Browse the evidence

Saturated fat intake increases HDL cholesterol and improves the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, which are robust markers of cardiovascular disease risk.

Saturated fat intake raises HDL cholesterol and improves the total-to-HDL ratio, which are important markers of heart disease risk. This suggests that focusing solely on lowering LDL may be an incomplete strategy for assessing cardiovascular health.

High intake of saturated fat is not associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease or mortality, and may be associated with lower total mortality and stroke risk in observational studies.

Observational data from large global cohorts suggests that saturated fat intake is not linked to higher heart disease or stroke risk, and may be linked to lower overall mortality. This challenges the standard advice to strictly limit these fats.

Semaglutide therapy alters energy partitioning, resulting in a greater proportion of fat-free mass loss relative to fat loss compared to predictions based on standard energy density models.

Semaglutide may cause you to lose more muscle mass relative to fat than standard dieting. Ensure you are consuming adequate protein and engaging in resistance training to mitigate this specific side effect.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning models can significantly improve the prediction of obesity prevalence and risk by analyzing complex interactions between behavioral, metabolic, and environmental data.

Be open to using wearable technology and health apps that use AI to predict your obesity risk. These tools can provide personalized insights into your lifestyle and metabolic health, helping you make better decisions.

Combining GLP-1 receptor agonists with myostatin or activin type II receptor inhibitors (e.g., bimagrumab, trevogrumab, garetosmab) preserves or increases lean mass while enhancing fat loss, addressing the risk of sarcopenia and metabolic slowdown associated with standard AOM therapy.

Current GLP-1 therapies can lead to muscle loss, which may hinder long-term weight maintenance. Emerging combination therapies that pair GLP-1 agonists with muscle-preserving antibodies (like bimagrumab or myostatin inhibitors) show promise in preclinical models for doubling fat loss while increasing lean mass. Patients should discuss these emerging options with their providers, especially if they are concerned about muscle loss.

Combined GIPR/GLP1R agonism lowers plasma triglyceride levels by increasing VLDL turnover (reduced hepatic VLDL-TG production and increased uptake by adipose tissue and liver).

Dual GIP/GLP-1 agonism improves lipid profiles by accelerating the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (VLDL). This suggests that patients on these therapies may see significant improvements in triglyceride levels, which is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Excessive protein intake (above recommended levels for amateurs) does not enhance muscle growth or strength outcomes in amateur bodybuilders and may lead to negative health effects such as kidney strain and increased body fat.

Stop overcomplicating your protein intake. If you are an amateur, you do not need extreme amounts of protein. The paper states that high protein does not enhance effects for amateurs and may cause health issues. Focus on a balanced diet with 1.6-1.8 g/kg of protein from whole foods. This is sufficient for muscle growth and avoids the risks of excessive supplementation.

A persistently low fat-to-energy ratio (FER) and high carbohydrate-to-energy ratio (CER) diet is not significantly associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or all-cause mortality after adjusting for social environment covariates.

Maintaining a diet lower in fat and higher in carbohydrates does not appear to increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or death, provided you account for social factors like income and urbanization. This challenges the idea that high-carb diets are inherently unhealthy.

Sex is a significant predictor of the disparity (range) between highest and lowest daily carbohydrate intakes during peak week, with males exhibiting a wider range than females.

If you are male, expect to cycle your carbohydrates more aggressively (higher highs and lower lows) during peak week than if you are female. The study found sex was the only significant factor predicting this disparity.

A bodybuilding-specific carbohydrate-loading protocol (following glycogen depletion) increases muscle thickness and body mass, but these changes are likely too small to exceed measurement error or daily biological fluctuations to be considered practically meaningful for aesthetics.

If you are an experienced bodybuilder, you can try a carbohydrate loading protocol (approx 9g/kg CHO on the final day after depletion) to potentially increase muscle thickness. However, do not expect guaranteed visual improvements, as the changes are small and may not be visible to judges. If you are a newer competitor, avoid this protocol due to the risk of negative effects (like obscuring definition) with little aesthetic reward. Always test your specific response to loading during training, not just before the show.

Saturated fat intake (8% of energy) is not associated with increased mortality or cardiovascular disease risk compared to higher fat intakes.

Do not fear saturated fat from whole food sources. The PURE study suggests that moderate saturated fat intake (around 8-10% of energy) is not associated with increased health risks. Focus on the overall quality of your diet, including the source of fats and carbohydrates.

Plasma fatty acid levels (specifically C16:0, C20:3 n-6, and C20:5 n-3) are independently associated with obesity risk in ethnic minority populations, whereas dietary fatty acid intake is not a consistent independent predictor.

For individuals in these ethnic groups, monitoring blood lipid profiles (specifically saturated and certain polyunsaturated fatty acids) may be more relevant for assessing obesity risk than tracking dietary fat intake alone. Specific fatty acids like C16:0, C20:3 n-6, and C20:5 n-3 were linked to higher obesity odds.

The correlation between dietary fatty acid intake and plasma fatty acid levels varies significantly by ethnicity, being positive in some groups (Bulang, Naxi) but absent in others (Hani, Wa).

Nutritional interventions targeting fatty acid intake may need to be tailored to specific ethnic backgrounds, as the link between what you eat and your blood fat levels is not universal.

Orlistat is the least effective registered anti-obesity drug for weight reduction and is associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects.

Orlistat (120 mg three times daily) is available but is considered the least effective registered option for weight loss and is associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects. It is typically used as a third-line treatment.

Restricting saturated fat intake does not consistently reduce cardiovascular disease risk and may be associated with lower mortality when replaced by carbohydrates, challenging blanket low-fat dietary guidelines.

Stop fearing saturated fat in whole foods like meat, dairy, and nuts. Current evidence suggests that restricting these foods does not lower heart disease risk and may be worse if you replace them with high-carbohydrate foods. Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods rather than isolating fat content.

Increased food intake during lockdown was primarily driven by increased consumption of bread and confectionary, with confectionary consumption increasing in 64.4% of those who ate more.

When food intake increases during lockdown, it is often driven by bread and confectionary. Be aware that even if you cook at home, the quality of food may shift towards carbohydrates.

Among Indian women with PCOS, adherence to a vegetarian diet is associated with significantly higher pro-inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, resistin) and lower anti-inflammatory markers (adiponectin) compared to non-vegetarian counterparts.

If you have PCOS and follow an Indian vegetarian diet, your inflammatory markers (like hs-CRP) might be higher than if you ate a non-vegetarian diet with more fat and protein. This doesn't mean you should stop being vegetarian, but it suggests that the specific high-carbohydrate, low-fat composition of traditional Indian vegetarian diets might not be optimal for inflammation in this specific group. Consider discussing macronutrient balance with a dietitian.

In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, lower intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), specifically from dairy products, is associated with persistently higher arterial stiffness (measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity) over a 5-year period.

For Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume low amounts of dairy, completely avoiding dairy products might not be beneficial for heart health. This study suggests that moderate dairy intake, which provides saturated fats and bioactive peptides, may help maintain arterial flexibility. However, this applies specifically to those with low baseline intake; those with high intake should still follow standard guidelines.

Obesity is associated with an 'obesity paradox' in end-stage renal disease, where higher BMI may correlate with lower mortality in dialysis patients, potentially due to greater muscle mass or nutritional reserves.

While obesity increases the risk of developing kidney disease, some studies show that obese patients on dialysis may live longer than thin patients. This 'obesity paradox' might be because they have more muscle mass or nutritional reserves to fight illness. However, preventing kidney disease by maintaining a healthy weight is still the best strategy.

Self-reported macronutrient intake (fat, carbs, protein, sugar) is not consistently associated with future hypothalamic gliosis in humans.

Unlike in animal studies, simply changing your macronutrient ratios (fat, carbs, protein) doesn't seem to predict brain inflammation in humans. Focus on overall metabolic health rather than obsessing over specific macronutrient percentages for brain health.

In rural Indian populations, coronary artery disease risk is not significantly associated with total carbohydrate or fat intake, but is linked to poor intake of fruits and vegetables.

If you are concerned about heart health, do not obsess over total fat or carbohydrate grams. Instead, prioritize increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, as low intake of these foods is associated with higher CAD risk in rural populations.

Higher carbohydrate intake is significantly associated with single vessel disease (SVD) compared to normal coronaries, but not with double or triple vessel disease.

For individuals with early-stage heart disease (single vessel), monitoring carbohydrate intake may be relevant, whereas it may be less critical for advanced disease stages in this population.

High dietary linoleic acid intake inhibits the conversion of short-chain omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) to long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) by inhibiting delta-desaturase enzyme activity.

If you consume high amounts of seed oils, your body's ability to convert plant-based omega-3s (ALA) into active forms (EPA/DHA) is reduced. Consider direct sources of EPA/DHA if you are not consuming fish.

Chronic carbohydrate overload combined with a sedentary lifestyle causes redox dysregulation, contributing to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

If you are sedentary, eating large amounts of carbohydrates can disrupt your body's antioxidant balance and increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. Reducing carbohydrate intake or increasing physical activity may help mitigate this risk.