Browse the evidence

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.

Increased food intake during lockdown was primarily driven by increased consumption of bread and confectionary, with confectionary consumption increasing in 64.4% of those who ate more.

When food intake increases during lockdown, it is often driven by bread and confectionary. Be aware that even if you cook at home, the quality of food may shift towards carbohydrates.

Among Indian women with PCOS, adherence to a vegetarian diet is associated with significantly higher pro-inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, resistin) and lower anti-inflammatory markers (adiponectin) compared to non-vegetarian counterparts.

If you have PCOS and follow an Indian vegetarian diet, your inflammatory markers (like hs-CRP) might be higher than if you ate a non-vegetarian diet with more fat and protein. This doesn't mean you should stop being vegetarian, but it suggests that the specific high-carbohydrate, low-fat composition of traditional Indian vegetarian diets might not be optimal for inflammation in this specific group. Consider discussing macronutrient balance with a dietitian.

In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes, lower intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), specifically from dairy products, is associated with persistently higher arterial stiffness (measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity) over a 5-year period.

For Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume low amounts of dairy, completely avoiding dairy products might not be beneficial for heart health. This study suggests that moderate dairy intake, which provides saturated fats and bioactive peptides, may help maintain arterial flexibility. However, this applies specifically to those with low baseline intake; those with high intake should still follow standard guidelines.

Obesity is associated with an 'obesity paradox' in end-stage renal disease, where higher BMI may correlate with lower mortality in dialysis patients, potentially due to greater muscle mass or nutritional reserves.

While obesity increases the risk of developing kidney disease, some studies show that obese patients on dialysis may live longer than thin patients. This 'obesity paradox' might be because they have more muscle mass or nutritional reserves to fight illness. However, preventing kidney disease by maintaining a healthy weight is still the best strategy.

Self-reported macronutrient intake (fat, carbs, protein, sugar) is not consistently associated with future hypothalamic gliosis in humans.

Unlike in animal studies, simply changing your macronutrient ratios (fat, carbs, protein) doesn't seem to predict brain inflammation in humans. Focus on overall metabolic health rather than obsessing over specific macronutrient percentages for brain health.

In rural Indian populations, coronary artery disease risk is not significantly associated with total carbohydrate or fat intake, but is linked to poor intake of fruits and vegetables.

If you are concerned about heart health, do not obsess over total fat or carbohydrate grams. Instead, prioritize increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, as low intake of these foods is associated with higher CAD risk in rural populations.

Higher carbohydrate intake is significantly associated with single vessel disease (SVD) compared to normal coronaries, but not with double or triple vessel disease.

For individuals with early-stage heart disease (single vessel), monitoring carbohydrate intake may be relevant, whereas it may be less critical for advanced disease stages in this population.

Abstinence from alcohol (no drinks per day) is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome compared to moderate consumption (one to three drinks per day).

If you do not drink alcohol, you are not at higher risk for metabolic syndrome than moderate drinkers. The study's finding that moderate drinkers had lower risk than abstainers is observational and does not imply that non-drinkers should start drinking. Focus on maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.

High dietary linoleic acid intake inhibits the conversion of short-chain omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) to long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) by inhibiting delta-desaturase enzyme activity.

If you consume high amounts of seed oils, your body's ability to convert plant-based omega-3s (ALA) into active forms (EPA/DHA) is reduced. Consider direct sources of EPA/DHA if you are not consuming fish.

Chronic carbohydrate overload combined with a sedentary lifestyle causes redox dysregulation, contributing to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

If you are sedentary, eating large amounts of carbohydrates can disrupt your body's antioxidant balance and increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. Reducing carbohydrate intake or increasing physical activity may help mitigate this risk.

Soy protein intake does not significantly impact total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or triglycerides in individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Increasing soy protein intake is not an effective strategy for lowering cholesterol in patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia. The evidence shows no significant benefit for LDL or triglycerides compared to standard diets.

A decrease in the dietary protein fraction (dilution by carbs/fat) triggers compensatory energy intake via protein leverage, potentially explaining a significant portion of the US obesity epidemic.

Ensure your diet has a sufficient proportion of protein relative to total calories. If you are eating a diet high in carbs and fats, you may need to eat more total food to get enough protein, which can lead to weight gain. Prioritize protein density to avoid this compensatory overeating.

Peanut protein supplementation (30g/day) does not significantly enhance resistance training adaptations (strength, hypertrophy, or myofibrillar protein synthesis) in younger adults compared to a control group.

If you are a younger adult starting resistance training, adding 30g of peanut protein daily on top of your training will not give you extra muscle or strength benefits compared to not taking it. It is not harmful, but it is not a magic bullet for hypertrophy in this demographic. Focus on your training and overall protein intake rather than specific plant-based supplements for enhanced results.

Women are more susceptible to the association between dietary cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol levels than men.

Women in this population show a stronger link between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels than men. Women may benefit from paying closer attention to cholesterol intake levels.

Dietary fatty acids (Saturated, Monounsaturated, and Polyunsaturated) are not significantly associated with serum lipid concentrations in this population.

In this population, changing saturated or unsaturated fat intake did not significantly change blood cholesterol levels. Focus may be better placed on dietary cholesterol intake.

Genotype-matched dietary interventions (low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate) may not consistently predict weight loss success in postmenopausal women compared to general overweight populations.

Do not rely solely on genetic testing to dictate whether you should eat low-fat or low-carb. Focus on sustainable dietary patterns like DASH or MED, as genotype matching has not consistently proven superior for weight loss in recent large studies.

Protein supplementation provides no additional performance benefit over resistance training alone for resistance-trained athletes who consume adequate dietary protein.

If you are already eating enough protein from food to support your training, adding protein supplements will not make you stronger or bigger than training alone. Focus on your resistance training program and a balanced diet. If you struggle to meet protein needs through food, supplements can help, but they are not a magic performance booster.

Other protein supplements (soy, casein, pea, rice, etc.) do not show statistically significant differences in muscle strength or fat-free mass gains compared to placebo in healthy adults undergoing resistance training.

If you are using other protein supplements like soy, casein, or pea protein, they may not provide significant additional benefits for muscle strength or mass gains compared to a placebo. Focus on collagen or whey if you want to maximize your results.

GLP-1 receptor agonist pharmacotherapy in older adults causes significant loss of lean skeletal muscle mass (approx. 26-40% of total weight lost), which independently predicts adverse outcomes including mortality, functional decline, and frailty.

If you are an older adult using GLP-1 medications, do not focus solely on the number on the scale. The medication causes you to lose muscle along with fat, which can lead to frailty and higher mortality. You must actively counteract this by combining your medication with resistance exercise and adequate protein intake to preserve your muscle mass.

Rapid and significant weight loss induced by Tirzepatide leads to aesthetic changes, including facial volume loss ('Ozempic face'), skin laxity, and altered collagen structure, which are secondary to fat loss rather than direct drug toxicity.

Significant weight loss can cause your face to look older or saggy due to loss of facial fat. This is a side effect of the weight loss, not the drug itself. Eating enough protein and vitamins (like D and B12) during treatment may help maintain skin health.

In Korean adults, adherence to a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) is associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome, primarily because LCDs in this population often substitute refined carbohydrates with processed meats and animal fats rather than healthy unsaturated fats.

If you are Korean or have an East Asian metabolic profile, simply reducing carbohydrates may not lower your metabolic syndrome risk and could potentially increase it if you replace rice with processed meats or unhealthy fats. Focus on the quality of your diet—choosing whole grains, unsaturated fats, and lean proteins—rather than just cutting carbs.

There is no significant difference between various macronutrient dietary groups (VLCLP, MCLP, MCHP, etc.) in their ability to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, or total cholesterol compared to a moderate fat-low protein (MFLP) control diet.

Do not expect that switching to a specific macronutrient ratio (like Keto or Low Fat) will significantly lower your blood pressure, blood glucose, or total cholesterol compared to a standard moderate-fat diet. The evidence for these specific outcomes is weak and shows no clear winner among the diets studied.

High consumption of carbohydrates, specifically from cereals and starchy roots, is consistently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including raised blood pressure, CVD mortality, and raised blood glucose, across global populations.

Focus on reducing the proportion of energy derived from high-glycemic carbohydrates, particularly cereals (like wheat) and starchy roots, as this is consistently linked to higher cardiovascular risk globally. This does not necessarily mean eliminating these foods, but rather managing their quantity and type relative to other macronutrients.