Browse the evidence

Adherence to health-promoting dietary patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, Nordic, or traditional Asian) reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes compared to Western dietary patterns.

Adopt a dietary pattern rich in plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts) and low in processed meats, saturated fats, and refined sugars. You do not need to follow one specific named diet; choose a pattern (like Mediterranean, DASH, or MIND) that fits your culture and preferences. Key actions: eat fruits and vegetables daily, choose whole grains over refined, use healthy oils (olive, rapeseed), and limit red/processed meats. Combine this with regular physical activity and adequate sleep for maximum benefit.

Low-volume sprint interval training (SIT) produces similar improvements in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, buffering capacity, and exercise performance as high-volume endurance training (ET) despite a ~90% lower total training volume.

If you are short on time, you can achieve similar fitness and muscle adaptations to long endurance sessions by doing short, all-out sprints. Specifically, perform 4-6 repeats of 30-second maximal cycling efforts with 4-minute rest periods, three times a week for two weeks. This takes about 2.5 hours total over two weeks, compared to 10.5 hours for traditional endurance training, yet yields similar improvements in your body's ability to use oxygen and sustain effort.

Higher levels of physical activity reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, with the magnitude of risk reduction (30-50%) being comparable to not smoking, mediated substantially by improvements in inflammatory/hemostatic biomarkers and blood pressure.

Aim for at least 600 to 1500 kilocalories of moderate-intensity physical activity per week (roughly 2 to 5 hours of brisk walking or similar activity). This level of activity is associated with a 27% to 41% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk compared to being sedentary. The benefit comes largely from improvements in blood pressure and inflammatory markers, not just weight loss. You do not need extreme exercise to see significant health benefits; consistency with moderate activity is key.

Habitual consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the incidence of type 2 diabetes independently of obesity status, with an estimated 13% increased risk per serving per day after adjusting for adiposity.

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you maintain a healthy weight. To lower your risk, reduce or eliminate SSBs, as switching to artificially sweetened options does not appear to offer a safe alternative for diabetes prevention.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages contributes to a substantial number of new type 2 diabetes cases in the USA and UK, estimated at 1.8 million and 79,000 excess events over 10 years, respectively.

On a population level, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption could prevent approximately 1.8 million new diabetes cases in the USA and 79,000 in the UK over a decade. This highlights the importance of public health policies aimed at reducing SSB availability and consumption.

Switching to a high-fiber, low-fat diet reduces colonic mucosal proliferation and inflammation biomarkers, thereby lowering colon cancer risk.

Adopting a diet high in fiber (especially resistant starch) and low in animal fat and protein can rapidly reduce biological markers of colon cancer risk. This involves shifting away from Western-style diets toward traditional African-style diets rich in plant fibers.

Moderate to high levels of physical activity reduce the risk of functional limitations and disability in older adults (aged 65-85) by approximately 50% compared to sedentary levels.

To maintain independence as you age, aim for at least moderate physical activity. This means activities like brisk walking or gardening for 30 minutes, 3-5 days a week, or engaging in more vigorous exercises. Simply doing light daily tasks is likely insufficient to significantly lower your risk of becoming functionally limited.

Vigorous physical activity reduces the risk of limitations in higher-level performance outcomes (e.g., stair climbing, walking distance) in older adults.

If you want to maintain the ability to perform complex tasks like climbing stairs or walking long distances, incorporate vigorous activity into your routine. This level of exertion is specifically linked to preserving these higher-level functions.

Regular aerobic activity and short-term exercise programs (aerobic and resistance) improve physiological and functional measures in older adults.

Engaging in structured exercise programs, whether aerobic or resistance-based, leads to immediate improvements in physical function and fitness, which may help delay mobility disability over time.

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a significantly increased risk of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease.

To lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, try to keep ultra-processed foods to less than 10-15% of your total food weight. Focus on unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fresh meats. The risk increases by about 12% for every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in your diet, even if you try to balance the nutrients.

Among FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for obesity, phentermine-topiramate and liraglutide are associated with the highest probability of achieving at least 5% weight loss at 52 weeks compared to placebo.

If you are considering medication for obesity, phentermine-topiramate and liraglutide currently offer the highest likelihood of losing at least 5% of your body weight within a year compared to other approved options. Be aware that these same medications also carry a higher risk of stopping treatment due to side effects.

Postdiagnosis physical activity provides greater mortality benefits than prediagnosis physical activity for breast and colon cancer survivors.

If you are a breast or colon cancer survivor, engage in physical activity as tolerated. Postdiagnosis activity is particularly beneficial for improving survival outcomes, so start with what you can handle and gradually increase.

A trimodal prehabilitation program (moderate aerobic/resistance exercise, whey protein supplementation, and anxiety-reduction strategies) initiated 4 weeks before colorectal surgery significantly improves postoperative functional exercise capacity compared to initiating the identical program after surgery.

If you are scheduled for colorectal cancer surgery, start a moderate exercise and protein supplementation program 4 weeks before your operation. This 'prehabilitation' approach helps you maintain or improve your walking capacity before surgery, leading to better functional recovery afterward compared to starting these activities only after surgery.

Sustained lifestyle changes involving weight loss and increased physical activity improve erectile function in obese men with erectile dysfunction.

If you are obese and experiencing erectile dysfunction, losing weight and exercising regularly can significantly improve your sexual function. This study suggests that aiming for a 10% weight loss and increasing physical activity to around 200 minutes per week (e.g., brisk walking) over two years can help about one-third of men regain normal sexual function. This approach also improves overall cardiovascular health by reducing inflammation and improving blood vessel function.

Regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise reduces cardiovascular disease risk and mortality through multiple mechanisms including improved lipid profiles, enhanced insulin sensitivity, lowered blood pressure, and favorable cardiac adaptations.

Engage in regular physical activity, aiming for moderate-to-vigorous intensity several times a week. You do not need extreme volumes; even single sessions of low-intensity exercise can improve insulin sensitivity the next day. Focus on consistency over intensity to lower blood pressure and improve lipid profiles.

Meeting 6 or more of the 7 ideal cardiovascular health metrics (not smoking, physical activity, normal blood pressure, normal blood glucose, normal total cholesterol, normal weight, healthy diet) is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and ischemic heart disease mortality compared to meeting 1 or fewer metrics.

Focus on accumulating healthy habits rather than perfection. The study shows that meeting 6 out of 7 ideal health metrics (not smoking, being physically active, normal blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, weight, and eating a healthy diet) cuts your risk of dying from heart disease or any cause by more than half compared to having few or no healthy habits. You don't need to be perfect; each healthy habit you adopt adds significant protection.

High-intensity resistance training, including eccentric movements, can significantly reverse age-related strength loss and increase muscle mass in older adults, even those over 90.

Start a supervised, high-intensity resistance training program. You don't need to train every day; once a week can maintain gains. Focus on progressive overload. This will help you build strength and muscle, improving your ability to perform daily activities.

Prolonged moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., 150 min/week at 65% VO2max) significantly improves the lipid profile by increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing triglycerides, whereas high-intensity interval training may fail to produce these benefits if total volume is insufficient.

To improve your cholesterol, focus on doing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (like brisk walking or cycling) for about 150 minutes per week. You don't need to sprint or do high-intensity intervals; consistency and total time matter more than intensity for this specific benefit. Spread these minutes across the week (e.g., 30 minutes, 5 days a week).

Moderate-intensity resistance training (45-55% 1RM) is more effective than high-intensity resistance training (80-90% 1RM) for improving the lipid profile, particularly for lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, when total training load is equalized.

For cholesterol benefits, resistance training at a moderate weight (45-55% of your one-rep max) is just as effective, if not more so, than lifting very heavy weights. Focus on completing the sessions with moderate loads rather than maxing out. This approach is safer and equally effective for improving your lipid profile.

Regular participation in moderate-intensity physical activity (3.0–6.0 METs), such as brisk walking for at least 2.5 hours per week, significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to being sedentary.

To lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, aim for at least 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week. You do not need to run or lift heavy weights; walking fast enough to raise your heart rate slightly is sufficient. This benefit exists even if you do not lose weight, as exercise directly improves how your body handles sugar.

Age-related skeletal muscle atrophy and loss of motor units are inevitable biological processes that begin around age 50, but their functional impact (weakness, frailty) can be significantly slowed or ameliorated through well-designed resistance training programs.

If you are over 75 and have been sedentary, starting a supervised resistance training program at least three times a week can significantly improve your muscle mass, strength, and power. The program should progressively increase the load as you get stronger and include different types of muscle contractions. While this won't stop aging entirely, it can dramatically slow down the loss of function and help prevent frailty.

Higher genetic predisposition to obesity, measured by BMI-related loci, interacts with lifestyle factors (specifically SSB intake, fried food, and sedentary behavior) to exponentially increase obesity risk, but healthy lifestyle choices can attenuate this genetic risk.

If you have a family history of obesity, focus on healthy lifestyle choices like limiting SSBs, avoiding fried foods, and staying physically active. These choices can significantly reduce your genetic risk of becoming obese.

Resistance training significantly improves muscle strength in healthy older adults (mean age ≥65), with optimal dose-response relationships defined by a training period of 50–53 weeks, intensity of 70–79% 1RM, time under tension of 6.0s, and rest intervals of 60s between sets.

To maximize muscle strength, older adults should engage in resistance training twice a week for about a year. Use weights that feel like 70-79% of your maximum lift, perform 2-3 sets of 7-9 reps, and rest 60 seconds between sets. Ensure each repetition takes about 6 seconds total (time under tension). This specific protocol yields the largest strength gains.

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil or nuts reduces the progression to type 2 diabetes by approximately 50% compared to a conventional low-fat diet, independent of significant weight loss.

Adopt a Mediterranean dietary pattern, specifically ensuring you consume either 30 grams of nuts daily or 1 liter of virgin olive oil weekly. This specific supplementation has been shown in clinical trials to cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by half over four years, even without significant weight loss, likely due to anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits of these specific foods.