Browse the evidence

A Mediterranean diet rich in alpha-linolenic acid increases plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing coronary heart disease risk.

Incorporating a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, can increase plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. This increase in EPA is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

The nutritional and sensory profile of kefir is significantly influenced by the type of milk used (cow, camel, goat, buffalo) and the fermentation process.

Choose your kefir based on your preferences and dietary needs, as different milk bases offer different nutrient profiles and flavors.

Higher body mass index (BMI) is strongly and linearly associated with increased prevalence and severity of hypertension, independent of age, gender, and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most effective ways to prevent high blood pressure. This study shows that as BMI increases, the risk of hypertension rises significantly, even after accounting for age and other health factors. For public health, using BMI as a simple screening tool is recommended to identify those at higher risk.

The association between better neighborhood physical environments and lower BMI is partially mediated by healthier diet and higher physical activity levels.

Improving your neighborhood's walkability and food access works partly by making it easier to eat better and move more. If you can't change your neighborhood, you must consciously replicate these environmental cues (e.g., pre-planning meals, scheduling exercise) to achieve similar benefits.

Yoga-based interventions significantly improve glycemic control (fasting and postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c) and lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, HDL) in adults with Type 2 Diabetes compared to standard care or no treatment.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, incorporating a structured yoga program (at least 12 weeks, 3+ times per week) can significantly improve your blood sugar control and cholesterol levels. It works best when combined with your standard medical care, not as a replacement. The key is consistency and including both physical poses and breathing/meditation practices.

Yoga interventions may reduce oxidative stress, blood pressure, and medication use, and enhance mood, sleep, and quality of life in adults with Type 2 Diabetes, though evidence is more limited than for glycemic control.

Beyond blood sugar, yoga can help manage stress, improve sleep, and potentially lower blood pressure and medication needs. While the evidence is not as robust as for glucose control, these benefits make it a valuable holistic tool for diabetes management.

Interventions that measure exercise duration as an outcome variable yield larger effect sizes than those that do not.

When designing or following an activity program, focusing on how long you exercise (duration) may be a more effective strategy than focusing solely on how often (frequency) or how hard (intensity).

Dietary supplementation with unsaturated fatty acids (specifically Omega-3 PUFAs like EPA and DHA) preserves skeletal muscle mass and function in pathological conditions such as cancer cachexia and aging by reducing inflammation and enhancing protein synthesis.

For older adults or those with muscle-wasting conditions, increasing intake of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) through diet or supplementation may help preserve muscle mass and strength by reducing inflammation and supporting protein synthesis.

Training with low carbohydrate availability (train-low) modulates molecular cell signaling pathways to promote oxidative phenotype adaptations, potentially enhancing training adaptations at the cost of immediate performance.

Consider occasionally training with low carbohydrate availability (e.g., fasted or after a low-CHO meal) to trigger specific molecular signals that may enhance your body's oxidative capacity and mitochondrial function. This is an adaptation strategy, not a performance strategy, so expect lower intensity during these specific sessions.

A higher Overall Lifestyle Score (OLS), driven primarily by physical activity, is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and hypertension.

Improving your Overall Lifestyle Score, particularly through increased physical activity, significantly reduces your risk of obesity and hypertension. In urban environments where sedentary jobs are common, prioritizing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is more critical for metabolic health than diet quality alone.

Exercise alone, independent of significant weight loss, improves insulin sensitivity, visceral fat, and glucose metabolism in obese individuals with NAFLD.

You don't need to lose weight to improve your liver's insulin sensitivity. Aim for 400 calories of moderate aerobic exercise (like brisk walking or cycling) three times a week. This improves glucose uptake and reduces visceral fat even if the scale doesn't move much. Focus on consistency and energy expenditure rather than extreme intensity.

Intensive behavior therapy combining structured dietary counseling and physical activity improves liver histology and insulin resistance in NAFLD patients, whereas prescriptive diet-only interventions do not.

To treat fatty liver, you need more than a diet sheet. You need a structured program with weekly support, goal setting, and self-monitoring of food and activity. This approach leads to better liver health than just being told to eat less.

Short and long sleep durations are associated with elevated levels of proinflammatory biomarkers (TNF-α, IL-6, CRP), which may mediate the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Maintaining 7-8 hours of sleep helps regulate inflammatory markers like IL-6 and CRP. While you cannot feel inflammation, chronic elevation contributes to heart disease risk. Consistent, adequate sleep is a key strategy for managing systemic inflammation.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their long-chain metabolites (EPA, DHA, GLA, DGLA, AA) function as endogenous inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase and ACE, providing cardioprotective, anti-hypertensive, and anti-atherosclerotic benefits comparable to a pharmaceutical 'polypill'.

To support heart health and blood pressure naturally, ensure your diet includes adequate sources of essential fatty acids. This means balancing omega-3s (from fish, flax, walnuts) and omega-6s (from plant oils like sunflower or safflower, and some animal sources). The paper suggests that maintaining adequate levels of these fats, rather than relying solely on synthetic drugs, may help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure through your body's own enzymatic processes. Focus on whole food sources and consider the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, aiming for a balance closer to 1:1 or 2:3 rather than the modern industrial ratio of 10:1 or higher.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks (SSD) is associated with increased body weight and obesity, but the effect size is generally small and statistically significant only in specific subgroups (e.g., children overweight at baseline, high consumers, or specific demographics like females in some studies).

If you drink sugar-sweetened soft drinks, reducing them may help with weight management, especially if you are already overweight or consume them in large quantities. However, simply cutting SSD without addressing overall diet and physical activity may have a small impact. Be aware that diet sodas are not necessarily a 'free' pass, as some studies suggest they may also be associated with weight issues in certain groups.

Self-reported behaviors of eating until full and eating quickly are independently and jointly associated with being overweight (BMI ≥25.0) in Japanese adults, with the combination of both behaviors producing a supra-additive increase in risk.

To manage weight, pay attention to how you eat, not just how much. Eating quickly and eating until full are linked to higher body weight, even when total calories are similar. Try to slow down your eating pace and stop when you are comfortably satisfied rather than completely full, as this may help regulate energy intake and weight status.

High dietary glycemic load and fructose intake are associated with a significantly increased risk of pancreatic cancer, but only in women who are overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) and sedentary.

If you are overweight and sedentary, reducing your glycemic load (high glycemic index foods multiplied by carb content) and fructose intake may significantly lower your pancreatic cancer risk. This risk is not observed in lean or physically active women, suggesting that improving insulin sensitivity through weight management and exercise is a critical factor in mitigating dietary risks.

Adults with ADHD exhibit significantly reduced weight loss during obesity treatment compared to non-ADHD peers, with the disparity being most pronounced in patients with extreme obesity (BMI >= 40).

If you have ADHD and are struggling with weight loss, your difficulty is likely due to executive function challenges (impulsivity, distractibility) rather than a lack of effort. Standard advice may not be enough; you may benefit from specific ADHD treatments (medication or behavioral therapy) to improve adherence to your obesity treatment plan, especially if you have extreme obesity.

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) may offer superior recovery of muscle function (torque) compared to intact whey protein isolate (WPI) or placebo after eccentric exercise.

If you perform intense eccentric workouts (like heavy lifting with long lowering phases) and feel your strength drop significantly for a day or two, try whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) immediately after. It may help you regain your strength (torque) faster (within 6 hours) compared to standard whey isolate.

Enteral nutrition induces remission in adult Crohn's disease patients with efficacy comparable to corticosteroids, provided the patient completes the treatment protocol.

If you have active Crohn's disease, discuss enteral nutrition (liquid formula) with your gastroenterologist as a primary treatment. It works as well as steroids for those who stick with it, but you must commit to drinking only the formula for 2-6 weeks. Success depends on your motivation and support from a dietitian, not just the formula itself.

Regular didgeridoo playing for four months significantly reduces daytime sleepiness and the apnoea-hypopnoea index in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

If you have moderate sleep apnea and struggle with standard treatments, try learning to play the didgeridoo. Commit to playing for 20-30 minutes, five days a week, for four months. You will likely experience less daytime sleepiness and fewer breathing interruptions during sleep, and your partner will sleep better too. This is not a quick fix but a structured training regimen for your airway muscles.

Higher circulating levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and total omega-3 fatty acids are significantly associated with increased gut microbiome alpha diversity and a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae bacteria in middle-aged and elderly women.

For middle-aged and elderly women, maintaining higher levels of DHA (via diet or supplementation) is associated with a more diverse gut microbiome, specifically an increase in Lachnospiraceae bacteria. This association holds true even when accounting for dietary fiber intake, suggesting that omega-3s play a distinct role in gut health beyond just feeding fiber-fermenting bacteria.

Structured exercise training (SET) improves ovulation frequency and menstrual regularity in obese PCOS patients with anovulatory infertility more effectively than a hypocaloric hyperproteic diet, although both interventions improve cumulative pregnancy rates compared to baseline.

For obese women with PCOS struggling with infertility, a structured exercise program (3x/week, 30 mins, moderate intensity) is a viable alternative to strict dieting. While both exercise and diet improve fertility markers, exercise may be better for restoring regular ovulation cycles and might be easier to adhere to long-term than severe caloric restriction.

Sleep restriction during a caloric deficit reduces fat loss and increases fat-free mass loss compared to adequate sleep, making weight loss less effective.

If you are dieting, ensure you are getting enough sleep. Even if your total weight loss looks similar, sleeping less causes your body to break down more muscle and save less fat. This makes it harder to keep the weight off and lowers your metabolic rate. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep to maximize fat loss.