Browse the evidence

COVID-19 home confinement significantly reduces physical activity across all intensities (vigorous, moderate, walking) and increases daily sitting time, leading to a negative impact on physical fitness.

If you are under lockdown or confinement, expect your physical activity levels to drop and sitting time to rise significantly. To counteract this, you must proactively structure home-based exercise, as natural movement opportunities (commuting, gym access) are removed. Focus on maintaining daily movement rather than relying on previous routines.

COVID-19 home confinement leads to unhealthy dietary patterns, including increased consumption of unhealthy food, loss of control over eating, increased snacking, and a higher number of main meals per day.

During confinement, be aware that your eating habits may become less healthy due to stress and boredom. Monitor your intake of unhealthy foods, limit snacking between meals, and try to maintain a regular meal schedule. If you feel the urge to eat out of control, pause and identify if you are hungry or emotionally driven.

High levels of physical activity and energy expenditure, such as those derived from cycling as daily transport, act as a protective factor against obesity, although they may be counteracted by high energy-dense diets.

Incorporate daily movement, such as cycling or walking, into your routine to support weight management. However, recognize that exercise alone may not prevent weight gain if your diet consists of energy-dense foods; you must manage both your activity levels and your caloric intake.

Regular monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors (weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, glucose) is recommended for all women with PCOS, regardless of age, due to increased prevalence of risk factors.

Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked regularly, even if you feel healthy. PCOS increases your risk for heart issues, so monitoring these numbers annually or as advised by your doctor is crucial for long-term health.

Negative changes in health behaviors (reduced physical activity, worsened sleep, increased smoking, or increased alcohol consumption) are significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in adults during pandemic lockdowns.

During periods of high stress or restriction, be mindful of your habits. If you find yourself reducing exercise, sleeping poorly, or increasing alcohol/tobacco use, recognize that these changes are linked to higher anxiety and depression. Try to maintain or adapt positive behaviors (like home workouts or sleep hygiene) as a protective factor for your mental health, even if your environment has changed.

Supplementation with multiple micronutrients with immune-supporting roles (specifically Vitamins C and D and Zinc) may modulate immune function and reduce the risk of infection.

Consider supplementing with Vitamins C, D, and Zinc, especially if you are deficient, stressed, or under increased immune demand. While more research is needed, current evidence suggests these micronutrients may help modulate immune function and reduce infection risk.

Polyphenol intake (specifically from fruits like bananas) during exercise provides anti-inflammatory and immune-protective benefits via gut-derived metabolites.

Incorporate fruits like bananas, dates, or raisins into your fueling strategy during long workouts. They provide polyphenols that may help reduce inflammation and aid recovery.

Upregulating autophagy through lifestyle interventions (exercise, caloric restriction) or pharmacological agents (metformin, AMPK activators) can improve cellular housekeeping and potentially delay age-related diseases.

Incorporate regular physical activity and consider mindful eating habits (like the Mediterranean diet) to naturally support your body's cellular cleanup processes (autophagy). This may help reduce chronic inflammation and support long-term health.

Mobile health interventions, specifically SMS-based reminders and monitoring, significantly improve clinical outcomes and adherence in chronic disease management, including asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure.

For patients with chronic conditions, using SMS reminders for medication, appointments, and symptom monitoring can significantly improve health outcomes and adherence. This is particularly effective for asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. Ensure the technology is accessible and easy to use.

SMS reminders are more cost-effective than phone call reminders while maintaining similar efficacy in improving appointment attendance rates.

Use SMS reminders for patient appointments. They are just as effective as phone calls but much cheaper and less labor-intensive for staff.

mHealth interventions for smoking cessation show moderate-quality evidence for increasing abstinence rates, particularly when using mobile phone-based interventions.

Mobile phone-based interventions, including SMS, can help smokers quit. They offer moderate-quality evidence for increasing abstinence rates.

Gut microbiota composition and diversity play a significant role in obesity development, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from lean donors may improve weight loss and insulin sensitivity.

Research suggests that your gut microbiota plays a role in obesity. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from lean donors shows promise in improving weight loss and insulin sensitivity, but it is still in early stages of research. Focus on a healthy diet to support a diverse gut microbiome.

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, such as MitoQ, offer greater protection against oxidative damage by crossing the mitochondrial phospholipid bilayer to eliminate ROS directly within the mitochondria.

Consider mitochondria-targeted antioxidants like MitoQ if you are looking for specific support for mitochondrial health, as they may offer greater protection by targeting ROS directly within the mitochondria.

Increasing microbial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) via dietary fiber or prebiotic intake improves gut barrier integrity and reduces intestinal inflammation.

To support gut health, focus on consuming diverse sources of indigestible carbohydrates (prebiotics and soluble fibers) to feed your gut bacteria. This encourages the production of SCFAs like butyrate, which fuel colon cells and strengthen the gut barrier. Do not rely on faecal SCFA tests to gauge success, as they are unreliable indicators of total production.

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced prospective risk of incident psychosis.

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of incident psychosis. While the evidence is less robust than for depression, engaging in regular physical activity may be a beneficial part of a comprehensive mental health strategy.

Long-term consumption of diets rich in dietary polyphenols (including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes) provides protection against oxidative stress-induced chronic diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

Prioritize a diet rich in diverse plant foods known for high polyphenol content, such as berries, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, and olive oil. This dietary pattern is associated with reduced risk of chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Focus on variety and long-term consistency rather than isolated high-dose supplements.

Daily supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA, 250 mg/day) supports the resolution of inflammation via specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), potentially ameliorating lung injury and ARDS.

Take 250 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily to support healthy inflammation resolution. This helps your body clear infections and recover from lung stress more effectively.

Selenium deficiency impairs immune response to viral infections, potentially increasing viral virulence and disease severity, particularly for RNA viruses like Coxsackievirus B3 and HIV.

For those with chronic viral infections like HIV, maintaining adequate selenium levels through diet or supplementation (if deficient) may support immune cell counts and potentially slow disease progression, though it is not a cure. For general viral prevention, ensuring adequate selenium is a baseline requirement for a functional immune system.

Social support specifically for physical activity (SSPA) from family members is positively associated with higher leisure time physical activity (LTPA) levels in older adults (age 60+).

If you are over 60 and want to stay active, leverage your family. Ask family members for support specifically related to your exercise routines (e.g., walking together, attending classes). General socializing may not translate to physical activity, but family-specific support does.

Loneliness is negatively associated with physical activity levels in older adults.

High levels of loneliness are linked to lower physical activity in older adults. If you feel isolated, addressing that social disconnect may be a prerequisite to increasing your physical activity levels.

Coffee consumption (>3 cups/day) has a protective role and improves liver enzymes in individuals at risk of liver diseases.

Drinking more than 3 cups of coffee daily may help protect liver health and improve enzymes.

Continuously high levels of exercise (e.g., marathon running) may have detrimental effects on cardiovascular health, including increased coronary artery calcification, suggesting a U-shaped or J-shaped dose-response curve.

For most people, moderate exercise is optimal. If you are an endurance athlete, be aware that very high volumes (like multiple marathons per year for decades) may increase coronary calcification, though this does not necessarily mean higher event rates due to potentially more stable plaques. Consult a physician if you engage in extreme endurance training.

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) that aligns food intake with circadian rhythms (e.g., restricting eating to 8-12 hours during the day) improves metabolic health, including weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles, independent of caloric restriction.

Restrict your eating to an 8-12 hour window each day, ideally finishing dinner early and skipping late-night snacks. This aligns with your body's natural circadian rhythms, improving insulin sensitivity and potentially aiding weight loss, even if you don't count calories.

Alternate-day fasting (ADF) and modified fasting (e.g., 5:2 diet) result in weight loss comparable to continuous energy restriction, with mixed effects on metabolic biomarkers.

If you prefer intermittent fasting, try the 5:2 diet (eating normally 5 days, restricting calories to ~25% on 2 non-consecutive days). It leads to weight loss similar to daily calorie restriction, but may be easier to adhere to for some people. Be prepared for hunger on fasting days.