Browse the evidence

Oral magnesium supplementation (median 15 mmol/day or 360 mg/day) for 4–16 weeks significantly reduces fasting plasma glucose levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

If you have Type 2 diabetes, taking a magnesium supplement (around 360 mg/day of elemental magnesium) for at least a month may help lower your fasting blood sugar. However, it does not appear to significantly change your long-term average blood sugar (HbA1c) over the short term. It is safe for most, though it can cause mild stomach upset. Always consult your doctor before starting, especially if you have kidney issues.

Dried purple laver (nori) is a highly suitable natural plant-based source of bioavailable Vitamin B12 for vegetarians, capable of meeting the daily recommended dietary allowance (2.4 μg) with approximately 4 grams of consumption.

If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, incorporate dried purple laver (nori) into your meals to maintain healthy Vitamin B12 levels. You only need about 4 grams (roughly 4-5 standard sheets of sushi nori) per day to meet your daily requirement. Avoid relying on Spirulina or Chlorella supplements for B12, as they often contain inactive forms of the vitamin that your body cannot use.

Bariatric surgery (RYGB, BPD-DS, LSG) causes significant macro- and micronutrient deficiencies (protein, vitamins B1/B12/D, iron, zinc) due to altered anatomy, malabsorption, and bacterial overgrowth, necessitating lifelong monitoring and high-dose supplementation.

If you have had bariatric surgery, you must take specific, high-dose supplements for life. Standard multivitamins are not enough. You need regular blood tests to monitor levels of protein, B1, B12, D, iron, and zinc. Failure to do so can lead to severe, irreversible health issues.

A daily dose of theaflavin-enriched green tea extract (375 mg) significantly reduces LDL cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic adults.

If you have high LDL cholesterol, adding a specific theaflavin-enriched green tea extract (375 mg daily) to a low-fat diet can significantly lower your LDL levels. This is a well-tolerated, non-pharmacological option to consider alongside dietary changes.

Vegetarians experience significantly greater increases in muscle total creatine, lean tissue mass, and exercise performance compared to nonvegetarians when supplementing with creatine monohydrate alongside resistance training.

If you are vegetarian, creatine supplementation combined with resistance training will likely yield greater gains in muscle mass and strength compared to nonvegetarians doing the same routine. This is because vegetarians typically have lower baseline muscle creatine levels. To replicate the study's protocol, consume creatine monohydrate at 0.25g per kg of lean body mass daily for the first week, then drop to 0.0625g per kg of lean body mass daily for the next seven weeks, while following a structured resistance training program.

Long-term consumption of a diet rich in plant-based foods (high fiber, low meat) increases gut microbiota diversity and shifts the dominant bacterial genera from Bacteroides to Prevotella, which is associated with higher levels of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and improved metabolic health.

To improve your gut health and metabolic function, prioritize a long-term diet rich in diverse plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, resistant starches) and reduce meat consumption. This shifts your gut bacteria to produce more beneficial short-chain fatty acids, which support colon health, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity. You do not need to eliminate all animal products, but increasing plant diversity is the most effective lever for microbiota health.

Potassium supplementation lowers blood pressure, with greater effects in hypertensive individuals and those with high sodium intake.

Increase potassium intake, either through supplements (60 mmol/day) or dietary sources (fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy). This is particularly effective if you are hypertensive or consume high amounts of sodium.

Post-bariatric surgery supplementation with vitamin D, calcium, and protein combined with physical exercise significantly attenuates the loss of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and lean body mass compared to no intervention.

After bariatric surgery, you must actively manage your bone and muscle health. This means taking prescribed high-dose Vitamin D and Calcium, ensuring you eat enough protein (adjusted for your size), and starting a structured exercise program (walking and strength training) as soon as your surgeon clears you. Without this active management, you will likely lose significant bone density and muscle mass.

Supplementation with 500 mg/day of resveratrol for 12 weeks significantly reduces serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and hepatic steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to placebo.

If you have NAFLD, taking 500 mg of resveratrol daily for 12 weeks may help lower liver enzymes (ALT) and reduce liver fat, but it will not fix your cholesterol, blood pressure, or insulin resistance. Do not rely on it as a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Daily supplementation with 379 mg green tea extract (containing 208 mg EGCG) for 3 months significantly reduces body mass index, waist circumference, and serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides in obese patients.

If you are obese, taking 379 mg of green tea extract daily (providing 208 mg of EGCG) with your morning meal for 3 months can help lower your BMI, waist size, and bad cholesterol (LDL/Triglycerides). This works even if you don't change your diet or exercise routine, though maintaining your current habits is required for this specific effect.

Post-exercise muscle glycogen resynthesis plateaus at approximately 5-6% per hour (5-6 mmol kg-1 h-1) when consuming 50g of high-glycemic carbohydrate every 2 hours, and does not increase with higher doses (100g+).

After intense exercise, eat or drink 50 grams of carbohydrates every 2 hours. Do not try to eat more than 50g per sitting to speed up recovery; your body cannot store it faster than this rate. Use high-glycemic liquids (glucose/sucrose/maltodextrin solutions) if you feel too full to eat solid food. Aim for a total of ~600g over 24 hours.

Glycogen loading (supercompensation) can be achieved practically by tapering training and consuming 500-600g of carbohydrates for 3 days prior to competition, avoiding the need for extreme carbohydrate restriction.

Three days before your big event, eat 500-600g of carbs daily and reduce your training to 30-60 minutes of easy/moderate exercise. This will boost your muscle glycogen by 20-40% without the sickness associated with old-school 'starvation' loading methods.

Dietary diversification, specifically increasing the number of food groups consumed, significantly improves micronutrient adequacy and reduces the prevalence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies compared to monotonous diets.

To improve your nutrient intake, aim to eat from 5 to 6 different food groups every day. This doesn't mean eating huge amounts, but rather including a variety like grains, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and fats. This approach is more sustainable than just taking pills and helps prevent hidden deficiencies, especially for children and pregnant women in resource-limited settings.

Consuming specific food synergies, such as Vitamin C with iron or fat with carotenoids, significantly enhances the bioavailability of micronutrients compared to consuming them in isolation.

Boost your iron absorption by eating Vitamin C-rich foods (like guava, papaya, or citrus) with your iron-rich meals. Also, include a small amount of fat (like 2.4g) with your vegetable dishes to help your body absorb Vitamin A precursors.

Vitamin D supplementation (1000–5000 IU/day) prevents stress fractures in active populations by optimizing bone mineral density and calcium absorption.

If you are an athlete, especially indoors or in northern latitudes, get your Vitamin D levels checked. If you are deficient, supplement with 1000-5000 IU daily to reach optimal levels (>40 ng/mL). This helps prevent stress fractures, which can sideline your training. Aim for 15 minutes of sun exposure when possible, but don't rely on it exclusively if you avoid the sun.

Higher daily intake of skim milk and dairy products is associated with a significantly reduced risk of stress fractures in young female cross-country runners.

If you are a female runner prone to stress fractures, increasing your daily skim milk consumption by one cup is a simple, evidence-backed step to potentially cut your fracture risk by over 60%. Aim for a diet high in dairy and low in fat to maximize bone gains and fracture protection.

Higher intakes of calcium, skim milk, dairy foods, animal protein, and potassium are associated with significant gains in whole-body and hip bone mineral density (BMD) in young female runners.

To maximize bone density, ensure your diet includes adequate calcium, animal protein, and potassium, primarily through dairy sources. This nutritional profile supports better bone mineral accrual over time.

Curcumin supplementation (150–1500 mg/day) administered before and/or after exercise reduces exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), subjective muscle pain, and inflammatory markers (CK, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) in physically active populations.

If you engage in intense exercise, particularly eccentric movements, taking 150-1500mg of curcumin (preferably a bioavailable form) before and after your workout can help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation. Most studies show benefits when taken for several days surrounding the exercise event. It is generally safe for humans even at higher doses.

Vitamin E is recommended for patients with NASH and advanced fibrosis who do not have diabetes, and pioglitazone is recommended for patients with NASH and diabetes.

If you have NASH with advanced fibrosis and no diabetes, ask your doctor about Vitamin E. If you have NASH and diabetes, ask about Pioglitazone. These are guideline-recommended options to manage the disease.

Plant-based foods, particularly spices, herbs, berries, and dark chocolate, contain significantly higher total antioxidant capacities than animal-based foods, with plant-based median values being nearly nine times higher than animal-based median values.

Prioritize plant-based foods for antioxidant intake. Focus on spices (clove, cinnamon, oregano), berries (especially dried or wild varieties like bilberries and dog rose), nuts with skins, and dark chocolate. Be aware that processing (like making jam) reduces antioxidant content, so fresh or minimally processed forms are superior. Animal products are naturally low in antioxidants, so rely on plants for this specific benefit.

High consumption of processed meats causes an increased risk of fatal coronary heart disease (CHD).

Limit processed meats like bacon, sausages, and deli meats. They are linked to a 37% higher risk of fatal heart disease per daily serving. Choose unprocessed meats, fish, or plant-based proteins more often.

Novel plant-based meat alternatives should be treated as sensory meat alternatives but not as true nutritional replacements for animal meat due to differences in nutrient bioavailability and complex food matrix interactions.

If you are swapping animal meat for plant-based alternatives to improve health, recognize that you are gaining sensory satisfaction but may lose specific nutrient benefits. To maintain nutritional status, ensure your overall diet includes diverse plant sources to compensate for lower bioavailability of nutrients like B12, Iron, and Zinc, or consider supplementation if you are not consuming fortified products.

Plant-based meat alternatives generally provide lower bioavailability of key micronutrients (B12, Iron, Zinc) compared to animal meat, even when fortified, due to food matrix effects and anti-nutrients.

When eating plant-based meats, be aware that you might not absorb as much B12, Iron, or Zinc as you would from animal meat, even if the label says they are equal. To mitigate this, pair these foods with Vitamin C (to help iron absorption) and consider getting your B12 and Zinc status checked if you rely heavily on these products.

High protein intakes (up to 3.0 g/kg/day) do not negatively impact renal function in healthy individuals and may positively influence bone health by increasing IGF-1 and peak bone mass.

If you have healthy kidneys, you don't need to worry about high protein intakes harming your kidneys or bones. In fact, higher protein may help build stronger bones.