Browse the evidence

Urolithin A supplementation (1000 mg/day for 4 weeks) significantly reduces indirect markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase) and ratings of perceived exertion following intense exercise in highly trained male distance runners, facilitating recovery without enhancing actual running performance.

If you are a highly trained male distance runner, taking 1000 mg of Urolithin A daily for 4 weeks may help you recover faster from hard workouts by reducing muscle damage markers and perceived exertion. However, do not expect this supplement to make you run faster in races. It supports recovery, not performance output.

Healthy low-carbohydrate diet (HLCD) reduces fecal branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and increases unsaturated fatty acids, which are positively associated with fat mass.

HLCD changes your gut environment by lowering BCAAs and increasing unsaturated fats, which are linked to lower fat mass. This suggests that what you eat changes how your gut processes nutrients, aiding fat loss.

Low intake of whole grains is the leading dietary risk factor for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally, responsible for 3 million deaths.

Not eating enough whole grains is a major contributor to early death and disability. To improve your health, increase your intake of whole grains to the optimal range of 125g per day, as this is a leading factor in preventing chronic disease.

Low intake of fruits is the third leading dietary risk factor for mortality globally, responsible for 2 million deaths.

Not eating enough fruit is a major contributor to early death. To protect your health, increase your fruit intake to the optimal range of 250g per day, as this is a leading factor in preventing chronic disease.

Ingestion of 20g of collagen protein yields significantly higher plasma glycine concentrations compared to 20g of dairy protein, whereas dairy protein yields higher plasma leucine concentrations.

If you are targeting connective tissue health (like tendons or ligaments), simply eating standard protein like whey or casein may not provide enough glycine. Ingesting 20g of collagen protein (hydrolyzed or gelatin) provides a much higher glycine spike than dairy protein. Since glycine is a key building block for collagen, consider adding a collagen supplement, ideally 30-60 minutes before exercise when blood flow to tissues is increased.

Hydrolysis of dairy proteins increases amino acid bioavailability and peak concentration compared to non-hydrolyzed forms, whereas hydrolysis of collagen proteins does not significantly alter bioavailability compared to non-hydrolyzed forms.

You do not necessarily need expensive hydrolyzed collagen peptides. This study found that standard gelatin (non-hydrolyzed) provided similar amino acid bioavailability to hydrolyzed collagen. However, for dairy proteins, hydrolyzed versions do absorb faster and reach higher peaks. If you are using dairy protein for post-workout recovery, hydrolyzed might be slightly better, but for collagen, standard gelatin is a cost-effective alternative.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet significantly reduces the incidence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and improves claudication symptoms through oxidative stress reduction and anti-inflammatory effects.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style eating pattern: use olive oil as your primary cooking fat, eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, include moderate amounts of fish and dairy, and limit red and processed meats. This approach has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing peripheral artery disease and improve walking symptoms in those who already have it.

Increased gut microbiome diversity and high dietary fiber intake are associated with lower long-term weight gain, mediated by short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate.

Increase your intake of dietary fiber to promote a diverse gut microbiome. This can lead to higher levels of beneficial SCFAs like butyrate, which improve insulin sensitivity and may help prevent long-term weight gain.

Severe caloric restriction in bodybuilders leads to micronutrient deficiencies (specifically Vitamins A and E) which correlate with increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity.

When cutting calories, do not neglect micronutrients. This study found that 75% of bodybuilders failed to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin E during their cut. This deficiency was strongly correlated with higher oxidative stress. Ensure your diet includes sufficient sources of Vitamins A and E, and adequate dietary fats to aid absorption, as fat intake was also severely restricted.

A low-carbohydrate diet may cause a significant increase in LDL cholesterol in a subset of individuals (approx. 30%), necessitating lipid monitoring despite average group stability.

If you follow a low-carb diet, get your blood work done after 3 months. If your LDL cholesterol rises significantly (especially >30% increase), consult your doctor. You may need to adjust your fat sources (e.g., more unsaturated fats) or reduce total fat intake, even if your triglycerides and HDL are improving.

Maintaining circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels between 75 and 100 nmol/L is associated with a statistically significant reduction in colorectal cancer risk compared to levels considered sufficient for bone health (50-62.5 nmol/L).

If you are concerned about colorectal cancer risk, aim for a circulating 25(OH)D level between 75 and 100 nmol/L. This range is associated with a 19-27% lower risk compared to the standard 'sufficiency' range (50-62.5 nmol/L) used for bone health. Note that levels above 100 nmol/L did not show further risk reduction. Women showed a statistically significant benefit, while men showed a non-significant inverse trend. Consult a healthcare provider to test your levels and determine if supplementation is appropriate for you.

High intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) significantly reduces CVD risk, while the efficacy of n-6 PUFA and combined n-3/n-6 PUFA is inconsistent.

Ensure adequate intake of n-3 PUFA, which has been shown to significantly reduce CVD risk in randomized trials. Be aware that the benefits of n-6 PUFA and combined n-3/n-6 supplements are less clear. Prioritize natural sources of n-3 fats.

Leucine supplementation can rescue muscle protein synthesis in older adults when protein doses are sub-optimal, but provides no additional benefit if the total protein dose is already sufficient (>35g).

If you can't eat a large meal (30g+ protein), adding a leucine-rich source (like whey or a leucine supplement) can help trigger muscle building. But if you are already eating a large, high-protein meal, you don't need extra leucine.

Higher serial circulating levels of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (specifically eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid) are associated with a lower risk of unhealthy ageing in older adults.

To support healthy ageing, older adults should aim for higher levels of long-chain omega-3s, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). This is best achieved through dietary consumption of seafood rather than relying solely on plant-based sources (ALA) or DHA supplements, as the study found no significant benefit from ALA or DHA alone in the primary analysis.

Gluten-free diets are not nutritionally superior to gluten-containing diets and are often inferior in key nutrients including fiber, folate, protein, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E, while providing higher energy and fat intake.

If you are not celiac, switching to a gluten-free diet is unlikely to improve your nutrition and may actually reduce your intake of fiber, protein, and key vitamins like folate and magnesium. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods regardless of gluten content rather than seeking out 'gluten-free' labeled products which may be nutritionally inferior.

Adherence to a Prudent diet (high in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains) for two weeks significantly increases plasma and urinary levels of 3-methylhistidine and proline betaine, serving as robust biomarkers for healthy eating patterns.

To objectively verify you are eating healthy, focus on a Prudent diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. This study shows that just two weeks of this diet significantly alters specific biomarkers (3-methylhistidine and proline betaine) in your blood and urine, providing a clear, objective signal of healthy intake that self-reporting often misses. Ensure your caloric intake matches your needs to maintain weight while making these quality changes.

Adherence to a Prudent diet for two weeks significantly increases urinary levels of imidazole propionate, hydroxypipecolic acid, dihydroxybenzoic acid, enterolactone glucuronide, and plasma levels of ketoleucine and ketovaline.

Eating a Prudent diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains changes your metabolic profile quickly. Within two weeks, levels of specific compounds like enterolactone glucuronide and ketoleucine rise in your blood and urine. These changes are objective markers of healthy eating, confirming that your diet is supporting metabolic health.

Excessive fructose intake disrupts gut microbiota, reduces beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria, and downregulates tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Claudin-1, occludin), leading to increased intestinal permeability, endotoxemia, and obesity.

Excessive fructose, especially from syrup, damages your gut lining by reducing beneficial bacteria and tight junction proteins, leading to 'leaky gut' and inflammation. While moderate natural fructose from fruit is likely safe, avoid excessive fructose syrup to protect your gut and weight.

Storing fat subcutaneously (especially in the hips and thighs) is metabolically favorable compared to storing it viscerally or in the liver, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease despite higher overall body fat.

Focus on maintaining muscle mass and healthy fat distribution rather than just losing weight. If you have a 'pear' shape (fat stored in hips/thighs), you may have a lower risk of diabetes than someone with a 'apple' shape (visceral fat), even if your BMI is high.

Bariatric surgery significantly increases the risk of bone loss and fractures, particularly in malabsorptive procedures, due to reduced calcium absorption and secondary hyperparathyroidism, which is not fully mitigated by standard calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

If you have bariatric surgery, especially a malabsorptive type like gastric bypass, your risk of bone fractures increases significantly. Standard calcium and vitamin D supplements often fail to prevent this bone loss. You need specialized, long-term bone health monitoring beyond standard care.

Four weeks of daily arachidonic acid (ARA) supplementation (1.5 g/day) does not enhance the acute muscle protein synthesis (MPS) or anabolic signaling response to resistance exercise in trained men, but it does stimulate ribosome biogenesis 48 hours post-exercise.

If you are a trained man taking 1.5g of Arachidonic Acid daily, do not expect it to increase your muscle growth immediately after your workout. The study shows it has no effect on the first 4 hours of recovery. However, it might help your muscles build more protein-making machinery (ribosomes) two days after your workout, which could support long-term adaptation. Focus on your training and protein intake for immediate results; ARA is not a quick fix.

Obesity increases the risk of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) through mechanisms including lower urine pH, increased urinary oxalate, uric acid, and sodium excretion, as well as insulin resistance.

Obesity increases your risk of kidney stones by changing your urine chemistry (making it more acidic and increasing stone-forming minerals). Maintaining a healthy weight helps normalize these urinary factors and reduces stone risk.

Obesity increases the risk of kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) through lower urine pH, increased urinary oxalate, uric acid, and sodium excretion.

Obesity changes your urine chemistry, making you more likely to form kidney stones. This happens because your body excretes more acid and minerals like oxalate. Maintaining a healthy weight helps normalize these urinary factors and reduces stone risk.

Vitamin E supplementation (800 IU daily) improves steatohepatitis, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation in adults with MASH who do not have diabetes, but does not improve fibrosis.

If you have MASH and do not have diabetes, your doctor may recommend 800 IU of Vitamin E daily. This dose has been shown to reduce liver inflammation and fat over 96 weeks, though it does not reverse scarring (fibrosis).