Browse the evidence

Sarcopenia is associated with significantly reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to non-sarcopenic individuals, with a large effect size observed when using disease-specific assessment tools.

If you are an older adult experiencing muscle loss, do not dismiss it as inevitable aging. This condition, known as sarcopenia, is linked to a significant drop in your quality of life and independence. Seek a diagnosis using standard criteria (like EWGSOP2) to ensure you receive appropriate interventions, as generic assessments might miss the severity of your condition.

Edible crickets provide a high-protein, nutrient-dense food source with superior feed conversion efficiency compared to traditional livestock, making them a viable alternative for addressing global food security and malnutrition.

Consider incorporating cricket flour or whole crickets into your diet as a high-protein alternative to beef or chicken. They offer comparable or superior nutritional profiles with a significantly lower environmental footprint. Start with processed forms like flour in baked goods to ease into the taste and texture.

Crickets possess a favorable fatty acid profile with high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), which may help mitigate risks associated with high-saturated fat diets.

If you are watching your saturated fat intake, cricket-based foods can be a heart-healthy alternative to red meat due to their high PUFA and MUFA content. Look for products that highlight their fatty acid profile.

Crickets are a rich source of essential minerals (iron, zinc, calcium) and vitamins (B-group, A, C, D, E, K), offering a potential solution for micronutrient deficiencies in developing regions.

For those struggling with iron or zinc deficiency, cricket-based foods can be a potent supplement. They contain higher levels of these minerals than beef or pork. Ensure the crickets are processed to maximize nutrient absorption.

Seaweeds are a nutrient-dense, sustainable food source that provides essential macronutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) without competing for arable land or freshwater.

Incorporate edible seaweeds (like nori, wakame, or kelp) into your diet to boost nutrient intake sustainably. They are rich in protein, fiber, and essential minerals. Start with small amounts to assess tolerance and ensure products are sourced from regulated suppliers to manage contaminant risks.

Consuming seaweed provides high-quality complete proteins with all essential amino acids, though digestibility can be reduced by phenolic compounds and polysaccharides.

Use seaweed as a protein source, but cook it (e.g., boil) to improve digestibility. It provides all essential amino acids, making it a valuable plant-based protein option, especially when combined with other protein sources.

Seaweeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential for human health and cardiovascular function.

Include seaweed in your diet to get essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These healthy fats support cardiovascular health and brain function, and seaweed provides them in a low-calorie package.

Seaweeds are a significant source of dietary fiber, which promotes satiety, regulates blood glucose, and lowers LDL cholesterol.

Eat seaweed to increase your daily fiber intake. The soluble fiber in seaweed helps regulate blood sugar and lower bad cholesterol, while insoluble fiber aids digestion. Aim for a variety of seaweeds to get different types of fiber.

Inositol supplementation shows the most promising findings for improving metabolic profiles and reducing hyperandrogenism in PCOS, whereas other supplements, herbal medicines, acupuncture, and yoga have inconsistent evidence.

If considering supplements, inositol has the most promising evidence for improving metabolic health and hormone levels in PCOS. However, evidence for other supplements, herbal medicines, acupuncture, and yoga is inconsistent. Do not rely on these as primary treatments; consult a healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a statistically significant inverse association (reduced risk) for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline, though the credibility of this evidence is rated as low to moderate due to heterogeneity.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern is associated with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. While the evidence quality is moderate due to inconsistent definitions across studies, the consistent inverse association suggests that prioritizing plant-based foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins is a beneficial long-term strategy for chronic disease prevention.

In overweight and obese individuals, higher intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) is associated with lower abundance of the genus Intestinimonas, whereas in lean individuals, SFAs are associated with higher abundance of the butyrate-producing genus Roseburia.

If you are lean, your gut bacteria may respond to saturated fats differently than if you are overweight or obese. Specifically, SFAs were linked to beneficial butyrate producers (Roseburia) in lean subjects, but to different taxa (Intestinimonas) in obese subjects. This suggests that dietary fat recommendations might need to be personalized based on current body composition and metabolic health rather than applying a one-size-fits-all restriction.

Higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae genera is negatively associated with body fat, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in humans.

Higher levels of Lachnospiraceae bacteria in your gut are associated with lower body fat and better cholesterol profiles (lower LDL and total cholesterol). Focusing on dietary patterns that support these bacteria, such as fiber intake, may support cardiovascular health.

For secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, exercise interventions provide mortality benefits statistically equivalent to standard drug therapies (statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, antiplatelets).

If you have coronary heart disease, engaging in prescribed exercise programs can reduce your risk of death as effectively as taking standard heart medications like statins or beta-blockers. Do not stop your medication without consulting your doctor, but view exercise as a critical, equally potent part of your treatment plan.

For prediabetes prevention, there is no statistically detectable difference in mortality outcomes between exercise interventions and drug therapies.

For prediabetes, both exercise and medication show similar, non-significant effects on mortality in current trials. Focus on exercise for its broader health benefits and functional improvements, as it is a viable alternative to drug therapy.

Current generalized caffeine guidelines (3–9 mg/kg, 60 min pre-exercise) are not optimal for all athletes due to substantial inter-individual variation in ergogenic response driven by genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors.

Stop assuming the standard 3-6 mg/kg dose works for you. Your genetics (like CYP1A2) and how much caffeine you drink daily change how caffeine affects your performance. Some people get a huge boost, others get no benefit or even a negative effect. Consider genetic testing or systematic self-experimentation to find your optimal dose and timing, rather than blindly following general guidelines.

An ancestral diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in grains and dairy is net base-yielding, which prevents the chronic metabolic acidosis associated with modern acid-producing diets.

Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer cereal grains and dairy products to keep your body's acid-base balance in a healthy, base-yielding state. This helps prevent the silent, long-term damage to bones and kidneys associated with chronic metabolic acidosis from modern diets.

Observational studies show positive associations between physical activity and the prevention of frailty or sarcopenia in older adults.

Engage in regular physical activity, as observational studies suggest it is associated with preventing frailty and sarcopenia. This can help maintain independence and quality of life.

Consumption of probiotics and prebiotics modulates intestinal microbiota composition and metabolic activity, which is associated with health benefits including reduced risk of intestinal infections, respiratory tract infections, CVD, osteoporosis, urogenital infections, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Probiotics and prebiotics show promise for various health conditions, but results vary by strain and specific health issue. Do not expect a universal cure. Consult a healthcare provider for strain-specific recommendations for conditions like IBS or antibiotic-associated diarrhea, as evidence is mixed for some applications.

Synbiotics, which combine probiotics and prebiotics, may offer synergistic benefits by enhancing the survival and effectiveness of probiotic strains.

Consider synbiotic products that combine specific probiotics and prebiotics, as they may offer enhanced benefits. However, choose products with well-studied strain and substrate combinations.

Adherence to the principles of the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with lower overall mortality and longer survival in elderly populations, regardless of ethnic origin.

For elderly adults, adopting the core components of a Mediterranean diet—high intake of vegetables, legumes, cereals, fruits, and monounsaturated fats, with moderate ethanol and low meat/dairy—is associated with a significant reduction in overall mortality. This benefit appears transferable across different ethnic backgrounds, suggesting that focusing on these food group principles is more important than adhering to a specific cultural cuisine.

Having parents with obesity is associated with significantly greater weight regain after a weight-loss intervention.

If your parents have obesity, you may face a higher risk of regaining weight. This is likely due to shared habits and environment. Be aware of this risk and seek support that addresses these specific environmental triggers.

Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) improves glucose and lipid homeostasis (reduced fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides) in the short-to-medium term, potentially through mechanisms distinct from continuous energy restriction (CER) such as preferential reduction of ectopic fat and modulation of adipose tissue physiology.

Try an Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) protocol like the 5:2 diet (eating normally 5 days, restricting calories by ~70-100% on 2 non-consecutive days) or alternate-day modified fasting. Focus on short-to-medium term goals (up to 6 months). Monitor insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles, as IER may offer benefits beyond simple weight loss, such as improved insulin sensitivity and reduced triglycerides, potentially through mechanisms like reduced ectopic fat.

Dietary nitrate supplementation improves performance in highly trained athletes engaged in upper-body dominant sports (kayaking, rowing) or intermittent sprint sports.

If you are an elite kayaker, rower, or team sport player doing sprints, nitrate supplementation (8-10mmol) can help your performance. It works by improving the efficiency of your fast-twitch muscles.

High adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) and oxidative stress (nitrotyrosine) in the elderly.

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet helps reduce systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, which are key drivers of cellular aging and chronic disease.