Michael Greger

At a glance

• Michael Greger is an American physician, author and public-health speaker. He is best known as an advocate of a whole-food, plant-based diet.
• He founded NutritionFacts.org, a non-profit website with short free videos and articles about nutrition research.
• His books How Not to Die (2015), How Not to Diet (2019) and How Not to Age (2023) became New York Times bestsellers. He has also written about bird flu and pandemics.
• He is known for his ‘Daily Dozen’: a checklist of daily servings of foods such as beans, berries, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and flaxseed.
• His core advice — more legumes, vegetables, fruit and whole grains — matches most dietary guidelines. Critics do say he sometimes picks studies selectively.
• For longevity, he is an influential voice who encourages many people to eat more plants.
• Takeaway: use his practical checklist as inspiration to eat beans and vegetables daily, and check striking claims against the original studies.