Answered questions
Nutrition & prevention
235 answered questions · 1,571 studies
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What is spermidine and where is it found?
Spermidine is a molecule that occurs naturally in your body, declines with age, and that you also obtain through fermented…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does quercetin help with hay fever and allergies?
Quercetin has a clear anti-allergic effect in laboratory research, and a small randomised study in humans shows improvement in…
Preliminary evidence
What does quercetin do in your body?
Quercetin has interesting properties in the lab and in small human studies, but whether supplements actually make a difference…
Preliminary evidence
Is the taurine in energy drinks harmful?
Taurine in common energy drinks does not appear to be harmful, but keep an eye on the caffeine: that is the substance from…
No · Moderate evidence
How much taurine do you need per day?
There is no official daily recommendation for taurine alone; the WHO standard of 13 mg/kg/day applies to all…
Moderate evidence
How much magnesium do you need per day?
For an average-weight adult, the guideline is approximately 250 mg of magnesium per day from food; if you cannot reach that…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do you need to restrict protein intake to protect your kidneys?
If your kidneys are healthy, you do not need to restrict your protein intake. If you have chronic kidney disease, discuss with…
Moderate evidence
Which fermented products have the greatest effect on gut health?
Yoghurt and kefir have the most human evidence supporting a beneficial effect on gut health; for kimchi, kombucha and tempeh,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is fermented food good for your health and your microbiome?
Fermented food, and kefir and yoghurt in particular, likely has beneficial effects on gut flora and several health markers,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which factors weaken your immune system?
Several factors demonstrably weaken your immune system: deficiencies in vitamin A, zinc and iron are the best supported, but…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can peptides contribute to muscle growth or recovery in older adults?
Peptides, especially in combination with resistance training, can make a measurable contribution to muscle mass and strength…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What are peptides and how do they work in the body?
Peptides are a broad, well-documented class of signalling molecules with wide-ranging effects in your body. For most specific…
Moderate evidence
What is the TOTOX value and why does it matter for fish oil supplements?
Many fish oil supplements exceed the quality standard for rancidity and also contain fewer active fatty acids than promised.…
Moderate evidence
What is sarcopenia and how do you prevent the loss of muscle mass at older age?
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of both muscle mass and muscle function and can be substantially slowed with resistance…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which lifestyle habits protect your brain health over the long term?
Cognitive activities, a plant-based dietary pattern, and regular exercise, preferably in combination, offer the best-supported…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does linoleic acid in tissue increase the risk of skin cancer?
The available research provides no basis for viewing linoleic acid in tissue as a risk factor for skin cancer; for BCC,…
No · Preliminary evidence
Does omega-3 protect your skin from sunburn?
Omega-3 offers some protection against the sunburn response, but the effect is limited and no proven protective dose is known.…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you permanently change your gut microbiome through diet?
Diet does indeed change your gut microbiome, but lasting change requires lasting adjustment of your dietary pattern; a…
Moderate evidence
Does a fasting-mimicking diet work better than simply eating less?
There is currently no convincing evidence that a fasting-mimicking diet works better than simply eating less. For weight loss…
Preliminary evidence
How much does ultra-processed food increase your risk of dying?
A high intake of ultra-processed food is associated with a higher risk of dying, but estimates vary widely (2% to 21%) and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is dietary spermidine just as good as a supplement?
No study has yet directly compared dietary spermidine with supplements, and with supplements it remains unclear whether the…
Preliminary evidence
How much CoQ10 do you need per day?
There is no officially established daily dose of CoQ10 for healthy people. If you are considering supplementation, discuss it…
Insufficient evidence
How much iron do you need per day?
For healthy adults without a deficiency, compensating for 1 to 2 mg of iron per day through a varied diet is sufficient; if…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How can you detect melanoma early?
Early detection of melanoma is best achieved by regularly checking your own skin, knowing the ABCDE features, and consulting a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating a varied diet help your gut bacteria?
Fermented products have the strongest evidence base for increasing gut bacterial diversity. Eating broadly varied meals also…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What does stable blood sugar do for healthy ageing?
A stable, low blood sugar is associated worldwide with more healthy life years. The association is clear, but the exact gain…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you prevent dementia with your lifestyle?
Lifestyle does meaningfully influence your risk of dementia: one third of all cases are linked to modifiable factors such as…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What keeps your memory sharp in later life?
Getting good sleep, eating mindfully according to the MIND diet and engaging in targeted cognitive training have the strongest…
Moderate evidence
Does the sleepy girl mocktail (magnesium with cherry juice) help you sleep?
Magnesium may make some difference for older people with sleep problems or for people with a deficiency, but for healthy…
Preliminary evidence
Is beef tallow good for your skin?
There is no scientific evidence that beef tallow is effective for the skin in cases of acne, eczema or psoriasis. The online…
Insufficient evidence
Does the fasting-mimicking diet such as Prolon actually work?
For healthy people with risk factors such as elevated blood pressure or blood lipids, there are indications that the diet…
Moderate evidence
Is fibre-maxxing (eating as much fibre as possible) healthy?
Eating more fibre is a good idea for most people in the West, but fibre-maxxing as an extreme principle offers no additional…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is raw milk healthier than pasteurised milk?
Raw milk offers no proven health benefits that outweigh the risk of infection. If you are concerned about vitamin intake,…
No · Moderate evidence
Does sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts work against ageing?
Sulforaphane has impressive effects on ageing processes in laboratory and animal research, but whether this also holds true in…
Preliminary evidence
Is sea moss (Irish moss) a worthwhile supplement?
As a food, sea moss has a reasonably good nutritional profile, but as a supplement there is no evidence that it provides a…
No · Preliminary evidence
Do you really need electrolyte supplements?
For shorter workouts you do not need electrolyte supplements; for endurance exercise lasting longer than 90 minutes, sports…
Moderate evidence
Is coffee healthy or unhealthy?
For healthy adults, moderate coffee consumption (3 to 5 cups per day) is more likely to be healthy than unhealthy; if you are…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are seed oils such as sunflower oil bad for you?
Based on current research, seed oils are not bad for you; on the contrary, they lower LDL cholesterol and are associated with…
No · Moderate evidence
Does red orange extract (Red Orange Complex) help against skin ageing and pigmentation spots?
There is positive evidence from multiple small human studies that 100 mg of red orange extract per day reduces pigmentation…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which form of vitamin K2 is better: MK-4 or MK-7?
MK-7 has clearly better absorption than MK-4 at normal supplementation doses, and also activates proteins for bone and blood…
Moderate evidence
Is ubiquinol better than regular CoQ10?
Ubiquinol has not been proven superior to regular CoQ10: the body converts ubiquinone itself, and for cardiac outcomes…
Preliminary evidence
Should you take extra copper when taking high doses of zinc?
Anyone who takes more than 25-40 mg of zinc per day for an extended period runs a real risk of copper deficiency with…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is it better not to take iron and calcium together?
For healthy people without medication, strictly spacing intake is probably not necessary, as long-term studies show no…
Moderate evidence
When is the best time to take fisetin?
There is no human research identifying an optimal time to take fisetin. What the available animal research makes clear is that…
Preliminary evidence
Is too much zinc harmful?
Too much zinc is certainly harmful: as an adult, stay below 25 mg per day (the EFSA limit) and be cautious with high-dose zinc…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you get too much vitamin D?
Too much vitamin D is genuinely harmful, but that risk only arises at blood levels far above the recommended values. Stick to…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much omega-3 with EPA and DHA do you need per day?
There is no one-size-fits-all dose: for heart protection ~840 mg of EPA+DHA per day is probably sufficient, for an…
Moderate evidence
How much vitamin D should you take per day?
For healthy adults under 75, extra vitamin D is probably not necessary, but for children, people aged 75 and older, pregnant…
Moderate evidence
How much curcumin should you take per day?
There is no universal optimal dose of curcumin: for osteoarthritis and cardiovascular risk factors, 1000 to 1500 mg per day…
Moderate evidence
Does eating less help you live longer?
In laboratory animals the effect on lifespan is well established, but in healthy humans direct evidence is lacking. A moderate…
Moderate evidence
Are ultra-processed products bad for your longevity?
Eating a lot of ultra-processed products is associated with a shorter lifespan and more chronic disease, but the effect varies…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How many vegetables do you really need per day?
Five servings of vegetables and fruit per day offers the best protection, with non-starchy vegetables counting and juice and…
Yes · Strong evidence
Is pterostilbene better than resveratrol?
Pterostilbene is absorbed more efficiently than resveratrol and more often outperforms it in laboratory and mouse research,…
Preliminary evidence
Which type of collagen is best to take?
For knee complaints, UC-II (type II, unprocessed, 40 mg/day) has the best-documented outcomes in RCTs, but the only…
Moderate evidence
Which form of iron is best absorbed?
Haem iron from meat, fish and poultry is clearly better absorbed than the form of iron from plant-based foods. If you eat…
Strong evidence
Does the form of omega-3 you choose actually matter?
For absorption into your blood, the form does matter: free fatty acids are absorbed best, ethyl esters worst. Whether that…
Moderate evidence
Is it better to take magnesium in the evening?
Evening intake sounds logical given magnesium's role in melatonin and sleep, but there is no research that directly compares…
Preliminary evidence
Is curcumin well absorbed by the body?
Standard curcumin is barely absorbed, but combining it with piperine (black pepper) dramatically increases absorption in…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is intermittent fasting good for longevity?
Intermittent fasting improves health markers such as weight and insulin sensitivity, but whether it also makes you live longer…
Moderate evidence
Why is muscle strength so important for healthy ageing?
Muscle strength is one of the best-supported pillars of healthy ageing: losing it increases the risk of falls, disability and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does walking do enough to maintain your muscles?
Walking alone is not enough to maintain muscle as you age. Add strength training and ensure adequate protein intake for the…
No · Moderate evidence
Can you regain lost muscle mass in later life?
Yes, regaining lost muscle mass in later life is possible, but the earlier you start, the better the outcome. Resistance…
Yes · Strong evidence
How much muscle strength do you lose per year after the age of fifty?
After the age of fifty, you can quickly lose 3 to 4% of leg strength per year, far more than muscle mass alone would suggest.…
Does alcohol increase your risk of cancer, even with one drink a day?
Yes, even one drink a day increases the risk of certain cancers, particularly breast and colorectal cancer. There is no safe…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating less red meat lower your risk of cancer?
Eating less red and processed meat probably lowers your risk of colorectal cancer, and possibly of several other cancer types…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you lengthen your telomeres through lifestyle?
Lifestyle most likely cannot fully reverse telomere shortening, but quitting smoking, eating healthily and exercising are…
Preliminary evidence
Does spending more time outdoors help your immune system as you get older?
Spending more time outdoors may support your immune system as you get older, mainly through improved vitamin D production, but…
Preliminary evidence
Can grip strength predict how long you will live?
Grip strength is one of the better-supported predictors of premature death: the lower it is, the higher the risk. It is a…
What does a vitamin D deficiency do to your DNA?
A vitamin D deficiency is associated with greater DNA damage, especially in people with an additional risk factor. Make sure…
Can you drink coffee during intermittent fasting?
Black coffee fits perfectly well within intermittent fasting and, certainly with moderate use, is not bad for your heart. If…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can an unhealthy diet cause puberty to start earlier?
A calorie-rich diet high in animal protein and low in fibre increases the likelihood of earlier puberty in girls, especially…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What does drinking coffee every day do to your gut bacteria?
Drinking coffee in moderation every day (up to 4 cups) is associated with a more favourable composition and greater diversity…
Can eating too little actually damage your cells?
Eating moderately less does not damage your cells - it actually protects them through a cellular clean-up mechanism. However,…
Moderate evidence
Are there dietary patterns that have been proven to reduce bone fractures?
Fermented dairy, sufficient vegetables and fruit, and a varied diet with protein and calcium are best supported for bone…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does bone broth help your gut health?
The individual components of bone broth, such as certain amino acids, show favourable effects on the intestinal wall in…
Preliminary evidence
Does fasting or calorie restriction make the skin look younger?
Fasting and calorie restriction appear to protect the skin in animal research, but direct evidence in humans that your skin…
Preliminary evidence
Do people with darker skin have a higher risk of osteoporosis?
People with darker skin actually have, on average, stronger bones and a lower risk of osteoporosis than people with lighter…
No · Moderate evidence
Can zinc contribute to stronger bones?
Zinc almost certainly contributes to healthy bones, but how large that effect is in humans is not yet known with confidence.…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Does astaxanthin help protect your skin from the sun?
Astaxanthin (3-6 mg/day) appears to give the skin some additional UV resistance, but should never replace your sunscreen: the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you influence your epigenetic age through diet?
Multiple studies show that a healthy dietary pattern can favourably influence your epigenetic age, although these are…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a vegetarian diet weaken your bones?
A vegetarian diet does not automatically weaken your bones, but as a vegan you need to pay extra attention to calcium and…
Moderate evidence
Can your thyroid be thrown off balance by getting too much or too little iodine?
Both too little and too much iodine can disrupt the thyroid; make sure you get enough each day, but avoid large supplements…
Does sunbathing boost your immune system beyond the vitamin D effect?
Sunlight has real effects beyond vitamin D through nitric oxide and hormonal pathways, but randomised evidence for improved…
Moderate evidence
Is it true that artificial sweeteners cause cancer?
The vast majority of population research does not confirm a causal association between artificial sweeteners and cancer. There…
Does working with pesticides increase your risk of cancer?
Working with pesticides is associated in multiple studies with an increased risk of several types of cancer, including…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does maintaining a healthy weight still help after a cancer diagnosis?
For most cancer types, a healthy weight after diagnosis is associated with better survival, but note: unintentional weight…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does omega-3 from fish oil help against chronic inflammation?
Omega-3 from fish oil lowers inflammatory markers in the blood and demonstrably helps in rheumatoid arthritis, but the effect…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating flaxseed help your gut?
Through its fibre and lignans, flaxseed has a plausible positive effect on the gut, but for the gut as a specific target the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do lycopene and tomatoes protect against prostate cancer?
The association between tomatoes, lycopene, and lower prostate cancer risk is plausible, but not yet proven firmly enough to…
Preliminary evidence
Does chronically poor air quality age your skin?
Chronic exposure to air pollution measurably accelerates skin ageing, and the evidence for this is reasonably consistent. If…
Does eating heavily heated or charred food increase your risk of cancer?
Heavily heated or charred meat likely increases the risk of certain types of cancer, although the associations in humans are…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is DunedinPACE and what does it tell us about ageing?
DunedinPACE measures how quickly you are ageing biologically and is associated with disease and premature death, but the test…
Are there foods you should avoid eating before going to bed?
Alcohol, caffeine and fatty meals close to bedtime disrupt your sleep. You sleep better by avoiding all three in the evening…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is soy good or bad for your bones after menopause?
Soy isoflavones probably do not protect the bones of postmenopausal Western women in any clinically meaningful way. It is…
No · Moderate evidence
Do people with dark skin age more slowly than people with light skin?
Dark skin ages more slowly in terms of visible sun damage, but ageing itself does not stay away: the signs are different, not…
Moderate evidence
What does fasting one day a week do to your gut microbiome?
Intermittent fasting demonstrably changes your gut microbiome, but the effects are likely temporary if you stop; for healthy…
Does fasting or intermittent fasting help prevent cancer?
There is no evidence that fasting prevents cancer in humans; the animal results are promising but contradictory. If you want…
Preliminary evidence
Does the timing of meals throughout the day affect your weight?
When you eat matters: meals earlier in the day appear more favourable for your metabolism than eating late, although the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does drinking a lot of coffee increase the risk of bone fractures?
For most people, coffee does not appear to be a proven cause of bone fractures, but for women who drink a lot of coffee some…
Moderate evidence
Does eating more fibre help against high blood sugar?
Eating more water-soluble fibre probably helps in lowering high blood sugar, but the overall meal composition also plays a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does omega-3 (fish oil) have an effect on bone strength?
Omega-3 does not appear to improve bone density in older adults; for bone preservation, it is better to focus on adequate…
No · Moderate evidence
Does eating gluten-free help if you don't have coeliac disease?
For healthy people without coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, eating gluten-free offers nothing and even carries a risk of…
No · Preliminary evidence
Is it true that a low-fat diet protects against breast cancer?
Simply eating less fat probably offers no demonstrable protection against breast cancer. Those who want to reduce their risk…
No · Preliminary evidence
What does alcohol do to your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity?
The effect of alcohol on your blood sugar depends strongly on context: on an empty stomach the risk of low blood sugar is…
Does boron as a supplement do anything for your bones?
Boron appears useful if you are not getting enough of it, but there is no good evidence that extra supplementation makes your…
Preliminary evidence
What are hormone disruptors, and are they really found in everyday products?
Hormone disruptors are demonstrably present in a great many everyday products and are measurable in the human body. Complete…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does omega-3 from fish or flaxseed improve skin appearance?
For people with eczema, psoriasis or acne, multiple reviews indicate that fish oil containing EPA and DHA may reduce…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What do polyphenols, such as those found in berries and red wine, do to your gut bacteria?
Polyphenols from berries and red wine have a positive influence on your gut bacteria, but the human studies are still small;…
Does eating from plastic packaging increase your risk of cancer?
There is clear evidence that substances that leach from plastic, such as BPA and PCBs, are associated with cancer; for micro-…
Moderate evidence
Does drinking coffee really help against dementia, or is that a myth?
Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily is associated with a lower dementia risk in several large studies, but this is not yet a…
Moderate evidence
Does cinnamon really lower your blood sugar?
Cinnamon can modestly lower fasting blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, but whether that makes any meaningful difference to…
Moderate evidence
What does sunlight do for your bones, apart from vitamin D?
Outside of vitamin D, there is preliminary evidence that red and near-infrared light can directly stimulate bone cells, but…
Does a low-fat diet slow skin ageing or make it worse?
A low-fat diet is not necessarily better for your skin: the type of fat counts more than the amount, and monounsaturated fats…
No · Preliminary evidence
Are plant-based diets better for your gut than mixed diets?
A plant-based diet appears to be beneficial for your gut bacteria, but fermented foods perform at least as well in a direct…
Moderate evidence
Can diet protect your DNA from damage?
Diet has a real effect on DNA protection: a plant-based eating pattern and adequate folate and selenium demonstrably help,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are there dietary patterns that have been proven to reduce your risk of cancer?
The Mediterranean diet and sufficient vegetables and fruit are consistently associated with a lower cancer risk, although the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does it matter for your weight whether your calories come from fat or carbohydrates?
In the long term, the ratio of fat versus carbohydrates matters little for your weight, as long as your total calorie intake…
No · Strong evidence
Does drinking coffee dry out your skin?
Drinking coffee does not dry out your skin: the available research points rather in the opposite direction, but the studies…
No · Preliminary evidence
Does the time you eat affect how well you sleep?
Eating at night and a late eating pattern appear to negatively affect sleep and metabolism, but the evidence is still limited…
Does green tea help your gut health?
Green tea extract showed measurable improvements in gut wall integrity and gut inflammation in a randomised trial; the signals…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do carbonated drinks damage your bones?
Drinking large amounts of sugary soft drinks is associated with lower bone density, but this effect is likely partly due to…
Moderate evidence
Can eating too little disrupt your hormones, even if you do not have an eating disorder?
Even a temporary, substantial calorie deficit can disrupt sleep and reproductive hormones in healthy women; the timing of your…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does green tea help improve your memory or concentration?
Green tea offers a modest but real benefit for concentration and working memory, primarily thanks to the combination of…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does bone broth actually do anything for your bones?
Animal and laboratory research shows positive signals, but there are no studies in humans. If you want to protect your bones,…
Preliminary evidence
Does urban pollution accelerate the ageing of your skin?
Urban pollution probably accelerates skin ageing, primarily through increased pigmentation spots and a weakened skin barrier.…
What is the difference between high blood sugar and a blood sugar spike?
Chronically high blood sugar and a blood sugar spike are two different things that each require their own approach. If your…
What does magnesium do for your bone strength?
Getting enough magnesium through diet is clearly associated with stronger bones and a lower fracture risk, although large…
Does echinacea really work against the common cold?
Echinacea has not been proven effective against the common cold. If you still want to try something, Echinacea purpurea…
No · Moderate evidence
Does the time of day you eat affect how quickly you age?
The time at which you eat does appear to matter, although the evidence in humans is still associative. A nightly fasting…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is eating plant-based bad for your bones?
Eating strictly vegan is associated with lower bone density, but if you adequately supplement calcium and vitamin D, the…
Moderate evidence
Does taking vitamin D help against cancer?
If you already have enough vitamin D in your blood, extra supplementation probably does not help against cancer. If you have a…
No · Moderate evidence
What does intermittent fasting do to your insulin sensitivity?
Intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity in most people, but be aware of possible muscle loss and hormonal effects,…
Does intermittent fasting help your gut health?
For healthy people and people with metabolic syndrome there is reasonably consistent evidence that intermittent fasting has a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does passive smoking (secondhand smoke) increase your risk of cancer?
Passive smoking increases your risk of cancer, with the strongest evidence for lung cancer. The risk is real but smaller than…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does fasting or eating less help your memory and concentration?
There are cautious indications that eating considerably less may improve your memory, but the evidence is still thin. Healthy…
Preliminary evidence
What does a low-carbohydrate diet do to your LDL cholesterol in the long term?
A low-carbohydrate diet raises LDL in the short term, but that effect often disappears after a year; the effect on…
Can women preserve their fertility longer through lifestyle choices?
Lifestyle can influence your fertility, but genetics largely determines when you go through menopause. Avoid frequent heavy…
Moderate evidence
Does green tea protect against cancer?
Drinking green tea is not a proven protection against cancer: cell and animal research is promising, but studies in humans…
Preliminary evidence
Does eating a lot of sugar increase my risk of cancer?
Drinking large amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a noticeably higher risk of certain cancers,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does olive oil protect your brain against decline?
Extra virgin olive oil as part of the Mediterranean diet has been associated with less cognitive decline in multiple studies,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does the order in which you eat food and vegetables during a meal matter?
Eating vegetables and/or protein first and carbohydrates last demonstrably blunts the post-meal blood sugar spike, even in…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does green tea help against infections?
For influenza there is reasonable evidence that green tea catechins are helpful; for most other infections the data are still…
Moderate evidence
Does eating garlic help your gut health?
There are preliminary indications that garlic is beneficial for gut health, with the strongest evidence being a randomised…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does caloric restriction actually make your cells younger?
Caloric restriction slows ageing processes in cells, but whether your cells actually become younger as a result has not yet…
What does smoking do to your brain as you age?
Smoking accelerates brain ageing and increases the risk of dementia. Quitting smoking is one of the best-supported steps you…
Why do you get sick more often when you are on a diet?
A low-calorie diet can weaken your immune system through deficiencies in minerals such as magnesium, disrupted gut bacteria…
Is brown fat really different from regular fat, and can I activate it?
Brown fat is genuinely different from regular fat and you can activate it, with cold exposure having the strongest evidence.…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does drinking coffee protect against liver cancer?
Drinking coffee is consistently associated with a lower risk of liver cancer, and that association is better supported than…
Yes · Strong evidence
Is it helpful to occasionally go for a long walk, or are short bursts of movement spread throughout the day better?
Short bursts of movement spread throughout the day appear to be at least as valuable as one long walk, and for people who…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much impact does smoking have on your bone density?
Smoking substantially increases the risk of bone loss and hip fractures; quitting helps, but it takes at least ten years…
Can your gut microbiome influence how long you live?
There are clear associations between a healthy, diverse gut microbiome and older age, but whether that microbiome promotes…
Preliminary evidence
What does caffeine do to your memory and concentration in the long run?
Caffeine helps you stay more alert and focused when you are tired, but it does not make a well-rested brain smarter. If you…
Does it matter what kind of protein I eat, or does only the total amount count?
The type of protein matters: animal proteins and well-combined plant-based sources provide more building material for muscles…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What foods improve your insulin sensitivity?
Diet can clearly improve your insulin sensitivity: a wholesome diet high in fibre, eating your largest meal early in the day,…
Moderate evidence
How much protein can your body use in a single meal?
Your body can use more than 20-25 grams of protein per meal, especially when that protein is combined with carbohydrates and…
Does extra protein help with losing weight without losing muscle?
Extra protein helps preserve muscle mass while losing weight, but works best in combination with resistance training. Aim for…
Yes · Strong evidence
What is the best time of day to eat protein for your muscles?
Distribution throughout the day matters most: eat a portion of 20-40 g of protein every 3 to 4 hours, and the precise timing…
Do older adults need more protein than younger people?
Older adults likely need more protein than the standard guideline of 0.8 grams per kilogram suggests. As a healthy older…
Do proteins inhibit your autophagy?
Proteins inhibit autophagy because the amino acids in your meal keep mTOR active, the best-known brake on autophagy. If you…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is a healthy ApoB level?
There is no fixed 'healthy' ApoB value, but below 82 mg/dL the risk of a stroke already decreases measurably. ApoB offers…
Which foods or habits effectively raise NAD+ levels?
Exercise and NAD+ supplements (NR or NMN) demonstrably raise NAD+ levels, but whether higher levels also confer health…
Moderate evidence
What are the Blue Zones and what is actually true about them?
The Blue Zones are real regions with a robustly established pattern of healthy ageing, and the shared lifestyle habits within…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which foods or supplements keep your blood vessels healthy?
The Mediterranean diet most demonstrably lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. Individual supplements do not help.
Moderate evidence
Can you delay menopause with lifestyle or diet?
Avoiding smoking, eating less red meat, and eating more citrus fruit and oily fish appear to have a favourable influence on…
Preliminary evidence
What causes age spots and can you prevent them?
Years of sun exposure is the clearest cause of age spots. Consistent sun protection is the smartest prevention; for existing…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does drinking lots of water really help against dry skin and wrinkles?
Drinking extra water barely helps against wrinkles and improves skin moisture only slightly, particularly in people who were…
No · Preliminary evidence
Is yo-yo dieting, repeatedly gaining and losing weight, bad for me?
Yo-yo dieting carries real risks, particularly for cardiovascular health and psychological wellbeing, although some widely…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating a lot of sugar give you type 2 diabetes?
Sugary drinks clearly and demonstrably increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. Sugar from solid food barely does. The biggest…
Does it make sense to limit blood sugar spikes, even without diabetes?
Limiting blood sugar spikes makes sense even without diabetes: the risk of cardiovascular disease appears to rise with spikes…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much calcium do I need per day, and can too much be harmful?
Calcium requirements range from 800 mg (young children) to 1500 mg per day (older adults, teenagers, postmenopausal women). Up…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does avoiding coffee in the afternoon really help my sleep?
Whether an afternoon cup disrupts your sleep depends heavily on how much you drink: one cup is probably of little concern, but…
Moderate evidence
Does the MIND diet help against dementia and cognitive decline?
Large observational studies link the MIND diet to a lower risk of dementia, but the only large controlled study found no…
Moderate evidence
How do I keep my eyes healthy and prevent cataracts or macular degeneration?
Protect your eyes with UV-filtering glasses, a diet rich in vegetables and fruit, good diabetes management and regular eye…
Moderate evidence
How much fish is healthy, and is farmed fish just as good as wild fish?
Three to four portions of fish per week is healthy for most people. Whether farmed fish and wild fish are nutritionally…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does it matter what time of day I eat?
Eating earlier in the day is more beneficial for your weight, blood sugar and hormonal balance than eating late or at night.…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are smoothies and fresh juice just as healthy as whole fruit?
Whole fruit beats fruit juice: more fibre, greater satiety and fewer free sugars. Smoothies fall somewhere in between, but are…
No · Moderate evidence
Is wholegrain bread really that much better than white bread?
Large-scale observational research consistently points in the same direction: wholegrain is better for your heart, your weight…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do you live longer on a vegetarian or plant-based diet?
A high-quality plant-based diet is associated with less premature death. However, eating strictly vegetarian or vegan has not…
Moderate evidence
How many fruits and vegetables do I actually need per day?
Five portions of fruit and vegetables per day (two pieces of fruit, three serving-spoon scoops of vegetables) is the number…
How much rest do my muscles need between workouts as I get older?
Getting older does not call for more rest, but for more regular training: at least two resistance-training sessions per week,…
Moderate evidence
Does taking vitamin E have any proven benefit?
For the most studied applications, cardiovascular disease, vitamin E demonstrably does not work; for skin and fertility the…
No · Strong evidence
Is taking a stack of supplements at the same time smart or actually dangerous?
Whether a supplement stack is smart or dangerous depends on which substances you combine and whether you also use medications.…
Moderate evidence
Does vitamin C actually help against a cold?
Taking vitamin C daily does not protect most people against colds, but does make a cold slightly shorter and milder. If you…
No · Strong evidence
Does eating enough protein help my immune system as I get older?
Eating enough protein helps your immune system in later life. Aim for at least 1.0-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating a high-fibre diet help against constipation as you get older?
Eating more fibre helps against constipation in older adults, but the overall dietary pattern counts at least as much as fibre…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does my gut microbiome change as I get older, and does it matter?
Yes, your gut microbiome changes measurably with age, but whether that matters depends strongly on your diet and lifestyle. A…
Yes · Strong evidence
Do you actually live longer if you structurally eat fewer calories?
In laboratory animals, eating less convincingly extends lifespan, but this has not yet been demonstrated for healthy people…
Moderate evidence
From how much alcohol do I actually face a higher risk of cancer?
Even with light drinking your risk of mouth, throat, oesophageal and breast cancer is already measurably higher. A safe lower…
Does a mentally stimulating life, such as studying or complex work, protect against dementia?
Longitudinal studies consistently show that mental challenge lowers the risk of dementia, but this is an association, not a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does everyone age at the same rate, or do people truly age at different speeds?
At the molecular level everyone ages at a broadly similar baseline rate, but in terms of health and life expectancy people…
What does my CRP value (inflammation) say about my heart?
A high hsCRP value points to chronic inflammation and predicts a clearly elevated long-term risk of cardiovascular problems,…
Does drinking less alcohol noticeably lower your cancer risk?
Drinking less or no alcohol noticeably reduces your cancer risk. After smoking and excess weight, alcohol is the third largest…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does red and processed meat really increase your risk of colorectal cancer?
Multiple large studies consistently show that high consumption of red meat, and especially processed meat, raises the risk of…
Which lifestyle factors reduce your cancer risk the most?
Not smoking, a healthy weight, regular exercise and little or no alcohol have the strongest and best-supported protective…
Strong evidence
Does sugar accelerate skin ageing through glycation?
The biological mechanism is rock solid: chronically high blood sugar levels accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin…
What do smoking and alcohol do to the ageing of your skin?
Smoking demonstrably accelerates skin ageing through oxidative stress and inflammation. There are indications for alcohol, but…
Does eating a high-fibre diet help protect against colorectal cancer?
Eating more fibre is consistently associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, with whole grains having the strongest…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does too little protein increase your risk of bone fractures as you age?
Yes, too little protein increases your risk of bone fractures in older age. This works through weaker bones as well as through…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do calcium and vitamin D supplements really help against bone loss?
Calcium and vitamin D together can improve bone density and modestly lower the risk of hip fractures when a genuine deficiency…
Moderate evidence
Does fermented food such as yoghurt, kefir and sauerkraut help your gut microbiome?
Fermented foods, and kefir and yoghurt in particular, have the strongest clinical support for a positive effect on the gut…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What does eating fibre do to your gut microbiome and your long-term health?
Fibre demonstrably feeds your gut bacteria, improves stool consistency and protects the gut wall. But how your microbiome and…
Does quercetin work against ageing and inflammation?
Quercetin shows promising signals in the laboratory and in animals, but in humans there is not yet solid evidence. Taking…
Preliminary evidence
Is taking extra vitamin C worthwhile?
Extra vitamin C offers little benefit for most people. Intensive athletes and people following a carnivore diet do have a good…
Moderate evidence
Does ginger help with inflammation and nausea?
Ginger probably helps with nausea, especially in the context of chemotherapy and possibly also after surgery or during…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is eating organic really healthier?
Eating organic probably does not give you better nutritional value, but it does lower your exposure to pesticide residues and…
Moderate evidence
How much water do I really need to drink per day?
There is no magic number: for a healthy adult who is not very active, thirst is a reliable guide, with a total fluid intake of…
How many years does smoking cost me, and does quitting still help?
Smoking demonstrably costs years of life expectancy at the population level, but a precise personal figure cannot be given on…
Moderate evidence
How much sugar is too much?
There is no universal threshold, but for tooth decay, getting less than 10% of your daily calories from free sugars is the…
How much fibre do I need and why?
Aiming for 25 to 29 grams of fibre per day is well supported and delivers the greatest health benefit. Most people in Western…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is intermittent fasting worth it?
Intermittent fasting helps with weight loss and improves blood glucose and insulin, but over the longer term it does no better…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What can I do myself to lower my risk of cancer?
By not smoking, limiting alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising enough, you can demonstrably lower your risk of…
Moderate evidence
Which diet is best supported by evidence for a long, healthy life?
For anyone looking to use diet to invest in a long and healthy life, the Mediterranean diet is currently the best-supported…
Moderate evidence
Which screenings and check-ups are appropriate for my age?
Which screenings are appropriate for your age varies by individual, but a few anchor points are well supported: annual…
Moderate evidence
Do antioxidant supplements make sense?
For healthy people, antioxidant supplements such as beta-carotene and vitamin E are not useful as protection against cancer or…
No · Strong evidence
Is soy healthy, or is it harmful because of the phytoestrogens?
Ordinary soy foods such as tofu, edamame, and soy milk are safe for most healthy adults and may help a little against hot…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How healthy are yoghurt and dairy for your heart and bones?
Yoghurt and dairy are a perfectly good choice for bone health for most people, and are likely neutral to mildly beneficial for…
Is a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet good for longevity?
A ketogenic diet can help with weight problems and metabolic disorders, but for people who simply want to live longer and…
Preliminary evidence
Does garlic help against high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
Garlic supplements measurably lower blood pressure in people with hypertension and have a modest beneficial effect on…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How harmful is too little daylight or sunlight?
Too little sunlight is demonstrably harmful, especially for your bones. For broader disease risks the associations are…
Which health checks are genuinely worthwhile and which are a waste of money?
Cervical cancer screening (ages 21-65) and lung cancer screening (ages 50-80, 20+ pack-years) have the strongest evidence base…
Moderate evidence
Should I take vitamin B12 supplements as I get older?
Getting older increases the risk of a B12 deficiency, even if you eat healthily. Supplementation of 1000 micrograms per day is…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does ashwagandha really work against stress?
Ashwagandha demonstrably lowers the stress hormone cortisol, but whether it actually makes you feel better has not yet been…
Moderate evidence
Does turmeric help against inflammation?
Curcumin lowers certain inflammatory markers in the blood, but the effect is modest. Moreover, your body absorbs the compound…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Am I consuming too much protein, and is that bad for my kidneys?
For people with healthy kidneys there is little reason to worry about a generous protein intake, but anyone who has kidney…
Moderate evidence
Are beans and legumes good for longevity?
Large observational studies consistently show that people who eat more legumes have a lower risk of death. For most people, a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does dark chocolate or cocoa benefit your heart?
Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content appears to be beneficial for the heart, but the evidence remains observational. A…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating fish help your heart and your brain?
Two portions of oily fish per week, as part of a varied and plant-rich diet, is a smart choice for most people when it comes…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How healthy is olive oil and what is it good for?
Olive oil, and extra-virgin olive oil in particular, is well supported as protective for the heart and blood vessels,…
Does coffee help protect against type 2 diabetes?
Three to five cups of coffee per day are consistently associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and genetically…
Yes · Strong evidence
Are eggs bad for your cholesterol?
Eggs are not automatically bad for your cholesterol; the rest of your diet, especially the amount of saturated fat, carries…
Moderate evidence
Are diet sodas and sweeteners bad for you, and if so, why?
For the occasional glass of diet soda, the risks have not yet been clearly demonstrated. If you drink large amounts every day,…
Moderate evidence
Does eating processed meat such as sausage and ham give me colorectal cancer?
Eating a lot of processed meat measurably raises your risk of colorectal cancer by around 18-21%. Eating less sausage and ham,…
Yes · Strong evidence
How bad is ultra-processed food, and what does it do to you?
Eating a lot of ultra-processed food is consistently associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,…
Does the Mediterranean diet help you live longer?
The Mediterranean diet likely lowers your risk of heart disease and premature death. But anyone who truly wants to live longer…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do fish oil pills keep my memory sharp?
Fish oil may make a modest contribution to attention and memory, but the evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend a pill…
Moderate evidence