Nutrition & prevention
What food, fasting, fibre and supplements really do for healthy aging.
223 answers, from 1,425 studies
Last updated: July 2026
Key questions
How many cups of green tea do you need per day?
For regular tea, three to five cups per day appears to be the best-supported amount for heart and brain benefits, though 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 taking omega-3 help you stay healthy for longer?
Omega-3 likely has benefits, but for whom and from which source varies considerably. The most concrete benefit has been…
Preliminary 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 has a real but limited influence on dementia risk: quitting smoking, keeping blood pressure under control and…
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 black seed oil work as a supplement?
For people with type 2 diabetes, there is reasonably consistent evidence that black seed oil lowers blood sugar, cholesterol,…
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?
The fasting-mimicking diet shows real effects on weight, fat mass and blood pressure in small randomised studies, but almost…
Yes · 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 it is allowed, but be careful with the dose. Sea moss (Irish moss) is no miracle cure and the biggest risk is too…
Insufficient evidence
Do you really need electrolyte supplements?
If you are healthy and eat or exercise normally, evidence that electrolyte supplements offer you any benefit is lacking. In…
Preliminary 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?
One small study shows a striking reduction in pigmentation spots and skin redness after 15 days of 100 mg red orange extract,…
Preliminary 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 is better absorbed in small studies, but the formulation of a product matters at least as much. Choose a…
Moderate evidence
Should you take copper supplements when you take high doses of zinc?
High zinc intake can lower your copper levels, but automatically adding a copper supplement is not the answer; have your blood…
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 evidence-based best time to take fisetin — and a step back: isolated fisetin has no novel-food authorisation in…
Insufficient 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
Which form of vitamin B12 is best to take?
For most people, the chemical form of the supplement matters little, as long as you get enough of it. If you eat a fully…
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 zinc is best to take?
If you are choosing a zinc supplement, glycinate and gluconate are probably better options than zinc oxide, although that…
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 matter?
The form theoretically matters for absorption, but whether that actually makes a difference to your blood levels during months…
Preliminary 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 supplements are poorly absorbed by the body. Combining them with black pepper (piperine) can improve…
No · Moderate evidence
Which form of magnesium is best to take?
Organic forms such as magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate are better absorbed than magnesium oxide and are therefore the…
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 with intermittent fasting and is even recommended as a suitable beverage; adding milk or…
Yes · Preliminary 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…
Does the order in which you eat your food affect your digestion?
The available studies do not answer this question, so no conclusion can be drawn from them. If you want to learn more about…
Insufficient evidence
Can eating too little actually damage your cells?
Eating moderately less probably helps your cells, but eating too few calories for too long or too severely can actually damage…
Preliminary 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 greater risk of osteoporosis?
People with darker skin produce less vitamin D through sunlight, which more frequently leads to a deficiency and thus to a…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can zinc contribute to stronger bones?
Zinc likely plays a genuine role in bone health, but whether supplementation offers any benefit in people without a deficiency…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does astaxanthin help protect your skin from the sun?
Astaxanthin likely offers some protection against UV damage, but the studies are too small and too commercially funded to…
Preliminary evidence
Can you influence your epigenetic age through diet?
Eating healthily is associated with a lower epigenetic age, but whether changing your diet truly turns back the clock has not…
Preliminary evidence
Does a vegetarian diet weaken your bones?
Vegetarians, and vegans in particular, have on average lower bone density and a higher risk of fractures. That risk is not…
Yes · 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?
There are serious indications that sunlight influences the immune system through pathways independent of vitamin D, but…
Preliminary evidence
Is it true that artificial sweeteners cause cancer?
There are signals that high consumption of artificial sweeteners is associated with a slightly elevated cancer risk, but no…
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?
Fish oil has a reasonably well-supported effect on chronic inflammation, most clearly in rheumatoid arthritis and at a dose…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does eating flaxseed help your gut?
Flaxseed has biologically plausible effects on the gut, but evidence in humans is scarce and mixed. Fine to eat as part of a…
Preliminary evidence
Do lycopene and tomatoes protect against prostate cancer?
There are indications that tomatoes and lycopene may lower the risk of prostate cancer, but large clinical trials are still…
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 burnt food increase your risk of cancer?
For most cancer types no association has been demonstrated, but for endometrial and breast cancer in non-smoking women there…
Moderate evidence
What is DunedinPACE and what does it tell us about ageing?
DunedinPACE measures how quickly you are biologically ageing and is associated with disease and mortality, but whether…
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 visibly more slowly than light skin, primarily because greater amounts of higher-quality melanin limit sun…
Yes · 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?
If you do not have coeliac disease, a wheat allergy, or confirmed gluten sensitivity, eating gluten-free provides no proven…
No · Preliminary evidence
Is it true that a low-fat diet protects against breast cancer?
A low-fat diet offers no clearly proven protection against breast cancer; the type of fat appears to matter far more than the…
Moderate evidence
What does alcohol do to your blood sugar and insulin sensitivity?
The effect of alcohol on your blood sugar depends strongly on when you drink, how much, and what you eat alongside it. On an…
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 help give you better-looking skin?
Omega-3 shows preliminary indications of an effect on skin inflammation in conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, but the…
Preliminary evidence
What do polyphenols, such as those found in berries and red wine, do to your gut bacteria?
Polyphenols from berries, wine and vegetables demonstrably shift your gut microbiome in a favourable direction and are…
Does eating from plastic packaging increase your risk of cancer?
The research source provided does not cover this question, so nothing meaningful can be said about plastic packaging and…
Insufficient 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 producing vitamin D?
According to the available studies, sunlight has no demonstrable direct effect on your bones beyond the production of vitamin…
Does a low-fat diet slow down skin ageing or make it worse?
There is no good research directly comparing a low-fat diet with a high-fat diet on skin ageing in humans. Focus on the type…
Insufficient evidence
Are plant-based diets better for your gut than mixed diets?
Plant-based eating is good for your gut bacteria, but a Mediterranean diet combined with fermented foods performs at least as…
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?
For long-term weight loss, the ratio of fat to carbohydrates makes little difference as long as your total calorie intake…
No · Moderate 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?
When you eat influences your biological clock and probably also how well you sleep. The strongest practical takeaway is: try…
Does green tea help your gut health?
Green tea likely has a modest positive effect on gut bacteria, but this has not yet been firmly proven in humans. It fits well…
Preliminary 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 broth or bone broth actually do anything for your bones?
In rat research, bone broth did help against bone loss, but this has never been demonstrated in humans. It is too early to…
Insufficient 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?
There are serious indications that eating early, fasting for 10-14 hours overnight and avoiding night-time snacks are…
Preliminary evidence
Is eating plant-based bad for your bones?
A strict vegan diet without supplementation increases the risk of weaker bones and fractures. With sufficient calcium, vitamin…
Yes · 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, but the studies are still mostly small and short-term. If you want to try…
Does intermittent fasting help your gut health?
Intermittent fasting likely improves your gut flora and gut barrier in the short term, but it remains unclear whether those…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does passive smoking increase your risk of cancer?
Yes, passive smoking demonstrably increases your risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer. Avoiding tobacco smoke in your…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does fasting or eating less help your memory and concentration?
Fasting can improve memory and concentration in older adults with insulin resistance, but the effect disappears when fasting…
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 you preserve your fertility as a woman for longer through your lifestyle?
There are indications that lifestyle can influence the egg reserve, but concrete advice proven to preserve fertility for…
Preliminary evidence
Does green tea protect against cancer?
Current research provides no convincing evidence that green tea prevents cancer. Drinking a few cups a day is perfectly fine,…
No · Preliminary evidence
Does eating a lot of sugar increase my risk of cancer?
There are clear indications that regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages raises the risk of liver cancer in particular,…
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 it matter in what order you eat your food and vegetables during a meal?
What you eat before or early in your meal can noticeably influence your blood sugar response. The most concrete takeaway:…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Does green tea help against infections?
Green tea catechins likely reduce the risk of influenza, with a risk reduction of around one third. For other infections, the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does eating garlic help your gut health?
Garlic has interesting but not yet sufficiently proven effects on gut bacteria. If you do not have irritable bowel syndrome,…
Preliminary 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 does smoking affect your bone density?
Smoking demonstrably damages your bone density and substantially raises your risk of a hip fracture; quitting helps, although…
Can your gut microbiome influence how long you live?
There is consistent evidence suggesting that a diverse, anti-inflammatory gut microbiome is associated with healthy and long…
Moderate evidence
What does caffeine do to your memory and concentration in the long run?
Caffeine makes you temporarily more alert, but does not structurally improve your long-term memory. Use it in moderation and…
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 or boost your autophagy?
Eating a lot of protein, especially red and processed meat, likely inhibits autophagy via higher IGF-1 levels. If you want to…
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?
Supplementation with NR or NMN measurably raises NAD+, but convincing evidence in healthy people is still lacking. Ordinary…
Preliminary 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 a lot of water really help against dry skin and wrinkles?
Drinking extra water barely helps against dry skin and demonstrably does not help against wrinkles. Collagen peptides at 1000…
No · Moderate evidence
Is yo-yo dieting -- repeatedly gaining and losing weight -- bad for me?
Yo-yo dieting has real biological disadvantages, such as a lower metabolism and fatty tissue that appears to become more…
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 simplest and best-supported method is to take a short walk…
Yes · Preliminary 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 stopping coffee in the afternoon really help my night's sleep?
One cup of coffee in the afternoon probably does not harm your sleep. Three to four cups can already ruin your night, even if…
Yes · 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 servings of vegetables and fruit do I actually need per day?
Five servings of vegetables and fruit per day is the threshold that offers the greatest protection. More than five provides no…
How much rest do my muscles need between training sessions as I get older?
Two training sessions per week per muscle group, with at least 48 hours of rest in between, is well supported as an effective…
Moderate evidence
Does taking vitamin E have any proven benefit?
For most people, taking vitamin E supplements has no proven benefit. There are even indications of an increased risk of…
No · Moderate 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?
For most people, vitamin C does not prevent a cold. But those who take a gram or more daily do recover from one somewhat…
Moderate 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 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?
Yes, both red and processed meat consistently increase your risk of colorectal cancer by 15 to 21 percent. Processed meat…
Which lifestyle factors reduce your risk of cancer the most?
Four lifestyle choices matter most: not smoking, a healthy weight, regular physical activity and moderate alcohol consumption.…
Moderate 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 protect against colorectal cancer?
Eating more fibre, particularly from whole grains, is consistently associated with about a 25% lower risk of colorectal…
Yes · Moderate 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 has promising anti-inflammatory properties, but the evidence in humans is still too thin to rely on. For nausea, the…
Preliminary 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?
For a sedentary adult, an average of 1.5 litres per day is the baseline, but your needs rise quickly with exercise or heat.…
Do multivitamins help with healthy ageing?
For cognition, multivitamins have the strongest support in older adults. For a longer life or a healthier heart there is no…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How do I know whether I am getting enough vitamin D, and should I be supplementing?
For most healthy adults, a blood test is the only reliable way to know whether supplementing is necessary. Do not supplement…
Yes · Strong evidence
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 fibre do I need and why?
Men need 38 grams of fibre per day and women need 25 grams; if you reach that through wholegrain products, vegetables, fruit…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is intermittent fasting worth it?
If you want to lose weight or improve your blood sugar, intermittent fasting is a workable approach. In the long term,…
Moderate evidence
Is red and processed meat really bad for me?
Limit processed meat (ham, sausage, bacon, salami) as much as possible: the evidence is strongest there. For unprocessed red…
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
Are antioxidant supplements useful?
Whether antioxidant supplements are useful depends on which supplement and which condition: curcumin and vitamins C+E for…
Moderate 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
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 with high blood pressure or cholesterol?
Garlic supplements can moderately lower blood pressure and cholesterol, but are not a replacement for medication and are not a…
Yes · Strong evidence
How harmful is too little daylight or sunlight?
Too little sunlight demonstrably increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency, bone loss and fractures. Associations with more…
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?
It appears to improve stress and sleep, but there are serious safety catches. Denmark banned ashwagandha as a supplement and…
Yes · 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?
If you want to improve your cardiovascular health, daily extra virgin olive oil, especially when used in place of butter or…
Does coffee help prevent type 2 diabetes?
Three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but this is an observed association,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are eggs bad for your cholesterol?
For most healthy people, one or two eggs a day poses no problem for their cholesterol, as long as they are not also consuming…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is green tea really as healthy as they say?
Green tea as a daily beverage is safe for most people and there are promising indications of cardiovascular benefits, but the…
Yes · 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 cause colorectal cancer?
Regularly eating processed meat such as sausage and ham measurably increases your risk of colorectal cancer. Reducing your…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How bad is ultra-processed food, and what does it do to you?
People who consistently eat large amounts of ultra-processed food have, on the basis of large observational studies, a…
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 pills probably do not keep your memory sharp. Multiple human studies, including systematic reviews and randomised…
No · Moderate evidence
Does coffee lower the risk of premature death?
Three to four cups of black coffee per day are consistently associated with a lower chance of premature death. Whether coffee…
Yes · Moderate evidence
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