Should you avoid red meat? No. Will gum last in your stomach seven years? No way. Should you strive for 10,000 steps a day? Not unless you just want to.

So says Dr. Aaron Carroll, a pediatrician and researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine who sees it as his life’s calling to debunk what he considers health myths and weak medical research. He writes books and a column for The New York Times, hosts "Healthcare Triage" on YouTube and tweets at @aaronecarroll, all with the goal of educating the public about health issues.

Dr. Carroll answers questions from podcast host Mason King about probiotics, sodium, sunscreen, marijuana and more, and he explains why we all—doctors included—misinterpret health care research.

To learn more about Dr. Carroll, read IBJ reporter John Russell's profile at IBJ.com.

IBJ photo by Daniel Axler

This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by Krieg DeVault.

This IU pediatrician is a health care myth buster