Gunter Kuhnle
Gunter Kuhnle writes about how specific compounds in everyday foods affect long-term health, translating detailed nutrition research on flavanols, ultra-processed foods and dietary patterns into clear guidance on what people actually eat. He focuses less on generic diet advice and more on which fruits, vegetables and food-processing choices measurably shift risks for heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Food compounds, flavanols and heart health
Kuhnle is a food scientist whose work concentrates on phenolic compounds, especially flavanols, and their impact on human health and disease risk. He covers how different fruits and vegetables contribute unequally to heart health, explaining research that links specific types and amounts of produce with cardiovascular outcomes rather than treating all plant foods as interchangeable. His articles emphasise that people who follow standard dietary recommendations can still fall short of beneficial flavanol intakes, and he uses examples such as berries, certain fruits and tea to show where these compounds are concentrated. He often sets current dietary messages like “five a day” against newer research on bioactive compounds, arguing that headline targets need refining when evidence shows that the type of plant food matters as much as total portions.
From “superfoods” to whole-diet patterns
Across his columns, Kuhnle challenges the idea that individual “superfoods” drive health outcomes, pointing instead to the overall pattern and diversity of the diet. He writes that a durable eating pattern should build a “portfolio” of nutrients, fibre and bioactives, and he describes how combining different foods over time supports healthy ageing more reliably than chasing single miracle ingredients. His pieces often explain why focusing on a varied intake of fruits, vegetables, grains and other plant foods is more useful than overemphasising any one item, while still highlighting which choices are especially rich in beneficial compounds such as flavanols.
Ultra-processed foods and the modern food system
Kuhnle also examines ultra-processed foods, obesity and the structure of the modern food system, extending his nutrition focus beyond nutrients to how foods are made and marketed. In public commentary and posts he writes about the “dark side” of ultra-processed foods and the complexity of food-system reform, arguing that debates about obesity and diet are often oversimplified as issues of personal responsibility. He brings clinical and toxicological perspectives into these discussions, contributing expert reactions on topics such as artificial sweeteners and the health implications of different food-processing methods. This strand of his work links everyday products on supermarket shelves to regulatory science and long-term disease risk.
Research-driven, explanatory health coverage
Kuhnle writes for the Conversation and other outlets as a professor of nutrition and food science, grounding his articles directly in current research and clinical studies. His coverage is characterised by detailed explanation of study design and what findings do and do not show for the general population, often clarifying uncertainties or misinterpretations in popular health news. He frequently connects large cohort studies, biomarker research and dietary trials to practical messages about which foods to prioritise, while stressing that single studies should be read in the context of broader evidence. His work sits at the intersection of nutrition science, toxicology and public health messaging, aiming to sharpen dietary advice by focusing on measurable biological effects rather than broad slogans.
4 more health journalists.
Alex Storey
Alex Storey is a journalist at LBC whose work is driven by specific cases that test professional conduct and accountability in health and the public sector. He covers health as his main beat, focusing on the point where individual decisions by clinicians or officials meet public trust in institutions. His reporting is incident-first and case-led, using concrete episodes to show how rules, ethics and policy work in real life. Recent pieces include a disciplinary case where a nurse was struck off after linking a patient’s cancer to Covid jabs, and coverage of civil servants being “paid to play Grand Theft Auto” as “lived experience” training. Across these stories, he examines how professionals, regulators and officials explain their decisions, and what that reveals about trust, responsibility and the standards expected of people in positions of authority.
Alexandra Thompson
Alexandra Thompson is an assistant news editor focused on health who treats health claims as hypotheses to be tested rather than messages to be repeated. She works at New Scientist, combining editing with frontline reporting on ageing brains, cognitive health, chronic illness, contested treatments and infectious disease. Her beat centres on how neuroscience and psychology intersect with everyday health choices and on how scientific findings translate into real-world outcomes for people living with illness. She examines lifestyle advice, rehabilitation programmes and outbreak guidance against current evidence, clarifying risk without overstating it and giving space to controversy without sensationalising it. Alongside written news she appears in audio and video formats, bringing the same clear, news-driven approach to live discussions and helping shape the daily health agenda while keeping a tight focus on evidence and impact.
Alice Wilkinson
Alice Wilkinson investigates how everyday habits, products and routines shape sleep and long-term wellbeing, using test-driven health features to separate hype from real benefit. She holds a senior role on The Telegraph’s health features team, writing and shaping consumer-focused coverage that blends personal trial with clear expert evidence. Her core beat is sleep as a practical, solvable part of daily life, from detailed comparisons of magnesium supplements to service pieces on how sleeping position affects health over time. She treats supplements as a crowded, over-claimed market that demands careful testing and clear-eyed reporting. Alongside long-form features she writes weekly health desk dispatches on sleep, stress and concentration. Across her work she combines substantial self-testing, specialist insight and plain, unfussy prose to give readers measurable, realistic changes they can make.
Ally Head
Ally Head connects performance-focused fitness reporting with women’s health, sustainability and relationships, using her own endurance training and health history to stress-test trends against expert guidance. She is Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor at Marie Claire UK, where she shapes the health agenda across training, wellbeing and conscious living and writes and commissions news, topical features and SEO-led long-form pieces. A ten-time marathoner and Boston-qualifying runner, she focuses on structured, realistic training plans, strength and conditioning for women who run, and performance longevity. Her women’s health work centres on hormones, chronic conditions and fact versus fiction wellness claims. She also covers sustainability as conscious living and relationships, mental resilience and lifestyle features, favouring plain language, lived experience, specialist commentary and clear, repeatable routines. She has previously produced similar content for Women’s Health, Stylist, Glamour and Grazia.