Browse the evidence

Sodium intake in South-Eastern Serbia is excessive and inadequate, posing a risk for elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular events.

Virtually everyone in this region consumes too much sodium, which raises blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. To improve health, reduce the use of table salt, limit processed meats like salami and sausages, and choose fresh, unprocessed foods more often.

Inadequate dietary intake of carbohydrates and proteins in endurance athletes negates the structural and functional cardiac advantages typically observed in women during marathon racing, leading to prolonged elevation of muscle damage and inflammatory markers.

If you are an endurance athlete, your sex does not protect you from the negative cardiovascular effects of poor nutrition. Ensure you are consuming adequate carbohydrates and proteins daily. Failure to do so can lead to prolonged inflammation and muscle damage, even if you are a woman who typically has better cardiac recovery profiles than men.

High scores on the Chinese Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index (CEDII), characterized by high intake of refined carbohydrates, meat, and eggs, are associated with accelerated biological aging, evidenced by shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and lower mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn).

If you live in a region with a high-carbohydrate, grain-based diet, prioritize coarse grains over refined grains and increase vegetable and fat (healthy sources) intake. This specific dietary pattern is linked to lower systemic inflammation and slower biological aging markers like telomere shortening. Standard Western dietary advice may not capture these nuances, so focus on local food quality and inflammatory potential.

The association between high inflammatory dietary patterns (high CEDII) and accelerated aging (short LTL) is significantly stronger in individuals with abnormal metabolic status, specifically those who are overweight, have raised blood pressure, or elevated triglycerides.

If you have metabolic issues like high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or excess weight, your diet's inflammatory potential matters even more for your aging process. Prioritizing an anti-inflammatory diet is crucial for this subgroup to mitigate accelerated biological aging.

Yogic asana practice reduces body fat percentage in obese or overweight populations, with effects being more pronounced in longer-duration interventions (8-12 weeks) compared to short-term or low-intensity sessions.

To use yoga for fat loss, commit to a program lasting at least 8-12 weeks, practicing 2-3 times per week for 50-90 minutes. While yoga alone may not burn as many calories as running, it effectively reduces body fat percentage, especially when combined with basic dietary awareness. Focus on consistency rather than intensity.

Micronutrient deficiencies, specifically low serum zinc and vitamin C, are associated with increased susceptibility to Buruli ulcer, suggesting that nutritional interventions could serve as a prophylactic measure.

In regions with high Buruli ulcer prevalence, improving dietary diversity and ensuring adequate intake of zinc and vitamin C may reduce susceptibility to the disease. This suggests that public health efforts should prioritize nutritional support alongside case detection.

Age-related bone loss is primarily driven by the decline in muscle strength, which precedes bone loss, rather than hormonal changes alone.

As you age, prioritize strength training to maintain muscle mass. This is crucial for bone health, potentially more so than hormonal changes alone, as muscle loss often drives bone loss.

COVID-19 lockdown measures significantly increased food intake in young adults, with 31.2% reporting increased consumption and 16.8% reporting decreased consumption compared to pre-lockdown levels.

During periods of restricted access to external food sources (restaurants, cafes), self-reported food intake tends to increase for a significant portion of young adults, particularly those with higher BMI or increased stress. To counter this, prioritize home-cooked meals and monitor stress levels, as these are key drivers of increased consumption.

Increased mental stress, higher BMI (>25 kg/m2), increased alcohol consumption, and reduced sports activity are significant predictors of increased food intake during lockdown.

If you are experiencing high stress, drinking more alcohol, or exercising less during lockdown, you are at higher risk of increasing your food intake, especially if your BMI is above 25. Be mindful of these triggers.

Modifying food labels to indicate ultra-processing status improves consumer understanding and purchasing intentions.

Look for food labels that explicitly mark ultra-processed foods to make better purchasing decisions.

Endurance athletes should consider pre-exercise calcium feeding to mitigate dermal calcium losses during long training sessions or events.

If you are an endurance athlete doing long sessions, you lose calcium through sweat. Consider consuming calcium before these events to help maintain bone health, as this loss is often overlooked compared to sodium replacement.

Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation, are altered by weight loss interventions (diet and surgery) and may predict response to treatment.

Your lifestyle choices can change how your genes are expressed (epigenetics). Weight loss through diet or surgery can alter DNA methylation patterns in fat and muscle tissue, potentially improving metabolic health. This suggests that even if you have a history of obesity, lifestyle changes can have biological benefits beyond just weight loss.

A higher Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score is positively and nonlinearly associated with an increased risk of stroke in the general US population.

To lower your stroke risk, prioritize an anti-inflammatory diet. This means eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats (like olive oil and fish) while minimizing processed foods, refined sugars, and excessive alcohol. The study shows that diets high in inflammatory potential are linked to nearly double the odds of having a stroke compared to anti-inflammatory diets.

Low-sodium salt substitution and non-individual strategies (e.g., institutional kitchen changes) may reduce cardiovascular events, unlike individual dietary advice.

If you are looking to reduce cardiovascular risk through salt, individual dietary advice alone may not be enough. However, structural changes, such as low-sodium salt substitution or institutional dietary changes, show promise in reducing cardiovascular events. Focus on environmental changes rather than just individual willpower.

Consuming unrefined plant-based foods with intact structural organization (fiber-encapsulated nutrients) promotes gut microbiota diversity and SCFA production, which regulates host immune function and glucose homeostasis, thereby preventing hyperglycemia-induced inflammation.

Prioritize whole, unrefined plant foods (like whole grains, legumes, and intact fruits/vegetables) over refined versions (like white flour or sugar). The physical structure of these foods feeds your gut bacteria, which in turn produces compounds that reduce inflammation and stabilize your blood sugar. You don't need to count macros; focus on keeping plant cell walls intact.

Donkey milk consumption improves antioxidant defenses, reduces inflammation, and enhances mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle and liver, offering a hypoallergenic alternative to cow milk.

Donkey milk offers superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits compared to standard cow milk, along with being hypoallergenic. It is a viable alternative for those with milk allergies or those seeking enhanced metabolic health markers, though it is less accessible and more expensive.

Peripheral administration of Pancreatic Polypeptide (PP) induces satiety and reduces energy intake in both rodents and healthy humans, primarily through activation of hypothalamic Y4 receptors.

Peripheral PP administration reduces food intake, but its short half-life limits its current therapeutic use. Future therapies may utilize long-acting, enzyme-resistant PP analogues.

Consumers lack sufficient food literacy to transition to plant-based protein diets without compromising nutritional adequacy or relying on ultra-processed foods.

To successfully adopt more plant-based proteins, you need to learn how to select and prepare them, as simply swapping meat for plants isn't enough. Focus on whole foods like legumes, nuts, and seeds to ensure you get adequate nutrients without relying on processed alternatives. If you are unsure, consult a professional to ensure your diet remains nutritionally complete, especially if you are older or raising children.

Mandatory institutional nutrition policies based on dietary guidelines improve dietary intakes, but voluntary policies often fail to ensure adequate access to healthy protein foods.

For institutions serving children and the elderly, voluntary nutrition guidelines are not enough. Mandatory policies are required to ensure consistent access to high-quality protein foods. Families should advocate for these mandatory standards in local schools and care facilities.

Adherence to a locally adapted, plant-based Mediterranean Diet (MD) is associated with lower prevalence of overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in Chilean adults.

Adopt a flexible, plant-forward eating style that prioritizes local, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts, while limiting processed foods and red meat. You don't need to eliminate all animal products; focus on maximizing plant diversity and using local ingredients that fit your culture and budget. This approach is linked to lower risks of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Group health coaching provides cost-effective access to health behavior change interventions and offers therapeutic benefits such as group support, universality, and increased self-efficacy compared to individual coaching alone.

If you are looking for health coaching, consider a group format. It is often more affordable and provides the added benefit of peer support and accountability. Be prepared to commit to a specific time slot, and ensure you are comfortable sharing in a group setting. Look for programs that use professional coaches and have clear guidelines for confidentiality and respect.

BAT activation may play a role in weight loss maintenance by counteracting metabolic adaptation (slowed metabolism) after weight loss.

For those who have lost weight, maintaining some level of brown fat activity (e.g., through mild cold exposure) might help prevent metabolic slowdown and weight regain, though evidence is limited.

Lifestyle interventions for liver transplant recipients should be delivered via flexible, personalized eHealth modalities (including telehealth and peer support) to accommodate geographical dispersion and the desire for autonomy.

Ask your healthcare provider for a personalized care plan that uses technology (like video calls or apps) if you live far away or want more flexibility. Ensure the plan includes peer support and psychological counseling alongside physical advice.

Weight loss, particularly through bariatric surgery, improves HDL functionality (cholesterol efflux capacity) and shifts HDL particle size to larger, more protective forms, even if HDL-C concentration changes are modest.

If you are obese, losing weight (especially through sustainable lifestyle changes or surgery) improves the *function* of your HDL, making it better at removing cholesterol from cells. This happens even if your standard HDL-C blood test number doesn't change much. Don't ignore weight loss just because your HDL-C looks 'okay'.