NutritionFacts.org Video Podcast
Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, founder of NutritionFacts.org and New York Times best-selling author, presents the latest evidence-based nutrition research in easy-to-understand video segments. The podcast covers virtually every aspect of healthy eating, with new videos and blogs uploaded daily. NutritionFacts.org is a non-profit public health organization that operates without sponsors, ads, or paid subscriptions.
Episodes
Why Do Surgeons Continue to Perform Worthless Operations?
Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients undergo unnecessary, unhelpful, and even painful procedures that may result in catastrophic complications.
Friday Favorites: Vitamin K2’s Purported Benefits – Should You Take Supplements?
Our body can make vitamin K2 from the K1 in green leafy vegetables.
Rotator Cuff Surgery May Cause More Shoulder Pain Than Relief
The most common shoulder surgery provides no meaningful benefit over placebo sham surgery, yet it continues to put millions at risk.
Chiropractic Manipulation, Physical Therapy, and Exercise Therapy for Shoulder Pain Relief
How do chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy fare compared to placebo or sham interventions?
Friday Favorites: The Exercise “Myth” and Secret for Weight Loss
Why is it so hard to outrun a bad diet? Exercise ramps up our appetite, helping to explain why calories burned don’t necessarily equal calories lost, so how can we lose weight through physical activity?
Steroid Injections for Shoulder Pain Relief May Do More Harm Than Good
Corticosteroid shots may offer brief shoulder relief, but studies show they can increase the risk of subsequent rotator cuff tears up to sevenfold.
Common Meds Like Ibuprofen (NSAIDs) May Turn Temporary Pain into Chronic Pain
Inflammation can actually protect against the development of chronic pain.
Friday Favorites: How Many Steps Should We Get Every Day?
The official exercise recommendations are a “trade-off between optimizing health outcomes and minimizing requirements for individuals,” but what does the science say is best?
The Health Benefits of Psyllium, Flaxseeds, and Other High-Fiber Foods
While psyllium is a go-to fiber for acid reflux and constipation, ground flaxseed beat it head-to-head in clinical trials—delivering superior bowel regularity, blood sugar reductions, cholesterol drops, and weight loss at a fraction of the cost.
The Best Diet for Treating Acid Reflux (GERD)
Dietary approaches can be safer, cheaper, and work better than drugs for acid reflux symptoms like heartburn.
Friday Favorites: Do Low-Level Laser Therapy Devices Work for Hair Loss?
Laser therapy is marketed as a promising alternative to drugs and scalpels for treating hair loss, but what does the research say?
Do Proton Pump Inhibitors Work for Acid Reflux (GERD)?
By triggering withdrawal symptoms that mimic the original condition, these risky drugs keep patients hooked for years.
HOW NOT TO HURT Trailer for Dr. Greger’s New Book on Chronic Pain Relief
A trailer for Dr. Greger’s forthcoming book on dietary approaches to pain management.
Friday Favorites: How Much Licorice Is Safe?
Eating licorice or drinking licorice tea can cause the loss of body fat by blocking the effects of a stress hormone, but at what cost?
Dietary Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain
One of the most extraordinary findings in all of pain medicine had been lost down the memory hole.
The Best Source of Iodine to Avoid Deficiency
Iodine is essential for thyroid health. Many people rely on iodized salt or dairy for iodine—but there are healthier sources.
Friday Favorites: Are Banana Smoothies Blocking Polyphenol Absorption? Banana vs. Mango Explained
An enzyme in bananas can destroy some of the phytonutrients in berries and cocoa, but there is a way to reduce the effect. How can we mediate the phytonutrient-destroying enzyme in avocados, bananas, and mushrooms?
Foods That May Help Protect Against Fine Particulate Matter (Air Pollution)
What is the evidence that plant-based dietary patterns may reduce the detrimental impacts of air pollution, including one plant in particular?
Limit Outdoor Activity on High Air Pollution Days for Heart and Lung Health
Globally, air pollution is the second leading killer of humanity. What can we do about it?
Friday Favorites: Epigenetic Clocks for Testing Your Biological Age
Epigenetic clocks have become established as robust measures of chronological age, surpassing telomere length as the best age predictor.
Are Ultra-Processed Foods Addictive?
Our cravings aren’t an accident. They’re a business model.
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Addictive Properties
Ultra processed food corporations didn’t just use the tobacco industry playbook—they were the tobacco industry.
Friday Favorites: Comparing Vegetarian and Vegan Athletic Performance, Endurance, and Strength
Long-term plant-based eating may improve exercise capacity and endurance.
Dietary Supplements for Treating Tinnitus
Most over-the-counter tinnitus supplements promise relief but lack solid evidence and may even carry risks.
Alternative and Lifestyle Treatments for Tinnitus Relief
What everyday strategies can make tinnitus easier to live with?
Friday Favorites: Do Vitamin D Supplements Help Prevent Diabetes, Cancer Mortality, and Overall Mortality?
Randomized interventional trials are necessary to establish cause and effect.
Conventional Treatments for Tinnitus Relief
Cognitive behavioral therapy may reduce tinnitus distress, while most drugs fall short.
What Causes Tinnitus and How to Prevent It
Why do hundreds of millions of people hear sounds others can’t?
Friday Favorites: Any Benefits to Ear Candling? What’s the Best Way to Remove Ear Wax?
Photographs are taken inside the ear canal before and after ear candling to put it to the test. And irrigation? Also called ear syringing, it involves flushing out ear wax with a low-pressure jet of warm (body temperature) water and works up to 70% to 90% of the time.
How to Form Good Habits
Learn how to use implementation intentions.
How to Break Bad Habits
There are two ways to break a bad habit: change the cue or change the action.
Friday Favorites: Why Do Milk Drinkers Live Shorter Lives on Average?
How might we reduce the risk of premature death from dairy consumption?
How Long Does It Take to Form Healthy Habits?
The idea that habits form in 21 days is a myth.
The Effects of Glyphosate on Children and How to Reduce Exposure
Could low-level glyphosate exposure affect pregnancy or metabolic health in children?
Friday Favorites: Does Aluminum Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?
Although aluminum isn’t necessarily benign, what convinced me that it does not play a role in Alzheimer’s disease?
Are Consumers of GMO Crops Exposed to Enough Glyphosate to Increase Cancer Risk?
If most glyphosate exposure comes from food, how much do we actually absorb?
What Explains the Different Glyphosate Safety Conclusions?
If glyphosate was deemed “probably carcinogenic,” why did regulators still approve its use?
Friday Favorites: Acid Reflux Medicine May Cause Osteoporosis
Stomach acid–blocking proton pump inhibitor drugs—PPIs with brand names like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, Protonix, and AcipHex—appear to significantly increase the risk of bone fractures.
Should You Supplement with Vitamin K2?
Vitamin K supplements are touted for bone, brain, and heart health, but have they actually been shown to help?
Glyphosate Declared a Probable Human Carcinogen
What does the glyphosate controversy show us about conflicts of interest in science?
Friday Favorites: Exercise Before or After Meals for More Weight Loss and Better Blood Sugar Control?
If people burn more fat on the days they exercise before (rather than after) eating, why doesn’t this translate into more weight loss?
How to Maximize the Cephalic Phase of Digestion to Lose Weight
Why might taking smaller bites and drinking thicker smoothies through narrower straws help us feel fuller faster?
Does Eating Too Fast Affect Weight Loss?
Extending meal duration by even four minutes may facilitate weight loss.
Friday Favorites: Does Sunscreen Cause or Prevent Skin Cancer? Which Type Is Best to Use?
Sunscreen is put to the test in a randomized controlled trial to see if it can actually prevent skin cancer. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, only two sunscreen ingredients can be considered safe: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
How to Lower Cholesterol with Dr. Greger’s Portfolio Plus Powder Recipes
There’s a simple way to try to fit all the cholesterol-lowering foods into your daily diet.
How to Lower Cholesterol with Herbs and Spices
Can small daily doses of herbs and spices really drop LDL cholesterol by double digits?
Friday Favorites: How Hot Peppers May Extend Your Life
Spice can hack your brain by making foods taste saltier.
Foods That Lower Cholesterol
Adding specific nuts, beans, and fruits to our diet can drive LDL cholesterol even lower—often with drug-like effects.
Statin Drugs vs. Cholesterol-Lowering Dietary Supplements
What happened when rosuvastatin was pitted against six common dietary supplements?
Friday Favorites: Fecal Transplants for Ulcerative Colitis, MS, Depression, Bipolar, and Alcoholism
I go over randomized, controlled trials and case reports of stool transplants for various clinical conditions.
Barberries Rather Than Berberine to Lower Cholesterol
How many dried barberries do you need to eat to get the cholesterol-lowering dose of berberine?
How to Lower Cholesterol with Supplements That Actually Work
What are the whole-food equivalents of some of the most powerful cholesterol-lowering supplements?
Friday Favorites: Dietary Cholesterol and Inflammation from Abdominal Obesity
The optimal intake of dietary cholesterol may be zero.
Why I Don’t Recommend Red Yeast Rice Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements
Red yeast rice contains the drug lovastatin and may also contain kidney toxins.
Why I Don’t Recommend Policosanol Cholesterol-Lowering Supplements
Sometimes, looking at the latest meta-analysis can lead you astray.
Friday Favorites: The Return on Investment (ROI) for Employee Health and Wellness Programs Put to the Test
Workplace wellness programs report an average ROI of 3, returning $3 for every $1 invested. Why do so many workplace wellness programs fail to deliver?
The Latest Clinical Trial of Turmeric Curcumin for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment
Can turmeric really sharpen memory within hours?
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Changes in Structure
Why does preserving the food matrix make a difference?
Friday Favorites: Vitamin D Supplements Tested for COPD, Heart Disease, Depression, Obesity, and Cancer Survival
Before watching the video, can you guess which conditions vitamin D has actually been proven to work for in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials?
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Calorie Density
The biological mechanisms our bodies use to regulate our weight likely evolved in the context of eating at least four or five pounds of food a day.
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Changes in Texture
The average rate of caloric intake of ultra-processed foods is about double that of unprocessed foods.
Friday Favorites: Is Spicy Food Good for You?
Those who regularly eat spicy foods tend to live longer, but is it cause and effect?
Mercury Exposure from Tuna Fish vs. Silver Dental Amalgam Fillings
The mercury exposure from amalgam fillings is like eating one can of tuna every two months.
Diets and Foods Shown to Improve Depression in Randomized Controlled Trials
Dietary interventions were put to the test for major mental illness.
Friday Favorites: Does Coffee Inhibit Iron Absorption? What Are the Effects of Having Too Much Iron?
Coffee and common herbal teas impair iron absorption, which may help explain some of their benefits.
Why Might Vegetarians Develop Less Depression
The largest study to date found that vegetarians have a 30% lower chance of developing depression over time.
SIBO and Leaky Gut: What the Science Says
Is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) a real disorder?
Friday Favorites: Dietary Sources of the “Longevity Vitamin” Ergothioneine
As we age, it may be even more important to include mushrooms (or tempeh) in our diet.
Do Vegetarians Have More or Less Depression and Anxiety?
Snapshot-in-time cross-sectional studies are mixed when it comes to vegetarian diets and mental health outcomes.
Getting Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
Can offering kale purée to babies shape their future taste for greens?
Friday Favorites: Are Menopausal Hot Flashes Inevitable? How Can Soy Foods Help?
Why do 85% of menopausal women suffer hot flashes in some countries but only 15% in others? Soy can be considered a first-line treatment for menopausal hot flash and night sweat symptoms.
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Loss of Phytonutrients
The 150 key nutritional components that are tracked in nutritional databases are only a tiny fraction of the more than 26,000 compounds present in our food.
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Packaging Chemicals
What are the human health effects of the mineral oils, phthalates, and bisphenols leaching from packaging materials into processed foods?
Friday Favorites: Improving VO2 Max: A Look at Vegetarian and Vegan Athletes
Plant-based diets improve the performance of athletes and nonathletes alike
How Ultra-Processed Foods Could Cause Disease: Industrial Contaminants
There are contaminants of processed foods that don’t show up on the ingredients label.
Friday Favorites: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep Without Sleeping Pills
Taking even less than 18 Ambien-class sleeping pills in an entire year may triple the risk of dying prematurely.
Cold Water Immersion for Gout Flares
Cold water immersion is put to the test for burns, priapism, gout, and muscle aches.
Is Shrimp Good for You? Antibiotic Resistance
The FDA finds 1 in 10 imports of shrimp have unsafe levels of drug residues yet only tests about 1 in 1,000 shipments.
Friday Favorites: The Best Diet for COVID and Long-COVID
Healthy plant-based diets appear to help reduce the risks of severe COVID-19 and getting infected in the first place, even independent of comorbidities.
Is Shrimp Good for You? Pollutants and Food Safety
Eating just a single shrimp could exceed the safety limit for banned pesticides and chemicals.
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