Browse the evidence

Exercise induces the production of myokines like irisin and meteorin-like (Metrnl) which promote the browning of white adipose tissue and increase energy expenditure.

Regular exercise may help your body burn more calories by triggering the release of proteins from your muscles that encourage your fat cells to burn energy. Even if the exact mechanisms are still being studied, exercise remains a key strategy for metabolic health.

The source of protein and fat in a low-carbohydrate diet (animal vs. plant) significantly influences mortality and CVD risk.

If you choose a low-carbohydrate diet, prioritize plant-based proteins and fats over animal sources. This may help reduce the increased mortality risk associated with animal-based low-carb diets.

Consuming potatoes, particularly when prepared to maximize resistant starch (e.g., cooled after cooking), supports gut health and satiety through the fermentation of resistant starch into short-chain fatty acids, without negatively impacting weight management or blood pressure when integrated into a balanced diet.

Eat potatoes as part of a balanced diet. To maximize health benefits, try boiling or baking them and then cooling them before eating to increase resistant starch, which feeds gut bacteria and helps you feel full. You don't need to peel them to get most nutrients, but keeping the skin adds extra fiber. If you are watching your weight, focus on total calories and preparation method (avoid frying) rather than avoiding potatoes entirely.

Excessively frequent (6+ times/week) and intense physical activity is a risk factor for insomnia and difficulty initiating sleep in some populations.

If you exercise 6+ times a week at high intensity, monitor your sleep. If you experience trouble falling asleep, consider reducing frequency or intensity. Leisure-time walking does not show this negative association.

Metformin reduces visceral fat mass and improves energy metabolism by upregulating adaptive thermogenesis, specifically through the upregulation of UCP-1 in brown adipose tissue and UCP-3 in skeletal muscle.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes or significant visceral fat, metformin (typically 1500mg/day) may help reduce that stubborn belly fat by boosting your body's heat production (thermogenesis). However, it is not a magic weight-loss pill for everyone, and its effectiveness varies. It works best when combined with lifestyle changes.

In young premenopausal women, vertebral bone mineral density is significantly correlated with physical activity levels, whereas radial bone mineral density is not.

Focus on weight-bearing exercises like walking and running to maximize vertebral bone density. Calcium intake alone is less effective for this specific outcome in young women.

For young premenopausal women, calcium intake between 800-1000 mg/day is optimal for vertebral bone mineral density, with no additional benefit observed for intakes above this threshold.

Aim for 800-1000 mg of calcium daily. Increasing intake beyond 1000 mg/day does not provide additional bone density benefits for young women.

Combining high calcium intake (>800 mg/day) with high physical activity (>970 kcal/day energy expenditure) results in significantly higher vertebral bone mineral density than either factor alone.

To maximize bone density, combine a daily intake of 800-1000 mg calcium with regular weight-bearing exercise (walking/running) totaling over 970 kcal/day.

Activation of Free Fatty Acid Receptors (FFAR2/FFAR3) by SCFAs increases satiety hormones (GLP-1, PYY) and insulin sensitivity, which may counteract the obesogenic effects of SCFA energy extraction.

Eating fiber-rich foods helps your gut bacteria produce SCFAs, which activate receptors that signal your brain to feel full and improve insulin sensitivity. This hormonal effect may help prevent obesity, even if the fiber itself provides some energy.

The modified Atkins diet (carbohydrate restriction to 15g/day with ad libitum fat/protein/calories) produces significant seizure reduction in adults with intractable epilepsy, with efficacy correlating with weight loss.

For adults with drug-resistant epilepsy, a modified Atkins diet (15g carbs/day, unlimited fat/protein) can significantly reduce seizures, especially if weight loss occurs. It is less restrictive than traditional ketogenic diets, potentially improving adherence, though about one-third of patients discontinue due to perceived restrictiveness. A 2-month trial is suggested to assess efficacy.

In insulin-resistant subjects, a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-rich diet significantly improves postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared to a carbohydrate-rich diet, while increasing GLP-1 secretion.

If you are insulin-resistant, choosing a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) over a high-carbohydrate diet can significantly improve your blood sugar and insulin response after meals. This benefit occurs even if you maintain your current weight, suggesting that the quality of fat is more important than the quantity for metabolic health in this population.

Vegan athletes may benefit more from creatine and beta-alanine supplementation than omnivorous athletes due to lower baseline muscle stores of creatine and carnosine.

If you are vegan, consider supplementing with creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine. Because you do not consume meat, your baseline muscle stores of creatine and carnosine are likely lower, meaning you may see greater performance benefits from supplementation compared to meat-eaters.

Dietary supplementation with inulin-type fructans (prebiotics) reduces body weight gain and fat mass development in obese subjects by modulating gut peptides (increasing GLP-1, PYY, and decreasing ghrelin) and improving gut barrier integrity.

To manage weight and fat mass, incorporate inulin-type fructans (found in foods like chicory root, garlic, onions, or as supplements) into your daily diet. Studies suggest doses between 8g and 21g per day can help reduce body weight gain and fat mass in obese individuals and maintain BMI in adolescents. This works by increasing satiety hormones (GLP-1, PYY) and reducing hunger hormones (ghrelin), while also improving gut health.

Increased physical activity and dietary restriction can reduce fat accumulation and improve metabolic complications in HIV patients with lipodystrophy.

Focus on maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise. This can help manage the metabolic side effects of HIV medication, such as high cholesterol and blood sugar, even if it doesn't fully reverse body shape changes.

Access to nature, green spaces, and specific neighborhood infrastructure (sidewalks, parks) positively correlates with maintained or increased physical activity during the pandemic, particularly for adults.

If you live in an area with good access to parks, trails, or safe sidewalks, you are more likely to maintain physical activity during restrictions. Urban planners and individuals should prioritize utilizing these available resources to counteract the general trend of reduced activity.

Very short sleep duration (less than 6 hours per night) is strongly associated with increased risk for PTSD, depression, panic syndrome, obesity, and suicide attempts in redeployed soldiers.

If you are a soldier or veteran returning from deployment, prioritize getting more than 6 hours of sleep. Short sleep is linked to higher risks of mental health issues and physical health problems. Seek help if you are struggling with sleep, as it may be a sign of underlying health risks.

Intervention with intermittent fasting reduces lipotoxicity in MASLD patients more effectively than switching to a normal diet.

If you have MASLD, try intermittent fasting. According to the review, it reduces liver fat toxicity better than just switching to a normal diet. You don't need to know the exact hours, but the pattern of fasting helps your liver recover.

Omega-3 fatty acids (specifically fish oils) may be effective in treating MASLD, potentially synergistically with chicory acid.

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil may help reduce liver fat in MASLD. They are recommended in guidelines, though they are not a standalone cure.

High doses of added sugars (>20% of calories) in hypercaloric trials increase fasting triglycerides and visceral abdominal fat, but these effects are confounded by weight gain and total caloric excess.

If you are consuming very high amounts of sugar (over 20% of calories) and eating more calories than you burn, you may see increases in triglycerides and belly fat. However, this is largely due to the extra calories and weight gain, not the sugar itself. Reducing total calories is the primary solution.

Gut microbiota composition may influence individual responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation, with non-responders showing specific depletion of Bacteroides acidifaciens.

If you take vitamin D and your levels don't rise, your gut bacteria might be the reason. Specifically, low levels of Bacteroides acidifaciens might predict poor response. This is an emerging area of research.

University students, particularly those in non-health majors, exhibit inadequate adherence to physical activity and healthy eating guidelines, with high prevalence of obesity and sedentary behavior.

Knowing healthy habits doesn't guarantee you will practice them. For students, especially in non-health fields, active interventions are needed to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, focusing on environmental changes and time management rather than just education.

Male university students are significantly more likely to engage in physical activity than female students, while female students show greater concern for diet management.

Interventions should be gender-specific. For males, focus on diet quality as they are already active. For females, address cultural and environmental barriers to exercise rather than just providing education.

Weight gain after breast cancer diagnosis, particularly following adjuvant chemotherapy, is a common occurrence that is associated with increased recurrence risk and reduced survival.

It is common to gain weight after starting chemotherapy for breast cancer. This weight gain is not just cosmetic; it is linked to a higher chance of the cancer coming back and lower survival rates. Patients should be monitored for weight changes during treatment, as preventing this gain may improve long-term outcomes.

Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) or induction of beige fat in white adipose tissue (WAT) increases energy expenditure and protects against obesity and type 2 diabetes.

You can naturally boost your metabolic rate by activating brown fat. The most accessible method is moderate cold exposure (around 17°C/63°F) for about 2 hours daily. This has been shown to increase energy expenditure and reduce body fat mass in adults. Additionally, exercise promotes the release of factors like irisin and FGF21, which help convert white fat into energy-burning beige fat.