Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thinking on cholesterol has evolved over her career. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest:...
Apr 07, 2026•31 min•Ep. 131
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they take on one of nutrition’s most misunderstood topics: fat. What is it, and why does our body need it? At what point does something normal and essential become something we worry about? What do cholesterol blood tests actually measure, and how well do they predict disease? Chris and Xand also explore the...
Apr 07, 2026•29 min•Ep. 130
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the sun's effect on our happiness with Professor Hester Parr, human geography and research lead of Living with Seasonal Affective Disorder. The doctors want to know how low light affects those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), how the disorder is viewed and what research is being done to help treat those with it, including that being conducted by Professor Parr. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the p...
Mar 31, 2026•19 min•Ep. 129
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand will shine a light on…light. They discuss why the sun can help lift our mood, and its effects on our sleep and general wellbeing. Joining them to discuss this is Professor Hester Parr, a professor of Human Geography with an interest in sunlight's effect on mental health and runs the researc...
Mar 31, 2026•29 min•Ep. 128
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about how the built environment affects our health, with architect Lisa Finlay from Heatherwick Studio. They ask when wellbeing first became a serious consideration in architecture, how Lisa weaves it into her own projects, and whether cities can be designed in ways that actively support public health. They also explore what the “healthy building” of the future might look like, and whether architecture could play a bigger role in preventing illness befo...
Mar 24, 2026•33 min•Ep. 127
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the building blocks of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they step outside into the built environment to ask: can buildings affect our health? From light and air to noise, materials and design, they explore how architecture shapes the way we feel, think and function. They visit Coal Drops Yard to see how a former industrial site was transformed into a modern public space, ask wh...
Mar 24, 2026•30 min•Ep. 126
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about hips with Dr Paulina Kloskowska, physiotherapist, academic, and researcher. The doctors discuss hip replacements, how they can potentially be avoided and which activities best support hip health. They also want to learn more about why women are more likely to need a hip replacement and what research is being done to change the landscape of women’s hip health. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, y...
Mar 17, 2026•25 min•Ep. 125
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into hip health. How do your hips work? Why is it such a unique part of the body? What can go wrong? They also examine common hip injuries, how women’s hips differ from men’s, how our hips change over our lifetimes, whether a little wear and tear is normal, how best to protect and stre...
Mar 17, 2026•29 min•Ep. 124
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about toothache with Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor & Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham. They explore how dental pain was treated in the past, and what’s changed since. They also explore how modern lifestyles and diets may be contributing to dental problems. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000...
Mar 10, 2026•20 min•Ep. 123
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken get to the root of what shapes our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they ask why our teeth so often cause pain and problems. They look at how teeth work, why they’re so prone to decay, and what actually causes toothache. They ask when it’s time to see a dentist, what helps with the pain, and whether there’s anything we can do ourselves to prevent it. To help answer these questions, they’re...
Mar 10, 2026•29 min•Ep. 122
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Kate Haynes, Chartered Human Physiotherapist and Veterinary Physiotherapist. The doctors want to know how to maintain shoulder health year-round, how to avoid overworking our shoulders and some top tips for rehabilitation of shoulder injuries. They also want to learn more from Kate about the similarities and differences between human and horse anatomy, including the common issues she sees with riders versus horses, how these iss...
Mar 03, 2026•32 min•Ep. 121
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into shoulder health. How do your shoulders work? What can go wrong? What to do if you experience problems with your shoulders? They also examine how best to maintain shoulder health through exercises like weightlifting and paying attention to your posture, highlight some important les...
Mar 03, 2026•28 min•Ep. 120
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about endometriosis with Dr Chi Eziefula, Associate Professor in Global Health and Infection at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The doctors want to know what the deeper biology of endometriosis is, how general attitudes around women’s health impact the time it takes to be diagnosed with conditions, and if we are seeing any change in the research and social landscape surrounding endometriosis. They also explore how medical training impacts doctors' a...
Feb 24, 2026•16 min•Ep. 119
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into endometriosis, a condition that occurs when cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. It affects around one in ten women of reproductive age, often causing severe pain, mental health issues and in some cases, it can result in inf...
Feb 24, 2026•29 min•Ep. 118
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about immune health with Prof Dan Davis, Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. The doctors want to know more about the deeper biology of the immune system. Is it true that a bit of stress prevents infection, while chronic stress is detrimental to your immune system? Why does intense exercise drop the immune response? They also examine autoimmune diseases, what they are and what they do to the body. If you’d like t...
Feb 17, 2026•27 min•Ep. 117
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. What defines a well-functioning immune system, and why are some people seemingly "immune" to everything while others catch every cold? In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into the complex mechanics of immunology. They tackle the controversial trend of "immune boosting" and discuss the delicate balance between under-activ...
Feb 17, 2026•29 min•Ep. 116
Chris and Xand dig deeper into the evolution of kissing. They ask what first drew our guest into this unusual area of research, why evidence that humans and Neanderthals kissed is so significant, and why it’s so challenging to explain why kissing developed in the first place. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Dr Matilda Brind...
Feb 10, 2026•20 min•Ep. 115
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken try to get to the bottom of the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this Valentine’s Day-themed episode, they turn their attention to kissing. Why do humans kiss, how did it evolve, and does it offer any biological advantage? They also explore the meaning behind different types of kisses and whether kissing is truly universal among humans – and what it means if it isn’t. To help them unta...
Feb 10, 2026•29 min•Ep. 114
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about focus with Duncan Astle, Professor of Neuroinformatics at the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University. Chris and Xand want to know what the impact of having ADHD is, whether a diagnosis can help and if it can predict anything, the neurology and evolutionary explanations for ADHD, and which interventions are currently available. They also explore some controversial ways of improving focus and hear Dr Astle’s personal and clinical persp...
Feb 03, 2026•24 min•Ep. 113
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into focus and how it can be improved. How do focus and attention work? Are there different types of attention? What impacts your ability to focus? Is social media ruining your focus? How can you improve? They explore the neurology of focus and attention, why you might find it difficul...
Feb 03, 2026•29 min•Ep. 112
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on laughter with Professor Sophie Scott CBE, a leading expert in the neuroscience of laughter, from University College London. Sophie explained how laughter is a positive, evolutionary trait that we all go on a journey to understand as we grow up. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all...
Jan 30, 2026•4 min•Ep. 111
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on core strength with physiotherapist James Moore. James highlighted why exercising our core can help us live long and strong, but doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym hard. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the podcast.
Jan 29, 2026•3 min•Ep. 110
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on fibre with Dr Deirdre Tobias. Deirdre outlined why fibre is important for our diets and where we should be getting it from. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the podcast.
Jan 28, 2026•4 min•Ep. 109
Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about food with Professor of Psychology Ashley Gearhardt. Drawing on her clinical experience, they explore what it means to live with food addiction and how shame and stigma make it harder to talk openly, seek help, or make changes. They also explore how Ashley came to study food addiction, and the links between industrial processing of food and tobacco. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Ashley Gearhardt Researcher: Samara...
Jan 27, 2026•26 min•Ep. 108
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand turn their attention to food. It’s January, and many of us have resolved to “eat better” but why does it so often feel like an uphill battle? Why do we crave certain foods and not others? And what does a genuinely healthy relationship with food look like? They explore the science behind how...
Jan 27, 2026•29 min•Ep. 107
In this Daily Dose, Drs Chris and Xand return to their episode on fresh breath with Dr Praveen Sharma. Praveen walked the docs through the best way to take care of our teeth and how we should be thinking about our oral health. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the podcast.
Jan 26, 2026•5 min•Ep. 106
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on the power of saying no, with Dr Sunita Sah from Cornell University. Sunita had a fantastic point on how saying no is linked to our values - and how we can figure out what our values are. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the podcast.
Jan 23, 2026•4 min•Ep. 105
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand return to their episode on backs with Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire. Mindy offered some excellent insight into fear avoidance when it comes to back pain, and why we perhaps don’t need to be a fearful as we may think. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs?...
Jan 22, 2026•5 min•Ep. 104
In this Daily Dose, Chris and Xand are return to their episode on protein with Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge. Nita had a very clear message - get your protein from wholefoods, rather than supplements. Daily Doses of expert wisdom from previous episodes will be dropping each weekday throughout January (except Tuesdays). You'll find them in the What’s Up Docs? feed on BBC Sounds, alongside all the main episodes of the podcast....
Jan 21, 2026•5 min•Ep. 103
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about exercise with Dr Jo Blodgett, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College in London. She’s a life-course epidemiologist whose work focuses on how movement across the whole 24-hour day shapes population health. They talk to Jo about her own sporting background as a semi-professional national league footballer, the impact of the menstrual cycle on sporting performance and the best way to approach exerc...
Jan 20, 2026•21 min•Ep. 102
