Browse the evidence

High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, independent of nutrient profile.

Reduce your intake of ultra-processed foods (items with industrial ingredients, additives, or intense processing) by focusing on whole, minimally processed foods. This shift is supported by strong evidence to lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Short-term consumption of ultra-processed foods leads to increased energy intake and weight gain compared to unprocessed diets.

When eating ultra-processed foods, you are likely to eat more calories and gain weight compared to eating unprocessed foods, even if the nutrients are similar.

Weight loss through caloric restriction and dietary modification significantly reduces psoriasis severity (PASI score) and systemic inflammation in obese patients.

If you have psoriasis and are overweight, losing weight is one of the most effective non-pharmacological interventions available. Studies show that losing about 12% of your body weight through structured dietary programs (like very low-calorie ketogenic diets followed by balanced diets) can significantly reduce the severity of your psoriasis symptoms, often achieving a 50-75% improvement in skin clearance. This works by reducing systemic inflammation driven by excess fat tissue.

Bariatric surgery and significant weight loss (>5%) improve asthma control, quality of life, and reduce systemic/airway inflammation in obese asthma patients.

Losing just 5% of your body weight can significantly improve your asthma biomarkers and quality of life. This can be achieved through surgery or structured lifestyle changes. If you have metabolic issues alongside obesity, you may need a more targeted approach, but weight loss remains a key strategy.

Telehealth-delivered dietetic consultations (telephone and videoconference) produce clinical and dietary outcomes comparable to in-person face-to-face consultations for weight management and chronic disease management.

If you have a chronic condition or are managing weight, telehealth consultations with a dietitian are just as effective as visiting a clinic in person. You can use phone or video calls to get the same quality of care, often with less travel time and cost. Ask your provider about telehealth options.

Telehealth-delivered dietetic services are cost-effective compared to in-person delivery, reducing healthcare expenditure on medications and hospital costs.

Telehealth is not just clinically effective but also more cost-effective than in-person visits. For patients, this may mean lower out-of-pocket costs or better value for money. For healthcare systems, it reduces overall expenditure on medications and hospitalizations.

Soy protein promotes gains in muscle mass and strength during resistance exercise training similarly to whey and other animal proteins, despite acute studies showing whey stimulates muscle protein synthesis more strongly.

If you are lifting weights, you do not need to buy whey protein. Soy protein works just as well for building muscle and strength over time. Focus on getting enough total protein from your diet, whether from soy, meat, or other sources.

Soy protein has a high quality score (PDCAAS ~1.0 and DIAAS up to 117%) and is as effective as animal proteins for weight management and satiety.

If you are trying to lose weight, soy protein is a good option. It helps you feel full just as well as meat or whey protein. You don't need to avoid soy to lose weight; it can be part of your strategy.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils) is associated with a significantly lower risk of frailty in older women, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (high in refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets) is associated with a higher risk.

To reduce the risk of frailty as you age, focus on the quality of your plant-based foods. Prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils. Limit refined grains, potatoes, sugary drinks, and sweets. You do not need animal products to maintain muscle and bone health; a well-planned diet rich in these healthy plant foods is associated with a significantly lower risk of frailty.

Combining a multi-ingredient nutritional supplement (n-3 PUFA, whey protein, creatine, vitamin D, calcium) with 12 weeks of resistance exercise training and high-intensity interval training improves composite cognitive function, verbal memory, and processing speed in healthy older men.

For healthy older men, combining a specific multi-ingredient supplement (containing omega-3s, protein, creatine, vitamin D, and calcium) with a structured exercise program (resistance training twice a week and high-intensity interval training once a week) for 12 weeks can improve overall cognitive function, memory, and processing speed. The supplement alone did not improve cognition, and exercise alone had mixed results on composite scores, suggesting the combination is key. Ensure you are healthy enough for high-intensity exercise and consult a doctor before starting.

Obesity and overweight are strongly associated with a significantly higher prevalence of dyslipidemia in Iranian adults, with obese individuals being 2.8 times more likely to have dyslipidemia compared to normal-weight individuals.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most effective ways to prevent dyslipidemia. If you are overweight or obese, focusing on sustainable weight loss through improved diet and increased physical activity can significantly reduce your risk of developing high cholesterol or triglycerides.

Early combination therapy with new hypoglycemic drugs (SGLT-2i, GLP-1RA, or DPP-4i) achieves glycemic control faster and provides longer-lasting benefits compared to traditional stepwise monotherapy in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes or prediabetes, starting with a combination of modern drugs (like SGLT-2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, or DPP-4 inhibitors) alongside metformin is often more effective than starting with just one drug. This approach helps you reach healthy blood sugar levels faster and keeps them there longer, reducing the need to change treatments frequently. Discuss this strategy with your doctor to see if it fits your specific health profile and insurance coverage.

Replacing saturated fatty acids (SAFA) with unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA or PUFA) significantly reduces LDL cholesterol and improves insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

To lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) and improve insulin sensitivity, swap 5% of your calories from saturated fats (found in fatty meats, butter, full-fat dairy) for unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). This swap should be isocaloric, meaning you don't add extra calories, just change the source. This change is supported by strong evidence from meta-analyses of clinical trials.

High dietary fiber intake (25-29 g/day) and whole grain consumption (40-50 g/day) are associated with a 15-30% decrease in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and a 20-30% risk reduction in coronary heart disease.

Aim for 25-29 grams of dietary fiber and 40-50 grams of whole grains daily. This can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease or other causes by 15-30%. Replace refined grains with whole grains and eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.

Weight loss of 2.5-15% improves glycemic control in Type 2 Diabetes, while 5-10% weight loss may prevent knee pain in obesity-related osteoarthritis.

You don't need to lose massive amounts of weight to see health benefits. Losing just 2.5-15% of your body weight can significantly improve blood sugar control in diabetes, and losing 5-10% can help prevent knee pain. Focus on these achievable targets.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) and SGLT-2 inhibitors are preferred medications for obesity management in patients with cardiovascular or metabolic risk, as they promote weight loss and improve cardiovascular health.

If you have obesity and diabetes or heart disease risk, ask your doctor about GLP-1 agonists (like semaglutide) or SGLT-2 inhibitors. These medications help you lose weight and protect your heart, unlike some other diabetes drugs that might cause weight gain.

Anti-obesity medications (specifically GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and Liraglutide) facilitate significant weight loss in obese osteoarthritis (OA) patients, which reduces joint compressive forces and systemic inflammation, thereby alleviating pain and slowing structural progression.

For obese patients with knee OA, anti-obesity medications like Semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) or Liraglutide (3.0 mg daily) are effective medical tools to achieve significant weight loss (up to 10-15% with other drugs, ~5-6kg with GLP-1s). This weight loss directly reduces the mechanical load on knees and lowers inflammatory markers, slowing OA progression. These drugs should be used as adjuncts to lifestyle changes, not replacements, and require long-term adherence as obesity is a chronic disease.

Providing high-protein egg-based recipes and single-use herb/spice packets to community-dwelling older adults significantly increases and sustains egg intake for at least 12 weeks post-intervention.

If you are an older adult looking to eat more protein, try getting egg-based recipes with pre-portioned spices. This study shows that simply having these recipes sent to you can help you stick to eating more eggs for months, even without cooking classes. However, be aware that this might just replace other protein sources you were already eating, so it may not directly build muscle unless you are already protein-deficient.

Prebiotics (Inulin, Pectin, Beta-glucans) and Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) supplementation can improve gut homeostasis, reduce infection risk, and potentially enhance athletic performance (endurance, strength) by modulating the gut microbiota.

Consider adding prebiotics (like inulin or beta-glucans) and specific probiotic strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) to your diet. This can help reduce the risk of respiratory infections and potentially improve endurance performance by supporting gut health and immune function.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Sprint Interval Training (SIT) is more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) for inducing specific metabolic adaptations (such as PGC1-α, NRF1, TFAM) in individuals who do not respond to moderate-intensity training.

If moderate exercise (like jogging at a conversational pace) hasn't improved your fitness, try adding high-intensity intervals. This type of training triggers different metabolic pathways (like mitochondrial biogenesis) that moderate exercise might miss, especially if you are genetically predisposed to be a 'low responder' to steady-state cardio.

Pharmacist-led interventions, including screening, counseling, and medication optimization, significantly improve glycemic control (HbA1c), therapy adherence, and early detection in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, engage your local pharmacist. They can help you understand your medications, improve your adherence to diet and exercise plans, and screen for early signs of complications. This collaborative approach can lead to better blood sugar control and fewer complications.

Adherence to the DASH diet or the Plate Method leads to improved glycemic control, reduced HbA1c, and better blood pressure management in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Adopt the DASH diet or the Plate Method. For DASH, focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy while limiting sodium and saturated fats. For the Plate Method, fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter with lean protein, and one-quarter with carbohydrates. These approaches have been shown to lower HbA1c and improve blood pressure.

Regular physical activity, specifically 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic and resistance exercise, improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in Type 2 Diabetes patients.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week, combining aerobic and resistance activities. If you cannot do it all at once, break it into smaller sessions. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. If you are on insulin, monitor your blood sugar to prevent hypoglycemia.

Highly processed foods (HPF) contribute to excess sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars, which are strongly associated with negative health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Focus on reducing foods high in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars, rather than avoiding all processed foods. Include nutrient-dense processed options like whole grain bread and yogurt in your diet, as they offer health benefits and are often necessary for practical, affordable, and accessible eating.