Browse the evidence

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.

Increasing dietary protein intake alone does not overcome anabolic resistance in T2D, but protein supplementation combined with resistance exercise may improve lean mass gains compared to exercise alone.

For T2D patients, drinking protein shakes alone won't build muscle. However, if you are doing resistance training, adding a protein drink (especially with leucine) alongside your workout can help you gain a bit more lean mass than exercise alone. Aim for adequate daily protein (1.2-1.6 g/kg) and consider post-workout supplementation.

Current dietary guidelines (RDA of 0.8 g/kg) may be insufficient for older adults to prevent muscle loss, but exceeding this amount alone does not significantly improve strength or performance without resistance training.

As you age, you might need more protein to maintain muscle, but just eating more protein won't make you stronger. You must combine adequate protein with resistance training to preserve strength and function. Exceeding recommended amounts without exercise offers little extra benefit.

In patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, protein intake below 1 g/kg/day is independently associated with positive sarcopenia screening, higher fat mass index, and lower relative skeletal muscle index.

If you have mild to moderate Parkinson's, ensure you are eating at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This study links lower intake to loss of muscle strength and increased body fat. Talk to your doctor about timing your protein intake around your medication to maximize both drug effectiveness and muscle health.

A personalized ketogenic diet (≤20g carbs/day) induces rapid fat loss and preserves skeletal muscle mass in the short term (3 months), but long-term adherence drops significantly after the initial phase.

Start with a strict limit of 20g carbs daily, focusing on healthy fats and moderate protein. Expect rapid fat loss in the first 3 months, but be prepared for a drop-off in motivation. To stay on track, monitor ketones, manage electrolytes to avoid 'keto flu', and work with a professional to adjust calories if weight loss stalls.

Household food insecurity is independently associated with higher odds of low muscle mass in U.S. adults, with lower total protein intake acting as a significant partial mediator of this association.

If you are experiencing food insecurity, prioritize protein intake as much as possible, as it is a key factor in maintaining muscle mass. While you cannot control food availability, focusing on protein-rich foods within your budget may help mitigate muscle loss.

High polygenic risk for obesity interacts with specific nutrient intakes (particularly saturated fat and trans fat) to accentuate BMI increases, whereas omega-3 intake may attenuate this genetic susceptibility.

If you have a high genetic risk for obesity, the quality of fat you eat matters more than you might think. Prioritize omega-3 fatty acids and minimize trans fats and saturated fats, as these nutrients can significantly blunt the BMI-increasing effects of your genetic predisposition. Total fat quantity alone is less predictive than fat type.

Body composition-targeted agents (e.g., bimagrumab) preserve or increase lean mass while reducing fat mass, addressing the functional decline associated with rapid weight loss.

If you are concerned about losing muscle while losing weight, ask your doctor about body composition-targeted therapies. Drugs like bimagrumab are designed to burn fat while building or preserving muscle, which helps maintain strength and function.

In 60–65-year-old women, skeletal muscle mass is independently predicted by protein intake per kilogram of body weight, whereas in men of the same age, muscle mass is associated with protein intake and hard leisure-time physical activity, but not other dietary factors.

For seniors aged 60-65, maintaining muscle mass requires sex-specific strategies. Women should focus on adequate protein intake per kg of body weight combined with moderate health-related physical activity, as other nutrients like magnesium and phosphorus also play a role. Men should prioritize total protein intake and engage in harder, vigorous leisure-time physical activity, as other dietary factors do not significantly predict muscle mass in this group.

Regular meal patterns and larger, less frequent meals maximize the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) compared to irregular or frequent small meals.

Try eating fewer, larger meals rather than grazing throughout the day. Regular, larger meals may trigger a higher thermic effect of food (more calories burned during digestion) and help manage hunger signals better than frequent small snacks.

GLP-1 based therapies (Retatrutide, Ebenatide) cause significant muscle mass loss at higher doses, whereas lower doses or standard GLP-1 agonists preserve muscle mass better.

If you are using high-dose GLP-1 based therapies (like Retatrutide 8-12mg), be aware that you may lose more muscle than with lower doses or standard GLP-1s. This is a trade-off for greater fat loss. Prioritize protein intake and resistance training to protect your muscle mass, especially if you are older.

Orlistat, a pancreatic lipase inhibitor, promotes modest weight loss and improves gut microbiota diversity (increasing Akkermansia and Verrucomicrobia), but its efficacy is significantly lower than GLP-1 agonists.

Orlistat blocks fat absorption, leading to modest weight loss and improved gut bacteria diversity. However, it is significantly less effective than GLP-1 agonists. Side effects like bloating and diarrhea are common if dietary fat is not strictly limited.

Low-sodium diets are significantly associated with hypertension and dyslipidaemia management, but not significantly associated with diabetes in this population.

If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, reducing your sodium intake to under 2000mg per day is associated with better health outcomes. However, this specific restriction may not help manage diabetes.

Ketogenic and low-carbohydrate diets improve glycemic control and can induce remission, primarily through weight loss, though some benefits may occur independently of weight loss via reduced glycemic load.

A ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diet can significantly lower blood sugar and HbA1c, sometimes even without major weight loss. This is achieved by drastically reducing carbs and eating healthy fats. While weight loss often accompanies this and aids remission, the direct reduction in glycemic load is also beneficial. Monitor your lipid levels and ensure you are getting enough fiber and micronutrients.

Adopting a low-carbohydrate, high-fat dietary pattern (defined as carbohydrate energy ≤40-49% and fat energy ≥34-40%) is associated with a significantly lower triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a surrogate marker for insulin resistance, primarily through the reduction of fasting triglyceride levels.

To potentially improve your insulin resistance markers, consider shifting your energy intake to include fewer carbohydrates (around 40-49% of calories) and more fat (around 34-40% of calories). This shift is linked to lower triglyceride levels, which is a key component of insulin resistance. Focus on whole food sources for these macronutrients.

Gastrointestinal content reduction via low-fiber diets is a safe and effective first-line SBM strategy that can reduce body mass by 0.5-2% without impairing performance.

Start your cut 2-4 days before weigh-in by switching to a low-fiber diet (<10g fiber/day). Eat white rice, bread, eggs, meat, and oils. Avoid nuts, seeds, and high-fiber vegetables. This can safely reduce your body weight by 0.5-2% without affecting your hydration or energy levels.

GLP-1RAs and GIP/GLP-1RAs (liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) cause significant loss of fat-free (muscle) mass in older adults with sarcopenic obesity, posing a risk that may outweigh benefits if not managed.

If you are an older adult with sarcopenic obesity considering GLP-1 medications, expect to lose some muscle along with fat. To protect your strength, you must combine the medication with regular resistance exercise and eat enough protein (1.0-1.2g per kg of body weight). Work with your doctor to start slowly and monitor your function.

GLP-1RA therapy frequently leads to inadequate protein intake, resulting in loss of lean body mass and potential sarcopenia.

To prevent muscle loss while on GLP-1 medication, you must consciously prioritize protein in your diet. Aim for 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. If you are struggling to eat enough protein, consider high-protein food choices or supplements, and discuss this with your healthcare provider.

A Moderate Carbohydrate-Low Protein (MCLP) diet is the most effective macronutrient ratio for reducing triglycerides compared to a moderate fat-low protein (MFLP) control diet.

If your main health concern is high triglycerides rather than weight loss, a diet with moderate carbohydrates (30-50% of calories) and low protein (≤30% of calories) is likely more effective than very low-carb diets. This ratio outperforms standard moderate-fat diets for this specific lipid marker.

GLP-1RA users tend to overconsume saturated fat and total fat percentages, potentially exacerbating gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and constipation.

You are likely eating too much saturated fat, which can worsen nausea and constipation common with GLP-1RA. Try to shift some calories from fats to fiber-rich carbohydrates and protein to improve GI comfort and nutrient density.

Intravenous amino acid infusion improves muscle protein synthesis and reduces perioperative blood loss in total joint arthroplasty patients.

If your surgical team recommends intravenous amino acids during your joint replacement, it may help preserve muscle protein and reduce blood loss. This is a specific medical intervention that complements your surgery, not a substitute for post-operative nutrition.

Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat (LCHF) and Ketogenic diets do not significantly alter ALT levels in individuals with MASLD compared to control diets.

Current evidence from this meta-analysis does not support LCHF or Ketogenic diets as significantly effective for lowering liver enzymes (ALT) in people with MASLD compared to control diets. The wide variation in how 'low-carb' was defined across studies makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions, but it did not show the significant benefits seen with fasting or MedDiet.

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.

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.