Zeke Emanuel, MD, PhD

06/10/2026

Clinical AI will diagnose, order tests, and autonomously manage patients by 2030. But the technology is only half the battle.

If we reimburse fee-for-service, every AI tool becomes a cost-driver. If we move to value-based payment, providers adopt AI because it saves money.

The reimbursement model matters more than the algorithm. This is how we actually transform care.

Happy to discuss this on Health Tech Nerds with Kevin O’Leary and Martin Cech.

Ezekiel Emanuel helped write the ACA, and now he's thinking about what comes next. To those saying America needs to spend more on healthcare, he points to countries like Germany, Switzerland, Norway—all have universal coverage, their systems provide comparable care quality to the U.S., yet they...

06/09/2026

Do Democrats live longer than Republicans?

New research says yes, and it has nothing to do with policy. Republicans are less likely to see a doctor or follow medical advice because they don't trust the system.

Skipping your doctor isn't a political statement. It's a health risk.

06/08/2026

The world's first bean-to-bar chocolate tasting course just launched at Vedge in Philadelphia — and it started with a conversation I had with restaurateurs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby last year.

I've been making single-origin chocolate since 2017 through the Zeke Bar, my collaboration with Askinosie Chocolate. It's taken me to Madagascar to scout cacao producers and completely changed how I think about food. My most recent bar — a 65% dark chocolate with Trinidadian cacao and tart cherries — won a Good Food Award this year.

I am thrilled that my pitch to Vedge was a hit and that the staff and guests are learning the beauty of chocolatiering. It was great sharing my passion with Beatrice Forman for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Maybe when you are in Philadelphia you can try the tasting menu and the chocolate course.

The Affordable Care Act architect Zeke Emanuel pitched the idea for a course highlighting single origin dark chocolate to Vedge co-owners Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby last year after a talk at UPenn.

06/03/2026

Sweet (and dark) news 🍯🍫

Both my honey and chocolate won Gold at the 2026 Good Food Awards — the highest honor for artisanal foods in the USA.

Silence Dogood Apiary's Highland Honey took Gold in the Honey category, and the Zeke Bar, my collaboration with Askinosie Chocolate (65% dark with tart cherry), took Gold for chocolate.

I picked up beekeeping and chocolatiering only a few years ago. As I write in my new book “Eat Your Ice Cream,” exploring new interests and learning new skills is one of the most underrated things you can do for a long, healthy life. Curiosity keeps the brain working and pulls you into a community of people who care about the same thing you do.

What new hobby have you picked up lately?

Congratulations to the 2026 Good Food Award winners! 🥇

Selected from more than 1,200 entries through a blind tasting, 242 products from 198 makers are recognized for outstanding taste, quality and responsible production. Representing 18 categories and all five Good Food Awards regions, this year’s winners showcase the diversity and talent of America’s good food community.

Now it’s your turn to taste the winners! Join us in NYC at the Good Food Mercantile on Sunday, June 28. The Mercantile is proud to be part of the ’s Summer Fancy Food Show which runs from June 28 - 30 at the Javits Center. Stop by to sample many of the Good Food Award-winning products for yourself.

05/28/2026

Most people are focusing on the wrong things when it comes to healthy eating.

People obsess over their diets and run to the latest supplements. The best thing to do is cut back on harmful foods and practices, such as:

🥤Sugary drinks: A 330ml fizzy drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar with zero nutrition. Diet versions aren't better as they keep you craving sugar.

🍟Ultra-processed foods: They make up 54% of energy intake in the UK. They're engineered to be addictive, calorie-dense, and nutritionally empty.

🍿Mindless snacking. On average, snacks add 500 calories a day — 20-25% of total intake — most of it consumed without thinking.

As I wrote in “Eat Your Ice Cream” and recently told the UK-publication Women's Health, the healthiest habits are often the simplest and should be woven into your daily routine.

UK friends – what habits are you going to change? Read more at the link in comments.

From sugary drinks to ultra-processed snacks, Dr Ezekiel Emanuel explains the everyday habits doing the most damage to our health – and the simple changes that matter more than restrictive diets

05/21/2026

Harvard's grade cap is a good idea. It won't last.

Princeton tried it in 2004, and they reversed course a decade later.

Grade inflation is a collective action problem. One institution can't solve it alone. Until the Ivy Plus schools — Stanford, Duke, Chicago, Hopkins, and others — commit together, Harvard is fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

As a Harvard University alum and a University of Pennsylvania professor, I'm rooting for them. But I'm not holding my breath.

Faculty members overwhelmingly approved a limit on the number of top grades they can give to about a fifth of their undergraduate classes.

05/20/2026

Ben Franklin is well-known for inventing bifocals and signing the Declaration of Independence. But he should also be remembered as a pioneer in wellness and longevity.

Franklin prioritized the habits that actually matter: strong social connections, staying mentally sharp through continuous learning and entrepreneurial work, and avoiding unnecessary risks. There weren't wellness fads back then. His practices helped him live to 84 in an era when the average lifespan was around 35.

I had a phenomenal time discussing how the University of Pennsylvania’s founder modeled a life well lived during The Wharton School MBA reunion keynote. As I write in "Eat Your Ice Cream," the keys to longevity haven't changed in centuries — just our willingness to follow them.

05/19/2026

The Kiwi's secret to good health? Social interaction. New Zealanders greet strangers, say "Good Morning!" to people on the street, and actually talk to each other. All this social connection is probably one of the reasons New Zealand is the 11th happiest country in the world.

As I discuss in "Eat Your Ice Cream," social interaction isn't just nice to have—it's one of the most important factors for longevity and happiness.

05/14/2026

Time to scoop some ice cream and celebrate – I am now a LinkedIn Top Voice!

Over the past year, I've shared my thoughts on evidence-based wellness that cuts through the noise. It has been nothing short of inspiring to see how many people are eager to go back to the basics.

If you like what you see here, please drop me a follow on LinkedIn for more health and wellness content.

05/08/2026

There’s no doubt that peptides are important, but it's not news. We’ve known about insulin for 106 years.

What's new is the explosion of unapproved peptides — BPC-157, TB-500, and dozens more — being sold online and pushed by influencers as miracle fixes for everything from muscle growth to aging.

People are now "stacking" them, taking several at once to maximize benefits that haven't been proven in humans. Most of the data comes from mice and rats. We have no idea about the long-term effects on people.

We live in a society of quick fixes. But the evidence keeps pointing to the same unglamorous truth: the basics work. Eat a healthy breakfast. Prioritize fibers. Have fun.

As I write in “Eat Your Ice Cream” and recently told the Today Show, stick to the basics.

Synthetic peptides are popular for longevity and performance, but the research in humans is lacking, experts warn. Try these evidence-backed lifestyle changes instead.