Browse the evidence

Omega-3 PUFA supplementation reduces coronary heart disease (CHD) death and possibly sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with prior clinical CHD, but does not reduce nonfatal myocardial infarction.

If you have existing heart disease, taking fish oil supplements may help lower your risk of dying from heart causes, possibly by preventing sudden cardiac death. However, it will not stop you from having a heart attack. It is a reasonable addition to your care, but not a cure-all.

Current anti-obesity medications improve weight and metabolic parameters but do not yet have data supporting a reduction in hard cardiovascular outcomes.

While these drugs significantly reduce weight and improve metabolic markers, they have not yet been proven to reduce hard cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes. Weight loss itself is a key factor in long-term health.

High consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is associated with increased total and cardiovascular mortality, particularly in women, though substituting ASBs for SSBs may offer a modest mortality benefit.

If you consume high amounts of artificially sweetened beverages, consider reducing intake, especially if you are a woman. While replacing SSBs with ASBs reduces mortality risk compared to drinking SSBs, water remains the optimal choice for longevity.

High intake of refined carbohydrates and high glycemic index foods promotes oxidative stress and chronic inflammation via NF-κB-mediated signaling, contributing to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Focus on reducing refined carbohydrates and high glycemic index foods (like white rice and added sugars) to lower oxidative stress and inflammation. Opt for lower glycemic index options to help manage blood sugar and metabolic health, especially if you are overweight or have metabolic syndrome.

High intake of processed meats, particularly those cooked at high temperatures, increases the formation of genotoxic and carcinogenic compounds like heterocyclic amines and N-nitroso compounds, contributing to oxidative stress and colorectal cancer risk.

Limit intake of processed meats and avoid cooking red meat at high temperatures (e.g., grilling, charring) to reduce the formation of carcinogenic compounds and oxidative stress. Opt for fresh, unprocessed meats and gentler cooking methods.

Replacing saturated fatty acids (SFA) with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) lowers LDL cholesterol but has an unclear or neutral effect on clinical cardiovascular disease events and mortality compared to SFA.

Swapping saturated fats for monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) will lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol. However, this swap alone may not be enough to prevent heart attacks or strokes. For better protection against heart disease, prioritize replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (like fish oils, walnuts) or whole grains instead.

Dairy fat has a less adverse impact on cardiovascular disease risk compared to other animal fats (like meat), but it still increases CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids.

Dairy fat (from cheese, butter, milk) is not as bad for your heart as fat from red meat, but it is still worse than unsaturated fats (like olive oil or fish). To protect your heart, limit high-fat dairy and replace it with unsaturated fats or whole grains. You don't need to eliminate dairy, but don't rely on it for heart health.

Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonism (e.g., tirzepatide) yields superior glycemic control and body weight reduction compared to selective GLP-1 receptor agonists.

For patients with type 2 diabetes seeking maximum glucose and weight reduction, dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists (like tirzepatide) are clinically superior to selective GLP-1 agonists. This represents a shift from previous assumptions that GIP was therapeutically useless in diabetes.

A higher triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, serving as a surrogate marker for insulin resistance, is significantly associated with increased risks of composite cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and incident type 2 diabetes.

Your risk for heart disease and diabetes is closely linked to your insulin resistance, which can be estimated using a simple calculation from your fasting triglyceride and glucose levels. This risk is not uniform; it is significantly higher for people living in low- and middle-income countries. Regular monitoring of these markers can help identify those at high risk for cardiovascular events and diabetes, allowing for earlier intervention.

Early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) reduces appetite and increases fat oxidation but does not significantly alter 24-hour energy expenditure in humans.

If you try eating all your meals between 8 am and 2 pm, you likely won't burn significantly more calories than usual. However, you will likely feel less hungry and more full throughout the day because your hunger hormones (ghrelin) are better regulated. This makes it easier to eat less without feeling deprived, which is the actual mechanism for weight loss.

Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods (cocoa, tea, berries) produces small but measurable improvements in blood pressure, endothelial function, and insulin resistance, mediated by enhanced nitric oxide bioavailability and AMPK activation.

Incorporate flavonoid-rich foods like dark chocolate (cocoa), tea, and berries into your daily diet. You do not need large quantities; even small amounts (e.g., ~30 kcal/d of dark chocolate) can contribute to lower blood pressure and better vascular health. Focus on consistency rather than high doses of supplements.

Substituting red meat with fish or low-quality carbohydrates results in less favorable lipid changes compared to substituting with high-quality plant proteins.

If you replace red meat with fish or refined carbohydrates, you may not see the same cholesterol benefits as if you replaced it with plant proteins. While fish is better than red meat for LDL, plant proteins are the best option for improving lipid profiles.

High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in adulthood and adolescence is associated with a significantly increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) in women.

For women, reducing sugar-sweetened beverage intake, especially during adolescence and adulthood, may help lower the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Substituting SSBs with coffee, milk, or artificially sweetened beverages is associated with a lower risk. While this study focuses on women, the metabolic mechanisms (insulin resistance, inflammation) suggest broader applicability, but more research is needed for men.

GLP-1 receptor agonists exhibit significant inter-individual variability in weight loss, with early responders (>=4% loss at week 16) predicting superior long-term outcomes.

If you start a GLP-1 agonist (like Ozempic or Wegovy) and don't lose at least 4% of your body weight by week 16, you are statistically likely to be a 'non-responder' with only ~3% total loss. However, early weight loss is a strong predictor of success. If you are not losing weight early, discuss with your doctor whether to continue for metabolic benefits or switch therapies, as stopping rules are often built into prescriptions.

Obesity, particularly severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2), is an independent risk factor for severe complications and mortality from COVID-19, driven by increased prevalence of comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension, as well as physiological factors such as visceral fat storage.

If you have obesity, you are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications due to associated health conditions and physiological factors. Prioritize vaccination, follow public health guidelines strictly, and seek medical attention early if symptoms arise. Healthcare providers should treat you with respect and without bias.

Metformin increases circulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), specifically acetate, butyrate, and valerate, at 6 months, which correlates with decreased fasting insulin, although these SCFA increases do not persist at 12 months.

Metformin boosts beneficial gut byproducts called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like acetate and butyrate within the first 6 months, which is linked to better insulin control. However, this boost in SCFAs tends to fade after a year, even though the gut bacteria themselves remain changed. This suggests the body adapts to the higher SCFA levels, but the underlying microbial environment remains altered. This adaptation doesn't necessarily mean the drug stops working, but it highlights that the initial metabolic boost might be transient.

Higher protein intakes (above RDA) do not negatively impact bone mineral density and may actually protect against osteoporosis and hip fractures by increasing calcium bioavailability and IGF-1 release.

You do not need to worry that eating more protein will weaken your bones. In fact, getting enough protein helps your body absorb calcium better and may lower your risk of hip fractures, especially if you are getting enough calcium in your diet.

Sodium added to food outside the home (commercial processing and restaurant preparation) accounts for approximately 71% of total sodium intake in US adults, making it the primary source of dietary sodium.

To reduce sodium, focus on the food you buy and eat outside the home, not just the salt shaker. Check Nutrition Facts labels for packaged foods and ask for nutrition info when eating at restaurants. Reducing salt at the table is helpful but insufficient on its own because most sodium is already in processed and restaurant foods.

Sodium added to food outside the home is the leading source of sodium across all demographic subgroups, including variations by age, race, education, and geographic region.

No matter your background, most of your sodium comes from food bought or eaten outside your home. Focus on choosing lower-sodium packaged foods and making smarter choices at restaurants, as this is the most effective way to reduce sodium for everyone.

Clinical staging of obesity should utilize systems like the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) or Waist Circumference (WC) thresholds, as BMI alone fails to capture the severity of obesity-related complications and mortality risk in Asian populations.

Do not rely on BMI alone. Ask your doctor to measure your waist circumference and assess your overall health status (blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.) using a staging system like EOSS. This provides a more accurate picture of your health risks, especially if you are Asian and have 'normal' BMI but carry weight around your midsection.

Suboptimal dietary intake (specifically low whole grains, low dairy, and high processed meats) is directly associated with approximately 80,110 new cancer cases annually in US adults, representing 5.2% of all invasive cancers.

Focus on increasing whole grain and dairy consumption while reducing processed meat intake. This specific dietary shift is estimated to prevent a substantial number of cancer cases annually, particularly colorectal cancer. Prioritize whole grains (3 servings/day) and limit processed meats to less than 0.5 oz/day.

Insufficient whole grain intake is the single largest dietary contributor to preventable cancer cases, followed by low dairy intake and high processed meat consumption.

Aim for 3 servings of whole grains daily. This specific factor contributes to the highest number of preventable cancer cases. Ensure at least half of your grain intake is whole grains, as recommended by federal guidelines.

Obesity-mediated pathways account for approximately 16% of the diet-associated cancer burden, linking dietary factors like sugar-sweetened beverages and low fruit intake to cancer via BMI increases.

Maintaining a healthy weight through diet can reduce cancer risk via obesity-mediated pathways. Focus on reducing sugar-sweetened beverages and increasing fruit intake, which are key drivers of this specific risk pathway.

A coach-supported interactive internet intervention for self-management of cardiovascular risk factors leads to a modest but statistically significant improvement in a composite score of systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and BMI in community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older over 18 months.

For seniors at risk of heart disease, using a guided online health platform with a human coach can help modestly improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight over 18 months. It works best for those who are already motivated and have basic computer skills. It is not a cure-all, but a feasible tool for self-management.