Posted by I, as so many others, love podcasts. To be sure, it’s a bit of a wild west out there, especially when during the pandemic everyone felt the need to broadcast their views, thoughts and ideas. There is also a lot of misinformation out there, but then, where is it not? The same with IBD- if anyone in a podcast tells you how they “healed” their Crohn’s or Colitis, just turn it off. That being said, there are a lot of interesting, entertaining, and informative podcasts on IBD that I like. Here we go:
Ninja Nerds: The Ninja Nerds in question are Dr. Robert Beach and Zach Murphy. On their podcast, they present medical information needed to pass board exams, they also have a youtube channel and a website (managed and run by a larger team). I listened to the episodes on the GI tract, including the Crohn’s and Colitis episode. It’s a good overview of symptoms, how to diagnose, and to differentiate between Crohn’s and Colitis, and treatment options. It’s not necessarily geared towards patients, but for medical students who need to cram all of this info into their head quickly. Still I found it interesting, and a good refresher. Their episodes range from 30min to over an hour.
Gastroenterology Learning Network: The Gastroenterology Learning Network “serves as a collaborative learning and networking environment for a multidisciplinary community of gastroenterology medical professionals.” Among conference information, news about advances and treatment options, and forums, they also have a series of podcasts on IBD and other gastroenterological topics. What I like about these podcasts is the variety of voices, perspectives and topics that are being discussed, from advances in medications, to food allergies, to sexual health and IBD (one of the latest episodes). They do have one thing in common though- all of these providers and researchers are deeply passionate about their bottom line: helping patients live their best lives.
About IBD: I first encountered Amber on twitter, where she is smart, informed, and funny. Needless to say, this is a good way to characterize her podcast. If you are interested not only in the medical topics of IBD (which she covers!), but also in the psychological and social aspects of the disease- listen to this podcast. Whether it is dealing with insurances, the Restroom Access Act, how to make a plan to go back to school after your diagnosis, parenthood and pregnancy, Amber has an episode on it and she talks to patients, caregivers and providers alike. I don’t think many other IBD podcasts really showcase how many aspects of life IBD affects, and while this may be daunting, Amber’s optimism and hope is what shines through in every episode. They run about 30 minutes, sometimes longer.
GastroGirl: I am honest, I don’t love the name- but I am happy I have checked them out! GastroGirl describes itself as a “patient-centric health company that empowers patients to achieve optimal digestive health.” Their podcast episodes are not IBD specific, but as the name implies cover the entire range of gastrointestinal health, from celiac disease, to IBS, IBD, heartburn- you name it. I also like the variety of guest perspectives, providers, patients, psychologists, dieticians. The episodes are 20 minutes on average.
Maintenance Phase: Strictly speaking, it is not about IBD, but about diets and diet culture, but I have yet to find one patient who hasn’t been recommended supplements, diets, or even encountered other patients who will swear by this one food regimen that solved all of their issues. Food is a supercharged topic, not just in the IBD community! Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes demystify and debunk junk science behind many (if not most) of these diets and diet books, and have a snarky and funny commentary on the discourse of food, nutrition, diet, health and late-stage capitalism.
I am sure there are more to discover, and will share as I do!
The Morbus Crohnicles 