Browse the evidence

The Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), a measure of overall dietary quality, is not associated with any sarcopenia components (muscle strength, lean mass, or physical performance) in older adults.

Don't just focus on 'eating healthy' in a general sense. This study suggests that general diet quality scores don't predict muscle mass. Instead, focus on ensuring you are getting enough protein and total energy, especially if you are exercising.

Acute ingestion of 2.5g betaine prior to resistance exercise does not improve muscular endurance or total training volume in trained men.

Taking 2.5g of betaine one hour before your workout will not increase the number of reps you can perform or the total weight you lift in that session. If you want to try betaine, you likely need to take it daily for at least 10 days to allow muscle tissue saturation, rather than relying on a single pre-workout dose.

Mild mitochondrial uncoupling promotes true ectopic lipid disposal by dissipating substrate energy as heat, thereby reducing lipid burden in non-adipose tissues without causing compensatory redistribution (the 'ballooning effect').

Current research suggests that 'mild' mitochondrial uncoupling is a promising therapeutic avenue for treating metabolic diseases like fatty liver and diabetes by burning off excess fat as heat. However, these are experimental pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., CRMP, BAM15) not yet available for general use. Natural methods like exercise and cold exposure also induce mild uncoupling and are the current safe way to leverage this mechanism.

Pharmacological weight loss drugs (except specific diabetes drugs like empagliflozin and semaglutide) have not demonstrated improved cardiovascular outcomes or efficacy in reducing visceral/ectopic fat.

Traditional weight loss medications do not protect your heart or reduce dangerous belly fat. If you take them, do not assume your heart risk is gone. Continue lifestyle interventions.

Tirzepatide demonstrates greater clinical potency than semaglutide, potentially due to glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor activation increasing energy expenditure.

If you are struggling with weight loss on a GLP-1 drug like semaglutide, ask your doctor about tirzepatide. It targets two hormones (GIP and GLP-1) instead of just one, which may lead to greater weight loss for some people by increasing how much energy you burn.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) with a duration of less than 8 hours per day is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Be cautious with extreme time-restricted eating. While moderate fasting windows (12-16 hours) may improve insulin sensitivity, restricting your eating to less than 8 hours a day has been linked to higher cardiovascular mortality in large population studies. Stick to moderate approaches.

In patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists significantly reduces all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events compared to DPP-4 inhibitors.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and reduced heart function (HFrEF), GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide or dulaglutide) are associated with a significantly lower risk of death and heart-related hospitalizations compared to DPP-4 inhibitors. This benefit appears early and persists over 5 years, regardless of age or sex. Discuss these options with your cardiologist, as they may offer cardiovascular protection beyond blood sugar control.

Precision nutrition and individualized interventions may not be sufficient to address obesity at a population level without addressing broader social, economic, and environmental determinants.

When seeking to improve health, look beyond individual diet plans. Advocate for and support policies that make healthy food affordable and accessible, and address social determinants like income and housing, as these are critical for long-term success.

A single meal containing 72g of digestible carbohydrates inhibits ketosis (lipolysis) for several days, with recovery time dependent on baseline fasting insulin levels.

If you are relying on ketosis for fat loss, avoid high-carb meals entirely. A single meal with ~72g of carbs (e.g., bread and jam) can stop fat burning for 2 to 5 days, or indefinitely if your fasting insulin is high. Recovery time depends on your metabolic health; those with higher insulin levels may never recover ketosis within a standard 2-week window.

The association between SFA intake and dyslipidemia is modified by LDL-C-related genetic polymorphisms, specifically rs6102059.

Genetic testing for LDL-C-related polymorphisms like rs6102059 may help identify Filipino women who are particularly sensitive to the dyslipidemia risks of high SFA intake. Those with CC alleles should be especially cautious with saturated fat intake.

Plasma fatty acid levels (specifically C16:0, C20:3 n-6, and C20:5 n-3) are independently associated with obesity risk in ethnic minority populations, whereas dietary fatty acid intake is not a consistent independent predictor.

For individuals in these ethnic groups, monitoring blood lipid profiles (specifically saturated and certain polyunsaturated fatty acids) may be more relevant for assessing obesity risk than tracking dietary fat intake alone. Specific fatty acids like C16:0, C20:3 n-6, and C20:5 n-3 were linked to higher obesity odds.

The correlation between dietary fatty acid intake and plasma fatty acid levels varies significantly by ethnicity, being positive in some groups (Bulang, Naxi) but absent in others (Hani, Wa).

Nutritional interventions targeting fatty acid intake may need to be tailored to specific ethnic backgrounds, as the link between what you eat and your blood fat levels is not universal.

Unsupervised resistance training in men with >3 years of experience fails to produce significant changes in fat-free mass or fat mass over 15 months.

If you have been lifting seriously for over three years and aren't seeing changes in muscle or fat despite training 3-5 times a week, your current self-directed approach has likely plateaued. You likely need professional guidance to systematically adjust training variables and nutrition, as self-regulation alone is insufficient for continued progress in advanced lifters.

The hepatic lipase (HL) promoter polymorphism (HL-514T allele) modulates the effect of physical activity on HDL-C levels, with carriers of the T allele showing a blunted response to exercise-induced HDL increases.

If you have certain genetic variants (HL-514T), you might not see as big a boost in 'good' cholesterol (HDL) from exercise as others. This doesn't mean exercise is useless, but it suggests you might need a more targeted approach to managing heart disease risk.

The dual agonist I-M-150847 facilitates rapid redistribution and recycling of GLP-1 receptors to the plasma membrane, maintaining them in a sensitized state, unlike monoagonists which cause prolonged internalization.

This mechanism explains why dual agonists might work better: they keep the insulin-stimulating receptors 'ready' on the cell surface rather than hiding them inside the cell for long periods. This is a molecular detail relevant to drug developers.

Bypassing or modifying the small intestine (via surgery or endoscopy) induces type 2 diabetes remission and improves glycemic control, independent of weight loss alone.

If you have obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, standard weight loss might not be enough. Modern endoscopic procedures that target the small intestine (like bypass liners or mucosal resurfacing) can induce diabetes remission and improve blood sugar control, often with less risk than traditional surgery. However, these are complex treatments requiring a multidisciplinary team to select the right procedure for your specific body type and ethnicity.

Orlistat is the least effective registered anti-obesity drug for weight reduction and is associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects.

Orlistat (120 mg three times daily) is available but is considered the least effective registered option for weight loss and is associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects. It is typically used as a third-line treatment.

Medicare-aged adults (65-69) with obesity but without Type 2 Diabetes have significantly lower prescribing and dispensing rates of anti-obesity GLP-1 receptor agonists compared to adults aged 60-64, likely due to Medicare's prohibition on covering these medications.

If you are over 65 and have obesity but no diabetes, you may face significant barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Zepbound because Medicare currently prohibits coverage for these specific anti-obesity drugs. This results in significantly lower prescribing and filling rates compared to those aged 60-64. Consult your provider about available options, but be aware that cost and coverage restrictions may limit your access to these specific hormonal treatments.

Inpatient initiation of obesity-targeted therapies (GLP-1 agonists, referrals) for Class 2 and 3 obesity is currently rare and represents a significant gap in care, despite high recognition rates.

If you have Class 2 or 3 obesity, your hospitalization is a critical window for treatment. Doctors often recognize the diagnosis but fail to prescribe medication or refer you to weight management clinics. You must proactively ask for a referral to a weight management clinic or a prescription for weight management medication (like GLP-1 agonists) before discharge to ensure continuity of care.

Prior use of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) does not alter patient motivations for seeking bariatric surgery, as patients prioritize health and longevity regardless of prior pharmaceutical weight loss attempts.

If you have tried weight loss medications without success, do not assume your reasons for wanting surgery are different from others. Your desire for better health and longevity is the same as those who haven't used drugs. Surgery offers a different mechanical approach to weight loss that is not dependent on your prior response to medications.

Patients who use anti-obesity medications (AOMs) prior to surgery experience significant weight regain (average 18 kg) upon discontinuation, yet this experience does not change their expectation of weight loss from surgery.

If you stop taking weight loss drugs, you will likely regain most of the weight you lost (average 18kg). This is common. However, this experience does not mean you are destined to fail surgery. Many patients use surgery to achieve greater weight loss than drugs alone, and some even use drugs after surgery to enhance results.

Administration of the chimeric multi-agonist peptide GEP44 reduces body weight and energy intake in diet-induced obese mice primarily through a GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) dependent mechanism.

This research indicates that a new peptide drug called GEP44 can help reduce body weight and food intake in obese mice by targeting specific receptors in the brain. The effects rely heavily on the GLP-1 receptor, similar to drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, but GEP44 also targets other receptors (Y1 and Y2). While promising in mice, this is preprint research and not yet available for human use.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery increases glycemic variability and time in hypoglycemic ranges in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients within six months post-operation, with non-diabetic patients showing a significant decrease in time in range due to increased hypoglycemia.

If you undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, expect your blood sugar to fluctuate more, including episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), even if you did not have diabetes before. This happens because the surgery speeds up how food enters your intestine. Use a continuous glucose monitor to track these changes, as standard HbA1c tests might miss these dangerous lows.

Off-label use of generic medications (e.g., metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors) or compounded GLP-1 agonists carries risks of unknown efficacy, safety issues, and potential adverse events compared to FDA-approved anti-obesity medications.

Avoid compounded or off-label obesity medications. They are not regulated for safety or efficacy and may contain unapproved ingredients. Talk to your doctor about FDA-approved options, even if they are expensive, as they are the only ones proven safe and effective.