Browse the evidence

Emotional eating is associated with the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods (sugary and high-fat snacks), contributing to weight gain.

Emotional eaters tend to choose high-fat, sugary snacks when stressed. To mitigate weight gain, be aware that your food choices under stress are likely to be energy-dense. Planning healthier snacks or strategies to manage stress directly can reduce the intake of these specific food types.

Nutrition interventions targeting 25-30 kcal/kg/day energy and 1.0-1.5 g/kg/day protein intake can prevent or attenuate low muscle mass (MM) in cancer patients, though current evidence is limited by short intervention durations and lack of oncology-specific study designs.

For cancer patients, maintaining adequate energy (25-30 kcal/kg/day) and protein (1.0-1.5 g/kg/day) intake is crucial to prevent muscle loss. While evidence is still evolving, these targets are recommended to support treatment tolerance and recovery. Be patient, as muscle restoration takes time, and focus on consistent intake rather than quick fixes.

Supplementation with Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), specifically leucine (2-4 g/day), may help ameliorate muscle loss in cancer by promoting protein synthesis, though long-term effects on muscle mass require further investigation.

BCAA supplements, particularly those high in leucine (2-4g/day), may support muscle protein synthesis in cancer patients. However, they are not a standalone solution for gaining muscle mass and should be part of a broader nutritional strategy including adequate total protein and energy.

β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation (3 g/day) may help improve body composition in cancer patients, particularly those with smaller initial weight loss, by minimizing protein degradation.

HMB supplements (3g/day), often combined with arginine and glutamine, may help gain lean mass in cancer patients, especially those who haven't lost much weight yet. It may not be effective for patients with severe cachexia.

Dietary patterns, specifically the source of protein (vegetable vs. meat), influence plasma glycine levels more than total glycine intake, with vegetable proteins associated with higher circulating glycine compared to meat proteins.

If you are trying to improve metabolic health, consider the source of your protein. Plant-based proteins are associated with higher circulating glycine levels compared to meat proteins, which may offer some protection against type 2 diabetes risk.

Consumption of saturated fatty acids reduces slow-wave sleep duration and increases nighttime awakenings, whereas consumption of unsaturated fatty acids (specifically from fatty fish) improves sleep regulation and increases drowsiness.

Replace saturated fats (fried foods, animal fats) with unsaturated fats, particularly omega-3s from fatty fish like salmon or mackerel. This shift may help you stay asleep longer and improve sleep quality.

In non-septic critically ill patients, early high protein intake (≥1.2 g/kg/day) is associated with significantly lower hospital mortality, whereas energy overfeeding is associated with higher mortality.

For critically ill patients without sepsis, aim for at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of pre-admission body weight daily, starting early (by day 4). Crucially, do not overfeed energy; match energy intake to measured energy expenditure to avoid the increased mortality risk associated with overfeeding. This strategy is not recommended for septic patients based on this data.

Certain probiotic strains (e.g., Lactobacillus plantarum PH04, Bifidobacterium Bb-12) significantly reduce total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic individuals.

If you have high cholesterol, incorporating specific probiotic-rich foods (like yogurt with Bifidobacterium Bb-12 or Lactobacillus plantarum) may help lower your LDL and triglycerides. The paper suggests that fermented foods might be more effective than capsules.

The modern western diet's high sodium-to-potassium ratio contributes to hypertension, stroke, and other chronic diseases.

Check your sodium-to-potassium ratio. The typical western diet has too much sodium (from processed foods and added salt) and too little potassium (from fruits and vegetables). To support healthy blood pressure, increase your intake of potassium-rich whole foods like leafy greens, fruits, and tubers, and reduce processed foods high in added salt.

A net acid-yielding western diet (high in meat, dairy, grains, salt) compared to a net base-yielding hunter-gatherer diet (high in fruits, vegetables, tubers) contributes to osteoporosis and sarcopenia through chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis.

To support bone and muscle health, balance your diet's acid load. Reduce net acid-yielding foods like hard cheeses, cereal grains, and processed meats. Increase net base-yielding foods like fruits, vegetables, and tubers. This helps mitigate chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis, which can leach calcium from bones and break down muscle.

Dietary changes during confinement, specifically increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and decreased protein intake, contribute to sarcopenia by inducing anabolic resistance and promoting fat gain.

Prioritize protein-rich foods over ultra-processed comfort foods during stressful times. Low protein intake directly reduces your body's ability to build and maintain muscle, even if you are exercising.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) during lockdown was associated with lower BMI and reduced perception of weight gain, suggesting MD may mitigate pandemic-related metabolic stress.

Focus on the core components of the Mediterranean Diet (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, olive oil, fish) even during stressful periods. This pattern is associated with lower body weight and reduced perception of weight gain, potentially offering metabolic protection against pandemic-related stress.

Regular consumption of soy products (tofu, miso) provides isoflavones and polyunsaturated fats that may lower LDL cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

Incorporate soy products like tofu and miso into your diet. They are good sources of protein, polyunsaturated fats, and isoflavones, which may help lower LDL cholesterol.

High consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA) is associated with negative effects on cognitive function and increased risk of dementia, whereas high intake of monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly n-3 PUFA, is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline.

Prioritize unsaturated fats over saturated fats for brain health. Use olive oil as your primary cooking fat (high in MUFA) and consume fatty fish regularly (high in n-3 PUFA). Limit intake of saturated fats found in meat and full-fat dairy products, as they are associated with higher cognitive decline risk.

Australian native microalgae (Scenedesmus sp., Dunaliella sp., and CPC) provide high-quality protein with Essential Amino Acid Index (EAAI) scores indicating 'high' quality, surpassing the 'good' or 'useful' quality of commercial Chlorella and Spirulina products.

When choosing a microalgal protein supplement, look for Australian native species like Scenedesmus sp. or Dunaliella sp. They offer 'high' quality protein with better essential amino acid profiles than many commercial Spirulina or Chlorella products, which are rated 'good' or 'useful'.

Dietary factors such as high phosphorus (from soft drinks and processed foods) and high calcium intake increase magnesium requirements and exacerbate magnesium deficiency.

If you consume a lot of soda, processed meats, or take calcium supplements, you may need more magnesium. Modern diets have shifted the calcium-to-magnesium ratio significantly higher, which can worsen magnesium deficiency. Balance your intake by reducing processed foods high in phosphoric acid and ensuring you get enough magnesium from whole foods.

Supplementation with 2.2 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) per day during first-line chemotherapy prevents weight loss and maintains skeletal muscle mass in patients with non-small cell lung cancer compared to standard of care.

For lung cancer patients starting chemotherapy, taking 2.2 grams of EPA daily from fish oil helps maintain weight and muscle mass, which is critical for survival and treatment tolerance. This should start immediately with chemotherapy.

Higher consumption of added sugars (defined as caloric sweeteners in processed foods) is associated with adverse lipid profiles, specifically lower HDL-C, higher triglycerides, and higher triglyceride-to-HDL-C ratios in US adults.

If you consume a high percentage of your calories from added sugars (sodas, sweets, processed foods), you likely have less favorable cholesterol levels (lower 'good' HDL, higher triglycerides) than someone who eats fewer added sugars. While this study doesn't prove cause-and-effect, it strongly suggests that reducing added sugars may improve your lipid profile, a key marker for heart health.

Dairy consumption is associated with small weight loss, decreased fat mass, and increased lean body mass, but does not reliably aid in weight loss through caloric restriction alone.

Dairy may help with body composition by preserving muscle and reducing fat, but it is not a magic weight-loss solution. Focus on overall diet quality.

A high-monounsaturated-fat diet improves insulin sensitivity compared to a high-saturated-fat diet, but this benefit disappears if total fat intake exceeds 38% of total energy.

Choose monounsaturated fats (like olive oil, nuts) over saturated fats to improve insulin sensitivity. However, keep your total fat intake moderate (under 38% of calories). If you eat too much fat, even healthy fat, you lose this benefit.

Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) generally exhibit lower energy, total fat, and saturated fat content, but higher fiber and carbohydrate content compared to animal meat, though they often contain higher sodium levels and have lower amino acid bioavailability.

When choosing plant-based meat alternatives, expect lower saturated fat and higher fiber compared to animal meat, but be mindful of potentially higher sodium levels. Note that protein quality (bioavailability) may be lower than animal meat, so variety in protein sources is important. These products are not nutritionally identical to meat.

Consumption of Chlorella and Spirulina provides high-quality proteins and essential amino acids (lysine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, valine) that contribute to high nutritional quality, potentially superior to conventional plant sources like soy.

Use Chlorella or Spirulina as a protein supplement to meet your daily protein needs. They offer a high protein content (over 50% dry weight) and all essential amino acids, making them a viable alternative to soy or animal proteins. Look for products like powders or tablets to easily integrate them into your diet.

Training in a low carbohydrate state ('train low') may improve fat oxidation pathways but reduces the ability to generate maximal power and may negatively affect race outcomes in high-intensity situations.

If you try training with low carbohydrates, do it on easy, low-intensity days to boost fat burning. Do NOT do this before or during high-intensity workouts or races, as it will likely hurt your speed and performance. Prioritize carbohydrates for your hard efforts.

Lockdown led to a shift towards 'Western-type' and 'Free Sugars' dietary patterns, characterized by increased consumption of sweets, salty snacks, and energy drinks, and decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Be mindful of your food choices during stressful times. The study found that lockdown often leads to increased consumption of sweets, salty snacks, and sugary drinks, while decreasing fruit and vegetable intake. Try to maintain a balance and prioritize whole foods.