The truth about the keto diet

Potatoes are awesome, but not enough to live off of them forever. For all of 2016, Andrew Taylor ate only potatoes. There were a few caveats to his potato diet: He ate both white potatoes and sweet ones, and sometimes mixed in soymilk, tomato sauce, salt and herbs. He also took B12 supplements. But, …

Many of us believe some kinds of sugar are healthier. This post has been updated. It was originally published on 5/13/2019. High-fructose corn syrup has been a scapegoat for American obesity for the past decade and a half, so you might be surprised to learn that natural sweeteners like sugar and …

The sugar in sports drinks might be helpful—but only to a select few. This story has been updated. It was originally published on October 1, 2020. Decades’ worth of Gatorade commercials have taught us two things: Sports drinks hydrate you better than water, and it’s normal to sweat orange or blue …

Quit now while you still can. If you’re gonna call something “diet,” it should have to actually help you lose weight. But like dieting itself, diet foods don’t work as well in practice as they do in theory. So put down that Coke Zero and listen up. Maybe you think the jury is still out on artificial …

Giving up red meat has more health challenges than you might think. We all hear about how bad red meat is for both the planet’s health and our own. Planet-wise, there’s no argument: The detrimental effects of greenhouse gases from livestock production on the earth’s atmosphere can’t be overlooked. …

Getting rid of fat can be exhausting, but it's as natural as breathing. Every January, fat’s in the crosshairs of health columnists, fitness magazines, and desperate Americans. This year, PopSci looks at the macronutrient beyond its most negative associations. What’s fat good for? How do we get it …