Browse the evidence

Older adults (60+) generally fail to meet recommended physical activity guidelines, with prevalence rates varying widely (2.4% to 83%) depending on measurement methods, but consistently showing lower activity levels in older subgroups and women compared to men.

Most older adults do not meet standard physical activity guidelines. If you are a woman, you may be less active in leisure time than men, but your household and occupational activities might contribute significantly to your total physical activity. Do not underestimate your movement.

Artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) are associated with a 25% increased risk of type 2 diabetes before adjustment for adiposity, which attenuates to 8% after adjustment, but likely involve bias and are not healthy alternatives.

Switching from sugar-sweetened to artificially sweetened beverages may not reduce your diabetes risk as much as expected, and the association may be influenced by bias. Neither is a clearly healthy option for diabetes prevention.

Testosterone replacement therapy in elderly men increases muscle mass and strength but has unpredictable effects on the prostate, limiting its clinical utility.

For elderly men with clinically diagnosed low testosterone, replacement therapy can improve muscle mass and strength. However, it is not a cure for impotence (often caused by vascular issues) and carries unpredictable prostate risks. It should only be considered after careful evaluation of prostate health and benefits vs. risks.

Growth Hormone (GH) replacement in elderly individuals increases muscle mass and decreases fat mass but does not improve muscle strength or functional capacity unless combined with resistance exercise.

Growth Hormone therapy in the elderly improves body composition (more muscle, less fat) but does not make you stronger or more functional on its own. It should not be used as a standalone anti-aging treatment. Its potential benefits are only realized when combined with resistance exercise, and even then, it adds no benefit over exercise alone.

Standard numerical nutrition labels are insufficient for accurate consumer assessment of nutrient levels, whereas the addition of interpretational aids (verbal descriptors and reference values) significantly improves the accuracy of product comparison and dietary context.

If you want to use nutrition labels to make healthier choices, look for products that include 'interpretational aids' like verbal descriptors (e.g., 'High in Fiber') or benchmarks (e.g., Guideline Daily Amounts). Standard numerical lists are often confusing and lead to errors, especially for complex comparisons. These aids make it easier to compare products and understand how a food fits into your overall diet without needing to do complex calculations.

Increasing dietary calcium intake (via elemental calcium or dairy) reduces adiposity by suppressing calcitrophic hormones (1,25-(OH)2-D and PTH), which lowers intracellular adipocyte calcium, thereby inhibiting lipogenesis (fatty acid synthase) and stimulating lipolysis.

To potentially support fat loss, ensure your daily calcium intake is sufficient, ideally around 1000 mg or higher. This can be achieved through dairy products like yogurt or milk, or calcium supplements. The research suggests that higher calcium intake helps your body burn fat more efficiently and store less of it, independent of calorie counting, by influencing hormones that regulate fat storage.

Acute cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) oxidative metabolism in adult humans, contributing significantly to nonshivering thermogenesis and increasing total energy expenditure.

Exposing yourself to cold temperatures (e.g., 18°C environment) for about 3 hours can significantly boost your energy expenditure by activating brown fat. This happens without shivering, meaning your body burns fuel (glucose, fatty acids, and stored triglycerides) to generate heat. While this is a potent metabolic tool, its effectiveness depends on having active brown fat, which varies between individuals.

Long-term consumption of diets rich in dietary polyphenols (including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes) provides protection against oxidative stress-induced chronic diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

Prioritize a diet rich in diverse plant foods known for high polyphenol content, such as berries, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, and olive oil. This dietary pattern is associated with reduced risk of chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Focus on variety and long-term consistency rather than isolated high-dose supplements.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with significantly lower levels of BMI, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and blood glucose compared to omnivorous diets.

Switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet is linked to lower body weight, better cholesterol levels, and lower blood sugar. These benefits are seen in many observational studies.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a significantly reduced incidence of total cancer compared to omnivorous diets.

Following a vegetarian or vegan diet is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer. The risk reduction is modest but significant.

Usual sleep duration deviating from 7 to less than 8 hours per night is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, with the strongest association observed in individuals sleeping less than 6 hours per night.

Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night to support healthy blood pressure. Both sleeping less than 6 hours and more than 9 hours is associated with higher odds of hypertension. While this study is observational, the consistency of findings suggests that maintaining a consistent, adequate sleep duration is a key non-pharmacologic strategy for cardiovascular health.

Selenium supplementation (200 mcg/day) reduces the incidence of prostate, colon, and lung cancers in high-risk populations.

Consider 200 mcg of selenium daily if you are at high risk for certain cancers, as evidence suggests it may reduce incidence. However, consult a healthcare provider due to selenium's narrow safety window.

Selenium supplementation (200 mcg/day) enhances T-lymphocyte immune responses in humans.

If you have immune concerns, 200 mcg of selenium daily may support T-lymphocyte function. Ensure you are not exceeding safe limits.

In diabetic patients who have had a myocardial infarction, EPA-DHA supplementation may reduce the rate of fatal coronary heart disease.

For diabetic patients who have had a heart attack, taking EPA-DHA supplements might significantly reduce the risk of fatal coronary heart disease, based on exploratory analysis. However, this finding requires confirmation in dedicated studies and should not replace standard medical care.

Daily supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA, 250 mg/day) supports the resolution of inflammation via specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), potentially ameliorating lung injury and ARDS.

Take 250 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily to support healthy inflammation resolution. This helps your body clear infections and recover from lung stress more effectively.

Long-term caloric restriction (3-15 years) significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis in humans by improving multiple metabolic risk factors and reducing carotid artery intima-media thickness.

To reduce atherosclerosis risk, long-term caloric restriction (approx. 75% of energy needs) focused on nutrient-dense whole foods can significantly improve metabolic health and arterial thickness. This approach requires strict adherence to high-quality food sources to ensure all nutrient needs are met despite lower calorie intake.

High intake of dietary flavonoids, particularly anthocyanins from soft fruits, is associated with reduced systemic inflammation (lower CRP) and slower cognitive decline, potentially through mechanisms involving the suppression of microglial activation and inhibition of pro-inflammatory transcription factors like NF-kB.

Increase your intake of colorful fruits and vegetables, especially those high in anthocyanins like berries. This dietary pattern is associated with lower inflammation and better cognitive health, likely due to the complex interactions of bioactives rather than isolated antioxidant effects.

Reducing dietary glycemic index and load may have favorable effects on serum lipids, but evidence for weight maintenance and disease prevention is inconclusive.

Reducing glycemic index/load may help serum lipids, but do not rely on it for weight loss or disease prevention as evidence is inconclusive.

Selenium deficiency impairs immune response to viral infections, potentially increasing viral virulence and disease severity, particularly for RNA viruses like Coxsackievirus B3 and HIV.

For those with chronic viral infections like HIV, maintaining adequate selenium levels through diet or supplementation (if deficient) may support immune cell counts and potentially slow disease progression, though it is not a cure. For general viral prevention, ensuring adequate selenium is a baseline requirement for a functional immune system.

Graded activity exercise programs in occupational settings provide moderate evidence of effectiveness in reducing absenteeism for adults with subacute low back pain.

If you have subacute low back pain and are working, a graded activity program is recommended to help reduce time away from work. This specific type of exercise has moderate evidence for improving absenteeism in occupational settings.

Social support specifically for physical activity (SSPA) from family members is positively associated with higher leisure time physical activity (LTPA) levels in older adults (age 60+).

If you are over 60 and want to stay active, leverage your family. Ask family members for support specifically related to your exercise routines (e.g., walking together, attending classes). General socializing may not translate to physical activity, but family-specific support does.

Loneliness is negatively associated with physical activity levels in older adults.

High levels of loneliness are linked to lower physical activity in older adults. If you feel isolated, addressing that social disconnect may be a prerequisite to increasing your physical activity levels.

In pregnant women, higher fecal abundance of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides is associated with normal pre-pregnancy BMI and normal gestational weight gain, whereas higher abundance of Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli is associated with overweight status and excessive weight gain.

This observational study suggests that maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy is associated with a gut microbiome rich in Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides, and lower in E. coli and Staphylococcus. While this paper does not prescribe a specific probiotic regimen, it highlights the importance of dietary patterns (like fiber intake, which was slightly higher in normal-weight women) that support these beneficial bacterial populations. Pregnant women should focus on a balanced diet to support a healthy microbiome, as aberrant microbiota may be transferred to the newborn.

Reducing TV viewing time can lead to improvements in BMI, energy intake, and energy expenditure in short-term experimental settings.

If you cut your TV time in half, you will likely eat less and burn more energy, even without starting a new exercise routine. This is a simple lever to pull for weight management.