Browse the evidence

A holistic primary care model combining carbohydrate reduction (targeting <130 g/day), health coaching, and community support significantly reduces HbA1c and achieves diabetes reversal or remission in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

To manage type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, reduce your daily carbohydrate intake to below 130 grams, focusing on whole foods. Engage with a health coach for behavioral support and join community groups for peer encouragement. Monitor your HbA1c regularly with your doctor, and be prepared for potential medication adjustments as your blood sugar improves. This approach has been shown to reverse diabetes in a significant portion of patients in real-world settings.

Weight loss is significantly associated with greater HbA1c reduction in patients following a carbohydrate-reduced diet.

Losing weight will significantly improve your blood sugar levels. For every kilogram you lose, your HbA1c is expected to drop by approximately 0.56 mmol/mol. Focus on sustainable weight loss through the carbohydrate-reduced diet and health coaching.

Phenotype-guided interventions (tailoring diet, medication, or exercise based on specific metabolic/behavioral traits like satiation or emotional eating) result in greater weight loss compared to non-phenotype-guided standard care.

Consider getting assessed for specific metabolic and behavioral traits (like how you feel after eating, your emotional triggers, or your resting metabolic rate). Tailoring your diet and medication choices to these specific traits may lead to significantly better weight loss results than following a generic plan.

Achieving a BMI <25 kg/m2 is associated with a significantly greater reduction in predicted 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk compared to maintaining a BMI ≥25 kg/m2, regardless of whether the weight loss is achieved via tirzepatide or placebo.

If you have obesity or overweight, aiming for a BMI below 25 kg/m2 may offer greater protection against heart disease and stroke than stopping at a smaller weight loss. This target is increasingly achievable with modern medications like tirzepatide, which help achieve significant weight reduction. While current guidelines suggest 5-15% weight loss, this analysis indicates that reaching a 'normal' BMI might provide additional cardiovascular benefits, particularly for those with existing risk factors like high blood pressure or NAFLD.

Combined aerobic and resistance exercise provides additive or synergistic benefits for MASLD by simultaneously enhancing oxidative metabolism and increasing skeletal muscle mass.

For the best results, combine aerobic exercise (like brisk walking or cycling) with resistance training (like weight lifting). Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and 2-3 resistance sessions per week. This combination targets both your liver's fat processing and your muscle's ability to use energy, providing a comprehensive metabolic benefit.

High-level natural bodybuilders optimize muscle hypertrophy during pre-contest preparation by performing approximately 8–17 direct weekly sets per muscle group, training each muscle group 2–3 times per week, and utilizing a primary repetition range of 6–10 reps performed to or near failure.

If you are a natural trainee aiming for muscle growth, aim for 8 to 17 hard sets per muscle group each week. Split these sets across 2 or 3 training sessions for that muscle (e.g., chest on Monday and Thursday). Use weights that allow you to complete your reps with only 0-4 reps left in the tank. This moderate volume is what elite natural competitors use to maximize muscle while managing recovery.

A structured, physiotherapy-led eHealth tier 2 weight management program (12 weeks, 60 mins/week) significantly reduces body weight and BMI in adults with obesity, with effects observed across diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

If you have obesity and are referred to a structured 12-week digital weight management program by your doctor, you can expect to lose an average of 3-4 kg (about 4% of body weight) if you complete the program. The program includes weekly 1-hour online sessions with a physiotherapist, combining exercise and nutrition education. It works for people of all ethnicities and income levels, but you need internet access and a device. The key to success is attending at least 75% of the sessions.

Full-time holistic sports nutrition support utilizing behavior-change techniques and supplemental protein significantly improves within-day protein distribution in provincial academy rugby players, increasing intake at multiple feeding occasions toward recommended thresholds.

If you are an athlete trying to optimize your protein intake, simply buying protein powder isn't enough. You need a structured support system. This study shows that combining education, regular check-ins with a nutritionist, and the availability of supplements helps athletes actually distribute their protein evenly across meals (e.g., breakfast, snacks, post-workout). This behavioral approach successfully shifted intake patterns, even if it didn't immediately change body composition in this short timeframe.

Optimizing within-day carbohydrate distribution is critical for rugby players with congested schedules, as inadequate post-training carbohydrate intake may compromise substrate availability for subsequent evening sessions.

For rugby players training twice a day, when you eat carbohydrates matters as much as how much. The study showed that despite intervention, players didn't improve their post-morning training carb intake, and actually ate less carbs later in the day. This suggests that without specific guidance, athletes may neglect refueling between sessions, potentially impacting evening performance. Prioritize quick carbs immediately after morning training to fuel the evening session.

Whole-food, nutrient-dense diets that reduce ultra-processed food consumption are effective for weight management and metabolic health.

Focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense foods and minimize ultra-processed foods. This approach supports weight management and metabolic health through energy balance, hormonal regulation, and gut microbiota effects.

High-protein diets (25-30% of calories) preserve lean muscle mass and improve metabolic parameters like insulin sensitivity during weight loss.

Increase protein intake to 25-30% of your daily calories to preserve muscle and improve metabolic health. Ensure you consume high-quality protein sources and balance with carbs and fats.

A structured weight management program using Total Diet Replacement (TDR) with a hypocaloric formula diet (approx. 850 kcal/day) for 3-5 months induces significant weight loss and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) remission in South Asian populations, comparable to outcomes in white European cohorts.

For South Asians with recent Type 2 Diabetes, a strict, short-term (3-5 month) program using a ~850 kcal/day formula diet can reverse the disease. This involves replacing all food with formula, stopping diabetes meds under supervision, and then slowly reintroducing real food. It works similarly for South Asians as it does for white Europeans, primarily by reducing liver fat through significant weight loss.

Combining time-restricted eating (TRE) with calorie restriction (CR) significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference compared to calorie restriction alone in overweight or obese adults.

If you are overweight or obese, combining a moderate calorie deficit with time-restricted eating (eating within a specific window of the day) will help you lose more weight and fat than just counting calories alone. However, do not expect this combination to significantly improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol levels beyond what you would get from calorie restriction alone.

An 8-week Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) significantly reduces liver fat accumulation (measured by CAP and FLI) and improves metabolic biomarkers in overweight/obese subjects with NAFLD.

To improve liver health, follow an 8-week VLCKD protocol strictly. Consume under 800 calories daily with only 20-50g of carbs. Use meal replacements initially, then transition to one real protein meal. Ensure you take micronutrient supplements and drink at least 2 liters of water daily. This approach targets liver fat directly.

Intermittent fasting 5:2 plus (30% energy on 2 fasting days, 70% on 5 non-fasting days) produces superior short-term weight loss compared to daily calorie restriction (70% energy daily) in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity.

If you have overweight or obesity, try an Intermittent Fasting 5:2 Plus program for 12 weeks. Eat about 30% of your normal calories on 2 non-consecutive days a week, and 70% on the other 5 days. Combine this with 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise weekly and behavioral tips like self-weighing. This approach led to significantly more weight loss than eating 70% of your calories every day in this study.

Engagement with a digital weight management platform (coaching, app use, weight tracking) significantly enhances weight loss outcomes in individuals using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists compared to pharmacotherapy alone.

If you are using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications for weight loss, actively engaging with your digital health platform (attending coaching, using the app, tracking weight) leads to significantly better results than just taking the medication. Aim to participate in coaching sessions, log your weight regularly, and use the app's educational features to maximize your weight loss.

Personalized Nutrition Therapy (PNT) combined with Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) produces significant weight loss and fat mass reduction in overweight/obese individuals with prediabetes, even without explicit weight loss counseling or caloric restriction mandates.

If you have prediabetes and are overweight, try using a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) not just for data, but as a feedback tool. Work with a nutritionist to personalize your diet based on your glucose responses to specific foods, rather than following a generic 'low calorie' or 'low carb' diet. Focus on keeping glucose under 140 mg/dL after meals. This approach can lead to significant weight loss and fat reduction without the stress of strict calorie counting or feeling deprived.

Supplementing with 20g/day of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) starting 5 days before a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) significantly enhances weight loss, fat mass reduction, and BMI class improvement compared to VLCKD alone.

If you are starting a strict ketogenic diet, consider taking 20g of MCT oil daily starting 5 days before you begin the diet. This may help you enter ketosis faster and lose more weight and fat than starting the diet without it. Ensure you are following a very low-calorie plan.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) without calorie restriction significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and whole-body fat mass in adults.

Adopt a 16:8 eating window (e.g., 12pm-8pm) for daily food intake. Do not restrict calories intentionally; simply stop eating after your chosen window. Expect modest weight loss (~1.6kg) and fat reduction over time, especially if you have metabolic risk factors.

Preoperative dietitian-led Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) of 800-1000 kcal/day for 2-12 weeks significantly reduces weight and waist circumference in obese adults undergoing elective surgery without causing unfavorable lean body mass loss.

If you are scheduled for elective surgery and have obesity, ask your surgeon or care team about a preoperative dietitian-led Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). This involves consuming 800-1000 calories daily, primarily through meal replacements, for 2-12 weeks before your operation. Crucially, a dietitian must monitor your protein intake to ensure you do not lose muscle mass, which can complicate surgery and recovery. This approach has been shown to significantly reduce weight and waist circumference, potentially making the surgery technically easier and reducing complications.

A 16-week Tabata training program significantly reduces body fat percentage, fat mass, BMI, and waist circumference in healthy inactive women.

If you are a healthy woman with a sedentary job, performing Tabata-style high-intensity intervals (20 seconds hard work, 10 seconds rest) for about 20 minutes, 4 times a week, for 4 months, can significantly reduce your body fat and waist size without needing to change your diet drastically.

A multimodal metabolic health intervention emphasizing therapeutic carbohydrate reduction (TCR) and intermittent fasting, supported by remote monitoring and coaching, produces robust 1-year weight loss (mean 15.5%) and significant medication deprescription in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

If you have obesity or type 2 diabetes, consider a structured program that combines a low-carbohydrate diet (under 30g carbs/day) with remote health monitoring and coaching. This approach can lead to significant weight loss (around 15%) and may allow you to reduce or stop diabetes and blood pressure medications under medical supervision, potentially saving money and avoiding medication side effects.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is more effective for fat loss and muscle retention in younger obese adults (18-30 years), whereas Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) is preferred for middle-aged (31-40) and older (41-60) adults due to better adherence and sustainability.

If you are under 30 and obese, HIIT may offer faster fat loss and muscle retention. If you are over 30, prioritize Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) like brisk walking or cycling, as it is equally effective for fat loss but easier to stick with and safer for joints.

HIIT is more time-efficient than MICT for achieving similar fat loss outcomes, primarily due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and appetite regulation.

If you are short on time, HIIT can provide similar fat loss benefits to longer cardio sessions in less time, thanks to increased calorie burn after exercise.