Browse the evidence

Current dietary guidelines and public health messaging focusing solely on total dietary fiber (TDF) intake quantities are insufficient because they fail to specify which types of fiber or food sources are required to achieve specific health benefits.

Stop counting only the total grams of fiber. Look at the source. To get specific health benefits, you need to consume specific types of fiber from specific foods (like oats for beta-glucans or vegetables for insoluble fiber). Current guidelines often fail to tell you this, so you must look at the food source, not just the number.

Long sleep duration (defined as >8 or >9 hours depending on the study) is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity compared to normal sleep duration.

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you consistently sleep more than 9 hours, be aware that this is associated with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and mortality. Consult a doctor to rule out underlying issues like sleep apnea or depression, as long sleep may be a symptom rather than just a habit.

Consuming kefir significantly increases Helicobacter pylori eradication rates and reduces gastrointestinal side effects (diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea) during standard triple antibiotic therapy for H. pylori infection.

If you are being treated for H. pylori with antibiotics, ask your doctor about adding 500mL of traditional kefir daily. One study showed this nearly doubled the success rate of clearing the infection and significantly reduced stomach pain and diarrhea caused by the drugs. Do not use heat-treated kefir, as the live microbes are required for this effect.

Metabolic flexibility, defined as the efficient switching between fuel sources (glucose vs. fatty acids) based on availability and demand, is essential for maintaining energy homeostasis and preventing metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity.

To maintain metabolic health, avoid constant snacking on high-calorie processed foods which impairs your body's ability to switch fuels. Incorporate regular physical exercise and vary your diet to ensure your body can efficiently use both glucose and fatty acids. This adaptability protects against metabolic diseases.

Short sleep duration (less than 7-8 hours) and poor sleep quality are associated with a 9% increased risk of type 2 diabetes for each hour of shorter sleep, mediated by decreased insulin sensitivity.

Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Each hour of sleep lost beyond this range increases your diabetes risk by 9%. Sleep restriction directly decreases whole-body insulin sensitivity, so prioritizing sleep duration is a critical, non-negotiable part of diabetes prevention.

High levels of sitting time are associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality risk, but this association is attenuated or eliminated in adults who meet or exceed current physical activity recommendations (specifically ≥300 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity).

If you sit for more than 6 hours a day, your risk of early death increases significantly unless you are highly active. To neutralize this risk, you need to engage in at least 300 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (like brisk walking, jogging, or sports). Simply meeting the minimum 150-minute guideline reduces but may not fully eliminate the risk if you sit very long hours; higher activity volumes provide better protection.

Adherence to a Western dietary pattern (high in processed foods, refined sugars, saturated/trans fats, and low in fiber/antioxidants) causes systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut dysbiosis, leading to increased risk of chronic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Reduce intake of ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and refined grains. Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts to improve antioxidant status and gut health. This shift addresses the root causes of inflammation and oxidative stress associated with chronic disease.

Phenotypic Age, a composite metric derived from nine clinical chemistry biomarkers and chronological age, serves as a robust predictor of all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk across diverse demographic and health subpopulations, outperforming traditional risk factors like BMI and disease count.

Use a comprehensive clinical panel (including CRP, glucose, albumin, etc.) to calculate a 'Phenotypic Age' rather than relying solely on your birth year. This metric provides a more accurate assessment of your mortality risk and can help identify at-risk individuals earlier than traditional tools like BMI or disease count alone.

Genetic variants associated with longer self-reported sleep duration are also associated with objectively measured longer sleep duration, greater sleep efficiency, and increased daytime inactivity as measured by accelerometers.

Self-reported sleep duration is a reasonably accurate proxy for objective sleep measures, especially when viewed through a genetic lens. If you report sleeping longer, it likely reflects your actual sleep time.

Regular consumption of blueberries or anthocyanins is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline, and supports weight maintenance.

Include blueberries in your diet regularly. Observational data suggests that eating about one-third cup daily is associated with significant health benefits, including lower risks of heart disease and diabetes. You do not need to consume large quantities to see benefits; moderate, consistent intake is key.

Specific types of dietary fiber (e.g., resistant starch, inulin, beta-glucan) differentially alter gut microbiota composition, with some promoting beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria while others have minimal or no effect.

Vary your fiber sources to support a diverse gut microbiota. Include resistant starch (cooled potatoes/rice), inulin (chicory root, garlic), and beta-glucan (oats). Different fibers feed different bacteria, so diversity in fiber sources promotes a more resilient and functional microbiome.

High consumption of animal-derived and processed foods is consistently associated with a gut microbiome profile characterized by higher abundances of Firmicutes, Ruminococcus species of the Blautia genus, and endotoxin synthesis pathways, which are linked to pro-inflammatory states.

To support a less inflammatory gut environment, prioritize plant-based foods and fish over processed and red meats. This shift is associated with a microbiome that produces beneficial short-chain fatty acids rather than endotoxins.

High consumption of plant-based foods (nuts, oily fish, fruit, vegetables, cereals) is associated with a higher abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing commensals (e.g., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia hominis) and pathways for acetate/butyrate synthesis, which are linked to mucosal protection and anti-inflammatory effects.

Increase intake of nuts, oily fish, fruits, vegetables, and cereals. These foods feed beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, which protect the gut lining and reduce inflammation.

Mediterranean diet adherence is associated with increased urinary urolithin production, which correlates with reduced systemic inflammation (hs-CRP) and improved insulin sensitivity markers in a subset of subjects.

Eating nuts (a key part of the Mediterranean diet) can lead to the production of urolithins, which are linked to lower inflammation. However, this only happens if you have the right gut bacteria to convert nut compounds into urolithins. If you don't produce them, you still get other benefits from the diet.

Replacing fish oil with vegetable oils in aquaculture feeds reduces the EPA/DHA content of farmed fish, negatively impacting the nutritional quality for human consumers.

If you buy farmed salmon, check if it is 'fish-oil-fed'. If it is fed vegetable oils, its Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) content will be lower. To get the full benefit, look for products using novel Omega-3 sources (algae/yeast) or wild-caught fish.

Sarcopenia (low skeletal muscle mass) and high total adipose tissue (TAT) measured by CT at diagnosis are independently associated with increased all-cause mortality in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients, whereas BMI is not significantly related to mortality.

For breast cancer patients, standard weight (BMI) is a poor predictor of survival. Instead, focus on preserving muscle mass and managing visceral fat through resistance training and nutrition, as measured by advanced imaging like CT, rather than just the scale.

Higher adherence to Mediterranean, DASH, or MIND dietary patterns is associated with less cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease in adults aged 40 and older.

Adopt a dietary pattern rich in plant-based foods, healthy fats (like olive oil), and lean proteins. The MIND diet, which emphasizes berries and leafy greens, shows the strongest association with reduced Alzheimer's risk. Consistency in high adherence to these patterns is key for cognitive protection.

Whole-of-dietary interventions significantly reduce symptoms of depression compared to control conditions, with a small-to-moderate effect size (Hedges' g = 0.275).

Improving your overall diet quality, whether by focusing on nutrients, reducing fat, or managing weight, can help reduce depressive symptoms. This is supported by a large body of research involving tens of thousands of people. You don't need a perfect diet, but making whole-of-diet changes is more effective than focusing on single nutrients.

Physical activity based interventions specifically reduce the odds of gestational diabetes, whereas diet-based interventions do not show a significant reduction in gestational diabetes in IPD meta-analysis.

Engage in moderate physical activity during pregnancy. This specific type of intervention has been shown to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods (defined as >4 servings daily) is independently associated with a 62% increased hazard of all-cause mortality compared to low consumption.

To lower your risk of early death, limit ultra-processed foods to less than 4 servings per day. Focus on reducing items like sugary drinks, processed meats, and packaged snacks, as these contribute most to the risk. Prioritize whole or minimally processed foods.

Each additional daily serving of ultra-processed food is associated with an 18% relative increase in all-cause mortality risk.

Track your daily servings of ultra-processed foods. Each extra serving adds 18% to your mortality risk. Reducing even one serving per day can significantly lower your long-term health risk.

Sleep deprivation (defined as <6-7 hours/night or acute/chronic restriction) increases the risk of infectious diseases by impairing innate and adaptive immune responses, including reduced T-cell efficacy and antibody production.

Prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep nightly to maintain robust immune function. Chronic sleep restriction (<6 hours) significantly impairs your body's ability to fight off viruses and bacteria, making you more susceptible to respiratory infections and reducing the effectiveness of vaccines. Treat sleep as a critical health intervention, not optional downtime.

Alcohol consumption is a direct cause of liver disease, with risk increasing linearly with dose, and binge drinking independently increases the risk of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) regardless of average daily consumption.

Alcohol causes liver damage in a dose-dependent manner. There is no universally 'safe' limit, but risk increases with higher doses and binge patterns. Women are particularly susceptible to lower thresholds of damage. Reducing alcohol intake and avoiding binge drinking are key strategies to prevent alcoholic liver disease.

Obesity and diabetes are high-risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and progression to respiratory failure.

If you have obesity or diabetes, you are at a significantly higher risk for severe Covid-19. This is due to factors like chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and lung mechanics. Ensure you are up to date on vaccinations and take precautions to avoid infection.