Big news in pain management, the FDA has approved a new opioid-free pain medication. So how is it different from what’s already out there? Plus, if you missed your flu shot in the fall, is it still worth getting one now? Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers your questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 18, 2025•13 min•Ep. 483
No, you’re not petty for feeling jealous. Research shows humans experience this emotion even before they can crawl. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta sits down with psychologist Dr. Joli Hamilton to demystify jealousy and why the complex emotion is not only natural but could actually be beneficial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 14, 2025•32 min•Ep. 482
Curious about intermittent fasting? Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers a listener’s question by breaking down the science and shares his own experience. Plus, with cruise season in full swing, he shares essential tips to help you avoid norovirus and stay healthy on your next vacation. For a deeper dive into intermittent fasting, check out our episode, “Do Diets Really Work?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 11, 2025•15 min•Ep. 481
What if staying motivated wasn’t about willpower, but strategy? ADHD coach Eric Tivers created the Dopamenu, a personalized menu of small, satisfying activities designed to boost focus, motivation, and well-being. He joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta to explain how this simple strategy helped him manage ADHD and why it might work for anyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 07, 2025•31 min•Ep. 480
You can find mocktails on just about any menu these days, but can you enjoy the trend without the sugar overload? Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers a listener’s question and shares tips from a mixologist on crafting healthier zero-proof drinks. Want to learn more about alcohol's health impacts? Check out our episode, 'Your Shame-Free Guide to Cutting Back on Booze.’ Need inspiration? Discover 32 of the best nonalcoholic drinks for Dry January and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...
Feb 04, 2025•12 min•Ep. 479
Trauma has become a buzzword in the zeitgeist over the years, but do we really understand what it means and how it impacts the body? Dr. Sanjay Gupta sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, to explore what both psychologists and the public often get wrong about trauma—and why he believes our bodies hold the key to healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 31, 2025•41 min•Ep. 478
Dr. James Hamblin stopped taking regular showers. And no, he didn’t stink. The doctor and journalist joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta to explain why he set out to challenge this social norm and the science behind doing less to stay clean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 24, 2025•27 min•Ep. 477
Boredom – it’s a state many of us try to avoid. But, in a world full of distractions, maybe it’s time to embrace boredom as a way to spark creativity and reclaim our attention. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sits down with cognitive neuroscientist James Danckert to explore how boredom affects our health and why it can actually be the motivational jumpstart you need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 17, 2025•35 min•Ep. 476
It’s the new year, a time when so many of us set out to do more, be better. It can feel overwhelming, and most resolutions end up broken. So what if this year, you tried something different? Dr. Sanjay Gupta sets out to explore surprising ways we can all let go in the new year and still live healthier and happier lives. He kicks this journey off with a conversation about letting go of perfectionism, without lowering your standards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...
Jan 10, 2025•32 min•Ep. 475
Yes, drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro can help people lose weight, but at what cost? Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores why these drugs may not be the right fit for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 03, 2025•29 min•Ep. 474
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, are being called “miracle drugs” with users boasting about their fast results. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a deep dive into how they disrupted the entire weight loss industry and changed the conversation about obesity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 27, 2024•26 min•Ep. 473
Faith and science may often seem at odds with one another, but renowned geneticist and former NIH director, Dr. Francis Collins, says that he sees science as a form of worship. He talks with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about how he’s interrogated his own beliefs around religion and what he says science can’t measure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 20, 2024•33 min•Ep. 472
Holiday party season is upon us. But before you reach for that second cocktail (or third), let’s take a look at the science behind what alcohol actually does to our bodies with Dr. Jason Kilmer, Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Plus, we'll unpack the rise of the mocktail movement and whether ‘Dry January’ actually works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 13, 2024•30 min•Ep. 471
Microplastics are everywhere — from the ocean to our bloodstream — raising urgent questions about their impact on human health. How concerned should we really be? Sanjay sits down with Dr. Leonardo Trasande, the Director of Environmental Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine, to talk about how to realistically reduce our exposure and the future of combating microplastics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 06, 2024•34 min•Ep. 470
Conspiracy theories can take many forms, from misgivings about the first moon landing to false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. These kinds of beliefs are nothing new, but social media has helped make many of them more mainstream. As anyone who’s tried to reason with a conspiracy theorist knows, it’s hard to debunk such deeply held beliefs – and arguing with a loved one about them can be emotionally taxing. What if an AI chatbot could help? A recent study, published in Science, asked th...
Nov 29, 2024•30 min•Ep. 469
Food recalls seem to be making headlines more than ever. This summer, a major recall of roughly 7.2 million pounds of Boar's Head deli meats due to listeria raised serious concerns and sent 59 people to the hospital and resulted in 10 deaths. More recently, E. coli outbreaks linked to organic carrots and slivered onions in McDonald's quarter pounders brought the issue back into focus, Sanjay sits down with food safety expert Dr. Don Schaffner to explore why recalls happen and the steps you can t...
Nov 22, 2024•39 min•Ep. 468
In this intimate finale of a two-part special, Dr. Sanjay Gupta decides to find out his own risk of Alzheimer’s disease. As he confronts his own genetic markers and lifestyle factors, Sanjay breaks down the science behind Alzheimer’s risk and explores what steps might slow down the disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 467
For the nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, progress on treatments has felt painfully slow and incremental at best…until now. Dr. Sanjay Gupta traveled the country meeting people who have slowed, prevented, and in some cases even reversed the spread of Alzheimer’s. These are their stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 08, 2024•32 min•Ep. 466
In a world marked by war and political polarization, it can certainly feel at times like we have all lost touch with the art of compromise – the wisdom to recognize that real progress demands sacrifice. Except, that’s not entirely true. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sits down with social psychologist Peter T. Coleman, author of “The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization,” to discuss the fundamentals of navigating difficult conversations, how our brains evolved to handle conflict, and why reaching a com...
Nov 01, 2024•42 min•Ep. 465
Americans are sugar obsessed. Can we cut back without making life feel less sweet? This Halloween, sugar studies expert Laura Schmidt shares tips for taming your sweet tooth. Plus, why she says we need to stop debating if sugar is addictive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 25, 2024•36 min•Ep. 464
Sara Sidner is a hard-hitting CNN journalist. Ananda Lewis is a content creator and former 90s MTV host. Both are living with breast cancer. Both are also the best friends of CNN's Stephanie Elam who asked them to sit down and talk – and get real – about their fears, their determination and their newfound joy after this devastating diagnosis. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Chasing Life brings you this special conversation between three friends about a journey that is all too familiar...
Oct 18, 2024•38 min•Ep. 463
Overwhelmed, stressed, constantly anxious – that's life as a parent, right? If you feel this way, the good and bad news is that you’re not alone. CNN’s Chief Medical Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a father of three teenage girls, turns to parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy – known online simply as ‘Dr. Becky’ -- for advice. And they get personal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 11, 2024•38 min•Ep. 462
The brain is one of the most complex and mysterious organs in our body, and neurosurgeons are at the forefront of unraveling its secrets. But what’s it really like behind the scenes in the operating room, and how do neurosurgeons view the brain’s deepest mysteries? Sanjay sits down with Dr. Theodore Schwartz, a leading neurosurgeon and author of Gray Matters, to delve into the personal experiences that have shaped their careers, explore the impact of AI on brain surgery, and how their work pushe...
Oct 04, 2024•40 min•Ep. 461
The U.S. government recently proposed rescheduling cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug — basically signaling it has some accepted medical use and a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. But what does this mean in the real world exactly? Sanjay talks with “The Pot Doc” Dr. Staci Gruber, Director of the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program in Boston, to explore the possible impacts of this rescheduling on research, healt...
Sep 27, 2024•38 min•Ep. 460
Antibiotics have been hailed as a "miracle drug" since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. But now, more bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics, making them difficult or nearly impossible to treat. One recent study estimated that these so-called “superbugs” could cause nearly 40 million deaths worldwide between now and 2050. Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks to researchers exploring the use of naturally occurring viruses that destroy bacteria, to see if they can be used as an alternative treat...
Sep 20, 2024•30 min•Ep. 459
One of the most dangerous plays in football, the kickoff, is getting a makeover this year. The NFL introduced new rules aimed at reducing injuries while also making the game more exciting. Sanjay talks with Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, about the future of football, how to balance safety with excitement, and what it’s like to be brain doctors who love a dangerous game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 13, 2024•38 min•Ep. 458
Anxiety and depression are surging on college campuses, according to research from the University of Michigan. Two in five teens say they feel persistently sad or lonely, in a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sanjay sits down with psychologist Dr. Nance Roy to unpack why college student mental health was declining long before the pandemic, what’s impacting students’ wellbeing, and some steps to foster a healthy semester. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Sep 06, 2024•40 min•Ep. 457
New developments in actor Matthew Perry’s death are shining a light on the ethics and efficacy of using ketamine as a therapeutic drug. To learn more about the promise and pitfalls of ketamine treatment, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to David Feifel, one of the first clinicians in the country to use ketamine to specifically treat depression. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 27, 2024•35 min•Ep. 456
This has been the hottest summer on record for nearly 100 US cities. Extreme heat isn't just uncomfortable, it can also cause a lot of harm -- even death. Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Dr. Gaurab Basu, a Harvard assistant professor and climate change expert about the very real effects of extreme temperatures on the human body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 20, 2024•34 min•Ep. 455
We've all heard about the importance of wearing sunscreen, but recent headlines have raised questions about the safety and effectiveness of certain ingredients found in chemical sunscreens. In this special Chasing Life: Spotlight, CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell investigates some of the questions and concerns surrounding sunscreen. She speaks with skin cancer researcher Dr. Rachel Neale and Dr. Laura Vandenberg, who studies potential effects of certain sunscreen chemicals on hormone functi...
Aug 13, 2024•36 min•Ep. 454