Browse the evidence

Incorporating walnuts (providing ~15% of energy) into a reduced-energy diet yields weight loss comparable to a standard reduced-energy-density diet while providing superior improvements in LDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure.

To lose weight and improve heart health markers, you can include walnuts in your diet. Aim for about 1.5 ounces (42 grams) daily if you are eating more than 1500 calories, or 1 ounce (28 grams) if eating less. This amount provides about 15% of your daily calories. This approach helps you lose weight just as effectively as a standard low-calorie diet, but it may also lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) and blood pressure more effectively. Ensure you are still in a caloric deficit and staying active.

Intermittent fasting significantly reduces body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) compared to control diets.

Intermittent fasting is an effective strategy for improving multiple cardiometabolic risk factors, including weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, compared to standard diets. However, it does not significantly improve HbA1c, LDL, or HDL cholesterol. To maximize benefits, choose a fasting protocol (like 16:8 or 5:2) that you can sustain, ensure you are not overeating during feeding windows to avoid muscle loss, and consult a healthcare provider, especially if you have existing health conditions.

Autonomous motivation for weight loss (internalized regulation) predicts higher program attendance, greater weight loss during a very-low-calorie diet, and greater maintenance of that weight loss at 23-month follow-up.

To maintain weight loss, focus on why you want to lose weight. If your reasons are internal (e.g., 'I value my health'), you are more likely to stick with the program and keep the weight off. If your reasons are external (e.g., 'My spouse insists'), you are less likely to succeed long-term.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery provides superior long-term weight loss maintenance and significantly higher rates of diabetes remission compared to non-surgical controls in severely obese patients over a 6-year period.

For severely obese individuals (BMI >= 35) who have not achieved lasting weight loss through lifestyle changes, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery offers a clinically proven path to significant, long-term weight loss (average 27.7% at 6 years) and high rates of type 2 diabetes remission (62%), far exceeding the outcomes of non-surgical management.

Dietary fiber, specifically soluble gel-forming fiber, lowers blood cholesterol and reduces cardiovascular disease risk, and when added to statin therapy, doubles the efficacy of statins.

To support heart health and cholesterol levels, aim for the recommended daily fiber intake: 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women (ages 19-50). Prioritize soluble, gel-forming fibers found in oats, barley, beans, and fruits, as these are most effective at lowering cholesterol. If you are on statins, adding fiber may help them work better and potentially allow for lower doses, but consult your doctor before making changes.

Daily ingestion of 583 mg of green tea catechins for 12 weeks significantly reduces body fat mass, visceral fat area, and LDL cholesterol in humans with visceral fat-type obesity, independent of changes in usual diet or physical activity.

If you have visceral obesity, drinking a beverage providing ~583 mg of catechins daily (approx. 1.7 cans of the specific high-catechin extract used) for 12 weeks, while maintaining your usual diet and exercise, may help reduce body fat and LDL cholesterol. This is not a magic bullet but a supportive intervention.

Adhering to a low-fat vegan diet significantly reduces dietary acid load (measured by PRAL and NEAP), which is independently associated with greater reductions in body weight, fat mass, and visceral fat compared to a control diet, even after adjusting for energy intake.

To lose fat and improve metabolic health, focus on a whole-food, plant-based diet that is low in fat. This approach naturally lowers your dietary acid load, which the study links to better insulin sensitivity and greater fat loss than just counting calories. You don't need to count calories strictly, but you should avoid animal products and added oils, and ensure you take a B12 supplement.

Orlistat (120 mg three times daily with meals) promotes greater weight loss and weight maintenance compared to diet alone in obese adults, primarily by inhibiting gastric and pancreatic lipases to reduce dietary fat absorption.

Take 120 mg of Orlistat with each main meal containing fat (up to 3 times daily). You must follow a diet where less than 30% of your calories come from fat; skipping a fat-free meal means you can skip the dose. Expect some gastrointestinal side effects like oily spotting or urgency, especially early on, but these often improve with time. Take a daily multivitamin at least 2 hours before or after taking Orlistat to prevent vitamin deficiencies.

Modest weight reduction (5-10%) achieved through lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, or bariatric surgery improves glycemic control and reduces type 2 diabetes risk.

You do not need to lose a massive amount of weight to see health benefits. Losing just 5-10% of your body weight through lifestyle changes, medication, or surgery can significantly improve your blood sugar control and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Focus on sustainable, modest losses rather than extreme measures.

Continuous real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) significantly improves glycemic control (reduces HbA1c) in patients with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes compared to conventional self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG).

If you have type 1 diabetes and your blood sugar is consistently high despite frequent finger pricks, switching to a real-time continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that shows your glucose levels and trends on a device can significantly lower your average blood sugar (HbA1c). The key is using it continuously, not just occasionally, and using the data to make timely adjustments to your insulin, diet, or activity. While it requires wearing a sensor, the ability to see and prevent dangerous highs and lows offers a substantial health benefit over traditional monitoring alone.

Lifestyle interventions leading to modest weight loss (approx. 5%) are the first-line treatment for improving ovulation and fertility in obese women with PCOS, often superior to or synergistic with insulin-sensitizing drugs like metformin.

For obese women with PCOS struggling to conceive, the most effective starting point is a lifestyle program aimed at losing about 5% of body weight. This modest loss can be enough to restore ovulation. If lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, adding insulin-sensitizing drugs like metformin alongside the diet can provide synergistic benefits.

Providing overweight women with home exercise equipment (treadmills) combined with multiple short-bout exercise significantly improves long-term weight loss and exercise adherence compared to short-bout exercise without equipment.

If you struggle to stick to a workout routine, try breaking your exercise into 10-minute chunks throughout the day. If you have access to a treadmill at home, use it. This combination helps you stay consistent over the long haul, which is key to losing weight.

There is a dose-response relationship between the amount of exercise performed per week and long-term weight loss in overweight women, with >200 min/week yielding significantly greater loss than <150 min/week.

To lose more weight, aim for more than 200 minutes of exercise per week. You can achieve this by breaking your workouts into shorter sessions throughout the day, which is easier to fit into a busy schedule.

Energy restriction and weight loss improve menstrual cyclicity, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles in overweight women with PCOS, regardless of whether the diet is high-protein or low-protein.

For overweight women with PCOS, the most effective way to improve menstrual cycles, insulin resistance, and cholesterol is to lose weight through a caloric deficit. Whether you choose a high-protein or low-protein diet matters less than the fact that you are eating fewer calories and losing weight. Aim for a sustainable caloric deficit (e.g., ~1400-1500 kcal/day) and maintain some level of physical activity.

Increasing the protein fraction of a meal significantly increases diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) compared to carbohydrate or fat, with protein showing the highest thermic effect among macronutrients.

To maximize the calories your body burns during digestion, increase the protein content of your meals. Studies show that for every 1% increase in the protein fraction of your diet, diet-induced thermogenesis increases significantly. This not only burns more energy but also helps regulate food intake through increased satiety.

Nicotine replacement therapy (specifically gum) and bupropion significantly delay or reduce post-cessation weight gain compared to placebo.

Use nicotine gum or bupropion if you are worried about gaining weight after quitting. These treatments help reduce the amount of weight you gain and increase your chances of staying smoke-free.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT) enhance mitochondrial respiration and function, whereas long slow-distance (LSD) training with higher volume is required to increase mitochondrial mass.

To improve your aerobic capacity, you don't always need to spend hours exercising. Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training (SIT) to boost mitochondrial function efficiently. If your goal is to increase the total amount of mitochondria (mass), focus on longer, lower-intensity sessions with higher volume.

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduces cardiovascular mortality and hospital admissions in patients with coronary heart disease compared to usual care without exercise.

If you have coronary heart disease, participating in a structured exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program is a Class I recommended treatment that significantly lowers your risk of dying from heart causes and being hospitalized. It is safe, even for high-risk patients, and benefits include improved quality of life. Seek out a program, preferably supervised, as soon as possible after your cardiac event.

Cycling as a mode of active commuting is associated with significantly lower risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality, and cancer incidence and mortality compared to non-active commuting.

If you can, cycle to work. This study links cycling to significantly lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and death. You don't need to be a pro; even mixed-mode commuting (cycling part of the way) helps. If cycling isn't possible, walking to work also reduces heart disease risk, especially if you walk longer distances.

Intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is a strong predictor of mobility and muscle function in older adults, and its accumulation is reversible with physical activity and weight loss.

Focus on reducing fat infiltration into your muscles, not just overall body fat. Regular aerobic exercise and weight loss can decrease IMAT, which is strongly linked to better mobility and strength in older adults. This is a key target for maintaining independence.

Lifestyle interventions, particularly resistance and aerobic exercise in mid-life, can preserve muscle quality and function, potentially delaying or preventing mobility decline in old age.

Start or maintain a regular exercise routine in mid-life, including both resistance and aerobic training. This can preserve muscle quality and function, helping you maintain mobility and independence as you age. It's a key preventative strategy.

Front squats produce significantly lower maximal joint compressive forces at the knee and reduced lumbar stress compared to back squats, while maintaining similar quadriceps and hamstring activity.

If you have knee pain from heavy back squats or lower back issues, try front squats. They hit the same muscles but put less crushing force on your knees and spine.

Maintaining a neutral spine and upright trunk posture during squats minimizes compressive and shear forces on the lumbar spine, whereas forward lean or lumbar flexion significantly increases injury risk.

Keep your back straight and your chest up when you squat. Leaning forward or rounding your back puts dangerous pressure on your discs and ligaments. If you can't stay upright, lighten the weight.

Therapeutic Vitamin D supplementation for verified deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) should use doses of 1,000–10,000 IU/day (or 50,000 IU/week) for 1-3 months, avoiding loading doses of 300,000 IU or higher.

If your blood test shows Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL), do not take a massive 'loading dose' of 300,000 IU. Instead, take 1,000-10,000 IU daily (or 50,000 IU weekly) for 1-3 months. Re-test your levels after 3 months and switch to a maintenance dose (800-2,000 IU/day) once you reach the target range of 30-50 ng/mL.