Browse the evidence

Older adults require higher per-meal doses of high-quality, nutrient-dense protein (NDP) to overcome age-related anabolic resistance and maximize muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Older adults should aim for 30-45 grams of high-quality protein (like eggs, meat, or dairy) at each main meal, paired with resistance exercise. This higher dose is necessary to overcome the body's reduced sensitivity to protein as we age, helping to preserve muscle mass and strength. Focus on nutrient-dense sources rather than just quantity.

Endurance athletes require a daily protein intake of approximately 1.8 g/kg body mass per day, which may increase to >2.0 g/kg/day during carbohydrate-restricted training or on rest days.

Aim for 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. If you are doing low-carb training sessions or taking rest days, bump this up to over 2.0 grams per kilogram. This helps your body repair muscle and replace amino acids lost during exercise.

Reducing saturated fat intake significantly improves lipid profiles (Total Cholesterol and LDL-C) and body weight metrics in adults.

Lowering saturated fat intake not only helps your heart but also tends to lower your LDL ('bad') cholesterol and total cholesterol, and may help with modest weight loss. This is achieved by swapping high-saturated-fat foods for healthier unsaturated fat sources or plant-based alternatives.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet improves liver steatosis and metabolic parameters, and is the only diet pattern recommended as potential therapy for MASLD by major scientific societies.

Adopt a Mediterranean diet pattern: fill half your plate with vegetables, use olive oil as your primary fat, eat whole grains, and include fish and legumes regularly. Limit red meat and sweets. This pattern is the only one officially recommended for treating MASLD because it improves liver fat, blood sugar, and cholesterol simultaneously.

Older adults require protein intakes 50–100% higher than the standard RDA (~0.8 g/kg/day) to overcome anabolic resistance and preserve muscle mass.

If you are older, the standard protein recommendation is likely too low to stop muscle loss. Aim for roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, and combine this with regular resistance and aerobic exercise to effectively preserve your muscle mass.

Diabetes-specific nutrition formulas (DSNFs) containing slowly-digestible carbohydrates and healthy fats significantly reduce postprandial glucose and insulin excursions compared to standard formulas or isocaloric test meals in patients with type 2 diabetes.

For Type 2 Diabetes, replacing one or two meals/snacks daily with a Diabetes-Specific Nutrition Formula (DSNF) can significantly improve blood sugar control compared to standard formulas or regular food. Look for formulas with slowly-digestible carbs and healthy fats. Dosing should be tailored to your weight and current blood sugar levels, typically 1-3 servings per day.

A Mediterranean-style diet with high unsaturated fats and low carbohydrates reduces epicardial fat volume, whereas a standard low-calorie diet and exercise alone do not.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet (high in unsaturated fats, low in carbs) can reduce epicardial fat in obese HFpEF patients, even without significant weight loss. Combine this with physical activity for best results. Avoid standard low-calorie diets if they do not reduce EAT.

Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) reduces cardiovascular event risk by 17% and offers greater protection than replacing them with carbohydrates.

Replace saturated fats (found in animal products and tropical oils) with polyunsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils). This substitution reduces your risk of cardiovascular events by 17% and is more effective for heart health than replacing fat with carbohydrates.

High intake of simple sugars and refined grains is strongly associated with long-term weight gain and type 2 diabetes, particularly through sugary beverages.

Cut back on sugary beverages, white bread, white rice, and candy. These foods are strongly linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Replace them with whole grains and high-fiber foods to improve your metabolic health.

High protein intake (up to 1.6 g/kg/day) combined with strength training significantly improves muscle mass and strength in middle-aged and older adults.

If you are strength training, aim for 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. This amount, combined with strength training, significantly improves muscle mass and strength, especially in older adults.

Increasing total protein intake from 0.5 to 3.5 g/kg body weight per day increases lean body mass in a dose-response manner, with the greatest efficiency observed below 1.3 g/kg/day.

To maximize muscle mass, increase your daily protein intake to between 0.5 and 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. You will see the biggest gains per gram of protein when you are below 1.3 g/kg. If you are already eating above 1.3 g/kg, adding more protein still helps, but the returns get smaller unless you are also doing resistance training. Aim for this intake consistently over several months.

Peri-operative essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation significantly reduces muscle atrophy in quadriceps and hamstring muscles following total joint arthroplasty.

If you are having knee or hip replacement surgery, ask your care team about essential amino acid (EAA) or protein supplementation. The evidence suggests this helps preserve muscle mass in your legs during recovery, which is critical for mobility. While it may not instantly boost strength, it prevents the rapid muscle loss common after surgery.

Higher dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), specifically oleic acid, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) is associated with a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

To lower your cardiovascular disease risk, prioritize foods rich in monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, avocados, nuts) and omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish like salmon, sardines). The study suggests that the specific type of fat you eat matters more than the total amount of fat, as total fat and saturated fat intake showed no significant link to CVD risk in this population.

Daily protein intake of ≥1.2 g/kg/day is likely superior to the standard RDA of 0.8 g/kg/day for supporting muscle mass and strength gains in older adults undergoing resistance training.

Eat at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. This is higher than the standard government recommendation and is necessary to build or maintain muscle as you age, especially when you exercise.

Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from nuts (specifically cashews) improves lipid profiles (increases HDL) and reduces blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients.

Add 30 grams of cashews to your daily diet. This specific amount of MUFA-rich nuts has been shown in clinical trials to improve 'good' cholesterol (HDL) and lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. It is a simple, effective swap for less healthy fats.

For untrained older adults engaging in resistance training, a daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg body weight significantly increases skeletal muscle mass and strength compared to the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg, without causing adverse effects on liver or kidney function.

If you are an older adult starting resistance training, aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Spread this out across your meals (e.g., 0.4 g/kg per meal) to maximize muscle growth. This amount is safe for your kidneys and liver if you are healthy, and it will help you build more muscle and strength than the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg.

The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) significantly improves liver health biomarkers (ALT, liver stiffness, and MRI-PDFF) in individuals with MASLD.

Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet significantly improves liver health in people with MASLD, lowering liver enzymes, reducing liver stiffness, and decreasing liver fat content. Studies lasted from 3 to 24 months, showing consistent benefits. This dietary pattern is a strong, evidence-based first-line approach for managing liver health.

A very-low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet (Atkins) produces significantly greater weight loss and more favorable metabolic risk factor changes at 12 months compared to low-carbohydrate (Zone), low-fat/high-carbohydrate (LEARN), and very-low-fat (Ornish) diets in overweight premenopausal women.

If you are an overweight premenopausal woman looking to lose weight, a very-low-carbohydrate diet (like Atkins) may offer greater weight loss and better metabolic improvements (like lower triglycerides and blood pressure) compared to low-carb, low-fat, or high-carb diets over a 12-month period. Focus on restricting carbohydrates to 20-50g per day, ensuring adequate protein and fat intake, and participating in structured support programs to maintain adherence.

A healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLCD) combined with caloric restriction produces greater fat mass loss than caloric restriction alone in adults with overweight or obesity.

To lose fat effectively, try a healthy low-carb diet that cuts calories by about 25%. Focus on getting 30% of your calories from carbs (like whole grains and veggies), 50% from healthy fats (like nuts, oils, and avocados), and 20% from plant proteins. This approach helps you lose more fat than just eating less without changing what you eat.

Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) are superior to low-fat diets (LFDs) for improving glycemic control (HbA1c) and reducing body weight in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients, with benefits persisting for up to 1.5 years for HbA1c and 2 years for HDL-C, though weight loss benefits diminish after 2 years.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, switching to a low-carbohydrate diet (less than 130g carbs per day) is likely to lower your blood sugar (HbA1c) and help you lose more weight than a standard low-fat diet. These benefits for blood sugar and good cholesterol (HDL) can last for 1.5 to 2 years. However, be aware that the extra weight loss you get from cutting carbs tends to fade after 2 years, so long-term adherence is key. Contrary to common fears, this approach did not show worse heart or kidney markers compared to low-fat diets in this review.

Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets (VLCDs, <10% energy or 20-50g carbs) produce significantly greater weight loss than standard Low-Carbohydrate Diets (LCDs) or Low-Fat Diets (LFDs) in T2DM patients.

If you are willing to restrict carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day (less than 10% of your calories), you can expect significantly more weight loss (nearly 9.5 kg more than low-fat diets) than with standard low-carb or low-fat approaches. This is the most effective dietary strategy for weight loss in T2DM patients identified in this review, though maintaining such strict limits long-term is challenging.

Low-carbohydrate diets improve cardiovascular risk factors (Triglycerides and HDL-C) compared to low-fat diets in T2DM patients, with benefits for HDL-C persisting up to 2 years.

Switching to a low-carb diet helps improve your blood fats. It lowers Triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol more effectively than a low-fat diet. These heart-healthy changes can last for up to 2 years. Importantly, this improvement happens without negatively affecting your LDL (bad) cholesterol or blood pressure compared to low-fat diets.

Dietary factors, including high consumption of refined grains, sugar, fats, and liquid calories, contribute to obesity by increasing caloric intake.

Reduce consumption of sugary beverages, processed foods, and refined grains. Focus on whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to manage caloric intake and improve health.

Reducing overall carbohydrate intake, particularly to very low-carbohydrate levels (<26% of calories), demonstrates the most evidence for improving glycemia (A1C) and reducing medication needs in adults with type 2 diabetes, especially in the short term (3-6 months).

If you have type 2 diabetes and struggle with blood sugar control, try reducing your carbohydrate intake. Very low-carb diets (under 26% of calories) often lower A1C faster in the first few months. However, you must work with your doctor to adjust your diabetes medications to avoid low blood sugar. This approach is viable for many, but long-term results may be similar to other healthy diets.