, overdiagnosis, and whether you should get one.
- [How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need? What the Science Says](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/how-much-sleep-do-you-need.html): Most adults need about 7 hours of sleep. Here's what really helps insomnia, why sleep apnea is underdiagnosed, and what sleep trackers can and can't tell you.
- [Does Addyi (Flibanserin) Actually Work for Low Sex Drive in Women?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-addyi-work-low-sexual-desire-women.html): Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a real diagnosis with FDA-approved drugs. Here is what the evidence on Addyi, Vyleesi, and testosterone actually shows.
- [Do Cupping and Dry Needling Actually Work? What the Evidence Says](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/do-cupping-and-dry-needling-actually-work.html): A nephrologist breaks down what cupping and dry needling actually do, what the studies show, and where the real risks are, from bruises to collapsed lungs.
- [Is red meat actually bad for you? What the evidence really shows](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/is-red-meat-actually-bad-for-you.html): A nephrologist breaks down what the evidence on red meat, saturated fat, LDL, and cancer risk actually says, and where the science gets oversold.
- [Does methylene blue actually do anything? What the evidence says](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-methylene-blue-actually-work.html): Methylene blue is the wellness world's newest darling. I'm a nephrologist. Here's what the evidence actually shows about energy, memory, mood, and risk.
- [Do Psychedelics Actually Work for Depression, PTSD, and Addiction? What the Evidence Says](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/do-psychedelics-actually-work.html): A rigorous look at what psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine actually do to the brain, and whether the data supports the hype around mental health.
- [Does bovine colostrum actually do anything?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-bovine-colostrum-actually-work.html): Bovine colostrum is everywhere in wellness marketing. Here's what the evidence actually shows about performance, immunity, leaky gut, and safety.
- [Does testosterone replacement therapy actually work? What the evidence says about TRT](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-testosterone-replacement-therapy-actually-work.html): A nephrologist breaks down testosterone replacement therapy: who actually benefits, what the trials show, the real risks, and why most claims are overblown.
- [Does hormone replacement therapy actually work? What the evidence says in 2026](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-hormone-replacement-therapy-actually-work.html): A nephrologist breaks down hormone replacement therapy: what the Women's Health Initiative really showed, who benefits, and what HRT can and can't do.
- [Do continuous glucose monitors actually work for people without diabetes?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/continuous-glucose-monitors-non-diabetics.html): A nephrologist breaks down whether continuous glucose monitors help non-diabetics, what the evidence shows on spikes, and when a CGM is worth $50.
- [How much protein do you actually need?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/how-much-protein-do-you-actually-need.html): A Yale nephrologist breaks down the evidence on protein intake: how much you need, what it does for muscle and weight loss, and when more is too much.
- [Does creatine actually work? What the evidence says about muscle, memory, and your kidneys](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-creatine-actually-work.html): Creatine is everywhere right now. Here's what the randomized trials actually show about muscle gains, brain benefits, kidney safety, and hair loss.
- [Do Stem Cell Injections Actually Work? What the Evidence Says About Regenerative Medicine Clinics](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/do-stem-cell-injections-actually-work.html): Regenerative medicine clinics sell stem cell injections for knees, wrinkles, and more. Here's what the data actually shows, and what you're really getting.
- [Are Microplastics Actually Harming Your Health?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/are-microplastics-actually-harming-your-health.html): Microplastics are in our food, our dust, and apparently our brains. But does the evidence actually show they're hurting us? A doctor breaks down what we know.
- [Does red light therapy actually work? What the evidence shows](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/does-red-light-therapy-actually-work.html): Red light therapy is sold for wrinkles, hair loss, muscle recovery, and mood. Here's what the evidence actually shows, and where the claims fall apart.
- [GLP-1s for Weight Loss: What the Evidence Actually Shows](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/glp-1-weight-loss-evidence.html): A nephrologist's honest look at GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound: weight loss, muscle loss, weight regain, side effects, and what we still don't know.
- [Do Cold Plunges and Saunas Actually Work? What the Evidence Shows](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/cold-plunges-saunas-health-benefits.html): A Yale physician breaks down the real evidence on cold plunges and saunas, from athletic recovery to cardiovascular health, detox claims, and safety.
- [Do peptide injections like BPC 157 actually work?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/do-peptide-injections-actually-work.html): Peptides like BPC 157 and the "Wolverine stack" are everywhere on social media. Here's what the evidence actually shows, and where the real risks are.
- [Are sperm counts really declining, and should you care?](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/are-sperm-counts-really-declining.html): Sperm counts have dropped over the past 50 years, but the cause isn't cell phones, soy, or laptops. Here's what the evidence actually says.

## Topics
Episode articles grouped by subject. Each hub collects the deep dives on one area of health.
- [Supplements & sports nutrition](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/supplements-sports-nutrition.html): Evidence-based deep dives on the supplements and sports-nutrition products people actually take, and what the research says they do.
- [Hormones & sexual health](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/hormones-sexual-health.html): What the evidence shows on hormone therapies and sexual health, from testosterone and HRT to treatments for low desire.
- [Metabolic & diet](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/metabolic-diet.html): Weight, blood sugar, and diet examined through the actual data on GLP-1s, red meat, protein, and continuous glucose monitoring.
- [Biohacking & recovery trends](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/biohacking-recovery-trends.html): The wellness gadgets and recovery trends filling your feed, tested against the evidence rather than the hype.
- [Injectable & regenerative therapies](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/injectable-regenerative-therapies.html): Peptides, stem cells, and other injectable therapies, and what the clinical evidence actually supports.
- [Brain, mood & sleep](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/brain-mood-sleep.html): The science of sleep, mood, and cognition, from psychedelics to how much sleep you really need.
- [Environmental exposures & health scares](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/environmental-exposures-health-scares.html): Microplastics, declining sperm counts, and other health scares, weighed against what the evidence really shows.
- [Health technology](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/health-technology.html): How emerging medical technologies actually work, and what the evidence says they deliver, from mRNA vaccines onward.
- [Screening & diagnostics](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/topics/screening-diagnostics.html): What the evidence says about screening tests and diagnostic scans, and when they help versus when they lead to overdiagnosis.

## Indexes
- [All episode articles](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/)
- [Episode article RSS feed](https://fperrywilson.com/podcast/rss.xml)
- [Sitemap](https://fperrywilson.com/sitemap.xml)