Browse the evidence

Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets (LC), particularly very low-carbohydrate/ketogenic diets (<20-50g carbs/day), can reverse Type 2 Diabetes without intentional calorie restriction, with sustained remission rates up to 54% at two years in supported interventions.

Very Low-Carbohydrate Diets (<20-50g carbs/day) can reverse Type 2 Diabetes without needing to count calories, often leading to spontaneous weight loss. With adequate support (like continuous care), remission rates can reach 54% at two years, even in patients with longer-standing diabetes. This approach allows for significant medication reduction.

Post-recovery weight maintenance in anorexia nervosa requires significantly higher caloric intake (50-60 kcal/kg/day) than healthy individuals (30 kcal/kg/day) for at least 3-6 months to prevent relapse.

After reaching your goal weight, do not immediately drop your calories to 'normal' levels. Your body still burns energy at a higher rate. You likely need 50-60 calories per kilogram of body weight daily for at least 3-6 months to prevent rapid weight loss and relapse. This high intake will gradually decrease as your metabolism normalizes.

Long-term adherence to a dietitian-led low-FODMAP diet provides sustained gastrointestinal symptom relief and maintains nutritional adequacy for the majority of IBS patients.

Work with a dietitian to follow the low-FODMAP diet. It is not just a short-term fix; for most people, it provides lasting symptom relief and can be maintained long-term without nutritional deficiencies. The key is the reintroduction phase, which helps you identify your specific triggers so you can eat a varied, healthy diet.

A 5-week resistance training program using a non-gravity-dependent flywheel system induces significant muscle hypertrophy (approx. 6.1% increase in quadriceps volume) and strength gains comparable to traditional gravity-dependent resistance training.

To build muscle using this method, perform 4 sets of 7 reps of knee extensions (or similar compound movements) using a flywheel device. Focus on maximal effort during both the pushing (concentric) and pulling back (eccentric) phases. Do this 2-3 times a week for at least 5 weeks to see significant volume increases.

Adherence to dietary patterns emphasizing plant foods, fish, seafood, vegetable oils, and low-fat dairy is associated with a lower risk of most chronic diseases, whereas Western-type diets high in energy, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined cereals, solid fats, and processed meats are associated with adverse health effects.

Focus on building a dietary pattern rather than fixing single nutrients. Prioritize plant foods, fish, seafood, vegetable oils, and low-fat dairy. Minimize Western-style foods like sugary drinks, refined grains, solid fats, and processed meats to reduce chronic disease risk.

Plyometric jump training (PJT) significantly improves muscle power, linear sprint speed, change-of-direction speed, balance, and maximal strength in basketball players compared to control conditions.

Basketball players should incorporate plyometric jump training into their regular season or off-season programs to improve jumping, sprinting, agility, and strength. The training is safe, with no reported injuries in the reviewed studies. While specific dosing varies, performing more than two sessions per week may yield greater improvements in horizontal jumping ability. Coaches should focus on movement quality and progressive overload, though the specific prescription (duration, frequency) matters less than consistent implementation.

Older basketball players (>16.3-17.15 years) experience significantly greater improvements in horizontal jump distance, linear sprint speed (>10m), and change-of-direction speed (<40m) from plyometric jump training compared to younger players.

If you are coaching older basketball players (late teens and above), prioritize plyometric jump training for maximum gains in speed and horizontal power. The benefits are significantly larger for this group compared to younger players. For younger players, PJT still helps, but the gains in speed and horizontal power are more modest.

Combined aerobic and resistance training (CT) is the most efficacious intervention for reducing body weight, waist circumference, and fat mass in overweight/obese adults compared to aerobic-only or resistance-only training.

If your goal is to lose weight and fat while keeping muscle, combine cardio and weightlifting. Studies show this combination works better for fat loss than either method alone. Aim for at least 8 weeks of supervised training.

Resistance training (RT) is superior to aerobic exercise (AET) for increasing lean body mass in overweight/obese adults.

If you want to build or maintain muscle while losing weight, prioritize resistance training over aerobic exercise. It is significantly more effective at increasing lean body mass.

GLP-1 agonists (semaglutide and liraglutide) produce significant weight loss (approx. 8-16%) and improve glycemic control in obese patients, particularly those with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.

If you have obesity and type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance, GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide are highly effective for weight loss and blood sugar control. Discuss with your doctor if you are a candidate, especially if lifestyle changes alone have not been sufficient after 12 months.

Bupropion-naltrexone combination therapy produces significant weight loss (approx. 6%) by interrupting the cycle of addictive over-eating through synergistic appetite suppression.

If you struggle with addictive eating patterns or intense cravings, bupropion-naltrexone may be a suitable option. It works by suppressing appetite synergistically. Discuss potential side effects like constipation or anxiety with your doctor.

Caffeine supplementation (2-9 mg/kg) taken 1 hour prior to exercise significantly improves both endurance and anaerobic performance by stimulating the central nervous system and increasing serum catecholamines.

Take 2-9 mg of caffeine per kg of body weight about one hour before your workout or race. This is a proven way to boost both endurance and sprint performance. If you are sensitive to caffeine, start at the lower end of the dose range to avoid anxiety or sleep issues.

Higher protein intake (1.0–1.2 g/kg/day) is associated with greater appendicular lean mass in older adults compared to lower intake, and protein supplementation combined with resistance training improves fat-free mass.

Older adults should aim for 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to support muscle mass. This is higher than the standard 0.8 g/kg recommendation. Combining this intake with resistance exercise yields the best results for increasing fat-free mass.

Resistance training is more beneficial than aerobic exercise for improving muscle strength in older adults, and higher intensity resistance exercise yields larger effect sizes.

To build muscle strength, prioritize resistance training over aerobic exercise. Focus on exercises using weights at a moderate to high intensity for the best results.

Consuming 5.2g of viscous flaxseed dietary fiber daily as a drink significantly lowers fasting total and LDL cholesterol and increases fecal fat excretion in healthy adults.

To lower cholesterol and increase fat excretion using flaxseed fiber, consume it as a viscous drink (approx. 5.2g fiber/day) rather than baked into bread. The drink format preserves the viscosity required to interfere with bile acid reabsorption and fat digestion, leading to greater cholesterol reduction and fat excretion.

Higher self-efficacy and being in a 'receptive' stage of change are associated with greater odds of being physically active in CKD patients, regardless of disease stage.

Your confidence in your ability to exercise (self-efficacy) is a strong predictor of whether you will be active. If you feel unsure, focus on building 'readiness' through small, manageable steps and educational support. Setting reachable goals and seeing successful experiences can boost your confidence to exercise long-term.

Weight loss, achieved through dietary changes or bariatric surgery, significantly improves GERD symptoms and endoscopic features.

If you have GERD and are overweight, losing weight is one of the most effective things you can do. You don't need to reach a 'perfect' weight; even modest loss can reduce symptoms. Focus on sustainable dietary changes or discuss surgical options with your doctor if appropriate.

Phentermine/topiramate ER produces the highest placebo-subtracted weight loss (6.8%) among approved anti-obesity drugs, with significant improvements in cardiovascular risk factors.

Phentermine/topiramate is the most effective approved drug for weight loss, helping patients lose nearly 7% more weight than placebo. It also improves blood pressure and lipids. However, it requires strict contraception in women of childbearing age.

Antenatal dietary and lifestyle advice significantly improves maternal diet quality (HEI) and total physical activity in overweight/obese pregnant women compared to standard care.

If you are overweight or obese and pregnant, structured lifestyle advice focusing on diet and activity can significantly improve your health metrics. This involves working with a professional to set realistic goals, tracking your food and activity, and addressing barriers. You don't necessarily need to join expensive or time-consuming group exercise classes; focusing on incremental changes like more fruit/veg and moderate walking is effective.

Obesity (BMI > 25) is a major preventable cause of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), with a higher population attributable risk than for coronary heart disease.

Maintaining a healthy weight (BMI < 25) is the most effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing diabetes drops dramatically as you move away from overweight status.

Accumulating moderate-to-vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (MV-ILPA) in bouts of 1 to 10 minutes is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared to bouts shorter than 1 minute, independent of total physical activity volume.

If you don't currently exercise, start by breaking up your day with short bursts of moderate-to-vigorous activity. Aim for 1 to 10-minute bouts of brisk walking or similar activity scattered throughout your day. These 'lifestyle' bursts are just as effective for reducing heart disease and mortality risk as longer, structured workouts, and they require no special equipment or time commitment.

Acute caffeine supplementation (6 mg/kg) improves cycling time-trial performance regardless of habitual caffeine consumption levels (low, moderate, or high).

If you consume caffeine regularly, you do not need to stop or reduce your intake before using caffeine as a performance supplement. A standard dose of 6 mg per kg of body weight taken 60 minutes before exercise will improve your performance just as much for high consumers as it does for non-consumers. There is no need for a multi-day withdrawal period.

Vitamin D3 supplementation (average ~3,000 IU/day) for at least 3 months significantly reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and total cholesterol, while increasing HDL cholesterol.

If you are considering vitamin D3 for heart health, aim for a daily dose around 3,000 IU, taken consistently for at least 3 months. This approach has been shown in large-scale reviews to modestly lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve cholesterol profiles. It is not a magic bullet for arterial stiffness, but it is a low-risk strategy to support overall cardiovascular metrics, especially if you have low baseline levels.

Exercise training, specifically aerobic and combined aerobic/resistance exercise, significantly improves endothelial function (measured by flow-mediated dilation) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, engaging in 8-12 weeks of moderate aerobic exercise (like brisk walking or jogging) 3-5 times a week for 20-60 minutes will improve your blood vessel health. Combining this with resistance training (weights) may provide even greater benefits than aerobic exercise alone. You do not need to perform high-intensity interval training to see these vascular improvements.