Browse the evidence

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with significantly increased intake of free sugars, saturated and trans fats, sodium, and energy density, while decreasing intake of dietary fiber and potassium.

To improve your nutrient intake, reduce the proportion of ultra-processed foods in your diet. This category includes mass-produced packaged breads, ready meals, fast food, pastries, and sugary drinks. Replacing these with unprocessed or minimally processed foods (like fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains) will naturally lower your intake of harmful sugars, sodium, and saturated fats while increasing beneficial fiber and potassium.

A low-calorie lacto-ovo vegetarian diet is more effective than a Mediterranean diet at reducing LDL cholesterol, while the Mediterranean diet is more effective at reducing triglycerides.

If your primary concern is high LDL cholesterol, a vegetarian diet (including eggs/dairy) may lower it more than a Mediterranean diet. However, if you struggle with high triglycerides, a Mediterranean diet may be more effective. Both diets improve overall cardiovascular risk.

Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Android/Gynoid (AG) ratio provide superior obesity and cardiovascular risk assessment compared to BMI and waist-to-hip ratio by directly measuring adiposity and regional distribution.

Use DXA to get your Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Android/Gynoid (AG) ratio. These are better predictors of cardiovascular risk and metabolic health than BMI or waist circumference alone. An AG ratio >1 indicates higher visceral fat risk.

Low muscle glycogen availability shifts fuel utilization towards increased lipid oxidation and reduced carbohydrate oxidation during exercise.

If you want to maximize fat oxidation during exercise, starting with low muscle glycogen (e.g., fasted or after a low-CHO meal) will shift your body to burn more fat. However, this comes at the cost of reduced carbohydrate oxidation and potentially lower performance intensity.

Higher dietary intake of plant protein is associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality compared to lower intake.

To support long-term health and longevity, prioritize plant-based protein sources (legumes, nuts, grains) over animal proteins. Specifically, replacing about 3% of your daily energy intake from animal protein with plant protein is associated with a 10% lower risk of death. This benefit applies to both men and women and holds true across various health statuses and lifestyle factors.

Substituting specific animal protein sources (eggs and red meat) with plant protein is primarily responsible for the observed reduction in overall mortality.

To maximize longevity, specifically target the substitution of eggs and red meat with plant-based proteins. Replacing 3% of energy from these sources with plant protein is linked to a 13-24% lower risk of death. This suggests that the type of animal protein matters, with eggs and red meat being the primary targets for reduction.

A traditional Japanese dietary pattern characterized by high fish and soy intake, low red meat and saturated fat, and moderate-to-low salt consumption is associated with the world's longest life expectancy, primarily by reducing mortality from ischemic heart disease and specific cancers.

Adopt a dietary pattern that prioritizes fish (especially for omega-3s) and plant-based proteins like soy over red meat. Maintain a low intake of saturated fats while ensuring adequate calcium and animal protein sources if tolerated. Incorporate unsweetened beverages like green tea. This macro-nutrient profile, rather than extreme caloric restriction, supports the longevity outcomes observed in populations with this diet.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with unbalanced nutritional intakes, specifically higher energy, added sugar, and saturated fat, and lower fiber, vitamins, and minerals, regardless of adherence to standard dietary guidelines.

To improve your diet quality, prioritize minimally processed foods. High consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to higher energy intake, more added sugar, and fewer essential nutrients like fiber and calcium, even if you try to follow standard dietary guidelines. Focus on the degree of processing, not just the food group.

Reducing household food waste and animal-source food consumption offers the highest synergistic potential for mitigating obesity, environmental pressure, and food demand compared to other interventions like eliminating underweight.

Focus on reducing household food waste and shifting dietary composition away from animal-source foods. These interventions offer the highest synergistic benefits for health and the environment, whereas simply addressing underweight has minimal impact on total food demand.

Fat oxidation during aerobic exercise is maximized at moderate intensities (approximately 60-65% VO2max) and decreases significantly at higher intensities (>75% VO2max) due to the Randle cycle and reduced plasma fatty acid availability.

To maximize the rate of fat oxidation, exercise at a moderate intensity, roughly 60-65% of your maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). This is often described as a 'conversational pace.' Pushing into high-intensity zones shifts your body to burn more carbohydrates and less fat, even if you burn more total calories.

Endurance training increases maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and shifts the intensity at which MFO occurs to higher workloads, primarily through increased intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) utilization and mitochondrial density.

If you train for endurance, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat. This is due to increased mitochondrial density and greater storage of fat within muscles (IMTG). This adaptation allows you to burn more fat at higher intensities than an untrained person.

Dietary fiber is a more reliable predictor of satiety and metabolic health than Glycemic Index, as low-GI diets often derive their benefits from higher fiber content rather than the glycemic response itself.

Prioritize fiber over Glycemic Index. If you are choosing between carbohydrate sources, pick the one with more fiber (vegetables, legumes, whole grains) rather than worrying about whether it spikes blood sugar quickly. High-fiber foods naturally promote fullness and better metabolic markers, making the GI calculation unnecessary for most people.

A eucaloric low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet reverses metabolic syndrome in obese individuals independent of weight loss, primarily by improving atherogenic dyslipidemia (triglycerides, HDL, LDL particle size) and reducing circulating saturated fatty acids and de novo lipogenesis markers.

If you have metabolic syndrome, switching to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet can improve your blood lipids and metabolic markers within 4 weeks, even if you do not lose weight. Focus on reducing carbohydrates (to ~6% of calories) and increasing fat, while keeping total calories stable. This approach improves triglycerides, HDL, and LDL particle size more effectively than high-carbohydrate diets, regardless of changes in body weight.

Animal-based diets high in saturated fats and proteins promote the growth of bile-tolerant and proteolytic bacteria, leading to the production of potentially harmful metabolites like TMAO, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, which are linked to inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

If you consume animal products, be aware that high intake of red meat and saturated fats can promote gut bacteria that produce harmful metabolites like TMAO and hydrogen sulfide, linked to heart disease and inflammation. Balance animal proteins with high-fiber plant foods to encourage beneficial SCFA production and mitigate these risks.

Consuming 50g of extra virgin coconut oil daily for 4 weeks does not significantly increase LDL cholesterol compared to extra virgin olive oil, whereas butter significantly increases LDL cholesterol compared to both oils.

If you are replacing butter with coconut oil in your diet, you likely will not see a negative spike in your LDL cholesterol, and it may behave similarly to olive oil in this regard. However, coconut oil does raise HDL (good cholesterol) more than olive oil or butter. It is not a free pass to eat unlimited fat, but it is not as detrimental to LDL as butter.

Consuming 50g of extra virgin coconut oil daily for 4 weeks significantly increases HDL cholesterol compared to butter and olive oil.

You can expect your HDL (good cholesterol) to rise if you switch to coconut oil, more so than if you eat butter or olive oil. However, because coconut oil does not lower LDL (unlike olive oil) and butter raises it, the overall cardiovascular benefit is not clear-cut.

High consumption of processed foods (up to 30% of calories in rich urban households) and palm oil (vanaspati) contributes to the 'double burden' of malnutrition and NCD risk, independent of total caloric intake.

Reducing the intake of processed foods and palm oil (vanaspati) is critical for improving health outcomes in India, especially for higher-income groups who consume these items frequently. Shifting away from subsidized cereals and processed foods toward whole foods can help address the double burden of malnutrition.

The mortality risk associated with low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets depends entirely on the quality of macronutrients consumed; diets emphasizing refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, and animal proteins increase mortality, whereas diets emphasizing whole grains, unsaturated fats, and plant proteins decrease mortality.

Do not follow a generic 'low-carb' or 'low-fat' plan if your goal is longevity. Instead, ensure your carbohydrate sources are whole grains and vegetables, and your fats are unsaturated (plant oils, nuts, fish). Avoid refined sugars, refined grains, and saturated animal fats. The quality of your macros matters more than the total percentage.

Dietary acculturation to a Western diet (higher intake of red meat, trans fats, lower fiber) is associated with a lower Prevotella to Bacteroides ratio and lower fungal diversity, while a healthier diet (higher AHEI score) is associated with a higher P:B ratio.

Your diet plays a huge role in your microbiome. A healthier diet (higher AHEI score), characterized by more whole grains, vegetables, and less red meat and trans fats, is associated with a healthier P:B ratio. If you are acculturating to a Western diet, try to maintain the fiber-rich aspects of your traditional diet (beans, vegetables, whole grains) and reduce processed foods and red meat to support a diverse microbiome.

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) and low-fat diets (LFDs) result in equivalent weight loss when caloric restriction is matched, though LCDs may be preferred for patients with insulin resistance.

Whether you choose low-carb or low-fat, the key is sticking to a calorie deficit. If you have insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, a low-carb approach might offer additional metabolic benefits, but for general weight loss, both are equally effective if calories are matched.

Dietary strategies that replace carbohydrates with saturated fats (e.g., cheese, meat, butter) or include monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fats (e.g., olive oil) can increase HDL cholesterol levels.

Consider reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, or even moderate amounts of saturated fats from cheese and meat. This dietary shift can help increase your HDL cholesterol levels.

Excessive dietary intake of carbohydrates, particularly fructose and sucrose, drives hepatic de novo lipogenesis through the activation of the transcription factor ChREBP, contributing to NAFLD progression.

If you have fatty liver, reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates (especially fructose from sodas and juices) can directly reduce the liver's production of new fat. This is because high carbohydrate intake activates specific genes (ChREBP) that turn sugar into fat in the liver, even if you aren't eating much dietary fat.

Meat and meat products are the primary source of total protein (39.0%), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: leucine 39.9%, isoleucine 41.3%, valine 37.4%), and most essential amino acids (lysine 49.2%, histidine 46.6%, threonine 44.7%, tryptophan 41.4%, methionine 44.2%) in the average Polish diet, while grain products are the dominant source for specific non-essential amino acids like cysteine (41.7%), glutamic acid (33.8%), and proline (34.1%).

To ensure adequate intake of essential amino acids, particularly BCAAs and lysine, include meat, poultry, or fish in your diet. If you reduce meat consumption, prioritize grains (for cysteine, glutamic acid, proline) and dairy or legumes to fill the gaps. A combination of these three food groups (meat, grains, dairy) typically covers over 80% of your amino acid requirements.

Lean individuals can develop NAFLD due to visceral adiposity and insulin resistance, and this condition carries similar risks of fibrosis and NASH as obesity-related NAFLD.

Even if you are lean, you can still have fatty liver disease, especially if you are of Asian descent. This is often due to hidden visceral fat. Because lean NAFLD can still lead to serious liver damage (NASH and fibrosis), you should get screened if you have risk factors like family history or metabolic issues, regardless of your weight.