Browse the evidence

Replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids (specifically cis-PUFAs or cis-MUFAs) significantly decreases total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

To lower LDL cholesterol, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Substituting just 1% of your daily energy from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (like oils from nuts/seeds/fish) can lower LDL by ~2 mg/dl.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, CRP) and improves gut microbiota composition, leading to weight loss and reduced systemic inflammation even without caloric restriction.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style diet—rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and olive oil—can reduce inflammation and promote modest weight loss, even if you don't strictly count calories. Focus on food quality and gut health.

Replacing saturated fatty acids (SFA) with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), specifically linoleic acid (LA) found in seed oils, reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and is safe for long-term consumption.

Follow established dietary guidelines: limit saturated fats (like butter and lard) and replace them with unsaturated fats, including seed oils (like soybean, corn, or canola oil), to support heart health. The scientific consensus supports the safety and benefit of these oils.

Carbohydrate-restricted diets (≤45% energy) significantly improve cardiovascular health by reducing triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers, despite modest increases in LDL and total cholesterol.

Adopting a diet with less than 45% of calories from carbs improves heart health markers like blood pressure and triglycerides. Even if your LDL cholesterol rises slightly, your overall cardiovascular risk likely decreases because your triglycerides drop, inflammation goes down, and your cholesterol ratios improve. This is especially true if you replace carbs with a mix of fats and proteins.

Ketogenic diets (≤10% carbs) produce greater weight loss but also greater increases in LDL and total cholesterol compared to moderate-carb diets (26-45% carbs).

If you choose a strict ketogenic diet (under 10% carbs), expect greater weight loss but also a significant rise in LDL and total cholesterol. If you want a balance of weight loss and heart health markers, a moderate-carb diet (26-45% carbs) might be a better choice.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Animal protein improves muscle mass compared to non-soy plant proteins (rice, chia, oat, potato) and plant-based diets, while soy protein is equivalent to milk protein for muscle mass.

If you are using plant protein, soy is just as good as animal protein for building muscle. Other plant proteins (rice, pea, oat, potato) may be less effective, so consider combining them or supplementing with soy or animal protein if muscle mass is a priority.

Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) cause disproportionate loss of lean mass (skeletal muscle), which may worsen frailty and functional capacity in heart failure patients, necessitating concurrent resistance training and protein intake.

When using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications for heart failure, be aware that you will lose muscle mass along with fat. To protect your strength and function, you MUST combine these medications with resistance training and ensure adequate protein intake. Monitor your functional capacity closely.

Adherence to a healthy vegan diet results in greater improvements in overall diet quality (HEI-2015) compared to a healthy omnivore diet, driven by higher intakes of fiber, legumes, and vegetables and lower intakes of added sugars and refined grains.

If you switch to a vegan diet, focus on increasing vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains while reducing added sugars and refined grains. This study shows that a well-structured vegan diet can improve overall diet quality more than a healthy omnivore diet. Start with delivered meals or meal planning support to build skills, then transition to self-prepared meals. Ensure you monitor Vitamin B12 levels as intake drops without animal products.

Maintaining a higher proportional energy intake from protein (by limiting discretionary foods) is associated with lower total energy intake and better 12-month weight loss maintenance, whereas diluting protein with high fat/carbohydrate leads to increased energy intake and weight regain via the protein leverage mechanism.

To maintain weight loss, prioritize foods that keep your protein percentage high relative to fats and carbs. Avoid 'discretionary' foods (sweets, processed snacks) which dilute protein concentration and trigger overeating. You don't necessarily need to increase total protein grams, but you must increase its proportion in your diet by reducing low-protein energy sources.

Combining GLP-1 receptor agonists with structured exercise (specifically resistance training) mitigates the loss of lean body mass associated with pharmacological weight loss, whereas GLP-1 agonists alone result in significant lean mass loss.

If you are on a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide or tirzepatide, you must incorporate resistance training (2-3 times per week) into your routine. The medication will cause you to lose muscle along with fat (up to 40% of weight loss). Resistance training preserves this muscle, maintaining your metabolism and strength. Combine this with moderate aerobic activity (150 mins/week) and adequate protein intake for the best long-term results.

Micellar casein (MC) consumed at sahur partially mitigates fasting-induced declines in anaerobic power (Wingate peak and mean power) and upper-body strength (bench press) in combat sport athletes during Ramadan, outperforming whey protein isolate and placebo.

If you are fasting for 11+ hours (like during Ramadan) and competing in anaerobic sports, take 0.4g/kg of Micellar Casein with your pre-dawn meal. This slow-digesting protein helps maintain your power output better than Whey Protein or no protein, though it won't fully restore you to fed-state levels.

Prioritizing protein intake maximizes the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), thereby increasing total energy expenditure compared to high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets at equal caloric levels.

To burn more calories through digestion, prioritize protein in your meals. Protein has a much higher thermic effect (20-30%) compared to fat (2-5%) and carbs (5-15%). This means you burn more energy just processing protein-rich foods.

Replacing 5% of total energy intake from saturated fatty acids (SFAs) with either monounsaturated (MUFAs) or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall mortality risk.

To lower your risk of death, swap 5% of your daily calories from saturated fats (found in red meat, butter, full-fat dairy) for unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). You do not need to eat less food; just change the source of the fat. For example, if you usually use butter on toast, switch to olive oil or avocado spread. This simple swap is linked to a 12-13% lower risk of mortality.

Higher intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) is associated with a reduced risk of overall mortality, whereas Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA) intake is positively associated with increased mortality risk.

Increase your intake of Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs) by eating more fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel), walnuts, and seeds. Simultaneously, reduce your intake of Saturated Fats (SFAs) found in red meat and full-fat dairy. This shift is associated with a lower risk of death.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes) is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (high intake of refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets) is associated with a significantly higher risk of these outcomes.

To lower your risk of dying from heart disease or other causes, prioritize whole plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Avoid relying on refined plant foods like white rice, sugary drinks, and sweets, as these are linked to higher mortality risk. You do not need to eliminate animal products to gain benefits, but the quality of your plant food intake is the critical factor.

Recreational athletes can maintain endurance and strength performance by switching to a well-planned plant-based diet without significant performance loss compared to an omnivore diet.

If you are a recreational athlete, switching to a plant-based diet does not require you to sacrifice performance. Ensure you are eating at least two servings of plant protein daily and meeting your overall calorie and carbohydrate needs. You may need to experiment with different plant protein sources (like whole foods vs. processed alternatives) to find what tastes good and keeps you satisfied.

Preservation of lean mass during GLP-1/GIP-induced weight loss requires high-quality protein distribution (1.2–1.5 g/kg/day) and resistance exercise to mitigate sarcopenia and maintain oncologic treatment tolerance.

To prevent muscle loss while on GLP-1/GIP drugs, eat 1.2–1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, spread across meals, and engage in regular resistance exercise.

Older adults require approximately 0.40 g/kg of high-quality protein per meal to maximize muscle protein synthesis, which is nearly double the 0.24 g/kg threshold sufficient for young adults.

To build or maintain muscle as you age, you cannot rely on the standard 'one size fits all' protein recommendation. You must eat roughly 0.4 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or whey) for every kilogram of your body weight at each meal. For most people, this means aiming for 25-30 grams of protein per meal, spread evenly throughout the day, rather than eating most of your protein at dinner.