The Dr. Hyman Show

A normal mammogram can bring a real sense of relief. But when it comes to understanding your breast cancer risk, what else should you know?

Today, I’m joined by OB/GYN and SHE MD podcast co-host Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi. Helping women get answers about their health has been central to her work for decades. Yet when she faced her own breast cancer diagnosis, she experienced the same dismissal so many of her patients had described.

You’ll learn:

How to understand your breast cancer risk, even without a family history

Wha...

What if the fatigue, brain fog, bloating, and cravings you've accepted as normal are actually signs that something you're eating isn't working for your body? You may not realize how much your food is affecting you until you change it. In this episode, I break down why I created the 10-Day Detox, what happens inside your body when you remove common dietary triggers, and how just 10 days can reveal important clues about your health.

Here's what we discuss in today's episode:

Early in my career, I noticed that patients’ skin often improved as we addressed their nutrition and gut health. That changed how I approached skin concerns and taught me to look beneath the surface for contributing factors.

Today, I’m joined by triple board-certified dermatologist Dr. Mamina Turegano, co-author of The Holistic Psoriasis Management and Nutrition Guide and an advocate for Timeline’s approach to skin health. Together, we explore what your skin can reveal about your overall health and how that understanding can help you make more informed choices about caring for it.

You’ll learn...

Why do some people catch every cold going around while others rarely get sick? Your immune system isn’t something you simply “boost” with one supplement—it’s shaped every day by your sleep, diet, stress, gut health, nutrient status, and metabolic health. In this episode, I’m joined by one of my producers, Emma, to break down what actually helps you build a more resilient immune system before cold and flu season hits.

Here’s what we discuss in today’s episode:

Nutrition advice often reduces food to calories, nutrients, and a list of rules to follow. But the more we learn about how the body responds to different foods, the clearer it becomes that this way of thinking tells only part of the story.

Today, I’m joined by cardiologist and public health expert Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University and author of the new book Food Is Medicine. We explore what we still get wrong about food and what changes when we begin treating it more like medicine.

He...

In this episode, I break down five popular longevity myths that may be distracting you from the things that actually have the biggest impact on how long and how well you live.

Here’s what I discuss in today’s episode:

You can know exactly how you want to eat and still find yourself reaching for something else when you’re stressed or exhausted. I’ve been there. Our relationship with food is influenced by far more than nutrition knowledge, and blaming ourselves for struggling doesn’t help us understand what’s actually happening.

Today, I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman, author of When Life Happens, to talk about the biology and psychology behind cravings, emotional eating, and food noise. We also explore how to care about nutrition without letting food rules take over your life.

Trying to eat healthy has gotten surprisingly complicated. You pick up salmon and wonder about mercury, grab strawberries and think about pesticides, or drink from a plastic bottle and start worrying about microplastics. But not every food-safety risk deserves the same level of concern. In this episode, I break down what actually matters, what’s worth paying extra for, and the simple changes that can reduce your exposure without making you afraid of everything you eat. Here’s what I discuss in today’s episode:

Chronic illness rarely fits neatly into a single diagnosis. Symptoms can span multiple systems, leaving people profoundly unwell even when standard testing appears normal. I understand this experience from the inside out because I’ve lived it myself.

Today, I sit down with Dr. Neil Nathan, a leading expert in complex chronic illness and author of Toxic, now in its second edition. We explore why these conditions are so often misunderstood and how identifying what is driving them can create a path toward recovery.

We discuss:

Why mold toxicity, Lyme disease, and long CO...

Brain fog isn’t just a normal part of getting older—and it may not be a brain problem at all. If you struggle to focus, lose your train of thought, forget why you walked into a room, or feel mentally exhausted after eating, your body may be trying to tell you something.

Here’s what I discuss in today’s episode:

This week, I’m the one answering the questions in a deeply personal conversation about my health journey. I speak openly about some of the hardest parts of that journey, the treatments I’ve tried, the beliefs I’ve reconsidered, and what a lifetime devoted to health has taught me about what matters most.

Here’s some of what I share:

How becoming the patient changed the way I practice medicine

How nearly dying changed what longevity means to me and what I believe a healthy life is actually for

Which wellness...

With the Labour Day long weekend here, we’re bringing back one of our most popular Office Hours episodes on what really happens to your body when you take a break from alcohol. Whether you’re drinking less this weekend or simply curious about how quickly your body can recover, this conversation is worth revisiting.

Today I discuss:

We hear a lot about improving gut health through food, probiotics, and supplements. But after more than a decade of major advances in microbiome research, the picture has become both more promising and more complex.

In this episode, I’m joined by gastroenterologist and neuroscientist Dr. Emeran Mayer, co-author of the new book The Mayer Model, to explore how our understanding of the gut-brain connection has evolved—and what we may still be getting wrong. We also look at what this growing field could mean for chronic disease and healthy aging.

Here’s what you’ll learn...

ADHD is usually treated as a problem in the brain. But what if some of the factors making it harder to focus, regulate your mood, or manage your symptoms are actually coming from somewhere else in your body?

In this episode, I’m joined by one of my producers, Emma, to explore ADHD through a functional medicine lens. We look beyond the diagnosis to ask what may be happening “under the hood”—from the gut and microbiome to inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar, hormones, and the foods we eat. Because the brain doesn’t operate in isolation. What happe...

ADHD can go unnoticed for decades, especially in women who learn to compensate through perfectionism, overpreparing, and working under pressure. It often isn’t until the demands of work, motherhood, or another major life transition become too much that the underlying struggle comes into view.

In this episode, I sit down with ADHD counselor Jenna Free, author of The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation, to explore what she calls the frantic-crash cycle. She explains how chronic fight-or-flight may intensify ADHD symptoms and why nervous system regulation can make other tools and strategies easier to use.

Yo...

Chronic inflammation may be one of the biggest forces accelerating how we age—and the surprising part is that many of the things keeping it switched on are happening every day. Poor sleep, chronic stress, blood sugar spikes, visceral fat, and ultra-processed food can keep your immune system acting like it’s under constant threat, potentially contributing to everything from metabolic dysfunction and heart disease to arthritis and cognitive decline.

Here’s what I unpack in today’s episode:

By the time memory begins to slip, the changes affecting the brain may have been developing for decades. But the trajectory isn’t fixed, and many of the factors driving it are within our control.

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and mentor Dr. David Perlmutter, six-time New York Times bestselling author whose new book, Brain Defenders, rethinks what it really takes to protect the brain as we age.

You’ll learn:

Why protecting your brain should begin long before memory problems appear

How your daily choices infl...

Healthy skin isn't built in your bathroom—it’s built inside your body. While most people focus on creams, collagen powders, and cosmetic treatments, the biggest drivers of wrinkles, sagging, and loss of elasticity are happening at the cellular level.

In today's episode, I discuss:

GLP-1 medications have changed how we treat obesity and metabolic disease. But as their use has exploded, so have questions about side effects, muscle loss, long-term use, and whether patients are receiving the support they need to use them safely.

In this episode, I reconnect with metabolic health and regenerative medicine expert Dr. Tyna Moore to revisit our conversation from two years ago and examine what we’ve learned since.

We discuss:

How to tell when your GLP-1 dose may be too high

What you can do to protect your muscle an...

The number on your scale tells you almost nothing about your actual health. You can lose weight while becoming less healthy—or stay the same weight while dramatically improving your metabolism, reducing your risk of disease, and adding years to your life.

In today's episode, I discuss:

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death worldwide. Yet many people assume it only happens to those who are older, out of shape, or obviously unhealthy.

In this episode, I sit down with cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Jeremy London, whose own heart attack challenged many of the assumptions we make about heart health. We discuss why prevention isn't always as straightforward as it seems—and how understanding your personal risk can help you take a more proactive approach to your health.

We cover:

Why some healthy people still develop heart disease

...

What if one of the most powerful anti-aging tools wasn't a supplement, medication, or expensive biohack—but the way you exercise? While many people think of exercise as a way to lose weight or burn calories, its greatest benefits happen deep inside your cells.

In today's episode, I discuss:

Living with chronic illness can feel like collecting diagnoses without getting real answers. Symptoms are treated one at a time, but the underlying causes can easily be missed. What if asking a different question is the first step toward feeling better?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Richard Horowitz, an internationally recognized Lyme disease expert and author of the new book Ending Chronic Illness. After caring for thousands of patients over more than four decades, he explains why many seemingly unrelated conditions share common underlying drivers—and why thinking like a medical detective may help unco...

What if the fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, or mysterious symptoms you've been chasing for years weren't caused by stress, aging, or burnout—but by a tick bite you never even noticed? Lyme disease is one of the most misunderstood illnesses in medicine. But Lyme is rarely just one infection—it's often part of a much bigger picture involving co-infections, immune dysfunction, inflammation, gut health, and environmental triggers.

In today's episode, I walk through a functional medicine approach to Lyme disease and tick-borne illness, including:

For decades, depression has often been described as the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. But how strong is the evidence behind that idea? This episode explores one perspective on an area of medicine that continues to be actively debated and is intended to encourage thoughtful discussion—not to provide individualized medical advice. Today on The Dr. Hyman Show, I'm joined by psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Joanna Moncrieff to examine the science behind the serotonin theory and explore how it shaped modern mental health care. Together, we consider why rethinking our assumptions may open the door to a...

Do you hit a wall every afternoon around 2 or 3 p.m.? If your energy disappears, your brain gets foggy, and you need caffeine or sugar just to finish the day, it isn't a lack of willpower—it's a sign that something deeper is driving your energy crash. In this episode, I explain the three biggest drivers of the afternoon slump and the simple changes that can help you maintain steady energy all day long.

In today's episode, I discuss:

We all experience stress. The real challenge isn't stress itself—it's whether we recover from it. Over time, chronic stress can quietly affect everything from inflammation and metabolism to sleep, digestion, and healthy aging. This week on The Dr. Hyman Show, I talk with nervous system educator and HRV expert Salim Najjar to explore what heart rate variability (HRV) can reveal about your body's ability to recover from stress and build resilience. Together, we unpack: • How to use HRV to better understand your body's response to stress • Why some stress makes you stronger while chronic stress wears you down • How to g...

Histamine isn't just about seasonal allergies or a runny nose. It influences your brain, gut, hormones, immune system, and nervous system—and when your body can't regulate it properly, it can show up as everything from anxiety and migraines to insomnia, digestive issues, skin rashes, and brain fog. In this episode, I explain why histamine overload happens, how it relates to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and what a root-cause approach looks like for calming an overactive immune system. In today's episode, I discuss: * Why MCAS and histamine intolerance are different—and how overactive mast cells can drive symptoms rang...

For decades, we've thought about conditions like Alzheimer's disease, depression, and Parkinson's disease as disorders of the brain. But what if that's only part of the story? Emerging science is revealing that many of the factors driving cognitive decline, mental illness, and neurodegenerative disease may begin far outside the brain itself—in our metabolism, our immune system, our gut microbiome, our hormones, and even the environment we're exposed to every day. As part of our summer series, we're revisiting some of the most important conversations we've had on the topic of brain health. In this special compilation episode, you'll he...

You've cleaned up your diet. You're taking the supplements. You're exercising, sleeping more, and doing everything "right." So why do you still feel exhausted, inflamed, anxious, or stuck? In this encore episode—one of the most impactful Office Hours conversations we've shared—I explore a question that could change the way you think about healing: What if your nervous system is the missing piece? When your body doesn't feel safe, it prioritizes survival over repair, affecting everything from your metabolism and hormones to your gut, immune system, and brain.

In today's episode, I break down:

As part of our summer series, we're revisiting some of the most important conversations we've had on the topics that matter most to our health. And few are more important than heart disease. Heart disease remains the number one cause of death worldwide. Yet despite decades of research, millions of prescriptions, and billions of dollars spent on treatment, many people are still confused about what actually causes it—and what we can do to prevent it. For years, the conversation around heart disease has focused almost entirely on cholesterol. But what if that's only part of the story? In th...

High cholesterol has been treated as the main cause of heart disease for decades. But over the years, I've changed my mind. Today, I believe cholesterol is only part of the story, and that inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic health are often the real drivers of cardiovascular disease. In this encore episode, I'm revisiting one of my most talked-about Office Hours conversations to share how my thinking has evolved and why understanding the root cause of heart disease can completely change the way you approach prevention.

In today's episode, I discuss:

Most health issues don't appear overnight. Long before a diagnosis is made, the body often provides subtle clues that something needs closer attention.

On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I talk with double board-certified fertility physician Dr. Natalie Crawford about her new book, The Fertility Formula, and why fertility and hormone health can reveal far more about your health than many people realize.

We discuss:

Why the menstrual cycle may be one of the clearest indicators of overall health

How sleep, stress, and insulin resistance may be affecting your...

Bloating, brain fog, fatigue, skin issues, food sensitivities, autoimmune symptoms—most people treat these as separate problems. But often, they can all trace back to the same place: the gut. And the surprising part is that you don't need digestive symptoms to have gut dysfunction. Because your gut isn't just responsible for digestion—it's deeply connected to your immune system, hormones, metabolism, brain health, and inflammation throughout the body.

In today's episode, I dive into:

We’ve been taught to treat chronic diseases as isolated problems to be diagnosed and managed. But these conditions may have more in common than conventional medicine has traditionally recognized.

On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m joined by physician and researcher Dr. Terry Wahls, who transformed her understanding of disease after developing progressive multiple sclerosis. We discuss the emerging science behind mitochondria, inflammation, nutrition, the microbiome, and why creating health may be just as important as treating disease itself.

We explore:

What Dr. Wahls discovered about cellular health while sear...

Mold is one of the most misunderstood topics in health. Some people are told it’s not a real problem. Others are led to believe it’s the cause of every symptom they have. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

While not everyone exposed to mold gets sick, chronic exposure to water-damaged environments can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, sinus issues, immune dysfunction, hormone imbalances, and a wide range of symptoms that often go unexplained for years.

In today’s episode, we explore what mold-related illness actually is, who’s most vulnerable, and how to t...

If we're wired for joy, why do so many successful people feel exhausted, disconnected, or emotionally flat?

On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with psychiatrist, researcher, and author Dr. Judith Joseph, whose team conducted the first peer-reviewed clinical study on high-functioning depression. We talk about why feeling "fine" on the outside doesn't always reflect what's happening beneath the surface—and why so many people struggle to feel fully alive.

You’ll learn:

Why achievement and productivity don't always lead to fulfillment

How to tell whether you're burn...

High cholesterol is one of the most common reasons people are told they’re at risk for heart disease. But what if cholesterol isn’t the root problem? What if it’s actually a signal of deeper metabolic dysfunction—and focusing on the number alone causes us to miss what’s really driving cardiovascular risk?

In today’s episode, we explore a functional medicine approach to cholesterol and heart health, including:

Depression is often treated as a single condition. But two people with the same diagnosis can have completely different underlying causes.

On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m rejoined by Dr. James Greenblatt to explore why depression may be less of a disease and more of a signal that something deeper is going on. We discuss how a root-cause approach can uncover what’s driving symptoms and why finding what’s beneath them matters.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

We discuss:

Coul...

Morning routines have become one of the most talked-about topics in health and wellness—but it’s not just about productivity or checking boxes. How you start your morning has a direct biological impact on your brain, your energy, your metabolism, and even how well you sleep at night. Yet, so many people inadvertently sabotage their biology first thing in the morning with dopamine hits, sugar, and stress.

In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my morning routine to share the science-backed, foundational habits I use every day, including: