Ask HN: Where do you get your health news?

What articles, blogs or newsletters do you subscribe to for health news? That is like reliable with studies and all that. I’m approaching my 40s, and it seems every week there is something small painful going somewhere in my body. Thanks!

dharmab · 2 years ago

Most published research is wrong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42QuXLucH3Q

I usually check the UK NHS website for general information that has been reproduced consistently, and talk to a doctor for anything more specific.

This about how poorly technology and law news is reported. Health news is _even worse_.

philippgerard · 2 years ago

I quite like examine.com for a seemingly independent “audit” of health- and supplement-related data. It’s not perfect but the database of knowledge is growing and their business model seems more aligned with my interests than with those groups often funding biased research.

mo_42 · 2 years ago

I simply don't as health news is mostly noise.

I guess the largest health effect comes from exercise, stable/low blood sugar, no alcohol, enough sleep.

dharmab · 2 years ago

+ no tobacco + calories in <= calories used

brucethemoose2 · 2 years ago

Derek Lowe's blog is a popular one: https://www.science.org/blogs/pipeline

paulcole · 2 years ago

Why do you want health news? Do you really think there’s going to be some magic article that’s so revolutionary and important that you’re going to miss it if you don’t read the secret health news blog?

It’s all just going to be the same old stuff repeated until you die. Eat this — no wait, don’t eat this. Lift weights — no wait, don’t lift weights. This causes cancer — no wait, that causes cancer. This will make you healthier — no wait, this will make you sicker.

lnwlebjel · 2 years ago

I'm a huge fan of Peter Attia's the Drive podcast which I learned about on HN. Scan the archive for a topic of interest, they are almost all good.

He's an MD, former surgeon, with a background in math and an appropriately skeptical point of view when in comes to health news. He isn't one, but he would be a very good scientist as he understands very well the methods of science.

d4rkp4ttern · 2 years ago

An interesting question is, if there is a book/article that references studies, does that mean it’s correct? E.g I’m reading Benjamin Bikman’s Why we Get Sick (how insulin resistance is at the root of many problems, and how a low carb high fat diet can prevent it). Lots of scientific articles referenced. Makes it more believable but obviously we can’t judge the correctness of those articles themselves.

stevekemp · 2 years ago

Honestly I don't care about "health news". I care about my own health - if something feels off, or wrong, I'd visit a doctor.

But I've spent too many years reading (bad) summaries of publications and studies to stop taking them seriously. One year it's "eggs are bad, cholesterol is bad", the next it's "eggs are good, eat more".

Sure we're learning new things, and we're making a lot of advances across multiple areas, but at the end of the day none of that matters too much unless the actual "research" becomes something that can be given to an actual human.

mortallywounded · 2 years ago

I forget about news for health. Focus on the basics.

1. Eat clean. Keep carbs low.

2. Eat within a small window every day (12-2pm).

3. Exercise five days a week (daily running 5k).

4. Strength training on weekends.

That's it.