Browse the evidence

The combination of Baduanjin and a low-carbohydrate diet is more effective than Baduanjin alone at improving lipid metabolism (reducing Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides) in overweight individuals with drug addiction.

If lipid management is a priority, adding a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs/day) to a Baduanjin exercise routine yields better cholesterol and triglyceride results than exercise alone after 8 weeks.

Both Baduanjin exercise and a combined Baduanjin/Low-Carbohydrate Diet intervention significantly reduce drug craving scores (Visual Analog Scale) in overweight individuals with drug addiction, with no significant difference between the two intervention groups.

Drug craving reduction in this setting was driven by the structured rehabilitation environment rather than the specific exercise or diet protocol. Both exercise and combined interventions reduced craving, but so did general activity.

A MyPlate-based dietary intervention, which prioritizes high-satiety foods (fruits and vegetables) and eliminates calorie counting, is expected to yield greater long-term satiety and better sustained weight loss compared to a traditional Calorie Counting (CC) approach.

Instead of counting every calorie, focus on filling half your plate with minimally processed fruits and vegetables at every meal. This approach uses the natural volume and fiber of these foods to keep you full (satiated) longer, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight without the mental burden of strict portion control or hunger.

Higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores are independently associated with an increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), with a 1-unit increase in DII corresponding to an odds ratio of 1.049 for CHD after adjusting for confounders.

Focus on reducing pro-inflammatory foods and increasing anti-inflammatory ones, specifically paying attention to carbohydrate quality, ensuring adequate Vitamin C and Iron intake. While you don't need to calculate a complex index, these specific nutrients appear to drive the inflammatory response linked to heart disease risk.

The association between Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is mediated by metabolic and lipid indicators, specifically Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) index, Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), and Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR).

Managing weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol through diet can help mitigate the heart disease risk associated with inflammatory diets. Specifically, improving HDL and reducing visceral fat are key steps.

The adverse impact of Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is more pronounced in individuals aged <75 years, females, those with low cholesterol levels, and those with low Framingham risk scores.

If you are young, female, or have low traditional heart disease risk, your diet's inflammatory potential may have a disproportionately larger impact on your heart health compared to high-risk individuals.

Among dietary components contributing to the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), carbohydrate, vitamin C, and iron have the greatest impact on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk, while vitamin D, alcohol, and monounsaturated fatty acids have the least impact.

To lower your DII and potentially reduce CHD risk, prioritize managing carbohydrate intake, ensuring adequate Vitamin C and Iron, while noting that alcohol and monounsaturated fats had less impact on CHD risk in this specific analysis.

Higher consumption of favorable food groups (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables) and physical activity are associated with normal lipid profiles at baseline.

To support healthy lipid levels, prioritize consuming more nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and engage in regular physical activity. These habits are strongly associated with better lipid profiles.

Adopting a low-carbohydrate diet (higher fat/protein, lower carbs) does not increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in Japanese adults, and may significantly reduce it in men when the fat source is vegetable-based.

If you are Japanese or have similar metabolic traits (high visceral fat, lower insulin secretion capacity), switching to a diet with lower carbohydrates and higher fats/proteins is not likely to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, if your fats come from vegetable sources (like nuts, seeds, oils), it may significantly lower your risk, especially in men. This contradicts generalizations from Western studies that often involve higher red meat consumption.

The source of fat and protein in a low-carbohydrate diet matters: vegetable-based LCD scores are associated with reduced T2D risk in men, whereas animal-based LCD scores show no significant association with risk reduction.

If you are a Japanese man considering a low-carb diet, prioritize vegetable fats (like those from fish, nuts, and seeds) and vegetable proteins. This specific combination was linked to a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Simply cutting carbs and eating animal fats/proteins did not show the same benefit in this study.

Resistance training improves cognitive function and psychological well-being in older adults, and this benefit may be potentiated by high-quality protein intake.

Lift weights regularly. It helps your brain, mood, and memory. Combining it with good protein intake may offer the best protection against cognitive decline.

Loaded inter-set stretch (20s) during resistance training selectively enhances soleus muscle thickness compared to traditional rest, while having ambiguous or negligible effects on the gastrocnemii in untrained men.

If you are untrained and want to maximize soleus growth, add a 20-second loaded stretch using your working weight immediately after each calf raise set. This may help the soleus grow more than the gastrocnemii. However, do not expect this to significantly increase the size of your calf muscles (gastrocnemii) compared to just resting between sets. Strength gains are maintained regardless of the method.

A high-carbohydrate diet (60% of energy) lowers maximal adipose tissue mitochondrial respiration compared to moderate (40%) or low (20%) carbohydrate diets, potentially favoring fat storage over oxidation.

This research suggests that eating a diet very high in carbohydrates (60% of calories) might slow down how efficiently your fat cells burn energy, potentially making it easier to store fat. However, this was a small study in people who had already lost weight. It does not mean you should avoid carbs, but it hints that diet composition matters for how your body handles fuel, not just total calories.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) administered as adjunct therapy to bariatric surgery significantly reduce BMI and total body weight in patients with insufficient weight loss or weight regain.

If you have had bariatric surgery but are not losing enough weight or are gaining it back, ask your doctor about adding a GLP-1 agonist (like semaglutide or tirzepatide) to your regimen. These medications, taken weekly or daily, have been shown to significantly boost weight loss and improve metabolic health (blood sugar, blood pressure) in this specific group. Be prepared for potential mild stomach issues, which usually subside, and discuss cost coverage with your provider.

GLP-1 receptor agonists improve metabolic outcomes, including glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid profiles, in post-bariatric surgery patients.

Beyond weight loss, GLP-1 agonists can help normalize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels in patients who have had bariatric surgery. This makes them a valuable tool for managing overall metabolic health, not just weight.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) show promising results for MASH resolution and weight loss, though phase 3 histological data is still emerging.

GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide are showing strong promise for resolving MASH and reducing liver fibrosis, especially in those with obesity or diabetes. While not yet universally endorsed for MASH alone, they are beneficial for comorbidities.

SANA (a nitroalkene derivative of salicylate) promotes weight loss and improves glucose management in humans through creatine-dependent thermogenesis, independent of UCP1 and AMPK.

SANA is an experimental drug that appears to trigger weight loss by increasing energy expenditure through creatine-dependent thermogenesis, rather than by suppressing appetite or increasing physical activity. In early human trials, doses of 200-400mg daily led to weight loss and improved glucose control within two weeks with a good safety profile. It works independently of the traditional UCP1 pathway, offering a potential alternative for those who do not respond to other mechanisms. Consult a physician for clinical trials or future availability.

Ingestion of 5g/day of fish protein (Alaska pollack protein) during 8 weeks of resistance training induces specific neural adaptations (changes in motor unit firing rates and patterns) without inducing measurable muscular hypertrophy in young adults.

If you are a young adult doing resistance training, consuming 5g of fish protein (Alaska pollack) daily alongside your training may improve your nervous system's efficiency (how your muscles fire) without necessarily making your muscles larger. This is different from older adults, where fish protein might help build muscle size. For young people, focus on the strength/efficiency gains rather than expecting this small dose of fish protein to cause visible muscle growth.

A behavioral weight loss maintenance intervention is cost-effective for individuals with BMI ≥ 28 kg/m² if the per-person cost is ≤ £104.64, yielding a maximum justifiable cost at an ICER of £20,000 per QALY.

For a person with a BMI over 28, a behavioral weight loss maintenance program is considered cost-effective by UK health standards if it costs less than approximately £105 per person. This program focuses on maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise advice, aiming to slow down the typical weight regain seen after initial weight loss.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes on single non-insulin medication, the maximum justifiable cost for a weight loss maintenance intervention is lower (£88.14) than for those with high BMI alone (£104.64) at an ICER of £20,000 per QALY.

For a person with type 2 diabetes on medication, a weight loss maintenance program is considered cost-effective if it costs less than approximately £88 per person. This is a lower threshold than for non-diabetics because the potential for long-term health gains (QALYs) is smaller for those who already have the disease.

Short bouts of walking used to interrupt prolonged sitting improve glucose profiles in sedentary T2DM patients.

If you sit for long periods, try to stand up and walk for a short time (e.g., 1-2 minutes) every 30 minutes. This simple habit can help improve your blood glucose levels without needing a dedicated workout session.

Combining a ketogenic diet with resistance training reduces body fat mass without compromising lean body mass in untrained individuals, whereas resistance training with a normal diet increases lean body mass without significantly altering body fat mass.

If your goal is to lose fat while keeping your muscle, combine resistance training with a ketogenic diet. This study found that doing both together resulted in significantly more fat loss than resistance training with a normal diet, without sacrificing muscle mass. Ensure you eat enough protein (around 2g per kg of body weight) and progressively challenge your muscles with weights.

Combination therapy of Cagrilintide (amylin analogue) and Semaglutide (GLP-1 agonist) produces synergistic weight loss, with the 2.4 mg Cagrilintide dose achieving 17.1% weight loss over 20 weeks.

Combining Cagrilintide (an amylin analogue) with Semaglutide (a GLP-1 agonist) in a 20-week trial led to an average 17.1% weight loss, significantly better than Semaglutide alone (9.8%). This combination targets multiple hormonal pathways to suppress appetite. It is currently in Phase 1 development, and side effects were mostly mild gastrointestinal issues.

Caloric restriction (CR) and fasting improve cardiac health and mitigate heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) by inducing autophagy, mitophagy, and reducing systemic inflammation.

For HFpEF patients, caloric restriction and fasting regimens (like intermittent fasting) can improve heart function and reduce inflammation. However, these diets are hard to stick to long-term and may cause side effects like muscle loss in some older adults. Because of these challenges, doctors are exploring medications that mimic these benefits without requiring strict dieting.