Browse the evidence

Consuming seaweed provides high-quality complete proteins with all essential amino acids, though digestibility can be reduced by phenolic compounds and polysaccharides.

Use seaweed as a protein source, but cook it (e.g., boil) to improve digestibility. It provides all essential amino acids, making it a valuable plant-based protein option, especially when combined with other protein sources.

Seaweeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential for human health and cardiovascular function.

Include seaweed in your diet to get essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These healthy fats support cardiovascular health and brain function, and seaweed provides them in a low-calorie package.

Seaweeds are a significant source of dietary fiber, which promotes satiety, regulates blood glucose, and lowers LDL cholesterol.

Eat seaweed to increase your daily fiber intake. The soluble fiber in seaweed helps regulate blood sugar and lower bad cholesterol, while insoluble fiber aids digestion. Aim for a variety of seaweeds to get different types of fiber.

Consuming fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants (vitamins A, C, E, carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids) helps prevent diseases associated with oxidative stress, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders, by neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress.

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily to get natural antioxidants. Focus on colorful produce like oranges, tomatoes, apples, and leafy greens, as they contain high levels of vitamins and polyphenols that help protect your body from cellular damage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Higher physical activity levels are associated with a decreased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men, but not significantly in women.

Men should prioritize physical activity to reduce metabolic syndrome risk, as this study shows a clear benefit. Women in this study did not show the same significant association, suggesting other factors (like education) might play a larger role or that the type/intensity of activity matters differently.

Post-viral olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (anosmia/parosmia) causes significant nutritional insufficiency and weight dysregulation (gain or loss) due to altered flavor perception, appetite suppression, and food avoidance.

If you have lost your sense of smell or taste after COVID, expect changes in your weight and eating habits. You may lose weight because food tastes bad, or gain weight because you crave strong flavors (salt/sugar) to compensate. Focus on texture and temperature to make food tolerable, and prioritize nutrient-dense foods that are less offensive to your altered senses. Seek support groups to manage the psychological burden, as this is a recognized medical issue, not just a minor annoyance.

Parosmia (distorted smell) leads to the consumption of highly processed, sugary, or fatty foods as a compensatory mechanism to achieve sensory satisfaction, potentially compromising diet quality.

When your sense of smell is gone, your brain may crave strong flavors (salt, sugar, spice) to feel satisfied. This can lead to overeating processed foods. Try to satisfy these cravings with healthy alternatives that offer strong textures (crunchy, creamy) or safe spices, rather than just sugar and fat. Monitor your intake to prevent unwanted weight gain.

Parosmia can cause severe food aversion and rapid weight loss due to the perception of common foods as having foul, metallic, or rotten odors.

If food smells or tastes rotten (parosmia), you may lose weight. Identify 'safe' foods that do not trigger the distortion (e.g., plain yogurt, cold fruits, bland staples). Eat small, frequent meals of these safe foods to maintain nutrition. Do not force yourself to eat foods that trigger nausea, as this can worsen the aversion.

Inositol supplementation shows the most promising findings for improving metabolic profiles and reducing hyperandrogenism in PCOS, whereas other supplements, herbal medicines, acupuncture, and yoga have inconsistent evidence.

If considering supplements, inositol has the most promising evidence for improving metabolic health and hormone levels in PCOS. However, evidence for other supplements, herbal medicines, acupuncture, and yoga is inconsistent. Do not rely on these as primary treatments; consult a healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) with an 8-16 hour fasting window produces significant fat loss and metabolic improvements in humans, independent of caloric restriction, by realigning feeding times with circadian rhythms.

Adopt an 8-16 hour eating window (e.g., eat between 12 PM and 8 PM). You do not need to count calories or restrict food quality within that window. Consistency is key, and the body benefits from aligning your eating with your circadian rhythm, leading to fat loss and better metabolic health even without intentional dieting.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a statistically significant inverse association (reduced risk) for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline, though the credibility of this evidence is rated as low to moderate due to heterogeneity.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style eating pattern is associated with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. While the evidence quality is moderate due to inconsistent definitions across studies, the consistent inverse association suggests that prioritizing plant-based foods, healthy fats, and lean proteins is a beneficial long-term strategy for chronic disease prevention.

High intake of polyphenol-rich foods (nuts, fruits, vegetables, olive oil) has the potential to alleviate components of metabolic syndrome (body weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, lipid metabolism), but no single polyphenol or food influences all metabolic syndrome features.

Focus on eating a diet rich in polyphenols (nuts, fruits, vegetables, spices, olive oil) consistently over the long term. Do not rely on single supplements or acute doses to fix metabolic syndrome, as evidence for single compounds is weak and inconsistent. The benefit comes from the overall dietary pattern.

Digital health technologies, including exergames and telemedicine, facilitate adherence to physical activity and reduce social isolation during confinement, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.

Use digital tools to stay connected and active. If you are elderly or socially isolated, consider exergames or telemedicine programs that allow you to exercise with others virtually. Ensure you have internet access, as it is a key factor in maintaining wellbeing during isolation.

In overweight and obese individuals, higher intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) is associated with lower abundance of the genus Intestinimonas, whereas in lean individuals, SFAs are associated with higher abundance of the butyrate-producing genus Roseburia.

If you are lean, your gut bacteria may respond to saturated fats differently than if you are overweight or obese. Specifically, SFAs were linked to beneficial butyrate producers (Roseburia) in lean subjects, but to different taxa (Intestinimonas) in obese subjects. This suggests that dietary fat recommendations might need to be personalized based on current body composition and metabolic health rather than applying a one-size-fits-all restriction.

Higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae genera is negatively associated with body fat, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in humans.

Higher levels of Lachnospiraceae bacteria in your gut are associated with lower body fat and better cholesterol profiles (lower LDL and total cholesterol). Focusing on dietary patterns that support these bacteria, such as fiber intake, may support cardiovascular health.

Multimodal physical interventions (e.g., Tai Chi, subsensory vibratory noise) restore physiological complexity and improve functional mobility in older adults.

Focus on activities that challenge your body's balance and coordination, like Tai Chi or using specific vibratory devices if recommended. These aren't just exercises; they help your nervous system maintain the 'complexity' needed to stay mobile and avoid falls as you age.

Supplementation with Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) increases SIRT1, PGC-1α, and leptin expression while reducing pro-fibrotic collagens in a SIRT1-dependent manner.

NMN supplementation in cell models boosts metabolic health markers like leptin and mitochondrial function via SIRT1. However, translating the 1 mM cell culture dose to humans is not direct, and clinical efficacy remains to be fully established.

Current generalized caffeine guidelines (3–9 mg/kg, 60 min pre-exercise) are not optimal for all athletes due to substantial inter-individual variation in ergogenic response driven by genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors.

Stop assuming the standard 3-6 mg/kg dose works for you. Your genetics (like CYP1A2) and how much caffeine you drink daily change how caffeine affects your performance. Some people get a huge boost, others get no benefit or even a negative effect. Consider genetic testing or systematic self-experimentation to find your optimal dose and timing, rather than blindly following general guidelines.

Habitual caffeine consumption attenuates the ergogenic effects of pre-exercise caffeine, requiring higher doses or a washout period to maintain performance benefits.

If you drink caffeine every day, your body builds a tolerance, making pre-race caffeine less effective. To get a performance boost, your pre-exercise dose should be significantly higher than your daily habitual intake, or you should consider a short washout period before competition.

Observational studies show positive associations between physical activity and the prevention of frailty or sarcopenia in older adults.

Engage in regular physical activity, as observational studies suggest it is associated with preventing frailty and sarcopenia. This can help maintain independence and quality of life.

Green leafy vegetables are exceptional sources of essential micronutrients (iron, calcium, vitamins A, C, K, folate) and dietary fiber, making them critical for preventing deficiencies in populations reliant on staple grains.

Prioritize green leafy vegetables in your diet to fill micronutrient gaps that staple grains and pulses cannot. They are rich in iron, calcium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. Incorporating them regularly is a cost-effective strategy to combat nutrient deficiencies, especially if you do not take supplements.

Anti-nutritional factors (nitrates, oxalates, phytates, tannins, cyanogenic glycosides) in green leafy vegetables can inhibit mineral absorption and pose health risks, but these can be significantly reduced by thermal processing methods like cooking and blanching.

Don't avoid leafy vegetables because of 'anti-nutrients' like oxalates or nitrates. Use cooking, boiling, or blanching to reduce these compounds. This process makes the nutrients more available and reduces potential health risks associated with high levels of these natural plant chemicals.

Supplementation with phenolic compounds (polyphenols) reduces oxidative stress and inflammation markers induced by severe physical exercise, but does not consistently improve physical performance outcomes.

If you engage in intense exercise, polyphenol supplementation (from foods like berries, tea, or chocolate) can help manage oxidative stress and inflammation. However, do not expect this to directly make you faster or stronger; the evidence for performance enhancement is inconsistent.

Females have greater basal autophagy activity but lower basal ubiquitin-proteasome activity compared to males, leading to different catabolic responses during muscle stress.

Your body's internal 'clean-up' systems for muscle proteins work differently than a man's. You may rely more on autophagy (cellular recycling) while men rely more on the ubiquitin-proteasome system. This is a biological baseline difference driven by hormones and doesn't necessarily require intervention, but it explains why muscle responses to stress can vary.