Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 10/14/2025

Med Students Must Stop Performing Pelvic Exams on Unconscious Women Without Their Consent

Please note: This blog contains descriptions of sexual assault.“Recent reports of medical students performing pelvic exams for training purposes on anesthetized women without their consent”—or their knowledge—“have produced a firestorm of controversy and calls for greater regulation.” However, that

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Celebrating Food and National Hispanic Heritage Month with Ale Graf
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 10/09/2025

Celebrating Food and National Hispanic Heritage Month with Ale Graf

We had the pleasure of talking with Ale Graf about her work, food, and National Hispanic Heritage Month. We hope you enjoy this interview and her recipe for Hibiscus Chamoy.As someone who creates Mexican dishes with a plant-based twist, how is food an important part of your culture and how you share

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
“An Outrageous Assault”: Pelvic Exams by Med Students on Anesthetized Women
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 10/07/2025

“An Outrageous Assault”: Pelvic Exams by Med Students on Anesthetized Women

Please note: This blog contains descriptions of sexual assault.From Heart Failure, a book I wrote about my time at Tufts University School of Medicine: “I am all gloved up, fifth in line. At Tufts, medical students—particularly male students—practice pelvic exams on anesthetized women without their c

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
A Longer Life on Statins?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 10/02/2025

A Longer Life on Statins?

What are the pros and cons of relative risk, absolute risk, number needed to treat, and average postponement of death when taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs?In response to the charge that describing the benefits of statin drugs only in terms of relative risk reduction is a “statistical decept

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
The Real Benefits of Statins and Their Side Effects
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/30/2025

The Real Benefits of Statins and Their Side Effects

A Mayo Clinic visualization tool can help you decide if cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are right for you.“Physicians have a duty to inform their patients about the risks and benefits of the interventions available to them. However, physicians rarely communicate with methods that convey absolute i

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Are We Being Misled About the Benefits and Risks of Statins?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/25/2025

Are We Being Misled About the Benefits and Risks of Statins?

What is the dirty little secret of drugs for lifestyle diseases?Drug companies go out of their way—in direct-to-consumer ads, for example—to “present pharmaceutical drugs as a preferred solution to cholesterol management while downplaying lifestyle change.” You see this echoed in the medical literat

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Should You Take Statins?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/23/2025

Should You Take Statins?

How can you calculate your own personal heart disease risk to help you determine if you should start on a cholesterol-lowering statin drug?The muscle-related side effects from cholesterol-lowering statins “are often severe enough for patients to stop taking the drug. Of course, these side effects co

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Are Doctors Knowledgeable About Nutrition?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/18/2025

Are Doctors Knowledgeable About Nutrition?

Do you know more about basic nutrition than most doctors?“A poor diet now outranks smoking as the leading cause of death globally and in the United States, according to the latest data.” The top killer of Americans is the American diet, as you can see below and at 0:23 in my video How Much Do Doctor

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Fiber or Low FODMAP for SIBO?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/16/2025

Fiber or Low FODMAP for SIBO?

It may not be the number of bacteria growing in our small intestine, but the type of bacteria, which can be corrected with diet.When researchers tested more than a thousand patients suffering for longer than six months from symptoms typical with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as excess gas, bl

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
The Validity of SIBO Tests
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/11/2025

The Validity of SIBO Tests

Even if we could accurately diagnose small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), if there is no difference in symptoms between those testing positive and those testing negative, what’s the point?Gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain and bloating account for millions of doctor visits every

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Preventing Hair Loss and Promoting Hair Growth
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/09/2025

Preventing Hair Loss and Promoting Hair Growth

In every grade school class photo, I seem to have a mess of tousled hair on my head. No matter how much my mom tried to tame my hair, it was a little unruly. (I sported the windblown look without even trying.) Later came my metalhead phase, with headbangable hair down to the middle of my back. Sadly

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Do Fruits and Vegetables Boost Our Mood?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/04/2025

Do Fruits and Vegetables Boost Our Mood?

A randomized controlled trial investigates diet and psychological well-being.“Psychological health can be broadly conceptualized as comprising 2 key components: mental health (i.e., the presence of absence of mental health disorders such as depression) and psychological well-being (i.e., a positive

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Taking Advantage of Sensory-Specific Satiety
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 09/02/2025

Taking Advantage of Sensory-Specific Satiety

How can we use sensory-specific satiety to our advantage?When we eat the same foods over and over, we become habituated to them and end up liking them less. That’s why the “10th bite of chocolate, for example, is desired less than the first bite.” We have a built-in biological drive to keep changing

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Dietary Diversity and Overeating
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/28/2025

Dietary Diversity and Overeating

Big Food uses our hard-wired drive for dietary diversity against us.How did we evolve to solve the daunting task of selecting a diet that supplies all the essential nutrients? Dietary diversity. By eating a variety of foods, we increase our chances of hitting all the bases. If we only ate for pleasu

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Hijacking Our Appetites
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/26/2025

Hijacking Our Appetites

I debunk the myth of protein as the most satiating macronutrient.The importance of satiety is underscored by a rare genetic condition known as Prader-Willi syndrome. Children with the disorder are born with impaired signaling between their digestive system and their brain, so they don’t know when th

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Lose 200 Lbs Without Feeling Hungry
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/21/2025

Lose 200 Lbs Without Feeling Hungry

I dive into one of the most fascinating series of studies I’ve ever come across.Anyone can lose weight by eating less food. Anyone can be starved thin. Starvation diets are rarely sustainable, though, since hunger pangs drive us to eat. We feel unsatisfied and unsatiated on low-calorie diets. We do

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
What Is “Pine Mouth Syndrome”?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/19/2025

What Is “Pine Mouth Syndrome”?

Why do some pine nuts cause a bad taste in your mouth that can last for weeks?The reason I make pesto with walnuts instead of the more traditional pine nuts isn’t only because walnuts are probably healthier with 20 times more polyphenols, but also because of a mysterious phenomenon known as PMS. Not

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Are Raw Mushrooms Safe to Eat?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/14/2025

Are Raw Mushrooms Safe to Eat?

Microwaving is probably the most efficient way to reduce agaritine levels in fresh mushrooms.There is a toxin in plain white button mushrooms called agaritine, which may be carcinogenic. Plain white button mushrooms grow to be cremini (brown) mushrooms, and cremini mushrooms grow to be portobello mu

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Why I Don’t Recommend Moringa Leaf Powder
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/12/2025

Why I Don’t Recommend Moringa Leaf Powder

“Clearly, in spite of the widely held ‘belief’ in the health benefits of M. oleifera [moringa], the interest of the international biomedical community in the medicinal potential of this plant has been rather tepid.” In fact, it has been “spectacularly hesitant in exploring its nutritional and medicin

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Is Moringa the Most Nutritious Food?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/07/2025

Is Moringa the Most Nutritious Food?

Does the so-called miracle tree live up to the hype?Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is a plant commonly known as the “miracle” tree due to its purported healing powers across a spectrum of diseases. If “miracle” isn’t hyperbolic enough for you, “on the Internet,” it’s also known as “God’s Gift to Man.” I

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Are Carboxymethylcellulose, Polysorbate 80, and Other Emulsifiers Safe?
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 08/05/2025

Are Carboxymethylcellulose, Polysorbate 80, and Other Emulsifiers Safe?

Emulsifiers are the most widely used food additives. What are they doing to our gut microbiome?When grocery shopping these days, unless you’re sticking to the produce aisle, “it is nearly impossible to avoid processed foods, particularly in the consumption of a typical Western diet,” which is charac

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
True Health Intiative: Scientific Consensus on a Healthy Diet
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 07/31/2025

True Health Intiative: Scientific Consensus on a Healthy Diet

The leading risk factor for death in the United States is the American diet.About a decade ago, the American Heart Association (AHA) expressed concern that its “2020 target of improving cardiovascular health by 20% by 2020 will not be reached if current trends continue.” By 2006, most people were al

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 07/29/2025

Cleaning Products, Air Fresheners, and Lung Function

There is a reason the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prohibits not only smoking but also scented or fragranced products in its buildings.In a recent review entitled “Damaging Effects of Household Cleaning Products on the Lungs,” researchers noted: “Adverse respiratory effects of cle

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
Boosting BDNF Levels in Our Brain to Treat Depression
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on 07/24/2025

Boosting BDNF Levels in Our Brain to Treat Depression

We can raise BDNF levels in our brain by fasting and exercising, as well as by eating and avoiding certain foods.There is accumulating evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may be playing a role in human depression. BDNF controls the growth of new nerve cells. “So, low levels of thi

M Michael Greger M.D. FACLM