Browse the evidence

Oral supplementation of mint extract (5 ml/kg body mass) taken one hour before exercise significantly reduces post-exercise blood lactate concentrations compared to placebo or control.

If you are a healthy, moderately active individual, taking 5 ml of mint extract per kg of body weight one hour before a high-intensity run (like 400m) may help clear blood lactate faster than doing nothing or drinking unsweetened tea. However, do not expect this to reduce muscle soreness.

In untrained individuals, high-intensity resistance exercise causes an immediate post-exercise increase in plasma sodium (Na+) concentration, and lower immediate Na+ levels are inversely correlated with higher delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) 24 hours later.

If you are new to resistance training, be aware that your body's sodium levels shift immediately after your workout. The study suggests that people who had smaller changes in sodium levels right after exercising actually felt more muscle soreness the next day. While this doesn't mean you should consume excessive sodium, it highlights that electrolyte balance (possibly via isotonic drinks) might help reduce post-workout pain for untrained individuals.

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based or Mediterranean diet and reducing ultra-processed foods can reverse or prevent chronic inflammatory conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and COPD) by correcting gut dysbiosis and lowering inflammatory markers like IL-6 and CRP, thereby potentially reducing susceptibility to severe COVID-19.

Shift your diet towards whole plant foods, vegetables, and fiber-rich options while minimizing ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and high-fat animal products. This approach supports a healthy microbiome and reduces systemic inflammation, which may lower your risk of severe outcomes from respiratory infections.

Omega-3 PUFA supplementation reduces total mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

If you have heart failure with a weak heart pump (reduced ejection fraction), taking fish oil supplements may help you live longer and avoid hospitalizations. It is a reasonable addition to your treatment plan. Ask your doctor if it's right for you.

High-fat, low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets are nutritionally inadequate and require supplementation to meet micronutrient needs.

If you follow a high-fat, low-carb diet, you are likely missing essential vitamins and minerals found in fruits, vegetables, and grains. You should consult a healthcare provider about supplementation to ensure you are getting enough vitamins E, A, B-complex, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and fiber.

High-protein diets (2-3x RDA) increase urinary calcium excretion and may predispose to bone loss, particularly with animal protein sources.

If you eat a lot of protein, especially meat, make sure you get enough calcium and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. This helps balance the acid load from protein and protects your bones. The risk is highest when protein intake is very high (2-3x the recommended amount).

Consumption of dairy products, particularly yogurt and cheese, is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, while the link to prostate cancer risk remains limited or specific to whole milk intake.

Incorporate yogurt and cheese into your diet to potentially lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. Focus on plain varieties to minimize added sugars. The calcium and bioactive compounds in dairy support long-term metabolic and digestive health.

Higher serum 25(OH)D levels (>=32 ng/ml) are associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.

Maintaining Vitamin D levels above 32 ng/ml may be associated with a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer, according to meta-analyses of observational studies.

Consumption of a pomegranate ellagitannin-enriched polyphenol supplement (POMx) at doses up to 1420 mg/day for 28 days is safe in overweight individuals with increased waist size, showing no serious adverse events or clinically significant changes in laboratory safety parameters.

If you are overweight with excess abdominal fat, a pomegranate polyphenol supplement (POMx) taken daily (710-1420 mg) for a month appears safe with no serious side effects. It provides the antioxidant benefits of pomegranate without the sugar found in juice. Consult a doctor before starting, especially if you have chronic conditions.

Supplementation with pomegranate ellagitannin-enriched polyphenol extract (POMx) significantly reduces plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and cardiovascular disease risk, in overweight individuals.

Taking 1000 mg of this specific pomegranate extract daily for a month may help reduce oxidative stress markers in your blood, which is associated with cardiovascular health. This benefit was observed even after accounting for slight weight gain. It is not a substitute for medical treatment for heart disease.

Both HyD and Vitamin D3 suppress markers of innate immunity, but HyD causes a significantly more pronounced suppression of specific inflammatory markers (eotaxin, IL-12, MCP-1, MIP-1b) due to its rapid elevation of 25(OH)D levels.

Both forms of Vitamin D reduce inflammation, but HyD does so more effectively for certain markers. If managing inflammation is a priority, HyD may offer a faster or stronger anti-inflammatory effect than standard Vitamin D3.

Specific individual fruits and vegetables have disparate effects on hypertension risk: Raisins, grapes, apples, pears, blueberries, avocados, broccoli, carrots, and tofu/soybeans are associated with lower risk, while cantaloupe, string beans, and brussels sprouts are associated with increased risk.

Not all fruits and vegetables affect blood pressure the same way. To lower your risk, prioritize eating raisins, grapes, apples, pears, blueberries, avocados, broccoli, carrots, and tofu/soybeans. Be aware that high consumption of cantaloupe, string beans, and brussels sprouts was associated with a higher risk of hypertension in this study, possibly due to cooking methods or other factors.

Protein ingestion during prolonged endurance exercise (>1h) may attenuate muscle protein breakdown and improve whole-body net protein balance, though its ergogenic value for performance is limited.

For events longer than 1 hour, consider adding a small amount of protein to your carbohydrate intake during exercise. This may help reduce muscle breakdown and improve your net protein balance, although it likely won't directly make you faster.

Supplementation with both EPA and DHA (approx. 2:1 ratio) for 8 weeks inhibits muscle strength deficit and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following eccentric exercise in untrained individuals.

If you want to use fish oil to help recover from tough workouts, you need to take it every day for at least 8 weeks before you expect results. Look for a supplement with roughly twice as much EPA as DHA (a 2:1 ratio). Taking just one type of omega-3 or waiting until you are sore to take it will likely not help.

Whole food matrices (e.g., whole milk, whole eggs) may enhance muscle protein synthesis rates compared to isolated protein fractions (e.g., skim milk, egg whites) due to synergistic non-protein components like fats and micronutrients.

If you can choose, eat the whole egg (yolk included) or whole milk rather than just egg whites or skim milk. The fats and vitamins in the yolk/milk fat may give your muscles a slight extra boost in building protein.

Dietary interventions targeting gut microbiota composition (e.g., prebiotics, probiotics, or specific fiber types) can improve glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in obese individuals, particularly by modulating the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and reducing pro-inflammatory bacterial species.

Focus on dietary fibers and fermented foods to support a healthy gut microbiome. This may help improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, which are key drivers of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA/DHA) reduce cardiovascular risk in observational studies, but randomized controlled trials of supplementation do not consistently show a reduction in major cardiovascular events.

Eating fish is associated with lower heart disease risk, but taking omega-3 supplements does not consistently prevent heart attacks or strokes in clinical trials. If you want the benefits, focus on eating fatty fish rather than relying on supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases muscle volume, strength, and muscle protein synthesis in elderly adults, potentially by activating the mTOR pathway and reducing inflammation.

Consider adding Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, either through fatty fish or supplements, as they may help increase muscle strength and volume in older adults, even if you are not exercising. However, more research is needed specifically for Indian populations.

Leucine supplementation (isolated or enriched) improves lean body mass, muscle strength, and physical functioning in sarcopenic or elderly populations.

Ensure your protein sources are rich in leucine, or consider leucine-enriched protein supplements. Studies show this can improve muscle mass and walking ability in older adults, especially those with sarcopenia. However, more research is needed for Indian populations.

Daily consumption of 30g of dark chocolate (83% cocoa) for 12 weeks significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and serum AST levels in patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

If you have NAFLD, consuming 30 grams of dark chocolate (at least 83% cocoa) daily for 12 weeks may help reduce your body weight, BMI, and liver enzyme levels (AST). This suggests that specific high-cocoa dark chocolate can be part of a liver-healthy diet, contrary to the general belief that all chocolate causes weight gain.

Vitamin D3 supplementation (800 IU/day) is the most cost-effective management strategy for sarcopenia in Iran, whereas combination therapies (Protein + Vitamin D3) are not cost-effective despite higher clinical effectiveness.

For managing sarcopenia cost-effectively, Vitamin D3 supplementation (800 IU/day) is the recommended single intervention. While combining it with protein and exercise improves muscle metrics, the added cost makes it economically inefficient for public health systems compared to Vitamin D alone.

GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy is associated with clinically relevant risks of protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies due to reduced caloric and nutrient intake.

If you are taking a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide or tirzepatide, you are likely eating less, which means you might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals. You should prioritize nutrient-dense foods and discuss baseline blood testing for Vitamin D, B12, Iron, and Calcium with your doctor. Do not assume that because this is a medication and not surgery, you are exempt from nutritional monitoring.

Zinc supplementation (50 mg oral zinc acetate, 2x/day for 14 weeks) improves insulin secretion specifically in individuals with the SLC30A8 rs13266634 CT/TT genotype, demonstrating a genotype-dependent response to micronutrient intervention.

If you are considering zinc supplementation for insulin resistance, check your SLC30A8 genotype first. If you carry the CT or TT variant of rs13266634, 50mg of zinc acetate twice daily for 14 weeks may significantly boost your fasting insulin levels. If you have the CC genotype, this specific intervention may not offer the same benefit.

Higher intake of plant-based fast food and white flour pasta is associated with higher uric acid levels, even in a plant-based diet.

Limit plant-based fast food and white flour pasta. While they are plant-based, they can raise uric acid levels. Choose whole-food alternatives like whole-grain pasta and unprocessed foods to minimize this risk.