Browse the evidence

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.

Elite-level exercise combined with high protein intake significantly increases gut microbial diversity compared to sedentary controls, with diversity positively correlating with creatine kinase levels and protein consumption.

If you are highly active, your gut microbiome likely benefits from that activity level, showing greater diversity than sedentary peers. This benefit appears linked to both the physical stress of exercise and the higher protein intake often associated with athletic diets. To support this, maintain your training intensity and ensure adequate protein consumption.

Higher dietary protein intake in athletes positively correlates with increased gut microbial diversity and specific taxa abundance, such as Akkermansia.

Increasing protein intake, particularly from sources like whey protein supplements common in athletic diets, may support a more diverse gut microbiome, including beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia. This is observed in high-performing athletes.

Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a significant protective effect against stroke and a weaker protective effect against coronary heart disease.

Aim to increase your daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. The evidence suggests this habit is strongly linked to a lower risk of stroke and moderately linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Focus on variety and whole foods rather than just isolated nutrients.

Risk factors for weight regain include a history of weight cycling, disinhibited eating, binge eating, high hunger, eating in response to negative emotions, and passive coping strategies.

Avoid weight cycling and address binge eating and disinhibited eating. Manage hunger and stress with non-food coping strategies. Avoid passive reactions to problems.

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.

Selenium supplementation may offer protective effects against certain cancers (particularly prostate and gastrointestinal) and improve male fertility, but results are complex and depend on baseline status and genotype.

While selenium is important for health, its role in cancer prevention and fertility is complex. Do not self-prescribe high-dose selenium for cancer prevention without medical advice, as the benefits are not guaranteed and depend on your current status and genetics.

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.

Low HDL-C is associated with increased cardiovascular risk independent of LDL-C levels, and therapeutic strategies to raise HDL-C (e.g., niacin, fibrates) may provide benefit, although genetic evidence for HDL-C as a causal factor is less clear than for TRL remnants.

Low HDL ('good cholesterol') is a risk factor, but it is complex. Don't obsess over raising it with supplements. Focus on lifestyle changes (exercise, healthy fats) which naturally improve HDL function. If your HDL is low, discuss with your doctor if adding niacin or fibrates is appropriate, but know that the evidence for these drugs is less clear than for lowering LDL or triglycerides.

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.

Limiting added sugar intake to 100 calories/day for women and 150 calories/day for men reduces cardiovascular risk factors including dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity.

To support heart health, limit added sugars to about 6-8 teaspoons (100 calories) for women and 9-12 teaspoons (150 calories) for men daily. The easiest way to do this is to cut back on sugar-sweetened beverages, which are the biggest source of added sugars in the typical diet.

Activation of PPARβ/δ promotes fatty acid oxidation in skeletal and cardiac muscles, preventing obesity and protecting the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury, particularly in the context of high-fat diets.

Regular exercise, particularly in skeletal and cardiac muscles, may upregulate PPARβ/δ, enhancing the body's ability to burn fatty acids and resist obesity, even with higher fat intake.

Marketplace food portion sizes have significantly increased since the 1970s, exceeding federal standards and contributing to increased caloric intake and obesity.

Be aware that restaurant and packaged food portions have grown significantly since the 1970s, often exceeding federal guidelines. To manage weight, consciously compare your plate to standard serving sizes rather than assuming the entire portion is appropriate for your caloric needs.

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.

Aerobic physical activity improves cognitive function in healthy older adults, with the largest effects observed on motor function and auditory attention.

Engage in regular aerobic exercise to support cognitive health, particularly focusing on activities that improve motor function and auditory attention. While aerobic exercise is beneficial, the specific mechanism (cardiovascular fitness) is not the only pathway, so consistency in physical activity is key.

High intake of flavonoids (specifically from tea, onions, and apples) is inversely associated with coronary heart disease mortality in elderly men.

Increase consumption of flavonoid-rich foods like tea, onions, and apples. This observational data suggests a link to lower heart disease death rates in older men. While not a guarantee, it supports a diet rich in plant-based foods.

Exercise interventions significantly reduce symptoms of fatigue in breast cancer patients, particularly when performed after primary cancer treatment.

If you are recovering from breast cancer treatment, incorporate moderate aerobic and resistance exercise 2-3 times a week. This can significantly reduce your fatigue levels, which is often a persistent side effect of treatment. Start slowly and focus on consistency rather than intensity.

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.

Berberine administration reduces body weight and improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic and insulin-resistant states by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

In diabetic and insulin-resistant animal models, berberine reduces body weight and improves insulin sensitivity by activating AMPK. While promising, these findings are from animal and cell studies, not human trials, so human efficacy and dosing remain to be fully established.