Browse the evidence

High intake of simple sugars and refined grains is strongly associated with long-term weight gain and type 2 diabetes, particularly through sugary beverages.

Cut back on sugary beverages, white bread, white rice, and candy. These foods are strongly linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Replace them with whole grains and high-fiber foods to improve your metabolic health.

High protein intake (up to 1.6 g/kg/day) combined with strength training significantly improves muscle mass and strength in middle-aged and older adults.

If you are strength training, aim for 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. This amount, combined with strength training, significantly improves muscle mass and strength, especially in older adults.

Increasing total protein intake from 0.5 to 3.5 g/kg body weight per day increases lean body mass in a dose-response manner, with the greatest efficiency observed below 1.3 g/kg/day.

To maximize muscle mass, increase your daily protein intake to between 0.5 and 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. You will see the biggest gains per gram of protein when you are below 1.3 g/kg. If you are already eating above 1.3 g/kg, adding more protein still helps, but the returns get smaller unless you are also doing resistance training. Aim for this intake consistently over several months.

Peri-operative essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation significantly reduces muscle atrophy in quadriceps and hamstring muscles following total joint arthroplasty.

If you are having knee or hip replacement surgery, ask your care team about essential amino acid (EAA) or protein supplementation. The evidence suggests this helps preserve muscle mass in your legs during recovery, which is critical for mobility. While it may not instantly boost strength, it prevents the rapid muscle loss common after surgery.

Structured aerobic, resistance, or combined exercise training for at least 12 weeks significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c reduction of 0.51-0.73%) in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Engage in structured exercise (aerobic, resistance, or both) for at least 12 weeks. Aim for more than 2.5 hours per week for maximum blood sugar benefits. Start with lower intensities if new to exercise.

Regular physical activity reduces cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Engage in regular, sufficient physical activity to reduce your risk of death from heart disease or other causes.

A 5-year Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP) intervention significantly improves metabolic health and mental quality of life in patients with metabolic risk factors, despite a 52% dropout rate.

Engage in a structured, long-term physical activity program (like Sweden's PAP) that includes regular follow-ups and a written prescription. Aim for approximately 3 hours of moderate-intensity activity per week. This approach has been shown to significantly improve metabolic health markers (blood pressure, glucose, lipids) and mental well-being over 5 years, even if adherence is challenging.

Higher dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), specifically oleic acid, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) is associated with a significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

To lower your cardiovascular disease risk, prioritize foods rich in monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, avocados, nuts) and omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish like salmon, sardines). The study suggests that the specific type of fat you eat matters more than the total amount of fat, as total fat and saturated fat intake showed no significant link to CVD risk in this population.

Daily protein intake of ≥1.2 g/kg/day is likely superior to the standard RDA of 0.8 g/kg/day for supporting muscle mass and strength gains in older adults undergoing resistance training.

Eat at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. This is higher than the standard government recommendation and is necessary to build or maintain muscle as you age, especially when you exercise.

Retatrutide, a triple agonist targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors, produces superior mean weight loss (up to 24.2%) and metabolic improvements compared to placebo and existing dual agonists in phase 2 trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Retatrutide is a once-weekly injection that targets three hormones to significantly reduce body weight and improve blood sugar control. In clinical trials, it led to an average 24% weight loss in people with obesity over 48 weeks. Common side effects like nausea are manageable with dose titration. It is currently in phase 3 trials for broader approval.

High-dose GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide 2.4mg) and dual GLP-1/GIP agonists (e.g., tirzepatide) are effective for treating prediabetes by inducing significant weight loss (15-20%), which reduces insulin resistance and lowers diabetes risk.

If you have prediabetes and struggle to lose weight, high-dose GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP injections (like semaglutide or tirzepatide) are highly effective. They cause significant weight loss (15-20%), which fixes the underlying insulin resistance and reduces diabetes risk. You likely need to stay on them long-term to keep the weight off.

Lifestyle modification, specifically weight loss of >5-10% and regular physical activity, is a cornerstone for improving liver fat and cardiovascular health in MASLD.

Aim for at least 5% weight loss and 150 minutes of exercise per week. This reduces liver fat. Losing 7-10% or more can further reduce inflammation and fibrosis. This is the foundation of MASLD treatment.

Tirzepatide induces significant weight reduction in individuals with obesity caused by pathogenic MC4R mutations, achieving efficacy comparable to non-carriers.

If you have obesity caused by an MC4R mutation, tirzepatide is a highly effective treatment option. Clinical data shows you will likely lose a significant amount of weight (around 18%) over 72 weeks, similar to people without this genetic mutation. Because lifestyle changes alone are often insufficient for this specific genetic profile, pharmacological intervention with tirzepatide is recommended to manage severe obesity and its complications.

Exercise training (ET), including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training, improves functional status, exercise capacity, and quality of life in HFpEF patients.

If you have HFpEF, engage in regular exercise training, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training. This improves your exercise capacity, quality of life, and heart function. It is safe and recommended by guidelines.

Lifestyle interventions, including dietary management (DASH/SDR, Low-Energy Diet) and exercise training, improve clinical outcomes in obese HFpEF patients.

Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, including a DASH or low-energy diet and regular exercise training. These interventions are the cornerstone of HFpEF management and can reduce hospital readmissions and improve exercise capacity.

Actively considering the health impacts of food choices during the decision-making process significantly increases the nutritional quality of selected foods, independent of an individual's intertemporal discount rate.

To eat healthier, you must actively engage your attention on health consequences during the moment of choice. Simply having nutrition labels available is not enough; you must consciously choose to consider how the food affects your health. You can facilitate this by using visual cues (like star ratings) or prompts that draw your attention to health impacts, which has been shown to lead to significantly healthier selections.

Carrying the T allele of the GLP1R missense variant rs10305420 (p.Pro7Leu) significantly increases weight loss efficacy in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists, adding approximately 0.76 kg of weight loss per allele copy.

If you are taking a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide or tirzepatide, your genetics play a role in how much weight you lose. Specifically, a common genetic variant (rs10305420) is linked to better weight loss results. While this genetic effect is modest (adding less than 1 kg on average), it is a real biological factor. This suggests that genetic testing could eventually help doctors predict who will respond best to which drug, allowing for more personalized treatment plans rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Once-weekly efpeglenatide significantly reduces HbA1c and body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, with a safety profile characterized by mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects and low hypoglycemia risk.

Efpeglenatide is a once-weekly (or monthly) injection that helps lower blood sugar and lose weight in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is generally well-tolerated, with common side effects like nausea being mild and temporary. It offers a convenient alternative to daily medications and has cardiovascular benefits for high-risk patients.

Cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analogue, produces dose-dependent weight loss in adults with obesity, with the highest dose (4.5 mg) showing greater weight loss than Liraglutide 3.0 mg.

Cagrilintide is a once-weekly injection that mimics the hormone amylin to reduce appetite and slow digestion. In a 26-week trial, the highest dose (4.5 mg) led to an average 10.8% weight loss, outperforming Liraglutide 3.0 mg. It is currently in Phase 2 development for adults with obesity.

Sustained weight loss of 15% or greater is required to significantly improve or induce remission of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and hypertension, whereas a 5-10% loss prevents T2D but may not resolve established disease.

To reverse Type 2 Diabetes or Hypertension, you likely need to lose 15% or more of your body weight. Losing 5-10% helps prevent the disease but may not cure it. Focus on sustainable energy deficits (500-800 kcal/day) rather than quick fixes.

Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from nuts (specifically cashews) improves lipid profiles (increases HDL) and reduces blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients.

Add 30 grams of cashews to your daily diet. This specific amount of MUFA-rich nuts has been shown in clinical trials to improve 'good' cholesterol (HDL) and lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. It is a simple, effective swap for less healthy fats.

Greater variety of stretching exercises, longer mean duration of single stretching exercises, and increased time under stretching per session, week, and in total are associated with greater skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

To maximize any potential muscle growth from stretching, use multiple different stretching exercises, hold each for longer than 60 seconds, and increase the total time you spend stretching per week.

Orlistat reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in individuals with prediabetes or impaired glucose tolerance by approximately 37% over four years compared to placebo when combined with lifestyle changes.

If you are overweight and have prediabetes, adding orlistat (120mg with meals) to your lifestyle changes can significantly lower your risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes compared to lifestyle changes alone. Be mindful of your fat intake to minimize gastrointestinal side effects.

Anti-obesity medications (AOMs), particularly GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists, produce significant weight loss (5-20%+) and should be continued long-term as disease-modifying agents rather than short-term aids.

If you have obesity or overweight with related health issues, talk to your doctor about long-term medication options like GLP-1 agonists. These are not quick fixes but chronic disease treatments. Expect to start with a low dose to minimize stomach issues and increase it slowly. You must combine this with lifestyle changes for the best results, and do not stop the medication once you reach your goal, as stopping often leads to regaining the weight.