Browse the evidence

Elevated tissue omega-3 fatty acid levels reduce metabolic endotoxemia and systemic inflammation by upregulating intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), which modifies gut microbiota to decrease lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production and gut permeability.

To reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, focus on balancing your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio rather than just taking high doses of supplements. High omega-3 levels in your tissues trigger the production of Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase (IAP), which cleans up gut bacteria that cause inflammation. This suggests that gut health is a critical lever for managing systemic inflammation, and improving your fatty acid balance supports this natural defense mechanism.

High trait sleep reactivity acts as a diathesis that significantly increases the risk of developing insomnia when exposed to naturalistic stress, specifically by amplifying the impact of stress-induced cognitive intrusion.

If you are prone to sleep problems, your risk of developing chronic insomnia is significantly higher if you tend to ruminate on stressors (cognitive intrusion). Focus on managing your cognitive response to stress (e.g., through CBT-I techniques) rather than just trying to avoid stressors, as your reaction to stress is the primary driver of sleep disruption.

Trait sleep reactivity is a significant independent risk factor for the development of depression, mediated by the onset of insomnia.

Addressing sleep reactivity and preventing insomnia may be a critical strategy for reducing the risk of developing depression, especially in those prone to stress-induced sleep disruption.

Iron deficiency anemia blunts the efficacy of iodine supplementation in reducing goiter size, and concurrent iron supplementation restores this efficacy.

If you are in a region with goiter and suspect iron deficiency (anemia), iodine supplements alone may not shrink your thyroid. You likely need both iron and iodine. Consult a doctor for testing and dual supplementation.

Selenium deficiency impairs the thyroid's ability to handle high iodine loads, potentially causing damage, and selenium supplementation must follow iodine normalization to prevent hypothyroidism.

If you have both iodine and selenium deficiencies, fix iodine first. Adding selenium too early can worsen thyroid function.

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts improves insulin sensitivity and lowers blood pressure in high-risk cardiovascular patients, independent of weight loss.

If you have high blood pressure or insulin resistance, adopting a Mediterranean diet with olive oil or nuts can help lower these numbers. You do not need to restrict calories or salt to see these benefits. Focus on replacing refined carbohydrates and saturated fats with olive oil and nuts to improve your metabolic health.

Circadian misalignment during simulated nightshift work reduces total daily energy expenditure by approximately 3% on subsequent nightshift days compared to baseline day schedules, primarily driven by reduced energy expenditure during scheduled sleep periods.

If you work night shifts, your body burns fewer calories per day, especially during your daytime sleep, even if you sleep poorly. This metabolic slowdown, combined with eating similar amounts of food as day workers, creates a calorie surplus that can lead to weight gain over time. Focus on maintaining consistent food intake and managing sleep quality to mitigate this metabolic reduction.

Consuming dinner late at night (during the biological night) reduces the thermic effect of food (TEF) compared to consuming the same meal at a typical dinnertime, contributing to reduced total daily energy expenditure.

Eating your largest meal late at night is less metabolically efficient. Your body burns fewer calories digesting food at night than during the day. If you must eat late, be aware that this reduces the energy cost of your meal, potentially contributing to weight gain if you don't adjust your total intake.

Circadian misalignment alters macronutrient utilization, increasing fat utilization and decreasing carbohydrate and protein utilization on subsequent nightshift days, leading to negative fat balance and positive carbohydrate balance.

When working night shifts, your body shifts to using more fat for energy and less carbs and protein. This change in macronutrient utilization, combined with reduced total energy expenditure, can contribute to weight gain. Be mindful of your food choices and timing to support your metabolic health.

Four weeks of oral supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM preserves insulin sensitivity in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, or type 2 diabetes compared to placebo, without affecting systemic inflammatory markers.

Taking 1 gram of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM daily for four weeks may help maintain insulin sensitivity in individuals with normal glucose tolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, or type 2 diabetes. This benefit occurs independently of changes in systemic inflammation, suggesting the mechanism is specific to this strain and not a general anti-inflammatory effect of probiotics.

Among individual lifestyle factors, smoking cessation provides the largest survival benefit and life expectancy gain for individuals with multimorbidity, outweighing the benefits of physical activity, diet, or alcohol moderation.

If you smoke, quitting is the most powerful single action you can take to extend your life, especially if you have chronic conditions. It can add nearly 5-6 years to your life expectancy, far more than diet or exercise changes alone.

Food insufficiency is associated with significantly lower mean intakes of energy, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc in adult women and the elderly, while preschoolers from food-insufficient households maintain nutrient intakes comparable to food-sufficient peers.

If you are an adult woman or older adult living in a household where food is sometimes scarce, your own nutrient intake is likely compromised, even if your children seem well-fed. Focus on identifying which specific nutrients (like calcium, iron, or energy) are falling short in your diet and seek targeted supplementation or nutrient-dense food sources if possible, as standard food assistance may not fully cover these gaps.

Physical inactivity, including immobilization and sedentary lifestyle, leads to a reversal of training adaptations, resulting in reduced muscle mass, decreased oxidative capacity, and increased fatigability.

If you experience a period of inactivity due to injury or a sedentary lifestyle, be aware that your muscle adaptations may decrease. To mitigate this, try to maintain some level of physical activity, even if it's reduced, to preserve muscle mass and oxidative capacity.

In older adults (65-83 years), higher habitual physical activity is significantly associated with lower intramuscular noncontractile (fat) content, whereas this relationship is absent in young adults (26-44 years).

If you are over 65, staying physically active is crucial for keeping fat out of your muscles, which helps maintain strength and function. This link between activity and muscle quality is not as obvious in younger people, but becomes a dominant factor as you age. Focus on consistent daily movement rather than just intense workouts to manage intramuscular fat.

Higher body mass index (BMI) is linearly associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes, with the magnitude of this risk being significantly stronger in younger adults (ages 20-40) compared to older adults.

If you are under 40, your body is extremely sensitive to weight gain. Every kilogram you gain now carries a much higher risk of triggering diabetes than it would if you gained that same weight at age 60. Prioritize weight stability and metabolic health in your 20s and 30s, as the protective effect of youth is easily overridden by adiposity.

An Adequate Intake (AI) of 70 µg/day of selenium is sufficient to saturate the functional selenium body pool and support all tissue functions in adults, as indicated by the levelling off of plasma selenoprotein P (SEPP1) concentrations.

For general adult health, aim for 70 µg of selenium per day. This amount is sufficient to saturate your body's functional selenium pools, as measured by selenoprotein P levels. There is no evidence that taking more than this amount provides additional health benefits, so sticking to this range is sufficient for meeting physiological needs.

Lactating women require an increased Adequate Intake (AI) of 85 µg/day of selenium to account for selenium secreted in breast milk.

If you are breastfeeding, increase your daily selenium intake to 85 µg. This higher amount compensates for the selenium lost through breast milk, ensuring you maintain adequate levels for your own health while supporting your baby's needs.

High levels of objectively measured sedentary time are associated with significantly increased all-cause mortality risk, independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

If you are over 50, simply exercising for an hour a day may not be enough to eliminate the mortality risks associated with sitting for the rest of the day. You should actively break up long periods of sitting, regardless of your exercise routine, as prolonged sedentary time independently increases the risk of death.

Fat Mass Index (FMI), calculated as fat mass divided by height squared, provides a more specific classification of obesity than Body Mass Index (BMI) because it isolates fat mass from lean tissue, thereby reducing misclassification of muscular individuals.

If you are muscular, your BMI might label you as obese even if you have low body fat. To get a true picture of your obesity risk, you need a body composition test (like DXA) to calculate your Fat Mass Index (FMI). This metric looks only at your fat mass relative to your height, ignoring your muscle, giving a more accurate assessment of health risk than weight alone.

Age-related declines in explosive strength and power are greater than the declines in maximal isometric strength.

As you age, your ability to generate power drops faster than your ability to generate maximal force. To stay functional and prevent falls, you must train for speed and power, not just maximal strength. This means incorporating explosive movements with appropriate loads, even if your maximal strength remains relatively preserved.

High antagonist muscle activation in elderly men limits movement efficiency and may contribute to reduced power output.

Older adults often have higher antagonist muscle activity, which can reduce movement efficiency. Training that focuses on smooth, controlled movements and reducing unnecessary tension in opposing muscles may help improve power output and functional performance.

Infusion of ketone bodies (specifically sodium DL-beta-hydroxybutyrate) directly reduces plasma alanine levels and decreases urinary nitrogen excretion, thereby conserving protein during starvation.

When your body enters a state of ketosis (whether through fasting or a ketogenic diet), it actively reduces the breakdown of muscle protein. This happens because ketone bodies signal the body to lower the release of alanine from muscles, effectively sparing your muscle mass during periods of low food intake.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbiota fermentation activate G-protein coupled receptors (FFAR2/FFAR3), leading to increased secretion of GLP-1 and PYY, which improves insulin secretion and energy expenditure.

Eating prebiotic fibers (like inulin, resistant starch) feeds gut bacteria that produce SCFAs. These SCFAs signal your body to release hormones (GLP-1, PYY) that help regulate blood sugar and increase energy expenditure. This is a natural way to support metabolic health through diet.

Women with PCOS should undergo screening for impaired glucose tolerance using a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) rather than fasting plasma glucose alone, as fasting glucose misses a majority of cases in this population.

If you have PCOS, do not rely on a simple fasting blood sugar test to check for diabetes risk. You must get a 2-hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). This test involves drinking a sugary solution and having your blood drawn twice. It is more accurate for PCOS patients because your fasting sugar might look normal even if your body struggles to handle sugar after eating. This screening should happen at diagnosis and every 2 years, or annually if you have other risk factors.