Browse the evidence

Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is significantly associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality, independent of all-cause mortality findings.

Increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables helps protect your heart. Each additional serving is linked to a small but significant reduction in the risk of dying from heart disease.

Carbohydrate ingestion (30-60 g/h) during prolonged endurance exercise attenuates post-exercise inflammation and stress hormone elevation.

For workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes, consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. This helps manage stress hormones and inflammation, aiding recovery compared to drinking only water.

High consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated with a significantly reduced risk of various cancers, including lung, stomach, colon, and oral cancers, primarily due to micronutrients like carotenoids, vitamin C, and folic acid.

Aim to eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits every day, focusing on a variety of colors. This habit is strongly linked to a lower risk of many cancers. Prioritize whole foods over supplements to get the full spectrum of protective nutrients.

Consumption of plant sterols or stanols lowers plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels by competing with cholesterol for absorption in the gut.

To lower cholesterol, include foods enriched with plant sterols or stanols (like specific margarines or mayonnaises) in your diet. These compounds work by blocking cholesterol absorption. While effective for lowering LDL (10-15%), they are not a replacement for prescribed medication if you have high cardiovascular risk, and excessive absorption of regular sterols can be problematic for certain genetic conditions.

Direct supplementation of EPA and DHA is significantly more effective for increasing their levels in the body than consuming their precursor, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), due to inefficient conversion rates in humans.

If you are not eating fatty fish regularly, do not rely solely on plant sources like flaxseed or walnuts (ALA) to get your omega-3s. Your body converts ALA to EPA and DHA very poorly. To ensure adequate levels for heart and brain health, consider direct supplementation with EPA and DHA, such as from fish oil or algae oil.

Daily supplementation with Vitamin D (2000 IU/day) reduces the risk of acute respiratory tract infections, with the greatest benefit observed in individuals with baseline deficiency (<25 nmol/L).

Take 2000 IU of Vitamin D daily. Do not take it in large, infrequent 'bolus' doses, as this appears ineffective for infection prevention. This is especially critical if you have low baseline levels, where the protection is strongest.

Daily Vitamin C supplementation (≥200 mg/day) reduces the risk, severity, and duration of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, with higher doses (1-2 g/day) recommended during illness.

Take at least 200 mg of Vitamin C daily to support immune function. If you get sick, increase the dose to 1-2 grams per day starting immediately, as your body uses more Vitamin C during infection. Do not exceed 2 grams daily without medical advice.

Consuming 35 grams or more of fish daily is associated with a significantly lower 30-year risk of fatal myocardial infarction, specifically nonsudden death, compared to non-consumption.

To potentially lower your risk of fatal heart attacks over the long term, aim to eat at least 35 grams (about 1.2 ounces) of fish every day. This study found that this specific amount was linked to a significantly lower risk of dying from heart attacks, particularly those that develop over time rather than suddenly. You do not need to eat large quantities; a small daily portion appears sufficient to confer this benefit.

Supplementing mixed nutrient meals with leucine can restore or enhance muscle protein synthesis in older adults, counteracting the age-related blunting of the anabolic response.

If you are older and find that your muscles aren't growing despite eating protein, adding a leucine-rich source (like whey protein or a leucine supplement) to your regular meals might help trigger muscle growth. This is especially useful if your meals contain carbohydrates, which can blunt the protein response in older adults.

Vitamin D supplementation reduces the incidence of respiratory tract infections, with protective effects being more pronounced with daily dosing compared to bolus doses.

Consider daily Vitamin D supplementation, especially if you have limited sun exposure. Meta-analyses suggest daily dosing is more effective than occasional large bolus doses for preventing respiratory infections.

Selenium supplementation improves semen quality (count, concentration, morphology, and motility) in men with low baseline selenium levels, as demonstrated in randomized controlled trials.

For men experiencing fertility issues, checking selenium levels is a low-cost, high-yield step. If levels are low, supplementation has been shown in RCTs to improve sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Consuming high-quality protein (whey and casein) immediately before, during, or after exercise optimizes recovery, immune function, and lean body mass.

Try to eat a meal or snack with high-quality protein (like whey, casein, eggs, or meat) around your workout—either before, during, or after. This helps your muscles recover, reduces soreness, and supports your immune system.

The European Calcified Tissue Society recommends food fortification and routine Vitamin D supplementation for specific risk groups (infants, children, pregnant women, older persons, non-Western immigrants) to prevent deficiency.

If you are pregnant, older, a non-Western immigrant, or have young children, do not rely on diet alone. The ECTS recommends routine Vitamin D supplementation. Additionally, look for fortified foods like milk, bread, and cereals to help maintain your levels.

Consuming 100g of lean Australian red meat provides significant amounts of high-biological-value protein, heme iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, often exceeding 25% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for these nutrients.

Include 100g of lean red meat in your diet to efficiently meet your daily needs for iron, zinc, and B12. It is a highly bioavailable source of these nutrients compared to many plant-based options.

Daily vitamin D3 supplementation (4000 IU) for 6 months significantly reduces insulin resistance and improves insulin sensitivity in South Asian women who are both vitamin D deficient and insulin resistant, but only when serum 25(OH)D levels reach at least 80 nmol/l.

If you are a South Asian woman with known insulin resistance and low Vitamin D, taking 4000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily for 6 months can significantly improve your insulin sensitivity. However, you must achieve a blood level of at least 80 nmol/l, which requires consistent daily intake. Do not expect results in the first 3 months; the metabolic benefit typically manifests after 6 months of sustained high-dose supplementation.

Combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation significantly reduces the risk of total fractures (by 15%) and hip fractures (by 30%) in middle-aged to older adults.

If you are middle-aged or older, taking a daily supplement containing calcium (500-1200mg) and Vitamin D (400-800 IU) can significantly lower your risk of breaking bones, especially hip fractures. This is particularly important if you live in an institution or are at higher risk for falls.

Therapeutic Vitamin D supplementation for verified deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) should use doses of 1,000–10,000 IU/day (or 50,000 IU/week) for 1-3 months, avoiding loading doses of 300,000 IU or higher.

If your blood test shows Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL), do not take a massive 'loading dose' of 300,000 IU. Instead, take 1,000-10,000 IU daily (or 50,000 IU weekly) for 1-3 months. Re-test your levels after 3 months and switch to a maintenance dose (800-2,000 IU/day) once you reach the target range of 30-50 ng/mL.

All patients undergoing bariatric surgery require long-term vitamin and mineral supplementation, with malabsorptive procedures requiring more extensive replacement to prevent deficiencies.

You must take vitamin and mineral supplements for the rest of your life after bariatric surgery. This is not optional. If you had a malabsorptive procedure (like bypass), you likely need more supplements than someone with a restrictive procedure. Work with your doctor to determine the right doses based on your blood tests.

Increasing daily fruit and vegetable intake by three servings reduces the risk of all stroke (including transient ischemic attacks) by 22% in middle-aged men.

To lower your stroke risk, aim to eat three more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. This study of middle-aged men showed that this specific increase is linked to a 22% lower risk of stroke. You don't need to track specific nutrients; just focus on adding these food groups to your daily diet.

High intake of fruits and vegetables is inversely associated with the development of cardiovascular disease incidents, including acute plaque rupture, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. This includes reducing the risk of serious events like heart attacks and strokes. The benefits come from nutrients like fiber, potassium, and folate, as well as phytochemicals. Aim for a diet rich in these foods as part of a comprehensive CVD prevention strategy.

Supplementing with 15.75 g/day of creatine monohydrate combined with glucose, taurine, and electrolytes for 28 days significantly increases fat/bone-free mass, total lifting volume, and early-phase sprint performance in well-trained athletes undergoing resistance training.

If you are a trained athlete doing heavy resistance and sprint training, taking 15.75 grams of creatine monohydrate daily along with 99 grams of glucose, 3 grams of taurine, and specific electrolytes for 4 weeks can help you build more lean muscle and lift more weight or sprint better than if you took the glucose/taurine/electrolytes alone. This regimen was shown to be safe over this period.

Long-term mineral and multivitamin supplementation should be prescribed to every bariatric patient according to the procedure, with periodic laboratory surveillance to individualize supplementation based on demonstrated deficiencies.

Take your prescribed multivitamins and minerals every day for the rest of your life after surgery. The type and dose depend on your surgery. Get regular blood tests to check your levels, and adjust your supplements based on those results. This prevents serious health problems like anemia and bone loss.

Bariatric surgery (RYGB, SG, BPD) causes significant long-term nutritional deficiencies (iron, B12, Vitamin D, calcium, protein) due to anatomical bypass and malabsorption, necessitating lifelong monitoring and supplementation.

If you have had bariatric surgery, you must commit to lifelong blood tests and taking specific supplements (iron, B12, Vitamin D, Calcium) as prescribed. Your body can no longer absorb nutrients efficiently, and skipping supplements risks permanent damage like anemia or bone loss.

Pre-operative nutritional assessment and correction of deficiencies (especially Vitamin D and Iron) is critical before bariatric surgery to mitigate post-operative risks.

Before your surgery, ask for a full nutritional panel, specifically checking Vitamin D and Iron levels. Correct any deficiencies now to give your body the best chance to recover without severe complications.