Browse the evidence

High-glycemic carbohydrates and added sugars drive obesity and chronic disease risk through hormonal and metabolic mechanisms independent of total caloric intake, whereas calorie-matched low-carbohydrate diets increase energy expenditure compared to low-fat diets.

Focus on reducing added sugars and refined grains (high-glycemic carbohydrates) rather than just counting calories. Prioritize whole foods like proteins, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, as these appear to support better metabolic health and weight management compared to calorie-matched low-fat diets high in processed carbs.

Ketogenic, Mediterranean, and DASH diets are effective for preventing atherosclerosis due to their low carbohydrate content, high vegetable/fruit/berry content, and antioxidant richness.

Adopt a Ketogenic, Mediterranean, or DASH diet to prevent atherosclerosis. Focus on low-carbohydrate, high-vegetable, fruit, and antioxidant-rich foods.

Diets based largely on plant foods promote health and longevity, whereas the specific macronutrient ratios proposed for Paleolithic diets (high protein, low carbohydrate) are not supported by sufficient evidence to define a genetically determined optimal diet.

Focus on eating a diet where plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains) make up the majority of your intake. Do not worry about replicating specific high-protein or low-carb ratios attributed to the Paleolithic era, as the evidence for those specific numbers is weak. Prioritize plant abundance for health and longevity.

Higher intake of fish and shellfish is associated with a decreased risk of incident symptomatic peripheral arterial disease in individuals with diabetes mellitus.

If you have diabetes, try to include more fish and shellfish in your diet. This study suggests that eating more of these foods over time might help lower your risk of developing peripheral arterial disease, a condition that affects blood flow to your limbs. While the statistical evidence was borderline, it aligns with broader recommendations for heart-healthy eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet.

Higher intake of fat and animal protein is associated with lower mortality, while higher carbohydrate intake increases mortality, according to the PURE trial.

According to the PURE trial, replacing refined carbohydrates with fats and animal protein may be associated with lower mortality, while fruits, vegetables, and legumes remain beneficial.

Low-carbohydrate diets improve favorable cardiovascular risk markers (Triglycerides and HDL) compared to low-fat diets, but worsen LDL cholesterol levels.

If you switch to a low-carb diet, expect your HDL (good cholesterol) to go up and Triglycerides to go down, which is good. However, your LDL (bad cholesterol) may rise compared to a low-fat diet. You should monitor your full lipid panel and discuss these trade-offs with your doctor, as the net cardiovascular benefit is unclear.

In patients with diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet improves hemoglobin A1c levels more than a conventional low-fat diet, independent of weight loss.

If you have diabetes, a very low-carbohydrate diet may help lower your average blood sugar (HbA1c) more effectively than a standard low-fat diet, even if you lose the same amount of weight. However, this benefit was observed in a smaller subgroup and requires careful monitoring.

Atkins diet produces greater short-term weight loss than control or counseling, but long-term (12 months) efficacy is modest (0.1-2.9% greater) and similar to other diets.

The Atkins diet can help you lose weight in the short term, but its long-term (12-month) benefit is modest and similar to other diets. If you prefer a low-carbohydrate approach, it may work for you, but don't expect it to be a magic bullet. Focus on adherence and sustainable habits.

A 6-month vegan low-carbohydrate diet (26% carbohydrate, 43% fat, 31% protein) produces greater LDL-C reduction and modestly greater weight loss compared to a high-carbohydrate lacto-ovo vegetarian diet in hyperlipidaemic adults.

To lower LDL-C and lose weight, try a vegan low-carb diet focusing on soy, gluten (seitan), nuts, and vegetable oils while restricting carbohydrates to about 26% of your calories. Ensure you are in a caloric deficit (approx. 60% of estimated needs) and prioritize these specific plant-based macronutrients over animal products or high-starch vegetables.

Reduced carbohydrate diets specifically lower triglycerides, whereas low-fat diets do not significantly reduce triglycerides despite similar weight loss.

If you have high triglycerides, a reduced-carbohydrate diet may offer a specific metabolic advantage over a low-fat diet, even if your weight loss is the same. This can improve your cardiovascular risk profile.

Post-starvation refeeding with a restricted diet (800 cal) leads to rapid reaccumulation of lean tissue (water and protein) while continuing to lose fat, resulting in a net fat loss rate higher than during the starvation phase itself.

After a period of fasting, do not binge. Return to a moderate calorie deficit (e.g., 800 calories). This study shows that your body will rapidly restore water and muscle mass while burning fat at a rate higher than during the fast itself. The 'rebound' is actually a fat-burning advantage if you maintain the deficit.

Low-carbohydrate diets improve long-term cardiovascular risk factors (specifically triglycerides and HDL cholesterol) compared to balanced diets, despite no long-term difference in weight loss.

Even if your weight stabilizes to match a balanced diet after a year, your blood lipid profile may improve on a low-carb diet. Specifically, expect lower triglycerides and higher HDL ('good') cholesterol, which are positive markers for heart health.

A nutritionally balanced, moderately energy-restricted diet (55% carb, 30% fat, 15% protein) induces a metabolic shift in obese women from carbohydrate oxidation to lipid oxidation over a 10-week period.

For obese women, a 10-week diet providing 55% carbs, 30% fat, and 15% protein, set 500 calories below maintenance, successfully shifts the body's fuel preference from burning sugar to burning fat. This shift occurs alongside a modest but significant weight loss of about 4.3 kg, suggesting that balanced moderate restriction is an effective strategy for improving metabolic flexibility without extreme hunger.

Seven days of a short-term ketogenic diet (KD) in endurance-trained males significantly increases maximal fat oxidation rates (approx. 1.8-fold) and shifts substrate utilization toward fat, while simultaneously causing a loss of both fat mass and fat-free mass.

If you are an endurance athlete, switching to a strict ketogenic diet for just one week will significantly boost your body's ability to burn fat during exercise. However, expect to lose about 2.4 kg of body weight, which includes both fat and some fat-free mass (likely partly water/glycogen). Your maximal power output and aerobic capacity remain unchanged in the short term, but be aware that high-intensity performance may suffer in longer-term adaptations not captured here.

Recent weight losers (≥10% loss within the past year) achieve weight loss primarily through reduced fat intake and increased physical activity, without necessarily reducing absolute total calorie intake compared to overweight/obese individuals.

If you are recently trying to lose weight, focus on reducing your fat intake and increasing your physical activity. You may not need to drastically cut total calories; simply swapping high-fat foods for lower-fat options and moving more can be effective.

Polyglucosamine (a low molecular weight chitosan) produces significantly greater weight loss and BMI reduction than orlistat 60 mg when both are used alongside caloric restriction and increased physical activity, likely due to its ability to limit both fat and carbohydrate absorption.

Take 4 polyglucosamine tablets daily with your meals while maintaining a moderate calorie deficit (approx. 500 kcal less than usual) and doing about an hour of moderate exercise daily. This study suggests this combination leads to significantly more weight loss and BMI reduction than taking orlistat 60mg under the same conditions. The benefit may be particularly strong if your diet is high in carbohydrates.

Polyglucosamine may be more effective than orlistat for weight loss in populations with high carbohydrate intake (e.g., Italian diets) because it limits both fat and carbohydrate absorption, whereas orlistat primarily limits fat absorption.

If your diet is high in carbohydrates (like pasta or bread), polyglucosamine might offer a weight loss advantage over orlistat because it appears to block the absorption of both fats and carbs, while orlistat only blocks fats. This is based on a secondary observation in this study, not the primary result.

Very low-calorie ketogenic diets (VLCKDs) containing whey or vegetable proteins reduce visceral adipose tissue (VAT) more effectively than those containing animal proteins, while also promoting a healthier gut microbiota composition (increased Bacteroidetes, decreased Firmicutes).

If you are using a very low-calorie ketogenic diet for visceral fat loss, choose whey or vegetable proteins over animal proteins. This study suggests you will lose more belly fat, have better gut health, and avoid potential kidney stress markers compared to animal-based protein sources. Ensure your total calories remain under 800 kcal/day for the first 45 days.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is inversely correlated with BMI and age, with younger adults (18-30) showing higher adherence and lower BMI compared to older and younger populations.

Young adults (18-30) tend to adhere better to the Mediterranean Diet and maintain lower BMIs. If you are older, you may need to put in more conscious effort to maintain this adherence. Focus on increasing fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish while reducing red meat and sweets.

A high dietary fat intake is associated with oxidative stress and activation of proinflammatory transcription factors, whereas a diet rich in fruits and fiber has no inflammation-inducing capacity.

Reduce high-fat foods to lower inflammation. Focus on fruits and fiber, which do not trigger inflammatory responses even if calorie content is similar.

Higher dietary protein intake in athletes positively correlates with increased gut microbial diversity and specific taxa abundance, such as Akkermansia.

Increasing protein intake, particularly from sources like whey protein supplements common in athletic diets, may support a more diverse gut microbiome, including beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia. This is observed in high-performing athletes.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with significantly lower levels of BMI, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and blood glucose compared to omnivorous diets.

Switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet is linked to lower body weight, better cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar. These benefits are seen in many observational studies.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a significantly reduced incidence of total cancer compared to omnivorous diets.

Following a vegetarian or vegan diet is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer. The risk reduction is modest but significant.

Higher protein doses (up to 2 g/kg/day) may be appropriate for persons with severe illness, injury, or pro-inflammatory/catabolic states.

If you have a severe illness, injury, or are in a catabolic state, your protein intake might need to be increased to up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight, but this should be determined by your healthcare provider.