Browse the evidence

Post-exercise carbohydrate ingestion of 1.0-1.5 g/kg/hour is sufficient to maximize muscle glycogen resynthesis rates.

After a hard workout, eat or drink 1-1.5 grams of carbs for every kg of your body weight each hour for up to 6 hours. Split this into small amounts every 30 minutes rather than eating it all at once for better absorption.

Athletes should consume 1.4-2.8 g/kg of body weight of protein daily, depending on their specific training goals and type of exercise.

Eat 1.4 to 2.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. If you are strength training, aim for the higher end (up to 2.8 g/kg). If you are just maintaining muscle, 1.4-2.0 g/kg is sufficient.

Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats from local regional sources (canola oil, pecans, avocado, moringa oil) significantly improves lipid profiles (reduces LDL/total cholesterol) and cardiovascular risk factors.

To improve your cholesterol without changing your culture, swap your current cooking fat for local monounsaturated options. In North America, use canola oil and eat pecans (approx. 42g/day). In Latin America, use avocado as your primary fat source. In Africa, consider moringa oil. These swaps have been shown in meta-analyses to lower LDL cholesterol effectively.

Current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g/kg/day for protein is likely an underestimate for older adults and should be increased to 1.0-1.2 g/kg/day to support healthy muscle ageing.

If you are an older adult, aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. This is higher than the standard government recommendation of 0.8 g/kg. Spread this protein evenly across your meals (about 0.4 g/kg per meal) and combine it with strength training. This helps maintain muscle mass and function without harming healthy kidneys or bones.

Endurance athletes require a daily protein intake of approximately 1.8 g/kg body mass per day, which may increase to >2.0 g/kg/day during carbohydrate-restricted training or on rest days.

Aim for 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. If you are doing low-carb training sessions or taking rest days, bump this up to over 2.0 grams per kilogram. This helps your body repair muscle and replace amino acids lost during exercise.

Reducing saturated fat intake significantly improves lipid profiles (Total Cholesterol and LDL-C) and body weight metrics in adults.

Lowering saturated fat intake not only helps your heart but also tends to lower your LDL ('bad') cholesterol and total cholesterol, and may help with modest weight loss. This is achieved by swapping high-saturated-fat foods for healthier unsaturated fat sources or plant-based alternatives.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet improves liver steatosis and metabolic parameters, and is the only diet pattern recommended as potential therapy for MASLD by major scientific societies.

Adopt a Mediterranean diet pattern: fill half your plate with vegetables, use olive oil as your primary fat, eat whole grains, and include fish and legumes regularly. Limit red meat and sweets. This pattern is the only one officially recommended for treating MASLD because it improves liver fat, blood sugar, and cholesterol simultaneously.

Older adults require protein intakes 50–100% higher than the standard RDA (~0.8 g/kg/day) to overcome anabolic resistance and preserve muscle mass.

If you are older, the standard protein recommendation is likely too low to stop muscle loss. Aim for roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, and combine this with regular resistance and aerobic exercise to effectively preserve your muscle mass.

Diabetes-specific nutrition formulas (DSNFs) containing slowly-digestible carbohydrates and healthy fats significantly reduce postprandial glucose and insulin excursions compared to standard formulas or isocaloric test meals in patients with type 2 diabetes.

For Type 2 Diabetes, replacing one or two meals/snacks daily with a Diabetes-Specific Nutrition Formula (DSNF) can significantly improve blood sugar control compared to standard formulas or regular food. Look for formulas with slowly-digestible carbs and healthy fats. Dosing should be tailored to your weight and current blood sugar levels, typically 1-3 servings per day.

A Mediterranean-style diet with high unsaturated fats and low carbohydrates reduces epicardial fat volume, whereas a standard low-calorie diet and exercise alone do not.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet (high in unsaturated fats, low in carbs) can reduce epicardial fat in obese HFpEF patients, even without significant weight loss. Combine this with physical activity for best results. Avoid standard low-calorie diets if they do not reduce EAT.

Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) reduces cardiovascular event risk by 17% and offers greater protection than replacing them with carbohydrates.

Replace saturated fats (found in animal products and tropical oils) with polyunsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils). This substitution reduces your risk of cardiovascular events by 17% and is more effective for heart health than replacing fat with carbohydrates.

High intake of simple sugars and refined grains is strongly associated with long-term weight gain and type 2 diabetes, particularly through sugary beverages.

Cut back on sugary beverages, white bread, white rice, and candy. These foods are strongly linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Replace them with whole grains and high-fiber foods to improve your metabolic health.

High protein intake (up to 1.6 g/kg/day) combined with strength training significantly improves muscle mass and strength in middle-aged and older adults.

If you are strength training, aim for 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. This amount, combined with strength training, significantly improves muscle mass and strength, especially in older adults.

Peri-operative essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation significantly reduces muscle atrophy in quadriceps and hamstring muscles following total joint arthroplasty.

If you are having knee or hip replacement surgery, ask your care team about essential amino acid (EAA) or protein supplementation. The evidence suggests this helps preserve muscle mass in your legs during recovery, which is critical for mobility. While it may not instantly boost strength, it prevents the rapid muscle loss common after surgery.

For untrained older adults engaging in resistance training, a daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg body weight significantly increases skeletal muscle mass and strength compared to the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg, without causing adverse effects on liver or kidney function.

If you are an older adult starting resistance training, aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Spread this out across your meals (e.g., 0.4 g/kg per meal) to maximize muscle growth. This amount is safe for your kidneys and liver if you are healthy, and it will help you build more muscle and strength than the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg.

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) significantly improves liver health biomarkers (ALT, liver stiffness, and MRI-PDFF) in individuals with MASLD.

Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet significantly improves liver health in people with MASLD, lowering liver enzymes, reducing liver stiffness, and decreasing liver fat content. Studies lasted from 3 to 24 months, showing consistent benefits. This dietary pattern is a strong, evidence-based first-line approach for managing liver health.

A healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLCD) combined with caloric restriction produces greater fat mass loss than caloric restriction alone in adults with overweight or obesity.

To lose fat effectively, try a healthy low-carb diet that cuts calories by about 25%. Focus on getting 30% of your calories from carbs (like whole grains and veggies), 50% from healthy fats (like nuts, oils, and avocados), and 20% from plant proteins. This approach helps you lose more fat than just eating less without changing what you eat.

Dietary factors, including high consumption of refined grains, sugar, fats, and liquid calories, contribute to obesity by increasing caloric intake.

Reduce consumption of sugary beverages, processed foods, and refined grains. Focus on whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to manage caloric intake and improve health.

Plant-based protein sources can stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and support muscle mass gains comparable to animal proteins when consumed in sufficient quantities, combined to optimize amino acid profiles, and processed to enhance bioavailability.

To build muscle on a plant-based diet, focus on variety and volume. Combine different plant proteins (like beans and rice) in meals to ensure you get all essential amino acids. You may need to eat slightly more total protein (aim for 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day if active) or larger portions of specific proteins (like pea or soy) to hit the leucine threshold needed to trigger muscle growth, similar to how you would with animal proteins.

Processing plant proteins (e.g., isolation, heating, fermentation) significantly improves their digestibility and bioavailability, making them more effective for MPS than raw plant foods.

If you struggle to eat enough plant protein from whole foods alone, consider using plant protein isolates or concentrates (like pea or soy isolate). These are processed to remove anti-nutrients that block digestion, making the protein much more available for your muscles than raw beans or grains.

Animal protein improves muscle mass compared to non-soy plant proteins (rice, chia, oat, potato) and plant-based diets, while soy protein is equivalent to milk protein for muscle mass.

If you are using plant protein, soy is just as good as animal protein for building muscle. Other plant proteins (rice, pea, oat, potato) may be less effective, so consider combining them or supplementing with soy or animal protein if muscle mass is a priority.

A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (<20 g carbohydrate/day) produces significantly greater weight loss and improves lipid profiles (lower triglycerides, higher HDL) compared to a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet over 24 weeks in overweight, hyperlipidemic adults.

If you are overweight and have high cholesterol, switching to a very low-carb diet (under 20g carbs/day) for 6 months will likely result in nearly double the weight loss compared to a standard low-fat diet, while significantly improving your triglyceride and HDL levels. You do not need to count calories strictly, but you must avoid grains, sugars, and most fruits initially. Expect some initial side effects like fatigue or constipation, which can be managed with water, salt, and supplements. Monitor your LDL cholesterol, as a minority of people may see it rise.

Increasing daily protein intake to ≥1.6 g/kg/day enhances lean body mass gains in healthy adults under 65 years old who perform resistance exercise, whereas older adults (≥65) achieve significant gains at lower intakes (1.2–1.59 g/kg/day).

If you are under 65 and lifting weights, aim for at least 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to maximize muscle growth. If you are 65 or older, you may see significant muscle benefits with a slightly lower intake of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. This assumes you are doing resistance exercise; protein alone without exercise has minimal impact on muscle mass in healthy adults.

A high-protein vegan diet rich in mycoprotein supports daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and skeletal muscle hypertrophy comparable to an isonitrogenous omnivorous diet during progressive resistance training in young adults.

If you are vegan and want to build muscle, ensure you are eating approximately 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Focus on high-quality plant sources like mycoprotein (found in products like Quorn), soy, or pulses. Combine this with a consistent resistance training program (at least 3-4 times per week). You do not need animal products to achieve muscle growth or strength gains comparable to omnivores, provided you meet your protein targets.