Browse the evidence

Daily protein supplementation (12g additional protein via skimmed milk/soy isolate) combined with simple calisthenic and aerobic exercise for 8 weeks significantly increases lean mass and appendicular muscle mass in healthy sedentary adults.

If you are sedentary and want to build muscle, you don't need a gym membership or expensive gear. Add 12g of protein daily (e.g., via a supplement or food) and perform simple bodyweight exercises (like squats and push-ups) 3 times a week, plus walk 150 minutes a week. Doing this for 8 weeks will likely increase your lean muscle mass.

Protein supplementation combined with resistance exercise increases muscle mass and strength, but intakes above 1.6 g/kg body weight per day provide no additional significant gains.

To build muscle, combine resistance training with protein intake of 1.6 g/kg body weight per day. Eating more protein than this does not provide additional muscle or strength gains.

A combined high-protein (25% energy) and low-glycemic-index (LGI) diet is superior to low-protein/high-GI diets for maintaining weight loss and improving insulin resistance (measured by TyG index) after an initial energy-restricted weight loss.

If you have recently lost weight, switch to a maintenance diet that is high in protein (around 25% of calories) and low in glycemic index (low-GI carbs). This specific combination helps you keep the weight off longer and improves insulin sensitivity better than diets low in protein or high in glycemic index. You do not need to count calories strictly; focus on the quality of your protein and carbohydrate sources.

Adopting a low-carbohydrate (LC) or very low-carbohydrate ketogenic (VLCK) diet (defined as <50g, 50-100g, or 101-150g carbohydrates per day) improves glycemic control and facilitates the deprescribing of antihyperglycemic medications in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, reducing your daily carbohydrate intake to under 150 grams (and potentially under 50 grams for ketosis) can significantly improve your blood sugar levels and allow you to reduce or stop diabetes medications. Work with your doctor to adjust your insulin and other drugs to prevent low blood sugar, and ensure you are drinking enough water and getting electrolytes to avoid initial side effects like fatigue or cramps.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus can be put into remission (defined as HbA1c < 6.5% for ≥ 3 months without T2DM medications) through the use of therapeutic carbohydrate reduction and subsequent medication deprescription.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, remission is possible. This means getting your blood sugar (HbA1c) below 6.5% for at least 3 months without taking diabetes medications. This is achieved by strictly limiting carbohydrates and working with your doctor to safely stop or reduce your diabetes drugs. It requires commitment to the diet and close monitoring.

A low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet improves cardiometabolic risk markers (specifically LPIR, triglycerides, and HDL-C) during weight-loss maintenance compared to a high-carbohydrate diet, without adversely affecting LDL particle concentration or LDL-C.

If you are maintaining weight loss, switching to a lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat diet (specifically 20% carbs, 60% fat) can improve your metabolic health markers like triglycerides and HDL, and reduce insulin resistance, without raising your LDL cholesterol or particle count. This benefit occurs even if the increased fat includes saturated fat, provided added sugars are kept low.

Orlistat (120 mg twice daily) produces a statistically significant weight reduction (>2.9% vs placebo) and improves cardiovascular risk factors in obese patients, including those with type 2 diabetes.

Orlistat is an approved option for weight loss that works by blocking fat absorption. To maximize results and minimize stomach issues, take 120mg twice daily with meals containing fat, but keep your overall fat intake moderate. You must also take vitamin supplements (A, D, E) separately from the drug to avoid deficiencies.

High-protein diets (>25% of calories or 1-1.2 g/kg body weight) are superior to other macronutrient compositions for long-term weight maintenance, primarily by preserving fat-free mass and increasing satiety.

To keep weight off, prioritize protein in your diet (aim for 1-1.2 grams per kg of your goal body weight). This helps you feel full and protects your muscles, making it easier to stick to your weight loss goals long-term.

Orlistat, taken at 120 mg three times daily, reduces body weight by 8% over 12 months compared to 5% with placebo, and significantly reduces cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension and LDL cholesterol.

Orlistat (120 mg, 3 times daily) helps you lose about 8% of your body weight over a year by blocking fat absorption. It also lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. You must follow a low-fat diet and take vitamin supplements to avoid side effects like oily stools.

Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) cause disproportionate loss of lean mass (skeletal muscle), which may worsen frailty and functional capacity in heart failure patients, necessitating concurrent resistance training and protein intake.

When using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications for heart failure, be aware that you will lose muscle mass along with fat. To protect your strength and function, you MUST combine these medications with resistance training and ensure adequate protein intake. Monitor your functional capacity closely.

Carbohydrate periodization and strategic timing (loading, intra-exercise intake, post-exercise recovery) significantly support performance and recovery, whereas excessive protein intake above recommendations does not further improve performance.

For events over 90 minutes, use carbohydrate loading (10-12g/kg) 36-48 hours prior. During exercise, consume 30-60g carbs/hour (up to 90g for >2.5h). Post-exercise, prioritize carbs (1.2g/kg) if recovery time is short. Do not exceed protein recommendations as it offers no extra performance benefit.

Adherence to a healthy vegan diet results in greater improvements in overall diet quality (HEI-2015) compared to a healthy omnivore diet, driven by higher intakes of fiber, legumes, and vegetables and lower intakes of added sugars and refined grains.

If you switch to a vegan diet, focus on increasing vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains while reducing added sugars and refined grains. This study shows that a well-structured vegan diet can improve overall diet quality more than a healthy omnivore diet. Start with delivered meals or meal planning support to build skills, then transition to self-prepared meals. Ensure you monitor Vitamin B12 levels as intake drops without animal products.

Maintaining a higher proportional energy intake from protein (by limiting discretionary foods) is associated with lower total energy intake and better 12-month weight loss maintenance, whereas diluting protein with high fat/carbohydrate leads to increased energy intake and weight regain via the protein leverage mechanism.

To maintain weight loss, prioritize foods that keep your protein percentage high relative to fats and carbs. Avoid 'discretionary' foods (sweets, processed snacks) which dilute protein concentration and trigger overeating. You don't necessarily need to increase total protein grams, but you must increase its proportion in your diet by reducing low-protein energy sources.

Combining GLP-1 receptor agonists with structured exercise (specifically resistance training) mitigates the loss of lean body mass associated with pharmacological weight loss, whereas GLP-1 agonists alone result in significant lean mass loss.

If you are on a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide or tirzepatide, you must incorporate resistance training (2-3 times per week) into your routine. The medication will cause you to lose muscle along with fat (up to 40% of weight loss). Resistance training preserves this muscle, maintaining your metabolism and strength. Combine this with moderate aerobic activity (150 mins/week) and adequate protein intake for the best long-term results.

Resistance training is essential during weight loss to prevent muscle loss and maintain basal metabolic rate, thereby preventing weight regain.

Include strength training 2-4 times a week. Use weights or machines that allow you to do 10-15 reps with moderate effort (60-70% of your max). Focus on large muscle groups (legs, back, chest). This protects your muscle while you diet.

High-protein diets (>2.0 g/kg/day) are safe for healthy, highly qualified athletes, showing no adverse changes in blood biochemistry or bone mineral density.

If you are a healthy athlete, eating more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is safe and will not harm your kidneys or bones.

Resistance-trained young adults consume significantly higher absolute and relative protein intakes (averaging 1.6–2.0 g/kg/day) than recreationally active peers, with animal-derived proteins comprising the majority (approx. 68-72%) of total intake.

If you lift weights regularly, you are likely eating more protein than the average person, averaging 1.6 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. Most of this comes from animal sources. This is normal and expected for your activity level. You do not need to worry about the RDA of 0.8 g/kg, as your intake is already well above that threshold.

Micellar casein (MC) consumed at sahur partially mitigates fasting-induced declines in anaerobic power (Wingate peak and mean power) and upper-body strength (bench press) in combat sport athletes during Ramadan, outperforming whey protein isolate and placebo.

If you are fasting for 11+ hours (like during Ramadan) and competing in anaerobic sports, take 0.4g/kg of Micellar Casein with your pre-dawn meal. This slow-digesting protein helps maintain your power output better than Whey Protein or no protein, though it won't fully restore you to fed-state levels.

Prioritizing protein intake maximizes the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), thereby increasing total energy expenditure compared to high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets at equal caloric levels.

To burn more calories through digestion, prioritize protein in your meals. Protein has a much higher thermic effect (20-30%) compared to fat (2-5%) and carbs (5-15%). This means you burn more energy just processing protein-rich foods.

A Mediterranean-style diet rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, polyphenols, and alpha-linolenic acid is associated with a substantially reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and new cancers.

Consider adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, emphasizing healthy fats (olive oil, nuts), fish, and vegetables, while limiting saturated fats. This pattern is linked to lower heart disease and cancer risk.

Replacing 5% of total energy intake from saturated fatty acids (SFAs) with either monounsaturated (MUFAs) or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall mortality risk.

To lower your risk of death, swap 5% of your daily calories from saturated fats (found in red meat, butter, full-fat dairy) for unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). You do not need to eat less food; just change the source of the fat. For example, if you usually use butter on toast, switch to olive oil or avocado spread. This simple swap is linked to a 12-13% lower risk of mortality.

Higher intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) is associated with a reduced risk of overall mortality, whereas Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA) intake is positively associated with increased mortality risk.

Increase your intake of Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs) by eating more fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel), walnuts, and seeds. Simultaneously, reduce your intake of Saturated Fats (SFAs) found in red meat and full-fat dairy. This shift is associated with a lower risk of death.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes) is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (high intake of refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets) is associated with a significantly higher risk of these outcomes.

To lower your risk of dying from heart disease or other causes, prioritize whole plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Avoid relying on refined plant foods like white rice, sugary drinks, and sweets, as these are linked to higher mortality risk. You do not need to eliminate animal products to gain benefits, but the quality of your plant food intake is the critical factor.

Adherence to the DASH diet significantly reduces total cholesterol (-0.35 mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol (-0.28 mmol/L) within 8 weeks, with greater magnitude observed in male participants.

Adopt the DASH diet pattern: eat 6-8 servings of grains, 4-5 servings of vegetables, and 4-5 servings of fruits daily. Include 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy and limit meat to under 180g per day. You can expect a measurable drop in cholesterol within two months, especially if you are male.