Browse the evidence

Adherence to a 9-hour Time-Restricted Eating window reduces daily energy intake by lowering absolute carbohydrate and alcohol consumption, but does not change total energy intake if adherence is low.

If you choose to use TRE for Type 2 Diabetes, strict adherence to the 9-hour window is required to see any reduction in calories, specifically by cutting back on carbs and alcohol. If you frequently break the window, you will likely consume the same amount of energy as before, resulting in no weight or metabolic benefit.

Naringenin delivered in whole orange extract achieves serum concentrations (Cmax ~48 μM at 600mg) that exceed the 8-10 μM threshold required to stimulate thermogenic gene expression (UCP1, GLUT4) in human adipocytes.

To potentially boost metabolism and insulin sensitivity, you may need to take 300mg of naringenin extract twice a day, as eating oranges won't provide enough of the active compound.

For obese women, matching dietary macronutrient composition to insulin sensitivity status significantly enhances weight loss: insulin-sensitive individuals lose more weight on high-carbohydrate/low-fat diets, while insulin-resistant individuals lose more weight on low-carbohydrate/high-fat diets.

If you are obese and trying to lose weight, your insulin sensitivity matters. If your fasting insulin is low (insulin-sensitive), a higher-carb, lower-fat diet will likely help you lose more weight. If your fasting insulin is high (insulin-resistant), a lower-carb, higher-fat diet is likely more effective for you. Both diets should be hypocaloric.

Intensive lifestyle interventions in Saudi Arabia achieve an average weight loss of 4.1%, which is favorable compared to other published interventions but fails to meet the >5% threshold for significant comorbidity risk reduction.

Intensive lifestyle interventions in Saudi Arabia yield modest weight loss (4.1%). While not enough to fully reverse comorbidities, it is a positive step. Psychological support is crucial to prevent dropout.

Bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia achieves an average weight loss of 18% (33.6 kg) at 6 months, with high rates of sleeve gastrectomy and a young patient demographic.

Bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia is highly effective, with an average 18% body weight loss at 6 months. It is predominantly performed on young women via sleeve gastrectomy.

Protein ingestion during prolonged endurance exercise (>1h) may attenuate muscle protein breakdown and improve whole-body net protein balance, though its ergogenic value for performance is limited.

For events longer than 1 hour, consider adding a small amount of protein to your carbohydrate intake during exercise. This may help reduce muscle breakdown and improve your net protein balance, although it likely won't directly make you faster.

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for IIH in morbidly obese patients, resulting in high rates of symptom and papilledema resolution.

For morbidly obese IIH patients who struggle with lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery is a highly effective option. It leads to the resolution of symptoms and papilledema in the vast majority of cases. Discuss this with your neuro-ophthalmologist if other treatments fail.

An 8-week very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (VLCKD) significantly reduces body fat mass in competitive natural bodybuilders without compromising maximal strength, despite blunting lean mass accretion and reducing anabolic hormones.

If you are a competitive bodybuilder looking to cut fat, an 8-week ketogenic diet can help you lose significant fat mass while maintaining your strength and muscle size. However, do not expect to build new muscle mass on this diet; that requires carbohydrates. Ensure you are eating enough protein (2.5g/kg) and monitoring ketones to stay in ketosis.

An 8-week very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet significantly improves metabolic health markers (lipids, glucose, insulin, inflammation) in competitive natural bodybuilders compared to a Western diet.

Beyond body composition, this diet significantly improves metabolic health markers. You will see lower triglycerides, better insulin sensitivity, and reduced inflammation. This makes it a viable option for bodybuilders concerned with long-term health metrics during a cut.

Sodium intake between 3 and 5 g/day is associated with the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, whereas intake below 3 g/day or above 5 g/day is associated with increased risk.

Aim for a sodium intake of 3 to 5 grams per day (approx. 0.75 to 1.25 teaspoons of salt). This range is associated with the lowest risk of heart disease and death. Avoid extreme restriction below 3 grams, which may increase risk, and excessive intake above 5 grams, which raises blood pressure and risk, especially if you have hypertension.

Weight loss interventions, including lifestyle changes and ACE inhibition, can reduce blood pressure, glomerular hyperfiltration, and proteinuria in obese patients with CKD.

If you have kidney disease and are overweight, losing weight can help your kidneys by lowering blood pressure and reducing protein leakage. Talk to your doctor about a safe weight loss plan, which may include diet changes, exercise, and medications like ACE inhibitors. In advanced kidney disease, the approach needs to be very careful to avoid malnutrition.

Long-chain saturated fatty acids (LCSFA, C12-C18) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), whereas short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SCFA/MCFA, C4-C10) are associated with neutral or potentially beneficial effects on CVD risk.

When evaluating saturated fats, distinguish between long-chain (found in meat and cheese) and short/medium-chain (found in dairy fats, coconut oil). Current evidence suggests long-chain fats may increase CVD risk, while short and medium-chain fats may be neutral or beneficial. Focus on the source and type of fat rather than avoiding all saturated fats indiscriminately.

Replacing saturated fatty acids with refined carbohydrates or animal protein increases CVD risk, whereas replacing them with unsaturated fats, plant protein, or complex carbohydrates reduces or has a neutral impact on CVD risk.

If you reduce saturated fat, ensure you replace it with unsaturated fats (like olive oil or nuts), plant proteins (beans, lentils), or complex carbohydrates (whole grains). Avoid replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates (sugar, white flour) or animal proteins, as these substitutions may increase cardiovascular risk.

Performing repeated sprint exercise immediately after resistance training attenuates acute anabolic signaling (p70 S6K phosphorylation) and increases muscle protein breakdown markers (MuRF mRNA), suggesting that sprint activities should be isolated from resistance training to optimize hypertrophic adaptation.

If you train both strength and speed/sprints, do not perform them in the same session back-to-back. The molecular signals for muscle growth (p70 S6K) are suppressed when you sprint after lifting. Separate these modalities by at least 6 hours or place them on different days to ensure you get the full adaptive benefit from your resistance training.

eHealth technologies (web programs, mobile apps, text messaging, wearables, VR/AR) support diabetes self-management behaviors (diet and physical activity) and improve glycemic control and lifestyle outcomes compared to usual care.

Use eHealth tools like apps, text messages, or wearables to help manage your diet and activity. They work best when they give you personalized feedback and reminders. Don't rely on them alone; use them to support your regular doctor visits. If you find the technology hard to use, ask for help or choose a simpler tool.

Wearable technologies, specifically pedometers, increase physical activity levels in people with Type 2 Diabetes, but this increase does not necessarily translate to improved HbA1c levels.

Wearing a pedometer will likely help you walk more. However, just walking more might not be enough to lower your blood sugar (HbA1c). You should combine this with other diabetes management strategies like diet control.

Long-term weight loss maintenance is associated with consuming a diet with limited variety across all food groups, particularly high-fat-dense groups, which helps sustain lower energy intake.

To maintain weight loss, consider limiting the variety of foods you eat, especially high-fat items. Successful maintainers often eat a narrower range of foods, which simplifies their diet and helps control energy intake. Focus on variety within low-fat groups (like vegetables) but restrict variety in high-fat groups (like sweets and fried foods).

Primary care physicians overwhelmingly support integrating nutrition counseling training and practice-based tools (such as BMI reporting on scales and in charts) to improve obesity care, with nutritionists/dietitians identified as the most qualified providers for weight management.

Healthcare systems should equip primary care physicians with automated BMI reporting tools and integrate nutritionists or dietitians into the care team. Physicians should receive specific training in nutrition counseling to effectively support patients in weight management.

Sleeping with reduced carbohydrate availability (the 'sleep-low' protocol) increases markers of fat oxidation and metabolic flexibility during subsequent exercise without compromising training intensity, but fails to augment markers of mitochondrial biogenesis compared to immediate post-exercise carbohydrate intake.

If you are an endurance athlete, you can try 'sleeping low' by eating a moderate amount of carbs before evening high-intensity training, then fasting until the next morning's steady-state ride. This will increase your body's ability to burn fat during exercise. However, do not expect this to build more mitochondria or improve your overall aerobic capacity compared to eating carbs immediately after training. It is a metabolic tool, not a magic bullet for structural adaptation.

A composite healthy diet score (high in whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts; low in red/processed meats, sweets, sugary beverages, fried potatoes) is associated with lower BMI and waist-hip ratio, and strengthens the genetic predisposition to higher BMI/WHR in specific loci, though absolute body composition remains lower in those with healthier diets.

Adopting a diet rich in whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while limiting red meat, sweets, sugary drinks, and fried potatoes, is associated with lower body weight and waist circumference. Even if you have a genetic predisposition to obesity, this dietary pattern results in a healthier body composition compared to an unhealthy diet, although the genetic risk may appear more pronounced in those who eat healthily.

Highly processed foods containing 'acellular' nutrients (refined starches/sugars lacking cellular structure) promote obesity by altering gut microbiome composition, increasing host nutrient absorption, and reducing microbiome energy use.

Choose whole, minimally processed foods over refined, 'acellular' carbohydrates (like white flour or sugar). The intact cellular structure of whole foods feeds your gut microbiome, which helps regulate how much energy you extract and store.

Longer duration of weight loss maintenance is associated with a significant decrease in the perceived effort and attention required to maintain weight, while the pleasure derived from maintenance behaviors remains constant, resulting in a more favorable effort-to-pleasure ratio.

If you are struggling with the mental load of dieting, recognize that this is likely a phase. The data suggests that as you maintain your weight loss for years, the behaviors become habitual and require less conscious effort. Do not interpret current high effort as a sign that you are failing; it is a sign that you are in the transition to automaticity. Focus on consistency to allow the habit to form.

Interventions that deplete glycogen stores, such as intermittent fasting, caloric restriction, and exercise, promote health by inducing moderate hormetic oxidative stress.

Regular exercise, fasting, or caloric restriction deplete glycogen, which triggers a healthy stress response (hormesis) that improves long-term health and longevity.

A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) provides a valid estimate of total energy intake relative to doubly-labeled water measurements in free-living populations, whereas 24-hour recalls are prone to significant underreporting, particularly in women and heavy alcohol consumers.

If you are tracking your diet to manage weight, be aware that 24-hour recalls often underestimate how much you eat, especially if you drink alcohol or are a woman. A Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) may provide a more accurate picture of your total energy intake relative to your actual energy expenditure. Do not rely solely on daily food logs if you suspect you are underreporting.