Browse the evidence

Administration of insulin-sensitivity-associated bacteria, specifically Alistipes indistinctus, ameliorates insulin resistance and improves glucose tolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice by reducing caecal monosaccharide levels.

Specific gut bacteria, such as Alistipes indistinctus, can help break down harmful sugars in the gut, potentially improving insulin sensitivity. This suggests that targeting specific bacterial strains could be a therapeutic strategy for metabolic health.

Administration of probiotics to critically ill patients with multiorgan failure or severe immunocompromise can increase bacterial translocation and cause sepsis, making it unsafe as a standard practice.

If you are critically ill, have multiorgan failure, or are in the ICU, do not take probiotics unless explicitly prescribed by your medical team. In these cases, probiotics can cause sepsis and death. Standard practice suggests avoiding them.

A composite panel of seven circulating senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) proteins (GDF15, FAS, OPN, TNFR1, ACTIVIN A, CCL3, and IL-15) serves as a superior biomarker for predicting adverse postoperative outcomes and biological age compared to chronological age or single-protein markers.

This research suggests that measuring a specific set of 7 proteins in the blood (GDF15, FAS, OPN, TNFR1, ACTIVIN A, CCL3, and IL-15) can provide a more accurate assessment of biological age and surgical risk than chronological age. For older adults, this panel may help identify those at higher risk for complications after surgery, potentially guiding pre-operative care and post-operative monitoring.

Earmarking (hypothecating) health tax revenues for specific health objectives increases public support for the tax and political sustainability, whereas using revenues for general fiscal purposes leaves the tax vulnerable to lobbying and repeal.

To ensure health taxes survive political pressure, governments must earmark the revenue for specific health-related spending, such as subsidizing healthy foods or targeting child obesity. This builds public support and protects the tax from industry lobbying that often leads to repeal when revenues go into the general fund.

Knockdown of fibrillarin reduces nucleolar size and extends lifespan in wild-type C. elegans.

Reducing the expression of the nucleolar protein fibrillarin extends lifespan in C. elegans. This suggests that inhibiting specific aspects of ribosome production can promote longevity.

Genetically predicted leisure television watching causally increases the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and disease severity.

Reduce time spent watching television, as it is causally linked to higher risks of COVID-19 hospitalization and severity. This risk is mediated by metabolic factors like obesity and smoking, so replacing TV time with physical activity may mitigate these risks.

Conventional wastewater treatment plants are ineffective at removing many endocrine-disrupting compounds, leading to their presence in surface water and drinking water supplies.

If concerned about EDCs, consider using water filters certified to remove specific contaminants like BPA or pesticides, as standard municipal treatment may not remove them. Check local water quality reports for emerging contaminants.

Vagal afferent signaling regarding food intake is primarily driven by mechanoreceptors (IGLEs) sensing intestinal stretch, rather than chemoreceptors sensing gut peptides like GLP-1.

When taking GLP-1 medications, part of the weight loss comes from the physical feeling of fullness (stretch) in your stomach and intestines, not just a chemical signal. This is why you feel full faster and stay full longer. The drug enhances these mechanical signals to your brain.

Epigenetic aging initiates early in life upon the loss of pluripotency during differentiation, and the epigenetic age of a tissue is largely determined by the composition of stem cells versus differentiated cells.

Epigenetic aging begins when cells lose their stem-like pluripotency and start differentiating. The overall epigenetic age of a tissue reflects the balance of young stem cells and older differentiated cells. Maintaining a healthy stem cell pool may help keep tissue-level epigenetic age lower.

Cardiolipin oxidation is a primary event in the release of cytochrome c and increased permeability of the mitochondrial membrane to apoptosis factors.

Maintain mitochondrial health to prevent cardiolipin oxidation, which is a key step in apoptosis and aging.

Voluntary industry self-regulation and public-private partnerships are ineffective at reducing non-communicable disease (NCD) risk exposure and often serve to delay or prevent stricter statutory regulation.

Do not rely on voluntary industry pledges or 'healthy' marketing claims to manage NCD risk. These measures have been evaluated and found ineffective. Effective risk reduction requires statutory regulation, such as taxation, marketing restrictions, and clear labeling, enforced by public authorities rather than left to industry self-interest.

The accumulation of senescent cells in tissues drives organ degeneration and aging phenotypes, and their clearance extends lifespan and improves homeostasis in mammalian models.

Focus on maintaining immune system health and reducing chronic stressors that induce senescence. While direct 'senolytic' interventions are emerging, lifestyle factors that reduce cellular stress (exercise, balanced nutrition) may help manage senescent cell burden.

A continuous care model combining nutritional ketosis (<30g carbohydrates/day) with remote biometric monitoring and medication management significantly improves glycemic control, reduces body weight, and allows for the reduction or elimination of type 2 diabetes medications in adults with T2D over a 1-year period.

To manage Type 2 Diabetes effectively, consider a structured low-carbohydrate approach (under 30g carbs/day) combined with regular monitoring of blood glucose and ketones. Work with a healthcare provider to safely adjust diabetes medications as your numbers improve. Focus on eating enough protein and healthy fats to feel satisfied, and ensure you are getting essential nutrients through supplementation if needed. This approach has been shown to improve blood sugar control, promote weight loss, and reduce the need for diabetes medications over time.

Advanced training techniques such as supersets, drop sets, and rest-pause training can roughly halve training time compared to traditional training while maintaining volume and inducing similar hypertrophy.

If you are short on time, try pairing exercises (supersets) or reducing rest periods. This can cut your workout time in half while still building muscle, though it may be less effective for pure strength gains.

Resistance training to momentary muscular failure using lighter loads (30% 1RM) maintains muscle hypertrophy and size comparably to heavy loads (80-90% 1RM) during periods of restricted training.

If you only have light weights, lift them until you physically cannot complete another repetition. This maintains muscle size as effectively as heavy weights, though maximum strength gains may be slightly lower.

Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a two-fold increased likelihood of maintaining weight loss after an initial reduction of 10% or more.

To maintain weight loss, adopt a Mediterranean-style eating pattern. Prioritize plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains), use olive oil as your main fat source, and include moderate amounts of fish and dairy. Limit red meat and sweets. This pattern is associated with double the odds of keeping weight off compared to less adherent diets.

A 12-week periodic ketogenic diet (30-50g carbs, 130g fat, 60g protein, ~1500 kcal) significantly improves body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, and lipid profiles (TG, TC, LDL) in newly diagnosed overweight/obese T2DM patients compared to routine diabetes diet.

If you are newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and overweight, a 12-week ketogenic diet (approx. 1500 calories, very low carb) can significantly improve your weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol better than standard diabetes advice. However, it is difficult to sustain long-term due to taste and adherence issues. It serves as an effective short-term intervention to reduce medication needs and improve metabolic health.

Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diets (VLCKD) and Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) produce rapid, significant weight loss and preserve lean mass in obese patients, but require strict medical supervision due to risks of gallbladder issues and electrolyte imbalance.

If you have severe obesity and comorbidities, VLCKD or PSMF can help you lose weight faster than standard diets while preserving muscle. However, these are not DIY diets; they require strict medical supervision, supplementation, and monitoring to avoid side effects like gallstones or electrolyte imbalances.

Soy protein supplementation produces identical increases in lean mass compared to whey protein in active individuals and athletes, making it an effective alternative for muscle growth.

If you are an athlete or active individual looking to build muscle, soy protein is just as effective as whey protein. You do not need to avoid soy for muscle gains. Ensure you are consuming enough total protein (at least 1.6 g/kg/day) and that your soy protein source is of high quality (high digestibility).

Lifestyle interventions, specifically combining dietary changes (low-calorie, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein, or low-glycemic-index diets) with exercise, are the first-line and fundamental treatment for obesity.

Start with lifestyle changes as your primary tool. Combine a calorie-controlled diet (whether low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein) with regular exercise (aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, plus strength training twice a week). This combination is more effective than diet or exercise alone. Save medications and surgery for cases where lifestyle changes are insufficient or for severe obesity.

Maintaining or increasing resistance training volume (≥10 weekly sets per muscle group) during caloric restriction spares lean mass in resistance-trained athletes, particularly females, whereas reducing volume leads to greater lean mass loss.

If you are cutting weight, do not drop your training volume. Aim for at least 10 sets per muscle group per week. If you can, try to increase volume over time. This is especially important for female athletes to prevent muscle loss.

Strength training improves critical stroke recovery outcomes including walking capacity, balance, functional mobility, and walking speed.

For stroke survivors, strength training is a critical component of recovery that goes beyond just building muscle. It significantly improves your ability to walk, balance, and perform daily tasks. Work with a physical therapist to find a safe program that fits your current ability level.

For long-term weight maintenance, a personalized energy intake calculated as 10% below Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) multiplied by Physical Activity Level (PAL) is used, combined with either a low-carb (30% carb) or low-fat (25% fat) diet.

Maintain your weight by eating slightly less than your body burns at rest (minus 10%). You can choose a low-carb approach (30% carbs) or a low-fat approach (25% fat). Use digital tools or newsletters for ongoing support to stay on track for 12 months.

An 8-week combined intervention of Baduanjin (moderate-intensity mind-body exercise) and a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs/day) significantly reduces body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage in overweight individuals with drug addiction compared to general physical activity alone.

For overweight individuals in recovery, combining a structured, moderate-intensity mind-body exercise like Baduanjin (approx. 60 mins, 5x/week) with a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs daily) for 8 weeks can significantly reduce body weight and fat. Light activity alone is likely insufficient for weight loss in this demographic.