Browse the newest Practical Health Science explainers, myth checks, research breakdowns, and practical takeaways.
GLP 1 medications can produce substantial weight loss, but some lean mass is usually lost along the way. Adequate protein and resistance training may help preserve muscle, although there is no single protein target that fits everyone.
Magnesium glycinate and magnesium L-threonate are both promoted for better sleep, but they have not been directly compared in a clinical trial. Here is what the evidence for each form actually shows.
Creatine is often claimed to raise DHT or testosterone, fueling concerns about hormonal effects and hair loss. But the evidence is far less clear cut. Here’s what controlled studies including newer research directly measuring DHT and hair follicle health actually show.
Social media often claims that specific food cravings reveal specific nutrient deficiencies. The biology is more complicated. Here’s what the evidence says about cravings for sugar, salt, chocolate, and carbs.
Long term Finnish studies have linked frequent sauna use with substantially lower cardiovascular and all cause mortality. Controlled trials also suggest benefits for blood pressure and vascular function. But no randomized trial has shown that sauna itself makes people live longer.
Artificial and other non-nutritive sweeteners generally do not produce a meaningful acute insulin or glucose spike on their own. They may modestly help with weight control when they replace sugar, but long-term observational studies remain harder to interpret.
Strength training is usually associated with building muscle, not treating high blood pressure. But randomized trials consistently show that regular resistance training can modestly reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, especially in people who already have elevated blood pressure.
Cold water immersion is widely promoted as an anti-inflammatory recovery tool. Research supports some short term reductions in muscle soreness, but human studies do not consistently show lower inflammatory markers and frequent use after strength training may have trade-offs.
High-protein diets can increase kidney filtration, which is sometimes interpreted as kidney stress or damage. The latest randomized evidence does not show consistent kidney injury in adults without chronic kidney disease, but long-term uncertainty remains and the answer changes substantially if kidney disease is already present.
Continuous glucose monitors are increasingly marketed to people without diabetes as tools for personalized nutrition and metabolic health. They can reveal glucose patterns and may encourage behavior change, especially in people at higher metabolic risk. But for healthy adults, evidence that CGMs improve long-term health remains limited.
Creatine may improve certain aspects of memory and cognitive performance, particularly when the brain is under metabolic stress. But evidence in healthy, well-rested adults remains inconsistent, and creatine is not yet a proven general cognitive enhancer.
Seed oils such as canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oil are often described as inflammatory or toxic. But randomized trials and large observational studies do not support many of the strongest claims. The real uncertainties involve food context, repeated high heat cooking, and what these oils replace in the diet.
