The Bad Food Bible: Why You Can (and Maybe Should) Eat Everything You Thought You Couldn't

Advice about food can be confusing. There's usually only one thing experts can agree on: some ingredients—often the most enjoyable ones—are bad for you, full stop. But as physician and popular New York Times contributor Aaron Carroll explains, if we stop consuming some of our most demonized foods, it may actually hurt us. Examining troves of studies on dietary health, Carroll separates hard truths from hype, showing that you can . . .

• Eat red meat several times a week. Its effects are negligible for most people, and actually positive if you're sixty-five or older.
• Have a drink or two a day. In moderation, alcohol may protect you against cardiovascular disease without much risk.
• Enjoy a gluten-loaded bagel from time to time. It has less fat and sugar, fewer calories, and more fiber than a gluten-free one.
• Eat more salt. If your blood pressure is normal, you may be getting too little sodium, not too much.

Full of counterintuitive, deeply researched lessons about food we hate to love, The Bad Food Bible is for anyone who wants to forge eating habits that are sensible, sustainable, and occasionally indulgent.

" The Bad Food Bible changed the way I eat and look at food (sounds hyperbolic but I'm serious, the book is amazing)." —Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit

"In The Bad Food Bible , Aaron Carroll turns down the food fear sirens to zero, and responsibly explains what science actually says about the food we eat." —Julia Belluz, Senior Health Correspondent, Vox.com