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Great Health Documentaries on Netflix

by Devin Caldwell

If you’re looking to increase your general knowledge across many health and medical topics, look no further than Netflix. Buried behind the “latest releases” and “trending now” movies and TV shows is a bevy of non-fiction and documentaries dedicated to various aspects of health and wellness including diet, disease, mental health, medication and brain chemistry. Start your own personal tutorial with these films.

Ask the Doctor

Ask the Doctor is an Australian-produced series that features real doctors examining everyday medical questions. Although the three hosts are medical professionals, they are also just a little bit goofy and endearing. They try many of the touted remedies themselves to give a genuine critique on their effectiveness. For example, Dr Shalin Naik delves into his own lactose intolerance and visits a sleep clinic. If you are interested in all aspects of health in general from multi vitamins to diet and exercise, you will probably find this series informative and entertaining.

What the Health

This documentary makes some bold claims including that a plant-based diet can cure you of disease. This film definitely has a point of view, and that is that the meat, dairy and pharmaceutical industries are in collusion to keep the public from understanding how their health is being wrecked by the consumption of specific products. Produced by vegan actor Joaquin Phoenix, this documentary will likely be more if you’re already interested in a plant-based diet.

The Game Changers

Not to be outdone, The Game Changers, produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, shows the collision of a plant-based diet with the perception of necessary protein-filled eating habits of pro athletes. Originally harshly criticized by Joe Rogan on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, UFC fighter and documentary creator James Wilks supported his argument and research for the film so well, Rogan backed down from his initial criticisms.

Take Your Pills

This short watchable documentary, produced by Netflix, focuses on the effects of medicating those who suffer from ADHD. The main drug prescribed by doctors is Adderall, and the numerous people interviewed both praise and complain about what the pills do to their ability to function. Doctors and patients speak of the potential for abuse of the drug as well as the benefits for those who take it correctly. If you or someone close to you has had experience with ADHD or Adderall, you will probably find this documentary fascinating.

Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak

Produced and released right before the Covid-19 outbreak, this six-episode docuseries follows a handful of key players around the world focusing on virus research and prevention. In eerily prescient interviews, Syra Madad talks about her job training hospital staff how to handle personal protection and the overload of patients during a pandemic that is sure to come one day. Michael Yao of WHO takes the audience through an Ebola management center, and bio-innovator Jake Glanville dreams of one day eliminating all flu viruses with one vaccine. The series is spooky in its timing but also reassuring that there were people on the job from the beginning.

Creative Brain

If you would like your documentary to err on the side of positivity, try Creative Brain from the creative brain of author and neuroscientist David Eagleman. Filled with interviews of creative people such as singer Grimes and actor Tim Robbins, Eagleman attempts to answer questions about how and why humans are creative. Whether he answers the questions to your satisfaction remains to be seen but watching this documentary will no doubt inspire you to take a pottery class or write a novel.

Headspace: Guide to Meditation

These 20-minute little beauties might be just what you need to refresh your mental health. Each of the animated eight episodes is narrated by Andy Puddicombe, former Buddhist monk and digital health company founder. He starts with the benefits of meditation for dealing with everyday situations and ends with a 10-minute guided meditation leaving you feeling more at peace with the stressful world.

When you turn on Netflix, there are hundreds of viewing options. If you simply can’t decide, head over to the health-related documentaries to find something worth watching that is both informative and engaging.