Dr. James Okonkwo, MD, MPH
Public Health Nutrition Editor
Physician and epidemiologist with a Master of Public Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School. Studies population-level dietary patterns and their links to chronic disease.
Essays by Dr.
food-scienceKorean Red Ginseng: What the Clinical Trial Evidence Actually Shows
Steaming converts Panax ginseng's chemistry into compounds the fresh root never contained, and a real (if uneven) body of randomized trials has tested what those compounds do in humans. The clinical picture is more specific, and more modest, than the marketing around it.
food-scienceWhat the Blue Zones Got Right — and What the Data Now Suggest
The five longest-lived populations in the world share dietary features that turn out to be remarkably consistent. They also share economic, social, and demographic features that are harder to replicate — and easier to ignore.
macrosHigh-Protein Diets and Kidney Health: What the Evidence Actually Says
The claim that high protein intake damages healthy kidneys has persisted for decades. The clinical evidence tells a more nuanced story than either side of the debate acknowledges.
micronutrientsVitamin D Deficiency: The Most Common Nutritional Gap in 2026
An estimated one billion people worldwide have inadequate vitamin D levels. The reasons are structural — modern lifestyles, latitude, skin pigmentation — and the solutions are simpler than the supplement industry suggests.
micronutrientsSodium and Blood Pressure: The Relationship Is More Complex Than You Think
The advice to cut salt is universal. The evidence behind it is not. Individual genetics, potassium intake, and metabolic context all shape how sodium actually affects your blood pressure.