Maria Godoy
Maria Godoy is a senior science and health editor and correspondent with NPR News. Her reporting can be heard across NPR's news shows and podcasts. She is also one of the hosts of NPR's Life Kit.
Previously, Godoy hosted NPR's food vertical, The Salt, where she covered the food beat with a wide lens — investigating everything from the health effects of caffeine to the environmental and cultural impact of what we eat.
Under Godoy's leadership, The Salt was recognized as Publication of the Year in 2018 by the James Beard Foundation. With her colleagues on the food team, Godoy won the 2012 James Beard Award for best food blog. The Salt was also awarded first place in the blog category from the Association of Food Journalists in 2013, and it won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Blog from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation in 2013.
Previously, Godoy oversaw political, national, and business coverage for NPR.org. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with several awards, including two prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Silver Batons: one for coverage of the role of race in the 2008 presidential election, and another for a series about the sexual abuse of Native American women. The latter series was also awarded the Columbia Journalism School's Dart Award for excellence in reporting on trauma, and a Gracie Award.
In 2010, Godoy and her colleagues were awarded a Gracie Award for their work on a series exploring the science of spirituality. She was also part of a team that won the 2007 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for Excellence in Reporting on Drug and Alcohol Issues.
Godoy was a 2008 Ethics fellow at the Poynter Institute. She joined NPR in 2003 as a digital news editor.
Born in Guatemala, Godoy now lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC, with her husband and two kids. She's a sucker for puns (and has won a couple of awards for her punning headlines).
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The FDA wants front-of-package nutrition labels required on packaged foods. The labels would tell consumers if the product has Low, Medium or High levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. -
From California to the South, tens of thousands of people are without power, due to fires and winter storms. Studies show health risks rise when the power goes out. Here's how to protect yourself. -
Our guts are home to trillions of microbes that influence our health. A new study finds the key to a healthy microbiome is the variety of plant-based food in your diet, even if you eat meat. -
Our guts are home to trillions of microbes that are crucial for our health. A large new study finds the key to a healthy microbiome is eating lots of plants -- even when you also eat meat.
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Volunteering doesn't just benefit the people you are helping. It also improves your own health. Research shows people who do things for others have better brain and heart health.
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During the holidays, you may want to roll from the table to the TV. Research shows even a short walk after a meal can be a big boost for health.
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Whether it's volunteering at a local school or taking soup to a sick neighbor, improving the welfare of others can also improve our own physical and mental health, a sizable body of research shows. -
Most Americans occasionally throw away food just because of the date on the label and many always do. But these 'sell by' or 'enjoy' by dates don't indicate the food isn't safe. Here's what they mean. -
The FDA is trying to find out why food companies use the labels they do. Food waste and food safety experts share what these labels mean and how to reduce food waste while making sure food is fresh.
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Among the latest health hacks to go viral on TikTok is the idea of a short, post-dinner "fart walk" to aid digestion. Turns out, the science on this trend is solid, and so are the health benefits.
