Browse the evidence

Regular physical activity of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity provides 75% of the maximum cardiovascular benefit, with diminishing returns above this threshold.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (like running) per week. This level of activity provides most of the heart health benefits. You don't need to exercise for hours; consistency is key.

Adopting a healthy plant-based diet index (hPBDI) substantially lowers coronary heart disease risk, whereas an unhealthy plant-based diet index (uPBDI) is associated with higher risk.

If you choose a plant-based diet, prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Avoid refined grains, sugary drinks, and processed sweets, as these can increase heart disease risk even in a plant-based context.

Adhering to a healthy lifestyle (normal BMI, non-smoking, high physical activity, high diet quality) significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, and this benefit is magnified for individuals who work rotating night shifts.

If you work rotating night shifts, your lifestyle choices are your strongest defense against type 2 diabetes. Focus on maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, staying physically active (at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily), and eating a high-quality diet. The study indicates that these healthy habits provide a greater protective benefit for night shift workers than for day workers, effectively offsetting much of the increased risk associated with shift work.

Substituting red meat with high-quality plant protein sources (legumes, soy, nuts) leads to more favorable changes in total and LDL cholesterol compared to red meat consumption.

If you want to improve your cholesterol levels, try swapping some of your red meat servings for plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, soy, or nuts. This swap is more effective for lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) than swapping red meat for fish or refined carbohydrates. Ensure the plant-based meal provides enough protein to meet your daily needs.

Dairy products are a primary source of high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and critical micronutrients (calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus) in the average diet, contributing significantly to daily nutrient requirements.

Include dairy products in your diet to efficiently meet requirements for calcium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin. Cheese and milk are particularly dense sources of these nutrients. While dairy contributes modestly to total calories, its nutrient density is high, making it an efficient food choice for bone health and metabolic function.

Higher dietary intake of major saturated fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acid) is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, whereas replacing these fats with polyunsaturated fat, whole grain carbohydrates, or plant proteins significantly lowers that risk.

To lower your risk of coronary heart disease, focus on replacing your intake of saturated fats (found in meat, dairy, and tropical oils) with healthier alternatives. Specifically, swap 1% of your daily calories from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats (like nuts, seeds, or vegetable oils), whole grains (like oats or brown rice), or plant proteins (like beans or lentils). This substitution is associated with an 8-12% reduction in heart disease risk. Do not replace these fats with refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar, as this does not provide the same benefit.

Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) is associated with increased all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in breast cancer patients, while higher physical activity post-diagnosis is associated with significantly lower recurrence and mortality risks.

If you have breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer, maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active are critical for your survival. Aim for at least 9 MET-hours per week of activity (e.g., 3 hours of moderate walking). This can cut your risk of death by half compared to being sedentary. Avoid obesity, as it increases mortality risk by 33%.

A low-glycemic load diet improves cardiovascular risk factors (HDL cholesterol and triglycerides) more than a low-fat diet, regardless of insulin secretion levels.

For heart health, focusing on the quality of carbohydrates (low-glycemic load) may be more beneficial for your triglycerides and HDL cholesterol than simply reducing total fat. A diet rich in nonstarchy vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils) supports better lipid profiles than a standard low-fat diet, even if weight loss results are similar.

Using a Repetitions in Reserve (RIR)-based Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale allows for more precise intensity prescription in resistance training compared to traditional percentage-based methods, particularly for near-limit loads, by automatically adjusting loads to match daily athlete capabilities.

Instead of guessing a fixed weight based on a past test, select a weight that feels like you could do 1-2 more reps with good form (RPE 8-9). If you finish the set and feel you could have done 3+ more, increase the weight next time. If you couldn't hit the reps, decrease the weight. This adjusts for your daily energy levels and ensures you are training at the right intensity for your goals.

Post-diagnosis weight gain of >10 kg is associated with a 70% increase in all-cause mortality and a 78% increase in breast cancer-specific mortality compared to maintaining stable weight.

For breast cancer survivors, avoiding significant weight gain after diagnosis is critical for survival. The study shows that gaining more than 10kg after diagnosis significantly increases the risk of dying from breast cancer or other causes. Survivors should work with their care team to monitor weight and implement lifestyle changes to maintain a stable, healthy weight, as this is associated with improved mortality outcomes.

Maximal muscle lengthening (eccentric) contractions induce a more rapid rate of myofibrillar protein synthesis compared to maximal shortening (concentric) contractions when total mechanical work is matched.

To maximize muscle growth potential per unit of work, prioritize eccentric (lengthening) movements in your resistance training. While both concentric and eccentric exercises build muscle, eccentric actions trigger a faster and potentially greater anabolic response in the muscle fibers, provided you are training at high intensities.

Adherence to American Cancer Society guidelines for body weight, physical activity, diet, and alcohol consumption significantly reduces all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in never and former smokers.

To lower your risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, or other causes, focus on maintaining a healthy weight (BMI 18.5-25), engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week, eating a diet rich in plants and whole grains while limiting red and processed meats, and limiting alcohol to one drink per day for women or two for men. These combined habits, even without smoking, significantly extend lifespan.

A 10-week progressive, high-intensity, bodyweight-based resistance training program significantly increases lean body mass and functional strength in 70-year-old adults with pre-sarcopenia.

If you are 70 or older and have low muscle mass, a 10-week program of bodyweight resistance training, performed 3 times a week for 45 minutes, can significantly increase your muscle mass and functional strength. The key is to progressively increase the difficulty (more reps, more resistance, or faster movements) under the guidance of an instructor. While a protein supplement was offered, it was not mandatory, suggesting the training itself is the primary driver of these benefits. Focus on functional exercises like sit-to-stands and balance, which are relevant to daily life.

Consuming approximately 20 g of high-quality protein (or ~0.24–0.30 g/kg body mass) per meal maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in young adults, with doses exceeding this threshold (e.g., 40 g) providing negligible additional MPS stimulation.

Aim for ~20 grams of high-quality protein (like whey, eggs, or meat) per meal. This amount maximally triggers your muscles to grow. Eating 40g or more in one sitting does not build extra muscle; it just gets burned off or turned into waste. Spread these ~20g doses every 3 hours during the day to keep muscle building active throughout your waking hours.

Pre-sleep ingestion of ~30-40 g of casein protein enhances overnight muscle protein synthesis and augments long-term gains in muscle size and strength when combined with resistance training.

If you want to maximize muscle growth, try drinking a shake with ~30-40 grams of casein protein (or eating cottage cheese) right before bed. This slow-digesting protein feeds your muscles while you sleep, leading to slightly better gains in muscle size and strength over time compared to not eating before bed.

Preserving or recovering beta-cell functional mass is the critical therapeutic strategy for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes, primarily achieved by reducing beta-cell workload through lifestyle modification and weight loss.

Focus on reducing the demand on your pancreas. Since human beta-cells have limited ability to regenerate, the best way to keep them working is to lower the workload. This means prioritizing lifestyle changes and weight loss to improve insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing the strain on your beta-cells and preserving their function.

Integrating connective mobile technology (PDA self-monitoring) and biweekly telephone coaching into standard group obesity treatment significantly enhances weight loss and the likelihood of achieving clinically significant weight loss (≥5%) compared to standard treatment alone.

To maximize weight loss, combine standard dietary and exercise advice with a mobile tool for daily self-monitoring and regular check-ins with a coach. The key is not just tracking, but having a human review your data and provide personalized feedback. This hybrid approach is more effective than standard care alone and can be sustained over time.

High-intensity behavioral counseling delivered by trained interventionists (in person or via telephone) produces clinically meaningful weight loss (mean 5-6.6 kg at 6 months) in primary care settings, whereas counseling by primary care practitioners alone yields negligible loss (0.6-1.7 kg).

If you are obese and seeking weight loss in primary care, ask for a referral to a high-intensity behavioral program delivered by a trained specialist (like a dietitian or health coach) rather than relying solely on your doctor's brief advice. Look for programs that include a calorie deficit of 500 kcal/day, 150 minutes of weekly exercise, and regular check-ins (ideally 14 sessions over 6 months). This approach has been shown to produce significant, clinically meaningful weight loss (5-6 kg) compared to standard care.

Whey protein supports greater muscle hypertrophy and net muscle protein balance compared to soy protein when consumed in close temporal proximity to resistance exercise.

If your goal is maximizing muscle growth from resistance training, choose whey protein over soy protein. Consume about 20-25g of whey within 1-2 hours after your workout. While soy supports muscle growth, whey's faster digestion and higher leucine content lead to greater muscle mass gains.

High intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with increased risk of obesity and adverse health outcomes (CVD, cancer, T2DM, mortality), and this association remains significant and unchanged in magnitude even after adjusting for dietary quality or overall dietary pattern.

Prioritize minimally processed foods. While improving the nutrient profile of processed foods is good, simply choosing 'low-fat' or 'low-sugar' versions of ultra-processed items may not protect against obesity and chronic disease risks. The act of ultra-processing itself appears to contribute to health issues regardless of nutrient content.

Daily supplementation of 700–800 IU vitamin D3 combined with >1000 mg calcium reduces hip and nonvertebral fracture risk in older adults by approximately 20%.

If you are an older adult, taking 700-800 IU of Vitamin D3 daily along with at least 1000 mg of calcium can significantly lower your risk of breaking a hip or other bones. This combination is more effective than calcium alone.

Vitamin D supplementation (>=700 IU) improves muscle strength and balance, reducing fall risk in community-dwelling and institutionalized older individuals.

To help prevent falls, older adults should consider taking at least 700 IU of Vitamin D daily. Lower doses may not provide the muscle strength and balance benefits needed to reduce fall risk.

Physical inactivity is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, with benefits of activity being larger at low baseline activity levels.

Increase your physical activity, especially if you are currently sedentary. The health benefits are greatest for those who start with low activity levels. Even small increases in movement can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Creatine supplementation combined with resistance training increases fat-free mass and strength in older adults more than resistance training alone.

If you are over 60 and doing resistance training, adding creatine monohydrate (5g daily) will help you build more muscle and get stronger than exercise alone. It does not add fat.