Browse the evidence

High dietary carbohydrate density (defined as the percentage of energy from carbohydrates) is associated with an increased risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in non-diabetic subjects with normal baseline renal function.

If you do not have diabetes and have normal kidney function, be mindful of the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet. This study suggests that diets where carbohydrates make up a very high percentage of your total energy (e.g., >75% of calories) may be associated with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time compared to diets with moderate carbohydrate intake. You do not need to eliminate carbs, but balancing them with adequate protein and healthy fats may support long-term kidney health.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than overall BMI or subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), while SAT may be associated with lower mortality risk.

Do not rely on BMI alone to assess your health risk. Focus on reducing visceral fat (belly fat) through exercise and diet, as it is a stronger predictor of mortality than overall weight. Subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin) may be less harmful or even protective.

Ramadan fasting significantly reduces fat percentage and absolute fat mass in overweight/obese individuals, but not in those with normal weight, while also causing a smaller, transient loss of fat-free mass.

If you are overweight, Ramadan fasting will likely reduce your body fat percentage. If you are normal weight, your body fat percentage may not change significantly. In all cases, you will lose some lean mass, but you will lose more fat than lean mass. This benefit is temporary and reverses after the fast.

A 1-month VLCKD shifts substrate oxidation to favor fat and protein, resulting in a 62% fat mass loss and 38% lean soft tissue loss of total weight lost.

On a VLCKD, you will lose fat and muscle. In this study, 38% of the weight lost was lean tissue. To minimize this, ensure you are eating enough protein (1.2-1.5g/kg ideal body weight) and engaging in resistance exercise.

The cardiovascular benefits of low-carbohydrate diets depend on the quality of macronutrients used to replace carbohydrates, not the degree of restriction itself.

If you reduce carbs, ensure you replace them with healthy foods like fiber-rich grains or unsaturated fats, not saturated fats. Simply cutting carbs without considering food quality does not improve heart health.

Reduced muscle mass is a critical phenotypic criterion for malnutrition, measurable via body composition techniques (DXA, BIA, CT) or anthropometrics (calf/arm circumference) when advanced tools are unavailable.

Check muscle mass, not just weight. Use simple measurements like calf or arm circumference if you don't have advanced body composition tools. Low muscle mass is a key sign of malnutrition.

Ultra-processed foods act as significant vectors for 'risk ingredients' (added sugars, sodium, trans-fats, and cosmetic additives), contributing disproportionately to the intake of these harmful components compared to unprocessed foods.

Check labels for added sugars, sodium, and trans-fats. UPFs often contain high levels of these 'risk ingredients' even if they appear healthy (e.g., flavored yogurts, sauces). Reducing UPF intake naturally reduces the intake of these harmful components.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages containing fructose or high fructose corn syrup promotes de novo lipogenesis and triggers inflammatory responses leading to hepatocyte apoptosis, directly contributing to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Limit sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly those with high fructose corn syrup or sucrose. The paper links drinking two average servings daily for six months to the development of NAFLD features. Reducing these beverages is a primary dietary intervention to lower liver fat accumulation.

Moderate carbohydrate intake (50–55% of energy) is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality risk, whereas both low (<40%) and high (>70%) carbohydrate intakes are associated with increased mortality.

Aim for 50–55% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. This range is associated with the lowest risk of death in large long-term studies. Avoid going below 40% or above 70% of calories from carbs, as both extremes are linked to higher mortality.

When carbohydrates are restricted, replacing them with animal-derived protein and fat increases mortality risk, whereas replacing them with plant-derived protein and fat decreases mortality risk.

If you choose to eat fewer carbohydrates, replace them with plant-based proteins and fats (like nuts, vegetables, and whole grains) rather than animal products (like red meat and dairy). This substitution is associated with a lower risk of death.

Visceral adipose tissue accumulation drives insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, whereas subcutaneous adipose tissue accumulation is protective or neutral.

Focus on reducing visceral fat (belly fat) rather than just total weight. While subcutaneous fat (hips/flanks) is less harmful, visceral fat is a primary driver of insulin resistance. Strategies that target visceral fat, such as aerobic exercise and stress management, are likely more effective for metabolic health than weight loss alone.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a stronger independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes in women than in men, making waist circumference a more reliable predictor of risk in women.

For women, where you store fat matters more than your total weight. Visceral fat (around your organs) is a much stronger predictor of diabetes than BMI. Focus on reducing waist circumference through lifestyle changes, as this visceral fat drives insulin resistance more significantly in women than in men.

The health effects of saturated fat are dependent on the food matrix and the overall dietary pattern, particularly carbohydrate intake, such that high saturated fat intake combined with low carbohydrate intake does not increase circulating saturated fatty acids or CVD risk.

If you are insulin resistant or consuming a high-carbohydrate diet, high saturated fat intake may be less beneficial. However, if you reduce carbohydrates, your body will oxidize saturated fat for energy, leading to lower circulating levels of harmful lipids. Focus on the balance of macronutrients rather than just cutting saturated fat.

Blending multiple plant protein sources or fortifying them with essential amino acids (specifically leucine) can improve their anabolic quality to match animal proteins.

To get the most out of plant protein, choose products that are either 'blended' (e.g., pea and rice protein mixed) or 'fortified' with leucine. This ensures you get all the essential amino acids needed for muscle building, making them just as effective as animal proteins without needing to eat huge amounts.

Protein restriction (PR) and specific amino acid restrictions (e.g., methionine, BCAAs) improve metabolic health and extend lifespan/healthspan, likely mediated by mTOR inhibition.

Restricting protein intake, or specific amino acids like methionine or BCAAs, can improve metabolic health and extend lifespan in mice, and is linked to better health outcomes in humans. This suggests that optimizing protein quality and quantity, rather than maximizing it, may be beneficial for longevity.

Overfeeding with saturated fat increases intrahepatic triglycerides (IHTG) and insulin resistance significantly more than overfeeding with unsaturated fat or simple sugars, primarily by stimulating adipose tissue lipolysis and increasing plasma ceramides.

If you are overweight and concerned about liver health, simply reducing calories is important, but the type of fat you eat matters significantly. Replacing saturated fats (found in butter, cheese, fatty meats) with unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, avocados) may help reduce liver fat accumulation and improve insulin sensitivity, even if total calorie intake remains the same. While simple sugars also increase liver fat, saturated fat appears to be particularly harmful by promoting fat release from body fat stores and increasing inflammatory markers like ceramides.

Higher intake of processed meat, unprocessed red meat, or poultry is significantly associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), whereas fish intake is not significantly associated with CVD risk.

If you are concerned about heart disease, be mindful of processed meats and unprocessed red meats, as higher intake is linked to a small increase in risk. However, you do not need to eliminate poultry or fish, as this study found no significant link between their consumption and cardiovascular disease. Focus on the type and quantity of meat rather than avoiding all meat.

Higher intake of processed meat or unprocessed red meat is significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, whereas poultry and fish intake are not significantly associated with all-cause mortality.

To support longevity, limit processed meats and unprocessed red meats, as higher intake is linked to a small increase in mortality risk. You do not need to avoid poultry or fish, as this study found no significant link between their consumption and all-cause mortality. Prioritize plant-based proteins and fish/poultry over red and processed meats.

Intake of plant protein is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas animal protein intake was not significantly associated with cardiovascular or cancer mortality.

If your goal is cardiovascular health and longevity, prioritize plant-based protein sources (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds) over animal proteins. This meta-analysis found that higher plant protein intake was linked to a lower risk of dying from heart disease, while animal protein intake showed no such significant benefit for cardiovascular mortality.

Higher consumption of dietary cholesterol (specifically >300 mg/day) is significantly associated with a higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner among US adults.

If you are concerned about heart disease, limiting dietary cholesterol to under 300 mg per day and moderating egg intake (less than half an egg per day) is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and death. This is particularly important if you have existing risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes.

Sustained hyperactivation of mTORC1 in skeletal muscle eventually causes atrophy and myopathy by inhibiting autophagy, whereas acute activation promotes hypertrophy.

While building muscle requires turning on growth signals, keeping them on constantly can damage muscle over time. Regular periods of rest and low signaling (like fasting or rest days) allow your muscles to recycle damaged parts, preventing long-term deterioration.

Low Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) diets significantly reduce postprandial glucose levels in women with GDM, though they may not significantly impact primary neonatal outcomes like birth weight or macrosomia.

Choose foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI <= 55) and focus on Glycemic Load (GL). Eat high-fiber foods like vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. This helps control blood sugar spikes after meals, even if it doesn't guarantee a lower birth weight.

Edible insects (specifically larvae of Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domesticus, and Gonimbrasia belina) provide a nutritional profile comparable to or superior to traditional meats, offering high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and favorable fatty acid ratios (PUFA/SFA) with lower environmental impact.

Incorporate commercially available edible insect species (like mealworms or crickets) into your diet as a protein source. They offer complete protein and often higher levels of minerals like zinc and iron compared to many meats. Start with processed forms (e.g., insect flour in baked goods) to ease into the taste and texture if you are new to entomophagy.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is strongly associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, independent of subcutaneous fat and BMI, due to its pro-inflammatory secretory profile.

Where you store fat matters more than how much you weigh. Reducing visceral fat through diet and exercise is critical for lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease, even if your overall weight doesn't change drastically.