27 studies

Nutrition

Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 8 August 2026
Watermelon may cut blood pressure, and nudge blood sugar up
A meta-analysis of 9 randomised controlled trials found watermelon consumption significantly lowered systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but also significantly raised fasting blood sugar.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of only 9 small RCTs; the authors describe the blood-pressure result as promising but explicitly call for longer, larger trials and urge caution on every outcome beyond blood pressure.Meta-analysis · Diabetes Res Clin Pract
Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained Heart Age Calculator Watermelon consumption decreases risk factors of cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2023
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 8 August 2026
Steeper calorie cuts cost more muscle: exercise protects it
In a systematic review of weight loss exceeding 10 kg, harsher caloric restriction was associated with a larger share of the lost weight coming from fat-free mass, while adding exercise reduced the proportion of lean tissue lost.
What it shows: Systematic review pooling 26 diet/behavioural cohorts and 29 bariatric-surgery cohorts, mostly observational; the exercise finding rests on just three RCTs; applies to large weight losses of more than 10 kg.Systematic review · Int J Obes (Lond)
Full breakdown →Calorie Deficit Calculator Changes in fat-free mass during significant weight loss: a systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Whey plus lifting tops the sarcopenia rankings
In a network meta-analysis of 235 randomised trials covering 20,980 untrained older adults, whey protein plus resistance training ranked as the most effective combination for muscle mass (SMD 1.29) and leg strength (SMD 1.16), while whey plus multicomponent training ranked highest for mobility tasks.
What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 235 RCTs in untrained older adults, so most rankings rest on indirect comparisons; certainty was moderate for muscle mass and leg strength, effects were moderated by participant condition and protein dose, and findings may not transfer to already-trained people.Meta-analysis · Nutrients
Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained Protein Intake Calculator Explore the Optimal Treatment Regimen Across Combinations of Variate Protein Sources and Exercise Modalities and Its Associated Factors in Older Adults: A Network Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients 2026
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Berries barely moved metabolic syndrome markers
A meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials (327 intervention and 284 control participants with metabolic syndrome) found berry consumption raised HDL cholesterol by 1.771 mg/dL and left almost everything else unchanged: LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, adiponectin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, glucose and insulin were all unaffected overall.
What it shows: Pooled data from 14 small trials in people with metabolic syndrome, using different berries, doses and durations; the HDL rise is tiny and of unclear clinical meaning, and the longer-duration and larger-study signals come from subgroup analyses that are exploratory.Meta-analysis · Int J Food Sci Nutr
Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained Metabolic Fitness Index Effects of berry consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2025
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Protein alone won't shift body fat in menopause
A systematic review of 15 randomised trials in 1161 pre- and postmenopausal women found animal proteins such as whey, meat and milk cut body fat more consistently than soy over 8-16 weeks, but mainly when combined with calorie restriction and exercise, and benefits of raising protein alone could not be confirmed.
What it shows: Systematic review of 15 RCTs (1161 women), but effects were strongly confounded by co-interventions like energy restriction and exercise, and results across trials were heterogeneous.Systematic review · FASEB J
Full breakdown →Whey protein guide Protein Intake Calculator Dietary Intake of Animal and Plant-Based Protein on Adiposity Measurements and Body Composition in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials. FASEB J 2026
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Diet-plus-exercise works across the whole BMI range
In a meta-analysis of 22 diet-and-exercise interventions, overweight participants lost 1.1 kg less over a year than those with class-I obesity and 1.5 kg less than those with class-II obesity, but percentage weight change did not differ significantly across BMI classes.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 22 interventions restricted to healthy Caucasian adults with BMI 25-40; absolute between-class differences were small (1.1-1.5 kg) and findings may not generalise to other ethnic groups or higher BMIs.Meta-analysis · Int J Behav Med
Full breakdown →Energy balance explained Calorie Deficit Calculator Differences in weight loss across different BMI classes: a meta-analysis of the effects of interventions with diet and exercise. Int J Behav Med 2014
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Milk protein beat whey for older lifters' lean mass
In a meta-analysis of randomised trials in resistance-training adults with a mean age of at least 60 years, 10-15 g of milk protein was sufficient to augment gains in lean body mass, while four out of five studies of whey protein at the same or higher doses showed a negative effect versus control supplementation (-0.49 kg, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.29). Improvements in muscle strength appeared only at protein doses of 22 g or more.
What it shows: Twenty studies were reviewed and 17 pooled, all in resistance-training older adults with a mean age of at least 60; the striking whey result rests on just five studies, the review is a between-study comparison rather than a head-to-head trial, and the authors note that adequate daily protein intake dilutes any supplement effect.Meta-analysis · Nutrients
Full breakdown →Whey protein guide Protein Intake Calculator Effects of Milk Protein in Resistance Training-Induced Lean Mass Gains for Older Adults Aged ≥ 60 y: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2021
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
One avocado a day cut harmful LDL particle counts
In a 26-week randomised trial of 786 adults with abdominal obesity, adding one avocado a day reduced total LDL particle concentration by 49.1 nmol/L versus a habitual diet, with no change in LDL particle size, other lipoprotein particles or apolipoproteins A or B.
What it shows: Ancillary analysis of one RCT, n=786 adults with abdominal obesity; lipoprotein particles were exploratory outcomes, and ApoB and every other particle measure did not change: this is a shift in one marker, not a demonstrated reduction in heart disease.Study · J Clin Lipidol
Full breakdown →ApoB explained Heart Age Calculator Effect of incorporating 1 avocado per day on lipoprotein particle concentrations compared to habitual intake in adults with abdominal obesity: An ancillary study of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Lipidol 2026
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Anthocyanins linked to 26% lower CVD incidence
Pooling 18 cohorts and 65 randomised trials in healthy people, the highest habitual anthocyanin intakes were associated with 26% lower cardiovascular disease incidence, 18% lower myocardial infarction and 11% lower type 2 diabetes risk, while trials using at least 50 mg/d improved flow-mediated dilation (net change 1.41% with chronic intake) and left lipids, blood pressure and glucose unchanged.
What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis: the risk reductions come from prospective cohorts, which show association not causation and can be confounded by wider diet quality, while the trial evidence covers surrogate biomarkers such as vessel function rather than heart attacks or deaths. The review was part-funded by a blueberry industry council, and one author advises its grant committee, though the funder is stated to have had no role in study selection or analysis.Meta-analysis · Am J Clin Nutr
Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained Heart Age Calculator Dietary intakes of anthocyanins and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and prospective cohort studies in healthy participants. Am J Clin Nutr 2026
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Low-carb traded lower triglycerides for higher LDL
In a meta-analysis of randomised trials in people with overweight or obesity, hypocaloric low-carbohydrate diets were no better than low-fat diets for blood pressure, CRP, HDL, total cholesterol or body composition; they lowered triglycerides by 19.94 mg/dL but raised LDL by 20.00 mg/dL. Only very-low-carbohydrate versions significantly reduced flow-mediated dilation, a measure of blood-vessel function, by 2.12%.
What it shows: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials in adults with overweight or obesity, with only 10 studies (n = 475) reporting the vascular outcome; diets were calorie-restricted, trial lengths and carbohydrate definitions varied, and the overall low-carb effect on vessel function was not statistically significant.Meta-analysis · Eur J Clin Nutr
Full breakdown →ApoB explained Macro Calculator Hypocaloric low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets on flow-mediated dilation, blood pressure, cardiovascular biomarkers, and body composition in individuals with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Eur J Clin Nutr 2025
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Higher fibre intake tracks with 22% lower cancer risk
An umbrella review pooling meta-analyses of observational studies linked higher dietary fibre intake to a 22% lower cancer risk and 17% lower cancer mortality, with the strongest inverse association for digestive tract cancers and a smaller one for breast cancer. Observational data cannot establish cause.
What it shows: Umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis of 25 papers and 28 reports, all built on observational epidemiology: people who eat more fibre differ in many other ways, and no randomised trial evidence is included, so causation is not established.Meta-analysis · Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr
Full breakdown →High and low dietary fiber consumption and cancer risk: a comprehensive umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis involving meta-analyses of observational epidemiological studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2025
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
16:8 bulk built the same muscle with less fat
In a 12-week randomised trial, 23 resistance-trained adults bulking on a 16:8 time-restricted eating schedule gained similar fat-free mass, muscle mass and 1RM strength to controls, but significantly less body weight and fat mass. The time-restricted group ate fewer calories, protein and carbohydrate than prescribed, so the smaller fat gain reflects intake falling short of the target surplus rather than meal timing itself.
What it shows: Small 12-week RCT in 23 healthy resistance-trained individuals, with body composition measured by single-frequency bioelectrical impedance; the eating-window group failed to hit the prescribed energy surplus, so the fat-mass difference is confounded by lower intake.Study · J Nutr
Full breakdown →Muscle protein synthesis explained Protein Intake Calculator Time-Restricted Eating during a Bulking Phase Is Associated with Reduced Fat Accumulation, while Muscle and Strength Gains Are Maintained: A 12-Wk Randomized Controlled Trial. J Nutr 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Adding a fasting window didn't cut hunger further
In a 24-week randomised trial of 120 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes, calorie-carbohydrate restriction with or without time-restricted eating significantly reduced hunger and increased satiety compared with control, with no significant difference between the two intervention groups. Binge eating scale scores and objective binge episodes did not differ significantly between any of the groups at any time point.
What it shows: One 24-week randomised trial with 120 adults with type 2 diabetes, 40 per group; appetite was rated on subjective scales, participants were not selected for high baseline binge eating scores, and binge outcomes did not move.Study · Appetite
Full breakdown →Energy balance explained Calorie Deficit Calculator Effects of intensive lifestyle interventions with calorie-carbohydrate-restricted diet versus time-restricted eating on appetite and binge eating in type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. Appetite 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 6 August 2026
Meal timing didn't beat usual care on liver fat
In a 12-week multicentre randomised trial, adding early, late or self-selected 8-hour time-restricted eating to Mediterranean diet-based usual care reduced MRI-measured hepatic fat within each group, but none of the timings beat usual care or each other, and liver markers and faecal microbiota showed no between-group differences. Larger liver fat reductions tracked with baseline steatosis and with achieving ≥5% weight loss, which more people managed on time-restricted eating than on usual care (41-44% vs 16%).
What it shows: One 12-week randomised trial in adults with overweight or obesity (arms of 49, 49, 52 and 47); the study was not powered for secondary outcomes such as liver markers and microbiota, and follow-up ended at 12 weeks.Study · JHEP Rep
Full breakdown →Energy balance explained Calorie Deficit Calculator Time-restricted eating, liver health, and fecal microbiota in adults with overweight or obesity: a randomized controlled trial. JHEP Rep 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 1 August 2026
Marathon inflammation faded by 48 hours in runners
In 31 recreational marathon runners, IL-6 and IL-10 spiked immediately after the race and were back to pre-race levels by 48 h. Habitual intake of the long-chain monounsaturated fat 20:1 was the only dietary fat associated with higher IFN-γ and TNF-α at 48 h.
What it shows: Exploratory observational study in just 31 recreational marathon runners (58.1% female, mean age 38.4 years); habitual fat intake came from a food-frequency questionnaire, dozens of fat-cytokine associations were tested, and the authors themselves call for replication in larger cohorts. Association only, and no health outcome was measured.Study · Nutrients
Full breakdown →Macro Calculator The Associations Between Habitual Dietary Fat Intake and Inflammatory Markers Among Marathon Runners: An Exploratory Study. Nutrients 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
Intra-workout protein added nothing over carbs alone
Young men taking protein with carbohydrate during their workouts gained no more muscle fibre size, lean mass or strength over 8 weeks than men taking carbohydrate alone with the same calories. The resistance training itself worked well in both groups, raising lean mass, strength, VO2max, fat oxidation and fibre cross-sectional area.
What it shows: Small exploratory RCT: just 17 physically active young men (8 vs 9) over 8 weeks, which the authors say cannot exclude modest effects; a null result from an underpowered trial, not proof of no benefit.Study · Nutrients
Full breakdown →Muscle protein synthesis explained Protein Intake Calculator Effect of Intra-Workout Protein-Carbohydrate Co-Ingestion Versus Isocaloric Carbohydrate During Resistance Training on Muscle Fibre Hypertrophy and Oxidative Capacities in Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
GLP-1 users ate about 271 kcal less at test lunch
Pooling placebo-controlled trials, people on GLP-1 or dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists ate about 271 kcal less at a standardised ad libitum lunch, a pooled reduction of 1132 kJ with no heterogeneity between trials. The difference between semaglutide and tirzepatide was not statistically significant.
What it shows: The primary pooled estimate rests on just four arms from three trials with 209 participants, and measures a single laboratory test meal rather than habitual eating; the authors note real-world dietary intake remains underreported.Review · Diabetes Metab Syndr
Full breakdown →Energy balance explained Calorie Deficit Calculator Nutritional intake changes during GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
Med diet shifted the metabolism of ageing brains
In an interim analysis of a 24-week trial in 47 older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a Mediterranean diet raised ketone and TCA-cycle metabolites and lowered branched-chain amino acids, while a low-fat diet did not; several of those metabolite shifts tracked with better cognitive scores.
What it shows: Interim metabolomics analysis of a randomised trial in just 47 adults aged 60 and over with mild cognitive impairment, over 24 weeks. The metabolite-cognition links are associations within the trial, not proof that the diet improved cognition, and the sample is far too small to be conclusive.Study · Food Funct
Full breakdown →Metabolic Fitness Index Enhanced metabolic flexibility links Mediterranean diet with cognition: interim findings from a randomized controlled trial. Food Funct 2026
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
Protein's muscle payoff stalls past 1.62 g/kg/day
Across 49 randomised trials with 1863 healthy adults, adding protein supplements to resistance training increased fat-free mass by 0.30 kg and one-rep-max strength by 2.49 kg on average. Once total protein intake passed roughly 1.62 g/kg/day, extra protein added nothing further to fat-free mass gains.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 49 RCTs in healthy adults training for at least six weeks, so the pooled effects are solid but small in absolute terms; the 1.62 g/kg/day ceiling comes from a break-point analysis of group averages, not an individualised threshold, and the senior author discloses dairy-industry grant support.Meta-analysis · Br J Sports Med
Full breakdown →Muscle protein synthesis explained Protein Intake Calculator A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med 2018
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
More protein means more muscle, but only a little
A meta-analysis of 74 randomised trials found that eating more protein adds small extra gains in lean mass and lower-body strength for healthy adults doing resistance training. Lean-mass benefits appeared at 1.2-1.59 g of protein per kg per day in adults 65 and over, and at 1.6 g/kg/day or more in younger adults.
What it shows: Meta-analysis of 74 RCTs in healthy, non-obese adults; the lean-mass effect was small (SMD 0.22, moderate-level evidence), strength evidence was rated low, and some authors have food-industry ties.Meta-analysis · J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle
Full breakdown →Muscle protein synthesis explained Protein Intake Calculator Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2022
Nutritionwell supported · human dataAdded 29 July 2026
Dieting alone risks muscle loss near retirement age
A network meta-analysis of 92 trials in adults aged 55-70 with overweight or obesity found that combining calorie restriction with resistance or mixed exercise and high protein intake was the most effective strategy for nearly all body-composition outcomes. Energy restriction alone was less effective and tended to decrease muscle mass.
What it shows: Network meta-analysis of RCTs: 92 studies included, 66 of them (4,957 participants) usable for pooling; interventions lasted only 8 weeks to 6 months, and network comparisons are partly indirect.Meta-analysis · Adv Nutr
Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained Calorie Deficit Calculator Nutrition and Exercise Interventions to Improve Body Composition for Persons with Overweight or Obesity Near Retirement Age: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Adv Nutr 2023
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Five cups of coffee a day tracked lower cirrhosis risk
Among 354,957 UK Biobank adults followed for a median of 13 years, those drinking 5 or more cups of coffee a day had lower rates of cirrhosis (hazard ratio 0.68), hepatocellular carcinoma (0.53) and liver-related mortality (0.58), with similar patterns for caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Imaging showed lower liver fat, iron and fibroinflammation with higher intake.
What it shows: Large observational cohort, not a trial: coffee intake was self-reported by questionnaire in UK Biobank volunteers who are healthier than the general population. Models adjusted for demographic, behavioural, metabolic and genetic factors, but residual confounding and reverse causation cannot be excluded, so causation is unproven.Study · Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol
Full breakdown →Caffeine guide Caffeine Half-Life Calculator Coffee Consumption and Improved Liver Outcomes: Clinical, Imaging, and Proteomic Evidence From the UK Biobank. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Real food, not shakes, lifted older adults' protein
A meta-analysis of whole-food dietary interventions in adults aged 50 and over found they raised daily protein intake by 12.2 g/day compared with controls, with bigger effects when programmes ran longer, used individual counselling and set an absolute protein target.
What it shows: Systematic review of 16 studies (n = 1712, 33% male) with a meta-analysis of 11 controlled trials (n = 1207) in community-dwelling older adults; protein intake was self-reported dietary data, the confidence interval was wide (+5.0 to +19.4 g/day), and muscle or strength outcomes were not the endpoint.Study · Nutr Rev
Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained Protein Intake Calculator Effectiveness of Whole Food Interventions on Protein Intake in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutr Rev 2026
Nutritionpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026
Fibre-enriched tapioca pearls cut fat over 12 weeks
In 50 obese women, 12 weeks of inulin-enriched tapioca pearls produced significant reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat mass, visceral fat, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared with placebo pearls. The abstract reports the direction of change but not the size of it.
What it shows: One randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 50 women aged 20-50 with BMI at or above 27 or waist over 80 cm, run for 12 weeks; small, single-site, women only, and the abstract gives no effect sizes, so the reductions could be modest. One author is affiliated with the company behind the product. Needs larger and independent replication.RCT · J Food Drug Anal
Full breakdown →Visceral fat explained Body Fat Calculator Evaluating the efficacy of I-fiber pearl on reducing body fat accumulation in obese females: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. J Food Drug Anal 2026

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