Browse the evidence

Nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) varies by up to 2000 kcal/day between individuals of similar size and is the primary driver of inter-individual differences in daily energy expenditure and body weight regulation.

Focus on increasing your daily non-exercise movement (NEAT) rather than just relying on gym workouts. Small changes like standing while working, walking during phone calls, or taking the stairs can add up to significant calorie expenditure (up to 2000 kcal/day difference between active and inactive people). If you have a sedentary job, try to incorporate more standing or walking into your routine, as this is a powerful lever for weight management.

Obesity is associated with a 'NEAT defect' where obese individuals sit significantly more and walk significantly less than lean individuals, independent of body weight.

If you are obese, recognize that your tendency to sit may be a learned or biological 'NEAT defect' rather than just a physical limitation. Try to consciously increase standing and walking time, even in small increments, as this can help reverse the energy deficit. Focus on environmental changes (like standing desks) to make movement easier.

Multi-component in-store interventions (combining price, information, and availability) are effective at increasing the purchase and consumption of healthy foods, whereas single-component interventions (especially information-only) often fail to produce sustained effects.

To effectively promote healthy eating in stores, do not rely on labels or posters alone. Combine clear information with tangible incentives like discounts (price) and ensure healthy foods are physically accessible and visible (availability).

Implementing a 20% excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in India is projected to reduce overweight and obesity prevalence by 3.0% and type 2 diabetes incidence by 1.6% over a decade (2014–2023).

For policymakers in India, implementing a 20% tax on sugary drinks is a viable strategy to curb the rising tide of obesity and diabetes. The model suggests this policy will be most effective for young rural men, who see the largest relative health benefits, contradicting the fear that such taxes only help the wealthy or urban dwellers.

Supplementation with Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) increases SIRT1, PGC-1α, and leptin expression while reducing pro-fibrotic collagens in a SIRT1-dependent manner.

NMN supplementation in cell models boosts metabolic health markers like leptin and mitochondrial function via SIRT1. However, translating the 1 mM cell culture dose to humans is not direct, and clinical efficacy remains to be fully established.

Increased calcium intake may help prevent colorectal cancer, and may offer modest protection against breast cancer, though evidence is weaker. Calcium may also play a role in weight management and cardiovascular health through modest blood pressure and lipid-lowering effects.

While calcium is best known for bones, it may also help prevent colorectal cancer and support heart health by modestly lowering blood pressure. However, evidence for breast cancer protection and weight management is still preliminary. Prioritize getting calcium from food rather than relying on supplements for these secondary benefits.

For secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, exercise interventions provide mortality benefits statistically equivalent to standard drug therapies (statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, antiplatelets).

If you have coronary heart disease, engaging in prescribed exercise programs can reduce your risk of death as effectively as taking standard heart medications like statins or beta-blockers. Do not stop your medication without consulting your doctor, but view exercise as a critical, equally potent part of your treatment plan.

For prediabetes prevention, there is no statistically detectable difference in mortality outcomes between exercise interventions and drug therapies.

For prediabetes, both exercise and medication show similar, non-significant effects on mortality in current trials. Focus on exercise for its broader health benefits and functional improvements, as it is a viable alternative to drug therapy.

Current generalized caffeine guidelines (3–9 mg/kg, 60 min pre-exercise) are not optimal for all athletes due to substantial inter-individual variation in ergogenic response driven by genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors.

Stop assuming the standard 3-6 mg/kg dose works for you. Your genetics (like CYP1A2) and how much caffeine you drink daily change how caffeine affects your performance. Some people get a huge boost, others get no benefit or even a negative effect. Consider genetic testing or systematic self-experimentation to find your optimal dose and timing, rather than blindly following general guidelines.

Habitual caffeine consumption attenuates the ergogenic effects of pre-exercise caffeine, requiring higher doses or a washout period to maintain performance benefits.

If you drink caffeine every day, your body builds a tolerance, making pre-race caffeine less effective. To get a performance boost, your pre-exercise dose should be significantly higher than your daily habitual intake, or you should consider a short washout period before competition.

Adopting a hunter-gatherer-style macronutrient profile (approx. 35% fat, 35% carbs, 30% protein) with high polyunsaturated fat intake and minimal refined sugars improves metabolic health markers compared to the standard Western diet.

To align with your evolutionary biology, structure your diet to include roughly equal parts fat, carbohydrates, and protein by energy. Prioritize polyunsaturated fats (like those in wild game and plants) over saturated fats, and keep added sugars to a minimum (under 3% of energy). Aim for high fiber intake (>100g/day) from fruits and vegetables, and maintain a high potassium-to-sodium ratio. This approach is associated with lower serum cholesterol and reduced risk of chronic degenerative diseases compared to the standard Western diet.

An ancestral diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in grains and dairy is net base-yielding, which prevents the chronic metabolic acidosis associated with modern acid-producing diets.

Focus on eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer cereal grains and dairy products to keep your body's acid-base balance in a healthy, base-yielding state. This helps prevent the silent, long-term damage to bones and kidneys associated with chronic metabolic acidosis from modern diets.

Ancestral diets provided significantly higher micronutrient intake (1.5 to 8 times) than modern diets, with the exception of sodium, which was much lower in ancestral times.

Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals. Ancestral diets provided 1.5 to 8 times more micronutrients than modern diets. Focus on fruits, vegetables, and wild game to achieve this density, while keeping sodium intake low.

Increasing dietary diversity through the consumption of neglected and underutilized species (NUS) and wild-gathered foods prevents micronutrient deficiencies and reduces the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) compared to simplified diets based on inexpensive staples.

To improve your health, especially if you live in an area transitioning to modern diets, actively include a wider variety of local, traditional, and wild-harvested plants in your meals. Focus on leafy vegetables, legumes, and indigenous fruits to boost your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, which helps prevent chronic diseases.

Specific neglected and underutilized species (NUS) such as pearl millet, moringa, and buckwheat provide superior micronutrient and functional benefits (e.g., iron, fiber, antioxidants) compared to common staples.

Incorporate specific nutrient-dense traditional foods like millet, moringa leaves, or buckwheat into your diet. These provide higher levels of iron, fiber, and antioxidants than common staples, supporting heart health and preventing deficiencies.

Complete decongestive therapy (CDT), including compression garments and manual lymphatic drainage, is a useful adjunct for managing lipedema.

Use compression garments and seek manual lymphatic drainage to manage swelling and improve lymph flow.

Observational studies show positive associations between physical activity and the prevention of frailty or sarcopenia in older adults.

Engage in regular physical activity, as observational studies suggest it is associated with preventing frailty and sarcopenia. This can help maintain independence and quality of life.

Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with a gut microbiota profile characterized by a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes and a higher proportion of Firmicutes/Actinobacteria, which may contribute to increased energy harvest and inflammation via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation.

Obesity is linked to specific gut bacteria profiles that may increase energy harvest and inflammation. While you cannot directly 'eat' these bacteria, you can influence them by adopting a diet rich in diverse plant fibers, which promotes a healthier microbiota profile associated with better metabolic health. Focus on long-term dietary patterns rather than quick fixes.

Aerobic exercise stimulates neuronal plasticity (specifically neurogenesis in the hippocampus) and improves executive functioning in older adults, with effects comparable to or distinct from strength training.

Incorporate regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, for at least 45 minutes, three times a week. Research indicates this specific type of exercise stimulates the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus and improves executive attention and working memory in older adults more effectively than strength training or stretching alone.

Dietary manipulations, specifically low-fat diets and dietary restriction, enhance neuronal plasticity and support cognitive integrity.

Consider adopting a low-fat diet and practicing dietary restriction (caloric restriction) as part of a strategy to support brain health. The paper suggests these dietary patterns enhance the neuronal plasticity stimulated by exercise and cognitive training.

Green leafy vegetables are exceptional sources of essential micronutrients (iron, calcium, vitamins A, C, K, folate) and dietary fiber, making them critical for preventing deficiencies in populations reliant on staple grains.

Prioritize green leafy vegetables in your diet to fill micronutrient gaps that staple grains and pulses cannot. They are rich in iron, calcium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. Incorporating them regularly is a cost-effective strategy to combat nutrient deficiencies, especially if you do not take supplements.

Anti-nutritional factors (nitrates, oxalates, phytates, tannins, cyanogenic glycosides) in green leafy vegetables can inhibit mineral absorption and pose health risks, but these can be significantly reduced by thermal processing methods like cooking and blanching.

Don't avoid leafy vegetables because of 'anti-nutrients' like oxalates or nitrates. Use cooking, boiling, or blanching to reduce these compounds. This process makes the nutrients more available and reduces potential health risks associated with high levels of these natural plant chemicals.

Use of earplugs and eye masks during exposure to simulated ICU noise and light improves sleep architecture (increasing REM sleep, decreasing REM latency and arousals) and elevates nocturnal melatonin levels in healthy subjects.

If you are in a noisy, bright environment like an ICU, using earplugs and an eye mask can significantly improve your sleep quality and help your body produce restorative hormones like melatonin. While it might feel uncomfortable at first, proper fitting and instruction can help. This is a low-cost, non-pharmacological way to support recovery.

Supplementation with phenolic compounds (polyphenols) reduces oxidative stress and inflammation markers induced by severe physical exercise, but does not consistently improve physical performance outcomes.

If you engage in intense exercise, polyphenol supplementation (from foods like berries, tea, or chocolate) can help manage oxidative stress and inflammation. However, do not expect this to directly make you faster or stronger; the evidence for performance enhancement is inconsistent.