Brain, mood & sleep
The science of sleep, mood, and cognition, from psychedelics to how much sleep you really need.
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.
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.
Does pregnancy actually change your brain? A nephrologist breaks down the 5% shrinkage, memory effects, postpartum depression, ADHD, and what to check.
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.
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.
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.
About the author
F. Perry Wilson, MD MSCE is a nephrologist, clinical researcher, and Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Yale University, where he directs the Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator. He hosts the Wellness, Actually podcast with Emily Oster, writes the weekly Impact Factor column on Medscape, and is the author of How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't (Grand Central, 2023).