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Daily protein intake of ≥1.2 g/kg/day is likely superior to the standard RDA of 0.8 g/kg/day for supporting muscle mass and strength gains in older adults undergoing resistance training.

Eat at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. This is higher than the standard government recommendation and is necessary to build or maintain muscle as you age, especially when you exercise.

Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from nuts (specifically cashews) improves lipid profiles (increases HDL) and reduces blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients.

Add 30 grams of cashews to your daily diet. This specific amount of MUFA-rich nuts has been shown in clinical trials to improve 'good' cholesterol (HDL) and lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. It is a simple, effective swap for less healthy fats.

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.

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) are superior to low-fat diets (LFDs) for improving glycemic control (HbA1c) and reducing body weight in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients, with benefits persisting for up to 1.5 years for HbA1c and 2 years for HDL-C, though weight loss benefits diminish after 2 years.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, switching to a low-carbohydrate diet (less than 130g carbs per day) is likely to lower your blood sugar (HbA1c) and help you lose more weight than a standard low-fat diet. These benefits for blood sugar and good cholesterol (HDL) can last for 1.5 to 2 years. However, be aware that the extra weight loss you get from cutting carbs tends to fade after 2 years, so long-term adherence is key. Contrary to common fears, this approach did not show worse heart or kidney markers compared to low-fat diets in this review.

Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets (VLCDs, <10% energy or 20-50g carbs) produce significantly greater weight loss than standard Low-Carbohydrate Diets (LCDs) or Low-Fat Diets (LFDs) in T2DM patients.

If you are willing to restrict carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day (less than 10% of your calories), you can expect significantly more weight loss (nearly 9.5 kg more than low-fat diets) than with standard low-carb or low-fat approaches. This is the most effective dietary strategy for weight loss in T2DM patients identified in this review, though maintaining such strict limits long-term is challenging.

Low-carbohydrate diets improve cardiovascular risk factors (Triglycerides and HDL-C) compared to low-fat diets in T2DM patients, with benefits for HDL-C persisting up to 2 years.

Switching to a low-carb diet helps improve your blood fats. It lowers Triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol more effectively than a low-fat diet. These heart-healthy changes can last for up to 2 years. Importantly, this improvement happens without negatively affecting your LDL (bad) cholesterol or blood pressure compared to low-fat diets.

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.

Reducing overall carbohydrate intake, particularly to very low-carbohydrate levels (<26% of calories), demonstrates the most evidence for improving glycemia (A1C) and reducing medication needs in adults with type 2 diabetes, especially in the short term (3-6 months).

If you have type 2 diabetes and struggle with blood sugar control, try reducing your carbohydrate intake. Very low-carb diets (under 26% of calories) often lower A1C faster in the first few months. However, you must work with your doctor to adjust your diabetes medications to avoid low blood sugar. This approach is viable for many, but long-term results may be similar to other healthy diets.

Consuming casein protein (~30-40 g) before sleep increases muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate overnight without affecting lipolysis.

If you want to support muscle growth overnight, have 30-40 grams of casein protein (like cottage cheese or a casein shake) right before bed.

Higher intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a dose-response manner.

Avoid trans fatty acids. This meta-analysis confirms that higher TFA intake increases CVD risk, with a 16% increase in risk for every 2% of daily energy intake from TFA. Unlike total fat, saturated fat, or unsaturated fats, TFA shows a clear harmful dose-response relationship.

High-protein diets (1-1.2 g/kg/day) aid in weight loss maintenance by increasing satiety and preserving lean body mass.

To maintain your weight loss, aim for 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your ideal body weight daily. This helps you feel full and keeps your muscle mass. If you have kidney disease, consult your doctor first.

Carbohydrate intake should be periodized ('fuel for the work required') based on the daily fuel cost of exercise rather than a fixed macronutrient ratio, ensuring high availability for high-intensity/long-duration sessions and lower availability for low-intensity/short sessions.

Stop counting carbs as a fixed percentage of your diet. Instead, match your carbohydrate intake to your daily training load. On heavy training days or long sessions, eat more carbs. On rest days or light recovery sessions, eat fewer carbs. This is called 'fueling for the work required'.

High carbohydrate availability is required for sessions involving higher intensity workloads, optimal performance, or maximizing recovery, whereas low carbohydrate availability may be sufficient for light or low-moderate intensity exercise.

Eat high carbohydrates before and during hard workouts, long runs, or races to ensure you can perform well and recover. On easy recovery days or short light sessions, you can eat fewer carbohydrates without compromising performance.

For Asian-Indian populations, reducing carbohydrate intake from 65-75% to 50-55% of total calories, while increasing protein to 20-25% and healthy fats to 20-30%, significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

If you are of Asian-Indian descent, your current diet likely provides 65-75% of your calories from carbohydrates, which significantly increases your risk of diabetes, especially if you carry weight around your midsection. To protect your health, shift your plate composition: aim for 50-55% of calories from complex carbs (like brown rice, whole grains, and vegetables), 20-25% from protein (legumes, pulses, or lean meats), and 20-30% from healthy fats (nuts, seeds, mustard/groundnut oil). This balance is more effective for prevention than extreme low-carb or high-carb approaches.

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.

Vegetarian and vegan diets provide sufficient protein and amino acids for adults when they include a variety of plant-based protein sources such as legumes, nuts, and seeds.

If you are eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, ensure you include protein-rich plant foods like legumes, nuts, and seeds in your daily meals. You do not need to obsess over combining specific proteins at every single meal; simply eating a variety of these foods throughout the day is sufficient to meet your protein and amino acid needs.

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.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. They are a major source of added sugar and increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Replace them with water, unsweetened tea, or sparkling water. If you need a sweet taste, low-calorie sweetened beverages are a better option than soda, but water is best.

Older adults require a per-meal protein dose of approximately 0.4 g/kg (or ≥30g of high-quality protein) to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which is higher than the threshold for younger adults.

If you are over 60, aim for at least 30 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or whey) at every main meal. This specific amount is required to trigger maximum muscle building signals, which your body needs more of as you age compared to when you were younger.