Browse the evidence

Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a lower risk of ischemic heart disease and cancer, as well as lower mortality from cardiovascular diseases, compared to omnivorous diets.

Incorporating more plant-based foods and reducing meat intake may lower your risk of heart disease and cancer. This is a long-term lifestyle shift rather than a quick fix.

Higher dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is associated with a lower risk of heart disease mortality in adults without prior myocardial infarction, whereas saturated (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) show no such association.

For heart health prevention, focus on increasing polyunsaturated fats (found in fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils) rather than just cutting saturated fats. This benefit appears strongest for people who have not yet had a heart attack. If you have existing heart disease, dietary changes alone may not be sufficient to reduce mortality risk, and medical management is critical.

GLP-1RA users often underconsume protein relative to their increased needs for preserving lean mass during rapid weight loss, despite protein percentage of calories being within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR).

Even if your protein percentage looks fine, you are likely not eating enough grams of protein to protect your muscles while losing weight rapidly on GLP-1RA. Aim for 1.2-2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight daily. Prioritize lean protein sources in every small meal.

For resistance-trained individuals, a moderate protein intake of 1.8 g/kg/day is sufficient for recovery and performance maintenance during repeated intensive training, as a high intake of 2.9 g/kg/day provides no additional benefit when peri-exercise protein timing is controlled.

If you are a regular strength trainer, aim for 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. You do not need to push this to 2.9 g/kg for better recovery, especially if you are consuming protein around your workouts. Focus on hitting the 1.8 g/kg target consistently rather than over-consuming.

Adherence to a dietary pattern high in seaweeds, vegetables, soy products, and mushrooms is associated with lower use of diabetes medication and healthier lifestyle behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

For T2DM patients, prioritizing a diet rich in seaweeds, vegetables, soy, and mushrooms is linked to better metabolic management and lower medication needs. This pattern emphasizes whole plant foods and soy, which may improve glucose metabolism and reduce insulin resistance through fiber and phytoestrogens. It is not just about eating less, but eating specific nutrient-dense foods.

A dietary pattern high in noodles and soup is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), elevated liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT), and higher triglyceride levels in T2DM patients.

High consumption of noodles and soups in T2DM patients is linked to higher BMI, liver stress (elevated enzymes), and high triglycerides. This is likely due to the high carbohydrate content of noodles combined with high fat content in soups. Reducing the frequency of this pattern or modifying the preparation (less oil) may improve these markers.

High intake of added fructose (from processed foods/beverages) is significantly associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome in healthy adults, whereas high intake of natural fructose (from fruits/vegetables) is not.

Distinguish between your sources of sugar. The study links high intake of added fructose (found in processed foods and sweetened beverages) to a significantly higher risk of metabolic syndrome. However, high intake of natural fructose from whole foods like fruits and vegetables was not associated with this risk. Prioritize reducing added sugars from industrialized foods while maintaining fruit and vegetable intake.

Recreational athletes can maintain endurance and muscular strength performance on predominantly plant-based diets (whole food or meat alternatives) compared to an omnivorous diet, provided protein and carbohydrate intake meet standard sports nutrition recommendations.

If you are a recreational athlete, you do not need to eat meat to maintain your running speed or strength. You can switch to a whole-food plant-based diet or use plant-based meat alternatives (like Beyond or Impossible burgers) as long as you eat enough protein (0.8-1.2g/kg/day) and carbohydrates (3-5g/kg/day). Ensure you are eating enough total calories and maintaining your training routine.

Myostatin-activin pathway inhibitors (MAPi), specifically bimagrumab, can reduce fat mass while preserving or increasing lean mass, offering a potential solution to the lean mass loss associated with GLP-1 agonists.

If you are concerned about losing muscle on weight loss drugs, ask your doctor about Myostatin-Activin Pathway Inhibitors (MAPi) like bimagrumab. In studies, this drug helped patients lose fat while actually gaining muscle. It is currently being studied in combination with GLP-1 drugs.

Higher total dietary protein intake is positively associated with greater grip strength in adults aged 19+ years, with animal protein showing a stronger association than plant protein.

To support muscle strength, aim for higher total protein intake, prioritizing animal sources like dairy, meat, and eggs, especially if you are over 50. Plant proteins help, but animal proteins seem to offer a stronger boost to grip strength.

Consuming more than 20g of dietary protein at two or more meals per day is associated with higher grip strength compared to consuming less than 20g at zero meals.

Try to include at least 20g of protein in two or more of your daily meals. This pattern is linked to stronger grip strength, suggesting better muscle maintenance.

Post-exercise protein ingestion stimulates myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis (MPS) but has little to no effect on mitochondrial MPS rates during recovery from endurance exercise.

Eat protein after your endurance workout to help repair muscle fibers. However, don't expect it to directly boost your mitochondrial energy production; that is driven more by the exercise itself.

Reducing saturated fat intake significantly reduces combined cardiovascular events in adults, with moderate certainty of evidence.

To lower your risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, consider reducing your intake of saturated fats (found in red meat, full-fat dairy, and tropical oils) and replacing them with unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fish). This change is supported by moderate-quality evidence from randomized trials and shows a significant reduction in combined cardiovascular events, even if it doesn't immediately change your risk of death.

Omega-3 supplementation combined with aerobic exercise may enhance fat loss compared to exercise alone, primarily by upregulating lipid oxidative enzymes and downregulating lipogenic gene expression via PPAR-α activation.

If you are doing regular aerobic exercise, adding Omega-3s (around 3-6g/day of fish oil) might give you a slight edge in fat loss compared to exercise alone. However, do not expect dramatic results if you are not exercising or eating in a caloric deficit. The evidence is mixed, so prioritize your training and diet first.

In carriers of the BDNF rs10835211 GG genotype, high carbohydrate intake (>48% of energy) is associated with lower fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass compared to lower intake, whereas high fiber intake (>18g/day) is associated with higher fat-free mass but also higher total cholesterol and LDL-C.

If you carry the BDNF rs10835211 GG genotype, your body composition response to macronutrients differs from the general population. High carbohydrate intake (>48% of calories) may be associated with lower muscle mass in this group. However, ensuring adequate fiber intake (>18g/day) may support higher fat-free mass, though it was also linked to higher cholesterol in this specific study. Focus on fiber-rich carbohydrate sources and monitor lipid profiles.

In BDNF rs10835211 GG genotype carriers, high protein intake (>18% of energy) is associated with higher waist circumference, BMI, body fat, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), while high fat intake (>30% of energy) is associated with higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and HDL-C.

If you carry the BDNF rs10835211 GG genotype, be cautious with high-protein (>18% energy) and high-fat (>30% energy) diets. This study links these intake levels in this group to higher waist circumference, visceral fat, and insulin resistance. Consider balancing these macros and monitoring waist circumference and fasting insulin.

Adherence to a ketogenic-like diet (KLD) results in a transient increase in LDL cholesterol but a sustained improvement in the triglyceride-to-HDL ratio (log(TG/HDL)), indicating a shift toward a less atherogenic LDL profile compared to ultra low-fat diets (ULF).

If you follow a very low-carb diet and see your LDL cholesterol rise, do not automatically assume your heart risk has increased. Look at your Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio; if it has improved significantly, it suggests your LDL particles have become larger and less harmful, which is a positive metabolic shift. Maintain your diet quality by minimizing added sugars and refined grains.

Moderate consumption of dairy products, particularly fermented dairy like yogurt, is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk and lower long-term weight gain, contrary to historical concerns about saturated fat.

You can include moderate amounts of dairy in your diet, especially fermented options like yogurt and cheese. They are linked to lower cardiovascular risk and weight gain. Avoid very high intake (>1000g/day).

Replacing animal protein with plant protein in the diet is associated with lower cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality, particularly when substituting processed red meat.

To support long-term heart health and longevity, prioritize plant-based protein sources (legumes, grains, nuts) over animal sources, especially processed red meats. You do not need to eliminate animal protein, but shifting the balance toward plants is linked to lower mortality risk. Ensure you are eating a variety of plant proteins to cover essential amino acid needs.

The combination of Baduanjin and a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective than Baduanjin alone at improving lipid metabolism (reducing Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides) in overweight individuals with drug addiction.

If lipid management is a priority, adding a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs/day) to a Baduanjin exercise routine yields better cholesterol and triglyceride results than exercise alone after 8 weeks.

Among dietary components contributing to the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), carbohydrate, vitamin C, and iron have the greatest impact on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk, while vitamin D, alcohol, and monounsaturated fatty acids have the least impact.

To lower your DII and potentially reduce CHD risk, prioritize managing carbohydrate intake, ensuring adequate Vitamin C and Iron, while noting that alcohol and monounsaturated fats had less impact on CHD risk in this specific analysis.

Higher consumption of favorable food groups (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables) and physical activity are associated with normal lipid profiles at baseline.

To support healthy lipid levels, prioritize consuming more nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and engage in regular physical activity. These habits are strongly associated with better lipid profiles.

Adopting a low-carbohydrate diet (higher fat/protein, lower carbs) does not increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in Japanese adults, and may significantly reduce it in men when the fat source is vegetable-based.

If you are Japanese or have similar metabolic traits (high visceral fat, lower insulin secretion capacity), switching to a diet with lower carbohydrates and higher fats/proteins is not likely to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, if your fats come from vegetable sources (like nuts, seeds, oils), it may significantly lower your risk, especially in men. This contradicts generalizations from Western studies that often involve higher red meat consumption.

The source of fat and protein in a low-carbohydrate diet matters: vegetable-based LCD scores are associated with reduced T2D risk in men, whereas animal-based LCD scores show no significant association with risk reduction.

If you are a Japanese man considering a low-carb diet, prioritize vegetable fats (like those from fish, nuts, and seeds) and vegetable proteins. This specific combination was linked to a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Simply cutting carbs and eating animal fats/proteins did not show the same benefit in this study.