Browse the evidence

Bariatric surgery is associated with a significantly lower risk of incident coronary artery disease (CAD) compared to usual medical care in patients with type 2 diabetes and severe obesity.

For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary artery disease (heart attacks, angina, interventions) compared to standard medical care.

Adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) is associated with slower cognitive decline, reduced risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and reduced all-cause mortality in AD patients.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style eating pattern as your primary dietary strategy for brain health. Focus on high consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and cereals, using olive oil as your main fat source. Include moderate amounts of fish and, if you drink alcohol, limit it to moderate levels (e.g., wine with meals). This pattern is associated with slower cognitive decline and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Consumption of fermented foods containing live lactic acid bacteria (LAB) delivers high loads of viable microbes (up to 10^9 CFU/g or ml) to the human gastrointestinal tract, contributing to the transient gut microbiome and offering health-promoting properties via metabolic activity.

Eat fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut that contain live cultures. These deliver billions of bacteria to your gut, which may support health through metabolic byproducts and transient microbial presence. Avoid assuming all fermented foods (like bread or beer) contain live bacteria, as heat or processing often kills them. For maximum benefit, choose artisanal or refrigerated products over heavily processed shelf-stable versions.

Individuals with 'morningness' personality traits and older age experience greater difficulties adjusting to shift work and have higher rates of health problems.

If you are naturally an early riser ('morning person') or are older, night shifts will likely be harder on you. You may experience more sleep problems and health issues. Consider discussing schedule adjustments with your employer if possible.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation significantly reduces hepatic fat content in NAFLD patients, though the optimal dose and long-term histological benefits remain undetermined.

High-dose Omega-3 supplements (0.83-13.7g/day) can significantly reduce liver fat in NAFLD patients with few side effects. However, the optimal dose is unknown, and it should be viewed as an adjunct to lifestyle changes, not a standalone cure, as long-term histological benefits are not yet established.

Disruption of circadian rhythms and sleep loss alters gut microbiota composition (dysbiosis), leading to increased intestinal permeability and systemic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to metabolic dysfunction and mood disorders.

Prioritize consistent sleep schedules and duration. If you are a shift worker or experience jet lag, be aware that your gut health and metabolic risk are compromised. Restoring circadian alignment is a prerequisite for optimal gut barrier function and metabolic health.

Obesity is driven by a 'Nutrition Transition' involving three overlapping processes: dietary changes, physical environment changes, and cultural shifts, which must be addressed simultaneously for policy to be effective.

Understand that obesity is not just about food or exercise, but about how our culture, environment, and food systems interact. Effective solutions require changing the environment (e.g., urban design, food availability) and cultural norms, not just individual knowledge.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) induces a leaner gut microbiota phenotype (increased Bacteroidetes, decreased Firmicutes) and enhances fat malabsorption, whereas very low calorie diet (VLCD) increases the energy-reabsorbing potential of the microbiota despite achieving identical weight loss.

If you lose weight through surgery (LSG) versus a strict low-calorie diet, your gut bacteria adapt differently. Surgery shifts your microbiome towards a 'lean' profile (more Bacteroidetes, fewer Firmicutes) and increases fat excretion, while dieting may actually increase your gut's ability to harvest energy from food. This suggests surgery might have a unique metabolic advantage beyond just eating less.

Motorized treadmill running is biomechanically comparable to overground running for most spatiotemporal, kinematic, kinetic, and muscle activity measures, with specific exceptions in sagittal plane kinematics at footstrike.

You can use a motorized treadmill for most of your training without worrying about drastically different biomechanics compared to running outside. The study shows that speed, stride length, and muscle activation are largely the same. However, be aware that your foot lands at a slightly different angle and your knee bends differently on a treadmill. If you are using treadmill data to prescribe specific gait corrections or footwear for outdoor racing, account for these small sagittal plane differences.

High-intensity interval training (HIT) improves aerobic capacity, mitochondrial function, and cardiac function in heart failure patients, but carries higher inherent risks requiring caution.

If you have stable heart failure, high-intensity interval training (short bursts of high effort followed by rest) can significantly improve your heart's pumping ability and energy levels more than moderate continuous exercise. However, this must be done under medical supervision due to safety risks.

Marine microalgae (specifically Schizochytrium and Crypthecodinium species) provide a sustainable, non-polluted source of DHA and EPA that serves as a viable alternative to fish oil for human supplementation and infant formula enrichment.

If you want the health benefits of Omega-3s (DHA and EPA) but want to avoid fish due to taste, smell, or concerns about mercury/pollutants, choose a supplement derived from marine microalgae (like Schizochytrium or Crypthecodinium). These are widely available, safe for infants and pregnant women, and provide the same fatty acids as fish oil without the fishy aftertaste or environmental risks.

Poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5) is highly prevalent (55.8%) among university students and is strongly associated with higher levels of perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

If you are a university student, recognize that more than half of your peers likely have poor sleep quality. This is strongly linked to stress, anxiety, and depression. Prioritizing sleep hygiene is not just about rest; it is a critical component of mental health and academic success. Addressing sleep issues may help mitigate psychological distress.

Cylindrical foam rollers are more effective than roller massagers (bars/sticks) for recovering strength performance post-exercise, though device type does not significantly impact pre-rolling performance gains.

If you are choosing between a foam roller and a roller massager (bar/stick) for post-workout strength recovery, a cylindrical foam roller may be slightly more effective. For pre-workout warm-ups, the type of device matters less.

Dietary phospholipids (PLs) containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) provide superior anti-inflammatory benefits and more efficient tissue incorporation compared to omega-3 PUFAs in triglyceride (TAG) form.

If you are taking fish oil for inflammation, consider switching to a phospholipid-based source (like krill oil or specific marine phospholipid extracts). The paper suggests these deliver omega-3s more efficiently to your tissues and may work at lower doses than standard triglyceride fish oils, potentially offering better anti-inflammatory results with fewer side effects.

Sleep deprivation impairs endurance performance (time to exhaustion, distance covered) and accuracy/reaction time, but its effect on anaerobic power (peak/mean power) is inconsistent and less clear.

Be aware that sleep deprivation consistently hurts your endurance and accuracy. While its effect on pure strength or sprint power might be less consistent, you cannot rely on sleep loss to 'boost' performance. Ensure you get adequate sleep to maintain your accuracy and endurance levels.

Higher salt intake is associated with an increased risk of obesity and higher body fat mass independent of total energy intake in both children and adults.

If you are trying to manage your weight, reducing salt intake may help, even if you are already controlling your total calories. High salt intake is linked to higher body fat and obesity risk independently of how much you eat. Focus on reducing processed foods high in sodium, as this may lower obesity risk through mechanisms other than just reducing calories.

Adherence to a Paleolithic diet for 3 months significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c), lipid profiles (lower triglycerides, higher HDL), and cardiovascular risk factors (lower blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference) compared to a standard diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, switching to a Paleolithic diet for 3 months can significantly improve your blood sugar control, lower your blood pressure, and help you lose weight compared to following standard diabetes dietary guidelines. Focus on eating lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs, while avoiding grains, dairy, beans, and added sugars. You do not need to count calories or restrict portions explicitly; the diet's composition naturally leads to reduced energy intake and improved satiety. Continue your prescribed medications unless your doctor advises otherwise.

Integrative nutritional biomarkers, which combine exposure and effect data, enable precision nutrition by accounting for inter-individual genetic and epigenetic variations in response to diet.

Personalized nutrition is moving beyond one-size-fits-all diets. By using integrative biomarkers that reflect both what you eat and how your body responds (influenced by your genetics), you can receive dietary recommendations tailored to your unique biology for optimal health.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation significantly improves symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, representing the clearest clinical benefit of the supplement.

If you have diabetes and are experiencing nerve pain (neuropathy), alpha-lipoic acid supplementation may help alleviate symptoms. This is the most well-supported use case for ALA in diabetes management according to current reviews.

Exercise training improves dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) when performed intradialytically for sufficient duration (>=6 months).

If you exercise during your dialysis sessions, doing so for at least 6 months may improve the effectiveness of your dialysis (Kt/V). Shorter durations (under 2 months) may not provide this specific benefit.

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet may attenuate the negative cardiovascular effects associated with specific genetic polymorphisms, such as the T-allele of the TCF7L2 gene and the G-allele of the MLXIPL gene.

If you have a family history of heart disease or diabetes, adhering to a Mediterranean Diet may be particularly beneficial in mitigating your genetic risk. Consult a genetic counselor or doctor for personalized advice.

Long-term adherence to a Mediterranean Diet is associated with longer telomere length, a marker of biological age, particularly in women and those with specific PPARγ2 gene variants.

Maintaining a Mediterranean Diet over the long term may support cellular health markers associated with aging, such as telomere length, especially for women.

Dietary fiber interventions in humans alter gut microbiota composition and increase short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, but the resulting impact on metabolic regulation (insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles) is highly heterogeneous and not consistently observed across all study populations.

Increasing dietary fiber intake is likely to change your gut bacteria, but it may not automatically fix metabolic issues like insulin resistance or high cholesterol. The benefit depends heavily on the specific type of fiber (e.g., soluble vs. insoluble) and your unique gut microbiome profile. Focus on diverse, whole-food sources of fiber rather than assuming all supplements or fiber types yield the same metabolic results.

Plant-based diets (vegetarian or vegan) do not provide advantages for strength, anaerobic, or aerobic exercise performance compared to omnivorous diets, though they are viable for supporting athletic performance.

You do not need to eat meat to perform at a high level. Current research indicates that vegetarian and vegan diets support strength, anaerobic, and aerobic performance equally well to omnivorous diets, provided you consume enough total protein and variety. Focus on getting adequate calories and protein from diverse plant sources to match your training demands.