Browse the evidence

Improving one's Cardiovascular Health Score (CHS) over time is associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease, independent of baseline health status.

You can lower your heart disease risk by improving your health habits, even if your current health metrics are poor. Focus on making positive changes in diet, activity, and other factors; these improvements will reduce your risk over time.

Chronic sleep loss (defined as <6 hours or >8-9 hours per night) significantly increases the incidence of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke, and is associated with incident diabetes, weight gain, and all-cause mortality.

Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Both sleeping less than 6 hours and more than 9 hours is associated with significantly higher risks of heart disease and stroke. Prioritizing sleep duration is as critical for long-term health as diet and exercise.

Non-Hispanic Asian adults in the US experienced significant increases in all measured adiposity metrics (BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage) and lean mass between 2011 and 2018.

Non-Hispanic Asian adults are experiencing rising adiposity. Monitor body fat percentage and waist circumference, as standard BMI may underestimate health risks. Consider adopting lower BMI cutoffs (≥27.5) for obesity classification if advised by a healthcare provider.

Dietary habits are the dominant factor explaining inter-individual variation in the plasma metabolome, accounting for more variance than genetics or the gut microbiome for the majority of metabolites.

Your diet has a significantly larger impact on your blood metabolite levels than your genetics or gut bacteria do for most metabolic markers. Focusing on food quality and specific food items (like coffee or fish) can directly alter your metabolic profile more effectively than trying to change your genetic makeup.

Plasma metabolite levels can accurately predict an individual's diet quality score, reflecting the relationship between diet and disease.

You can use blood metabolite profiles to objectively assess your diet quality, providing a more accurate picture than self-reported food surveys alone.

Ultrasound-measured muscle thickness (MT) is a valid and reliable proxy for MRI-measured anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) at a specific site (mid-thigh) following resistance training, but it does not accurately predict changes in total muscle volume (VOL) due to regional hypertrophy.

If you are tracking muscle growth using ultrasound, measure muscle thickness at the mid-thigh (50% of femur length). It is a reliable indicator of local muscle area growth after 12 weeks of resistance training. However, do not assume this thickness increase equals a proportional increase in your total leg volume, as muscles grow unevenly (regionally).

Oral intake of bacterial probiotics (specifically multispecies mixes containing Bifidobacterium breve, B. longum, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, or L. delbrueckii) induces minor but statistically significant reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and visceral adipose tissue in overweight (but not obese) subjects.

If you are overweight, adding a multispecies probiotic supplement (containing strains like L. acidophilus or B. breve) to your daily routine may help you lose a small amount of weight (less than 1 kg on average) and reduce waist size over 8 weeks. This effect is not seen in obese individuals. Do not rely on probiotics alone for weight loss; use them as a minor adjunct to diet and exercise.

Sarcopenic obesity (low muscle mass + high visceral fat) carries a significantly higher risk of metabolic syndrome and adverse health outcomes than either condition alone.

If you have excess belly fat but low muscle strength, your risk for metabolic syndrome is extremely high. Focus on resistance training to build muscle while managing diet to reduce visceral fat, rather than just losing weight.

Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern (MeDi) is associated with a decreased risk of dementia and better cognitive performance, particularly in memory, language, and visuospatial domains, in elderly populations.

To support cognitive health and potentially lower dementia risk, aim for a Mediterranean dietary pattern. This involves high consumption of non-refined cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and olive oil, while limiting red meat and full-fat dairy. In this study, each unit increase in adherence score was linked to a 10% decrease in dementia odds, with the strongest benefits seen in memory and language functions. Start by incorporating more fish and whole grains into your weekly meals.

High body fat percentage (BFP) and high visceral adipose index (VAI) are significantly associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, whereas smoking and alcohol consumption are not associated with these conditions in southern China.

Focus on body composition rather than just weight. If you have a normal BMI but a high waist circumference or body fat percentage, your risk for metabolic issues is still elevated. Regularly monitoring waist circumference and body fat percentage is more informative than BMI alone for assessing obesity-related risks.

In older adults, a high Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI) is a valid indicator of sarcopenic obesity, characterized by simultaneously high fat mass and low muscle mass.

For older adults, standard BMI or waist size can hide dangerous muscle loss. Use the Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI): divide your waist circumference (cm) by the square root of your weight (kg). A higher WWI score indicates a higher risk of having both excess fat and low muscle (sarcopenic obesity), which is a critical health risk factor in aging.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) significantly increases the risk of developing overall and abdominal obesity in adults, independent of baseline adiposity.

If you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods (like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and ready meals), you are significantly more likely to gain weight and develop obesity over time. This risk exists even if you don't currently have obesity. Reducing your intake of these highly processed items is a key strategy for weight management.

Consuming red and processed meat at an average level of 76 g/day, which meets current UK government recommendations, is associated with a 20% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to consuming 21 g/day.

If you eat red or processed meat, aiming for less than 76 grams per day may lower your colorectal cancer risk compared to eating around 76 grams or more. While 76g meets current UK guidelines, this study links that amount to a 20% higher risk compared to eating only 21g. Consider reducing portion sizes or frequency of red/processed meat to lower this risk.

Higher intake of fiber from bread and breakfast cereals is associated with a 14% lower risk of colorectal cancer.

Eating more fiber from bread and breakfast cereals is linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Aim to include whole grain bread and cereals in your diet to increase fiber intake.

Food insecurity in college students is significantly associated with higher odds of poor sleep quality, high perceived stress, disordered eating behaviors, and lower academic performance (GPA < 3.0).

If you are a student struggling with food access, recognize that this likely impacts your sleep, stress levels, and grades. Prioritize securing consistent nutrition. If your campus has a food pantry, use it despite any stigma, as it is designed to help you succeed academically and health-wise.

Pre-rolling with foam rollers provides a small but statistically significant improvement in sprint performance (+0.7%) and flexibility (+4.0%), while having negligible effects on jump and strength performance.

Use foam rolling as a warm-up before sprinting or activities requiring high flexibility. Expect small gains in speed (approx 0.7%) and range of motion (approx 4%). Do not expect it to boost your max lift or vertical jump. If you are a recreational athlete, these small gains might be negligible; if you are elite, they may be worthwhile.

Post-rolling (post-exercise foam rolling) slightly attenuates exercise-induced decreases in sprint and strength performance and reduces perceived muscle pain, but has trivial effects on jump performance recovery.

Use foam rolling after workouts to help manage muscle soreness and slightly preserve your sprint and strength capabilities for subsequent sessions. Do not expect it to restore your vertical jump or max strength quickly. It is a useful tool for comfort and minor performance preservation, not a magic recovery bullet.

Inadequate sleep generates substantial economic costs through productivity losses, healthcare expenditures, and accident-related damages, with total financial and nonfinancial costs in Australia estimated at $45.21 billion for 2016-2017.

Inadequate sleep is not just a personal health issue but a major economic burden. The financial costs include healthcare, productivity losses, and accidents, while nonfinancial costs include reduced well-being. Prioritizing sleep is crucial for both individual health and societal economic stability.

Polyphenols can modulate the gut microbiota composition (acting as prebiotics) by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, while inhibiting others through antimicrobial activity.

Eating polyphenol-rich foods like berries, tea, or cocoa can help feed good gut bacteria (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) and suppress bad ones, improving your gut ecosystem.

Biomarkers of nutrition provide an objective, proximal measure of dietary intake and metabolic status, overcoming the inherent biases and limitations of self-reported dietary assessment methods.

To accurately assess your nutrition, rely on objective biomarkers (like blood or urine tests) rather than just self-reported food logs. Self-reporting is prone to memory errors and bias. Biomarkers offer a precise, proximal measure of what you actually consume and how your body metabolizes it, enabling better personalized dietary recommendations.

Specific biomarkers exist for various food groups and nutrients, such as alkylresorcinols for whole grains, carotenoids for fruits/vegetables, and DHA/EPA for fish intake, allowing for objective validation of dietary intake.

Objective biomarkers can validate your dietary intake. For example, blood levels of alkylresorcinols can confirm whole grain consumption, while DHA/EPA levels reflect fish intake. These tools help ensure you are meeting your nutritional goals accurately.

Targeted modulation of mitochondrial function through drugs, exercise, diet, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and physical therapy can prevent or treat skeletal muscle atrophy.

Consider a multi-faceted approach to managing muscle atrophy. Incorporate regular exercise and a balanced diet as foundational steps. For more severe cases, consult healthcare providers about other potential therapies like drug treatments or physical therapy.

Inflammation and oxidative stress are crucial triggering factors in skeletal muscle atrophy, leading to increased proteolysis and reduced protein synthesis.

Manage stress and inflammation through lifestyle choices. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting muscle health.

Mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, are negatively associated with sleep quality in college students.

If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression, address these mental health issues, as they are strongly linked to poor sleep quality. Consider seeking professional support.