Browse the evidence

Increased calcium intake may help prevent colorectal cancer, and may offer modest protection against breast cancer, though evidence is weaker. Calcium may also play a role in weight management and cardiovascular health through modest blood pressure and lipid-lowering effects.

While calcium is best known for bones, it may also help prevent colorectal cancer and support heart health by modestly lowering blood pressure. However, evidence for breast cancer protection and weight management is still preliminary. Prioritize getting calcium from food rather than relying on supplements for these secondary benefits.

Ancestral diets provided significantly higher micronutrient intake (1.5 to 8 times) than modern diets, with the exception of sodium, which was much lower in ancestral times.

Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals. Ancestral diets provided 1.5 to 8 times more micronutrients than modern diets. Focus on fruits, vegetables, and wild game to achieve this density, while keeping sodium intake low.

Increasing dietary diversity through the consumption of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) and wild-gathered foods prevents micronutrient deficiencies and reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) compared to simplified diets based on inexpensive staples.

To improve your health, especially if you live in an area transitioning to modern diets, actively include a wider variety of local, traditional, and wild-harvested plants in your meals. Focus on leafy vegetables, legumes, and indigenous fruits to boost your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, which helps prevent chronic diseases.

Specific neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as pearl millet, moringa, and buckwheat provide superior micronutrient and functional benefits (e.g., iron, fiber, antioxidants) compared to common staples.

Incorporate specific nutrient-dense traditional foods like millet, moringa leaves, or buckwheat into your diet. These provide higher levels of iron, fiber, and antioxidants than common staples, supporting heart health and preventing deficiencies.

Green leafy vegetables are exceptional sources of essential micronutrients (iron, calcium, vitamins A, C, K, folate) and dietary fiber, making them critical for preventing deficiencies in populations reliant on staple grains.

Prioritize green leafy vegetables in your diet to fill micronutrient gaps that staple grains and pulses cannot. They are rich in iron, calcium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. Incorporating them regularly is a cost-effective strategy to combat nutrient deficiencies, especially if you do not take supplements.

Anti-nutritional factors (nitrates, oxalates, phytates, tannins, cyanogenic glycosides) in green leafy vegetables can inhibit mineral absorption and pose health risks, but these can be significantly reduced by thermal processing methods like cooking and blanching.

Don't avoid leafy vegetables because of 'anti-nutrients' like oxalates or nitrates. Use cooking, boiling, or blanching to reduce these compounds. This process makes the nutrients more available and reduces potential health risks associated with high levels of these natural plant chemicals.

Supplementation with phenolic compounds (polyphenols) reduces oxidative stress and inflammation markers induced by severe physical exercise, but does not consistently improve physical performance outcomes.

If you engage in intense exercise, polyphenol supplementation (from foods like berries, tea, or chocolate) can help manage oxidative stress and inflammation. However, do not expect this to directly make you faster or stronger; the evidence for performance enhancement is inconsistent.

Maternal vitamin C intake below 70 mg per day is associated with an 1.8-times increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus compared to higher intakes.

Ensure daily Vitamin C intake of at least 70 mg during pregnancy to help lower the risk of gestational diabetes. This can be achieved through diet (citrus fruits, berries, peppers) or supplementation if dietary intake is insufficient.

Maternal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL are associated with a 2.66-times increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, independent of other confounding factors.

Maintain maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at or above 20 ng/mL during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. This can be monitored through blood tests and managed through diet, sunlight exposure, or supplementation as advised by a healthcare provider.

Consumption of macrofungi (medicinal mushrooms) provides bioactive compounds, particularly polysaccharides, which exhibit immunomodulatory, antitumor, and metabolic regulatory effects.

Incorporate a variety of medicinal mushrooms (such as Shiitake, Reishi, or Maitake) into your diet or consider them as dietary supplements to potentially support immune function and metabolic health. While not a replacement for prescribed medication, they offer bioactive compounds that may complement a healthy lifestyle.

Daily supplementation of 1000 mg vitamin C (500 mg twice daily) for 8 weeks significantly reduces inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6) and fasting blood glucose in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults compared to a control group.

If you are obese and have high blood pressure or diabetes, taking 1000 mg of Vitamin C daily (split into two 500 mg doses) for 8 weeks may help lower inflammation (measured by hs-CRP and IL-6) and improve fasting blood sugar levels. This should be done alongside maintaining your usual lifestyle habits, but consult your doctor first, especially if you have other health conditions.

Incorporating chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) into the human diet provides significant amounts of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals like iron and zinc, thereby serving as a sustainable strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies.

To improve your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, regularly include chili peppers (both sweet and hot varieties) in your meals. They are rich sources of Vitamin A, C, E, iron, and zinc. For those sensitive to spice, start with milder varieties or use them as a garnish to maximize nutrient intake without discomfort.

Chili peppers are more cost-efficient and land-efficient sources of iron and other micronutrients compared to cereals and legumes.

If you are looking for affordable ways to boost your iron intake, chili peppers are a highly efficient option compared to many staple grains. They provide more nutrients per unit of land and cost.

Regular consumption of grain amaranth reduces blood cholesterol levels and provides beneficial bioactive compounds like squalene and phenolic acids.

Incorporate amaranth grain into your diet to support heart health. It can be used as a substitute for rice or pasta, or added to baked goods. Look for it in health food stores as seeds, flour, or popped snacks. It is naturally gluten-free and rich in protein and minerals.

Including lean red meat in a healthy, varied diet provides high-quality protein and bioavailable micronutrients (iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D) that help meet nutritional requirements for specific population groups (infants, adolescents, women of childbearing age, older adults) without negatively impacting weight control due to its satiating effect.

If you are an adult, aim for no more than 70g of cooked red meat per day. This amount helps you get essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and B12 without exceeding the limit associated with colorectal cancer risk. For infants, introduce meat early (around 6-8 months) to ensure adequate iron intake as breast milk stores deplete. For older adults, include red meat to help maintain muscle mass and strength.

A whole-grain cereal-rich diet tends to decrease total and LDL-cholesterol compared to a refined-grain diet in healthy subjects, although the effect was not statistically significant at the conventional 0.05 level.

While the cholesterol-lowering effect of whole grains may not be statistically significant in short-term studies of healthy people, the trend toward lower LDL (9% decrease) supports the general recommendation to eat whole grains for heart health. Focus on the consistent elevation of beneficial compounds like betaine.

Vitamin D supplementation improves anaerobic performance metrics (sprint time, vertical jump) in young athletes ONLY when serum levels exceed 40 ng/mL.

If you are a young athlete looking to boost sprint or jump performance, ensure your Vitamin D levels are high, not just 'normal'. Aim for >40 ng/mL. A common strategy is 5000 IU/day for 8 weeks. Note that this may not improve strength (bench/squat) but can improve power metrics like sprinting and jumping.

High dietary or supplemental magnesium intake is independently associated with reduced risks of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, and magnesium intake modifies the inverse association between serum 25(OH)D and mortality (specifically cardiovascular disease and total mortality) to be primarily present in those with magnesium intake above the median.

If you are concerned about Vitamin D levels or cardiovascular health, ensure your Magnesium intake is adequate (ideally above the median, approx 264 mg/day from diet/supplements). Magnesium is required for your body to properly synthesize and utilize Vitamin D. Low Magnesium may blunt the potential mortality benefits of high Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent across all demographic groups in the Middle East, driven by cultural clothing practices and limited dietary sources, despite abundant year-long sunshine.

Living in a sunny region does not guarantee adequate Vitamin D levels if your clothing covers most of your skin and your diet lacks fortified foods or supplements. You are at high risk for deficiency regardless of the weather. Consider testing your levels and discussing supplementation with a healthcare provider, as dietary sources alone are often insufficient in this region.

Iron deficiency anemia is a moderate to severe public health problem in the Middle East, with prevalence rates significantly higher in women, children, and adolescents compared to men.

Iron deficiency anemia is a widespread issue in the Middle East, especially for women and children. Even with a balanced diet, you may be at risk. Regular screening is recommended, and if diagnosed, follow medical advice for supplementation, as dietary changes alone may not be enough to correct the deficiency.

Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in HIV infection and are associated with accelerated disease progression, increased mortality, and higher mother-to-child transmission rates, though supplementation outcomes vary.

Micronutrient deficiencies are common in HIV and can worsen outcomes. While general multivitamin supplementation is often recommended, high-dose single-nutrient supplements can be harmful or ineffective. Focus on a balanced diet and follow WHO guidelines for micronutrient intake, which recommend ensuring 1 Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) of each required micronutrient.

Magnesium intake is inversely related to the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, with zero magnesium balance occurring at approximately 165 mg/day in adults.

Maintaining magnesium intake above 165 mg/day helps achieve metabolic balance. Higher intakes (300-350 mg) are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, supporting the higher AI recommendations.

Integrating wild vegetables into human diets provides a sustainable, cost-effective source of essential micronutrients (iron, calcium, vitamin A, folate) capable of alleviating widespread nutritional deficiencies.

To improve your micronutrient intake, incorporate wild, leafy green vegetables into your diet. These plants often contain higher levels of essential minerals like iron, calcium, and vitamins like A and folate compared to common cultivated vegetables. While processing methods like blanching can affect nutrient retention, consuming these vegetables is a practical and sustainable way to address nutritional gaps, especially if you have access to local wild species.

Food processing techniques, specifically blanching, can reduce antinutrients (oxalates, phytates) in wild vegetables, thereby potentially improving the bioavailability of minerals like iron and calcium, though it may also cause losses of heat-sensitive vitamins.

When preparing wild leafy vegetables, blanching them in hot water or steam is recommended. This process reduces bitter tastes and, crucially, lowers levels of antinutrients like oxalates and phytates that block mineral absorption. While some heat-sensitive vitamins may be lost, this trade-off often results in better overall mineral bioavailability. Ensure you do not over-blanch to minimize nutrient loss.