Browse the evidence

Consumption of fermented foods is associated with improved gut microbiome diversity, reduced inflammation, and metabolic health benefits, regardless of whether the product contains live microbes or is pasteurized.

Incorporate a variety of fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi) into your diet. You do not need to worry if they are pasteurized; both live and dead microbes (postbiotics) offer benefits. If you have high blood pressure, choose lower-sodium options like yogurt or kefir over salty pickles, and consult your doctor if you are immunocompromised or have histamine intolerance.

Low-carbohydrate diets improve cardiovascular risk markers (triglycerides, HDL, blood sugar, inflammation) and reduce 10-year ASCVD risk scores, despite potential increases in LDL-C in lean individuals.

If you are on a low-carbohydrate diet, expect improvements in triglycerides, HDL, and blood sugar. If your LDL-C rises, discuss with your provider whether it correlates with other risk factors, as overall cardiovascular risk may still decrease.

The 'keto flu' (flu-like symptoms during initial adaptation) can be avoided or alleviated by increasing sodium and mineral intake.

If you feel tired or have headaches when starting a low-carb diet, drink two cups of broth daily to replenish sodium and minerals. This simple step can prevent or alleviate the 'keto flu'.

Self-directed learning of cooking skills through independent resources (internet, books, TV) significantly increases the likelihood of possessing high cooking skills compared to not using these methods.

If you are a student or busy adult, you can significantly improve your cooking skills by actively seeking out recipes and techniques online, via books, or TV, rather than waiting for formal instruction. This self-directed approach is statistically linked to higher culinary competence, which in turn supports better diet quality and food security.

High availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables at home is strongly associated with higher cooking skills, likely by providing the necessary ingredients to practice and refine culinary techniques.

To improve your cooking skills, ensure your kitchen has easy access to fruits and vegetables. The study suggests that having these ingredients available encourages you to practice and refine your cooking techniques, leading to higher overall culinary competence.

High knowledge of cooking terms and techniques is associated with higher cooking skills, suggesting that theoretical understanding supports practical culinary competence.

Learn the names of cooking techniques and terms. This theoretical knowledge is not just academic; it is strongly associated with higher practical cooking skills because it builds confidence and provides a mental framework for preparing food.

For middle-aged and elderly adults with type 2 diabetes, maintaining a longitudinal BMI within 18.5–26.9 kg/m² significantly reduces all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality compared to lower or higher sustained BMI levels.

If you have type 2 diabetes, aim to keep your BMI between 18.5 and 26.9 kg/m² over the long term. This range is associated with the lowest risk of death from all causes, heart disease, and cancer. Avoid sustained periods where your BMI is consistently above 27 kg/m², as this increases mortality risk.

Sustained exposure to a BMI of 27 kg/m² or higher is positively associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Keep your BMI below 27 kg/m². Sustained exposure to a BMI of 27 or higher increases your risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, or other causes. If your BMI is consistently above 27, work with your doctor to lower it gradually.

A non-carbohydrate counting (non-CC) meal bolus strategy based on preprandial glucose levels, when used with open-source automated insulin delivery (AID), significantly improves time in range (TIR) and reduces glycemic variability compared to manual open-loop modes in adults with Type 1 Diabetes.

If you have Type 1 Diabetes and find carbohydrate counting stressful or error-prone, consider using an open-source automated insulin delivery system (like AndroidAPS) with a simplified bolus strategy. Instead of counting carbs, you calculate your insulin based on your pre-meal glucose level and your average mealtime insulin needs. This approach can significantly improve your time in range and reduce glycemic variability, especially at night, without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. It is a viable alternative for those who find traditional carb counting burdensome.

Relocation to redeveloped low-income housing reduces waist circumference and abdominal obesity, but does not significantly change BMI or overall obesity prevalence.

Moving to a better neighborhood isn't enough on its own; you likely need to move into better housing that facilitates healthier habits (like better kitchens or water quality). Focus on reducing added sugars, as this specific change was linked to waist reduction in this study.

Relocation to redeveloped housing reduces added sugar intake, primarily from sugar-sweetened beverages, which may drive the observed reduction in waist circumference.

If you live in housing with poor water quality, you might be drinking more soda than you realize. Improving water access or quality can help reduce sugar intake and waist size.

Intensive lifestyle interventions (ILI) involving caloric restriction and physical activity cause a significant increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and suppress parathyroid hormone (PTH) elevation during the period of maximal weight loss in adults with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are losing weight through diet and exercise, expect your Vitamin D levels to rise and your Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) to decrease, especially in the first year. This is a normal and likely beneficial response to weight loss, though it may normalize over time. Monitor your bone health as weight loss can also lead to bone loss.

Smartphone-only apps for weight management produce a modest but statistically significant reduction in body weight and BMI in adults with overweight or obesity, but this effect is limited to a 4-6 month window and diminishes thereafter due to lack of personalization.

Use a smartphone app for weight loss if you can commit to using it daily for 4-6 months. Expect modest results (SMD -0.33) and be prepared for weight regain if you stop using it. To maximize success, choose an app that offers some level of personalization or feedback, as generic apps have high dropout rates. This is not a long-term solution without human support or advanced AI customization.

Intermittent fasting significantly improves lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol and LDL, but may temporarily increase triglycerides in short-term interventions (≤ 12 weeks).

Intermittent fasting improves total cholesterol and LDL, key markers for heart health. However, be aware that triglycerides may temporarily rise in the first 12 weeks as your body adapts. This is often a transient phase. If you have high baseline triglycerides, consult a healthcare provider and consider longer-term adherence to see the full lipid benefits.

Intermittent fasting significantly reduces diastolic blood pressure but has no significant effect on systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, or HbA1c in overweight and obese adults.

Intermittent fasting can help lower diastolic blood pressure, a key component of heart health. However, it may not significantly affect systolic blood pressure or blood sugar levels (FPG, HbA1c) in the short term. For comprehensive cardiometabolic health, combine IF with other lifestyle interventions and monitor your specific markers.

Weight loss acts as a significant moderator for the effect of combined interventions on visceral fat area (VFA), but not for liver fat or intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG).

Losing weight helps reduce visceral fat, but it may not be enough to reduce liver or muscle fat. If you have concerns about liver or muscle fat, you may need additional strategies beyond just weight loss.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) combined with caloric restriction (CR) does not yield superior weight loss compared to caloric restriction alone in overweight and obese women.

If you are already restricting calories to lose weight, adding a strict eating window may not give you any extra weight loss benefit. You can achieve similar results with just calorie control.

A 1-month very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) in women with obesity causes a significant reduction in 24-hour energy expenditure (24hEE) and sleeping metabolic rate (SMR), primarily driven by the loss of lean soft tissue (LST) rather than metabolic adaptation alone.

If you follow a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet, expect your daily calorie burn to drop by about 10% after a month. This isn't just 'metabolic damage'; it's largely because you are lighter and have lost some muscle. To protect your metabolism, prioritize the protein target (1.2-1.5g/kg ideal body weight) and incorporate light resistance or walking to preserve lean tissue.

A 1-month VLCKD shifts substrate oxidation to favor fat and protein, resulting in a 62% fat mass loss and 38% lean soft tissue loss of total weight lost.

On a VLCKD, you will lose fat and muscle. In this study, 38% of the weight lost was lean tissue. To minimize this, ensure you are eating enough protein (1.2-1.5g/kg ideal body weight) and engaging in resistance exercise.

Lactobacillus sp. supplementation is safe and well-tolerated in non-comorbid obese individuals, with no significant adverse events reported.

You can take Lactobacillus probiotics with confidence regarding safety. Clinical trials show they are well-tolerated with no significant increase in side effects compared to a placebo.

Higher baseline body weight and BMI strongly predict greater absolute weight loss and fat mass reduction on a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD), with men losing significantly more weight than women.

If you have a higher starting weight, you are likely to lose more absolute weight on a VLCKD than someone with a lower starting weight. Men also tend to lose more weight than women on this specific protocol. Use your baseline weight as a predictor of success rather than comparing yourself to others with different starting points.

Intermittent fasting downregulates enteroendocrine signaling, specifically GLP-1, GCG, and PYY, while upregulating PPAR-α, which correlates with improved lipid profiles.

The molecular changes observed (PPAR-α upregulation, GLP-1 downregulation) suggest that IF works by altering how your body processes fats and regulates hormones, not just by restricting calories. This may inform future targeted therapies.

The cardiovascular benefits of low-carbohydrate diets depend on the quality of macronutrients used to replace carbohydrates, not the degree of restriction itself.

If you reduce carbs, ensure you replace them with healthy foods like fiber-rich grains or unsaturated fats, not saturated fats. Simply cutting carbs without considering food quality does not improve heart health.

Flexible time-restricted eating leads to a spontaneous reduction in total energy intake without altering macronutrient composition.

If you use an 8-hour eating window, you will likely eat fewer calories without needing to count them or change your food choices. This spontaneous reduction in energy intake is a key driver of the fat loss seen with flexible TRE.