Browse the evidence

Vitamin C and Vitamin E supplementation have limited ability to offset EIMD-induced decrements in muscle function and may even delay recovery.

Avoid high-dose Vitamin C and E supplements for muscle recovery. They do not improve muscle function and may actually slow down your recovery process.

Gut microbiome composition, specifically the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and the presence of Akkermansia muciniphila, influences obesity and diabetes risk through mechanisms involving short-chain fatty acid production, bile acid metabolism, and gut permeability.

Focus on a diet that supports a healthy gut microbiome, including fiber and diverse plant foods, as this influences the ratio of beneficial bacteria. While probiotics show some promise, they are not a standalone solution for obesity or diabetes.

Methionine restriction (MetR) extends lifespan across multiple species, including yeast, worms, flies, and mammals, by modulating methionine metabolism pathways and methyltransferase activity.

Restricting dietary methionine has been shown to extend lifespan in various model organisms. This involves reducing intake of methionine-rich foods. The exact mechanism involves modulating methionine metabolism and methyltransferase activity, potentially through reducing translation rates, modifying gene expression, or inducing hormetic responses.

Regulation of methyltransferases and the SAM/SAH ratio plays a crucial role in lifespan extension by methionine restriction.

Maintaining a healthy balance of SAM and SAH levels may be important for longevity. This can be influenced by dietary methionine intake and genetic factors affecting methionine metabolism.

Point-of-use micronutrient powders (MNPs) effectively reduce anemia and iron deficiency in children aged 6-24 months, but do not significantly impact growth.

For children aged 6-24 months in low-resource settings, use daily micronutrient powders (MNPs) sprinkled on food to prevent anemia and iron deficiency. Do not expect these powders to improve the child's height or weight.

Zinc deficiency is a widespread public health problem in low- and middle-income countries, with prevalence often exceeding 20% in various physiological groups, as measured by plasma zinc concentration.

In many low- and middle-income countries, zinc deficiency is a major public health issue affecting over 20% of the population in various groups. Public health efforts should prioritize screening and intervention, especially for women and children, using plasma zinc concentration as a key indicator.

Augmentation of NAD+ levels via precursors (NR or NMN) restores mitophagy and extends lifespan in Werner syndrome models.

For individuals with genetic conditions affecting DNA repair (like Werner Syndrome) or those seeking to mitigate age-related metabolic decline, supplementing with NAD+ precursors like Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) or Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) can restore cellular energy metabolism and extend healthspan. This is achieved by boosting NAD+ levels, which activates mitophagy (clearing of damaged mitochondria) via the DCT-1 and ULK-1 pathways, thereby delaying aging phenotypes.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) acts as a potent antioxidant that regenerates Vitamin E and prevents lipid peroxidation, thereby protecting cell membranes and DNA from oxidative damage.

Eat fruits high in Vitamin C, such as strawberries, oranges, and black currants, to support your body's antioxidant defenses and protect cells from damage.

Higher plasma levels of branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine, valine, leucine) are causally associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Monitor plasma amino acid levels if you have metabolic risk factors. High levels may signal insulin resistance.

LCHF diets may increase mortality risk and cause adverse effects on cardiovascular and gut health due to reduced fiber intake and high fat content.

Be cautious with long-term LCHF diets. They may increase your risk of mortality and harm your gut health due to low fiber. Prioritize a diet rich in fiber and whole grains for long-term cardiovascular and gut health.

Loss of proteostasis, characterized by the accumulation of abnormal proteins due to decreased cellular capacity to degrade them, is a hallmark of aging and contributes to age-related pathologies like neurodegenerative diseases.

As we age, our cells become less efficient at cleaning up damaged proteins, leading to accumulation that can cause diseases like Alzheimer's. Maintaining cellular 'housekeeping' through healthy lifestyle choices (like exercise and diet) may help support these natural degradation pathways.

Oral zinc supplementation may decrease the absorption of certain drugs, including ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and risedronate.

If you take ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, or risedronate, separate your zinc supplementation from these medications by a few hours to ensure proper drug absorption.

Immune-modulating nutrition (supplementation with glutamine, arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants) does not improve outcomes in general critically ill patients and may increase mortality, although it may benefit specific subgroups like severe burn patients.

Do not routinely use immune-modulating supplements (glutamine, arginine, omega-3s) for general critically ill patients. These supplements have been shown to increase mortality or provide no benefit in large trials. They may be considered for specific subgroups like severe burn patients, but this requires specialist judgment.

Supplementation with high-dose Vitamin E and/or Vitamin C blunts skeletal muscle adaptations to endurance and resistance training, including mitochondrial biogenesis and hypertrophy signaling pathways, without improving performance metrics like VO2max.

If you are training to improve fitness or build muscle, avoid high-dose Vitamin C and E supplements. They block the cellular signals your body needs to adapt to exercise. Instead, get your antioxidants from whole foods like fruits and vegetables, which support health without interfering with your training progress.

PPARα and FXR have opposing effects on autophagy: PPARα induces autophagy during fasting to recover nutrients, while FXR suppresses it during the fed state.

Your body uses autophagy (cellular recycling) to recover nutrients when you are fasting, driven by PPARα. When you eat, FXR suppresses this process. This natural cycle suggests that intermittent fasting may leverage this mechanism to clear cellular debris and recover nutrients, provided the fasting periods are sufficient to trigger PPARα activation.

High-dose phenolic compound supplementation can exhibit pro-oxidant effects and cause toxicity, including liver damage and accelerated tumorigenesis, in certain contexts.

Avoid high-dose polyphenol supplements. While dietary sources are safe, concentrated supplements can become pro-oxidant and cause liver stress or other toxic effects.

Iodine supplementation during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum periods corrects maternal iodine insufficiency but shows no significant benefit for preventing preterm birth, low birthweight, or improving child neurodevelopment.

If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, iodine supplementation is recommended to correct iodine deficiency, which is common. However, do not expect this supplementation to prevent preterm birth, low birth weight, or significantly boost your child's intelligence or motor development beyond what is achieved by correcting the deficiency. Stick to recommended prenatal doses.

Daily supplementation with 400 IU or less of vitamin D and 1000 mg or less of calcium provides no benefit for the primary prevention of fractures in community-dwelling, postmenopausal women.

If you are a postmenopausal woman living independently (not in a nursing home) and do not have diagnosed osteoporosis or vitamin D deficiency, you should not take daily supplements of 400 IU vitamin D and 1000 mg calcium specifically to prevent fractures. Current evidence shows this combination does not reduce fracture risk and may increase the risk of kidney stones. Focus on diet and exercise instead.

Supplementation with vitamin D and calcium increases the incidence of kidney stones in community-dwelling adults.

Be aware that taking combined vitamin D and calcium supplements increases your risk of developing kidney stones. While the absolute risk is small (about 1 extra case per 273 women over 7 years), it is a confirmed side effect. If you are not deficient, the risks may outweigh the unproven benefits.

Non-nutritive sweeteners are less acidogenic than sugar and may increase oral pH, potentially reducing the risk of dental caries.

If you are concerned about tooth decay, switching from sugar-sweetened drinks to those with non-nutritive sweeteners is a beneficial change. The research indicates that NNSs produce less acid in the mouth than sugar, leading to a higher oral pH which is protective against cavities.

Supplementation with NAD+ intermediates (NMN or NR) restores declining NAD+ levels in aged animals, thereby reversing age-associated metabolic dysfunction, improving mitochondrial function, and extending healthspan.

Aging is associated with a measurable drop in cellular NAD+, which impairs energy metabolism and mitochondrial function. Supplementing with precursors like Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) or Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) can restore NAD+ levels. In animal studies, this restoration reverses metabolic dysfunction, improves energy expenditure, and enhances physical activity, suggesting a viable strategy to mitigate age-related decline.

Melatonin acts as a potent antioxidant by scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, protecting against oxidative stress, and enhancing mitochondrial efficiency, independent of receptor binding.

Melatonin's role as an antioxidant helps protect cells from damage caused by stress and metabolism. This function supports overall cellular health and may be particularly relevant for brain health and aging, as melatonin protects against mitochondrial dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in serum are increased by Lactobacilli supplementation and mediate the improvement of hepatic mitochondrial function and systemic glucose metabolism.

Lactobacilli supplementation increases serum glutathione, a key antioxidant. This increase helps protect liver mitochondria from damage caused by high sugar/fat diets, thereby improving blood sugar control. This highlights the importance of antioxidant pathways in metabolic health.

Choline metabolism by gut bacteria into Trimethylamine (TMA) and subsequently Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) contributes to NAFLD by decreasing VLDL export and promoting insulin resistance.

Be cautious with high-dose choline supplements if you have NAFLD. Your gut bacteria may convert it to TMAO, which is linked to liver steatosis and insulin resistance.