How Not to Hurt ( Dec 2026 book by Dr. Greger) will probably include Vitamin D
Dr. Greger's "How Not to Hurt" targets chronic pain with food science
Dr. Michael Greger's next major book, How Not to Hurt: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Fight Pain, is confirmed for December 15, 2026 publication by Flatiron Books. At 640 pages, this ambitious guide advocates a nonpharmaceutical, evidence-based approach to chronic pain management—targeting the more than 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain. The book promises to identify seven specific pain-fighting foods and cover conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines. While no dedicated promotional campaign has launched yet (the book is still nine months out), pre-order listings, a podcast interview, and a blog confirmation from Greger himself reveal the book's scope and ambitions.
The book's thesis: food and lifestyle over pills and procedures
The publisher's description frames How Not to Hurt as a direct critique of mainstream pain management, which Greger argues over-relies on addictive prescription painkillers and invasive procedures that often worsen outcomes. Drawing from peer-reviewed research, the book instead champions nutritional interventions, lifestyle modifications, and "overlooked, cost-effective solutions, including many that doctors never learn in medical school."
The book covers three broad domains.
- First, the neuroscience of chronic pain—how pain signals "misfire" in the body and how emotional distress amplifies pain perception.
- Second, dietary interventions, centered on seven pain-fighting foods readers should incorporate into their diets.
- Third, condition-specific solutions for the most common causes of chronic pain syndrome, with arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines explicitly named, though the "and more" in the description suggests broader coverage.
This fits squarely within Greger's established "How Not to..." series. After How Not to Die (2015, killer diseases), How Not to Diet (2019, obesity), and How Not to Age (2023, aging), each book has tackled a major health challenge through the lens of nutrition science. In an October 2024 interview on the Self Directed Podcast, Greger revealed his full roadmap: after the pain book comes a cancer book (likely ~2028–2029), then a mental health book (targeted for ~2031).
What we can infer about the book's content
While no table of contents or chapter outline has been released, Greger's extensive existing library on NutritionFacts.org—72 videos on pain-related topics—offers strong signals about what the book will cover. His previous work on chronic pain has highlighted how pro-inflammatory dietary components (saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol) drive pain hypersensitivity, while whole plant food constituents (fiber, phytonutrients) are "strongly anti-inflammatory."
The seven pain-fighting foods remain unidentified in pre-publication materials, but Greger's prior research points to likely candidates: ginger (shown comparable to ibuprofen for menstrual cramps), turmeric/curcumin (extensively studied for arthritis), cherries, berries, green tea, apple peels (for chronic joint pain), and fiber-rich whole grains. His NutritionFacts.org content also covers atherosclerosis-driven back pain, plant-based diets for diabetic nerve pain, and fasting protocols for autoimmune pain conditions—all plausible book topics given the 640-page length.
Greger's approach to fibromyalgia has been particularly well-documented. He has cited research showing that vegetarians have roughly half the odds of requiring painkiller medications, and has explored multiple mechanisms including Neu5Gc (a pro-inflammatory molecule from red meat), bacterial endotoxins, potassium intake, and anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
Vitamin D likely features prominently, despite no direct mention yet
No pre-publication material for How Not to Hurt explicitly mentions vitamin D. However, the evidence strongly suggests it will be covered, given that fibromyalgia is one of three conditions named in the book description and Greger has dedicated significant NutritionFacts.org content to vitamin D's role in fibromyalgia pain.
His most relevant existing work covers a 2014 randomized controlled trial in which fibromyalgia patients given 1,200–2,400 IU of vitamin D₃ daily for 20 weeks experienced a "significant drop in pain severity"—with pain returning when supplementation stopped. He has also cited Mayo Clinic data showing 93% of fibromyalgia patients are vitamin D deficient. Beyond fibromyalgia, Greger has covered vitamin D's effects on menstrual pain (a single high-dose RCT showed all women in the treatment group improved versus none in placebo) and inflammatory bowel disease pain.
His standing recommendation is 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily for those without adequate sun exposure. Given the book's comprehensive scope and 640-page length, vitamin D supplementation for pain conditions is very likely to receive dedicated treatment.
Promotional activity has not yet begun in earnest
As of March 2026, the formal promotional campaign for How Not to Hurt has not launched. Based on Greger's past pattern, the interview circuit and media push typically begin one to two months before publication, meaning the campaign will likely ramp up in October–November 2026. Here is what exists so far:
- Pre-order listings are live on Amazon (hardcover, Kindle, audiobook), Indigo Canada ($55.99 CAD), Pan Macmillan UK, and Glose. Indigo lists a "Free Preview" alongside the pre-order, though the actual excerpt content was not publicly accessible at the time of research.
- Greger's personal confirmation came in a January 6, 2026 NutritionFacts.org blog post ("Top 10 NutritionFacts.org Videos of 2025"), where he wrote: "my upcoming book on lifestyle approaches to pain management, which should be out in (fingers crossed) December 2026."
- The Self Directed Podcast (#93, October 2024) remains the only known interview where Greger discusses the book by name, briefly describing it as his "next" project on pain management and revealing his subsequent book plans.
- NutritionFacts.org does not yet have a dedicated page for the book, and Flatiron Books' author page has not yet added it to Greger's bibliography.
- No trade reviews have appeared in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, or Library Journal—these typically publish in October–November for December releases.
Greger's recent media activity has focused on other projects: a "How Not to Die" documentary (covered in a March 2026 Healio interview) and a 10th-anniversary revised edition of How Not to Die (released late 2025). The UK edition of How Not to Hurt is scheduled for December 9, 2027—a full year after the US release—through Pan Macmillan's Bluebird imprint.
Conclusion
How Not to Hurt represents the fourth major installment in Greger's "How Not to..." franchise, and its focus on chronic pain positions it at the intersection of two urgent issues: the ongoing opioid crisis and growing consumer demand for non-pharmaceutical health solutions. The book's most intriguing promise—seven specific pain-fighting foods—remains under wraps, but Greger's decade-long body of work on NutritionFacts.org provides a clear preview of his evidence base. With vitamin D, anti-inflammatory plant compounds, and dietary pattern interventions all likely featured, the book appears poised to be the most comprehensive popular science treatment of nutrition-based pain management to date. The full promotional rollout should begin by fall 2026, and trade reviews and media interviews will likely surface starting in October. All book proceeds will be donated to charity, consistent with Greger's long-standing practice.
As of March 2026, Dr. Greger's website has 82 Vitamin D videos
Vitamin D Videos include:
- Iron-Deficiency Anemia: The Best Treatment and Are Vegetarians at Higher Risk?\
- Supplements for Sarcopenia (Age-Related Muscle Loss)
- Do Vitamin D Supplements Help Prevent Diabetes, Cancer Mortality, and Overall Mortality?
- Vitamin D Supplements Tested for COPD, Heart Disease, Depression, Obesity, and Cancer Survival\
- Vitamin D May Explain Higher Bone Fracture Risk in Vegans
- Flashback Friday: Will You Live Longer If You Take Vitamin D Supplements and How Much Should You Take?
- Flashback Friday: Do Vitamin D Supplements Help with Diabetes, Weight Loss, and Blood Pressure?
- Dietary Supplements for Autism
- The Best Supplement for Fibromyalgia