Nutrition & Diet

Why Gut Health Matters Your gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses living in your digestive tract — influences far more than digestion. Research links it to immune function, mood, sleep, blood sugar regulation and even heart health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes the gut microbiome as a “virtual organ” … Read more

“Superfoods” Is a Marketing Term — But Some Foods Earn the Hype No single food cures disease. But some foods are exceptionally dense in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber per calorie. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasises that whole dietary patterns matter more than individual foods — but adding these to a balanced diet … Read more

Added Sugar Is the Most Damaging Ingredient in the Modern Diet The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (36 g) of added sugar per day for men and 6 teaspoons (25 g) for women. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons — nearly triple. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls added sugar … Read more

Protein Is the Most Important Macro for Satiety, Muscle and Aging The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day — but research from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) shows that active people, older adults and anyone losing weight need 1.2–1.6 g per kg. … Read more

How Much Water Do You Actually Need? The “8 glasses a day” rule is a simplification. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends about 3.7 liters (15.5 cups) of total fluid per day for men and 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) for women — but this includes water, tea, coffee, fruits and vegetables. … Read more

Plant-Based Diets: Healthy for Most — But Not for Everyone Without Planning The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics confirms that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful for all life stages, including pregnancy, infancy and athletes. But research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that a diet of soda and chips … Read more

Not All Processed Food Is Bad — But Ultra-Processed Food Is The NOVA food classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, divides food into four groups. The problem is not processed food (bread, cheese, frozen vegetables) — it is ultra-processed food: industrial formulations made with substances you would not find in … Read more

The Nutrition Facts Label Is Not Written for You — It Is Written to Sell Food The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) redesigned the Nutrition Facts label in 2016 to make serving sizes realistic and added sugars visible. But most people still read it wrong: they look at calories, skip the serving size, and … Read more

The Mediterranean Diet Is the Most Researched Eating Pattern on Earth The PREDIMED trial, a Spanish study of 7,500 people, found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts reduced major cardiovascular events by 30% compared to a low-fat diet. The diet is linked to lower rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 … Read more

Intermittent Fasting Works — but It Is Not Magic, and It Is Not for Everyone Intermittent fasting (IF) cycles periods of eating with periods of fasting. The most popular version is 16:8 (fast 16 hours, eat within an 8-hour window). Research in JAMA Internal Medicine and Cell Metabolism shows that IF produces modest weight loss … Read more