Browse the evidence

High intake of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids from red meat and processed foods promotes renal inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid accumulation, contributing to CKD progression, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert protective effects.

Reduce intake of saturated and trans-fats found in red meat and processed foods. Increase consumption of polyunsaturated fats, particularly n-3 PUFAs from fish, which are associated with a lower incidence of CKD.

Most athletes consume sufficient protein in their habitual diet to support muscle maintenance, and additional protein provides only a minimal advantage for hypertrophy.

You likely already eat enough protein to support your training goals. While slightly more protein might offer a tiny edge, it is not required for most athletes. Focus on your training and total energy intake first.

The metabolic response to protein ingestion is dependent on timing, amino acid composition, and concurrent nutrient intake, not just total daily protein amount.

Don't just focus on hitting a daily protein number. Pay attention to when you eat it (especially around exercise) and ensure you are getting essential amino acids.

A predefined healthy food index based on current recommendations (fruits, vegetables, wholemeal bread) is inversely associated with all-cause mortality, but this association is attenuated after adjusting for lifestyle confounders.

While a healthy food index (fruits, veg, whole grains) shows a link to lower mortality, this link weakens when accounting for smoking, exercise, and BMI. This suggests that lifestyle factors are critical co-drivers of health, and diet alone may not tell the whole story.

Antecedent diet composition (specifically high-fat vs. high-carbohydrate) significantly modulates postprandial net de novo lipogenesis and thermogenesis following a large carbohydrate load, with high-fat adaptation suppressing lipogenesis and increasing glycogen storage.

If you eat a high-carb meal, your body's response depends on what you've been eating recently. If you've been eating high-fat, your body will store more of that carb as glycogen and make very little fat. If you've been eating high-carb, you'll synthesize slightly more fat, but the total amount is negligible and doesn't lead to net fat gain in a day. Don't fear carbs; focus on your overall diet pattern and glycogen needs.

Western Diet is positively associated with Serum Total Cholesterol (TC) across all income levels, whereas its association with BMI weakens or reverses at high levels of Westernization.

A Western-style diet, characterized by high intake of animal products, sugars, and saturated fats, is strongly linked to high cholesterol. Even if your weight is stable, reducing these specific food groups can lower your cholesterol.

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.

Both EPA and DHA reduce fasting triglyceride levels, but DHA uniquely increases LDL and HDL particle size, which may offer additional cardiovascular protection.

Take EPA or DHA to lower triglycerides; both work well. However, if you want to improve your LDL particle size (making LDL less atherogenic), DHA is the better choice as EPA does not appear to have this specific benefit.

A family-based educational intervention significantly reduces LDL cholesterol in Anglo-American adults.

For Anglo-American adults, a family-based program focusing on reducing saturated fats and sodium can significantly improve LDL cholesterol levels.

Maintaining traditional ethnic diets can offer protective nutritional benefits (e.g., higher fruit/vegetable intake, plant-based proteins) but may also introduce risks (e.g., high sodium, saturated fats) if traditional foods are substituted with processed versions available in the host country.

Don't assume all traditional foods are healthy. Check the sodium and fat content of your ethnic staples. If you can't find authentic ingredients, try to recreate dishes from scratch using whole foods rather than relying on processed ethnic products which may be high in sodium and fat.

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.

The trans-10,cis-12 isomer of CLA is responsible for the modulation of body composition (reduction in body fat), whereas the cis-9,trans-11 isomer has no effect on body fat reduction.

When selecting a CLA supplement, ensure it contains the trans-10,cis-12 isomer, as this is the specific isomer responsible for body composition changes. The naturally occurring cis-9,trans-11 isomer found in dairy does not share this property.

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.

An isocaloric diet enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) significantly reduces hepatic fat content in type 2 diabetic patients, independent of weight loss or aerobic exercise.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and high liver fat, switching to a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (like olive oil, nuts, avocados) while keeping your total calories the same can significantly reduce liver fat, even if you don't lose weight. This effect was stronger than a high-carb/high-fiber diet and occurred regardless of whether you exercised. Focus on the quality of your fats rather than just avoiding fat entirely.

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.

Females oxidize proportionately more lipid and less carbohydrate and protein (leucine) than males during moderate-intensity endurance exercise.

Women tend to burn more fat and spare more protein than men during moderate cardio. This is a natural metabolic adaptation. You do not need to force high protein intake or high carb intake specifically for cardio recovery if you are exercising at moderate intensities.

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.

Post-exercise protein intake (approx. 20g) maximizes muscle protein synthesis, but its impact on strength or hypertrophy is equivocal if total daily protein intake is adequate.

Eat about 20 grams of high-quality protein after your workout to maximize muscle building. However, don't stress if you can't do it immediately; your total daily protein intake is more important for long-term strength and muscle gains.