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Michael Greger is an American physician, licensed as a general practitioner specializing in clinical nutrition, and a professional speaker on topics of nutrition, food safety, and public health issues.
Greger attended Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences where he received a bachelor of science in biology, as well as Tufts University School of Medicine where he earned a medical doctorate.
Greger began his career as the director of public health and animal agriculture of The Humane Society of the United States from 2005 to 2016. In 2011, Greger founded the non-profit organization Nutrition Facts. The organization's website serves as an online resource and community that provides videos and articles on peer-reviewed nutrition and health research. After leaving The Humane Society in 2016, Greger became the chief science officer at Nutrition Facts.
Nutrition Facts is a website and non-profit organization that is independently supported through optional user donations. The website is regularly updated with videos and articles on health and nutritional information and provides links to other resources such as dietary guides and webinars.
Greger has long advocated the importance of plant-based diets for weight loss and disease prevention. He recommends mostly avoiding processed foods and animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy in favor of whole plant foods. Some of Greger's nutritional claims, such as the severity of effects of meat and fat on arteries and the possibility of reversing disease with a plant-based diet, have been challenged by other physicians, including Harriet A. Hall, as well as independently reviewed and critiqued through editorial posts on various health science websites and blogs. He has also been accused of cherry-picking his sources to support his claims, sometimes citing studies that do not adequately prove his claims, and not discussing evidence that may link some consumption of animal products to good health.
Greger has made multiple public appearances and speeches throughout his career on the topics of nutrition and diet, specifically plant-based diets. He has made Talks at Google, TED Talks, and public speeches at various other events.
Greger is the author of several books on nutrition.
- Carbophobia: The Scary Truth about America's Low-Carb Craze: The Scary Truth About America's Low-carb Craze!, 2005
- How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease, 2015
- The How Not to Die Cookbook: 100+ Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease, 2017
- How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss, 2019
- The How Not to Diet Cookbook: 100+ Recipes for Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss, 2020
- How to Survive a Pandemic, 2020
Some of Greger's books have been translated into languages other than English, including German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. How Not to Die made it to The New York Times Best Seller list the same year it was published. All proceeds from Greger's works and public speaking events are donated to charity.
