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38 matching protocols · grade C
Apple cider vinegar and glucose: what's real, what's marketing
CGM & glucoseEvidence CApple cider vinegar has small but reproducible effects on post-meal glucose in some trials. A look at the size of the effect, who responds, the safety considerations, and whether it's worth the practice.
Berberine for glucose: what the 'natural metformin' claim does and doesn't hold
CGM & glucoseEvidence CBerberine has real evidence for lowering blood glucose and lipids. The 'natural metformin' framing is overstated. What the human RCTs report, the GI tolerance issues, and the UK regulatory framing.
Cold exposure and immunity: what the trials actually measured
Cold & heat exposureEvidence CCold exposure is widely claimed to 'boost immunity'. What the controlled research actually shows on respiratory infections, immune markers, and the gap between mechanistic biology and clinical outcomes.
Cold water exposure: a careful read of the human research
Cold & heat exposureEvidence CCold plunges, ice baths, and cold showers — what the controlled human research shows on recovery, mood, brown adipose tissue, and where popular claims outrun the data.
Contrast therapy: alternating hot and cold, and what it actually does
Cold & heat exposureEvidence CHot/cold alternation has a long history in sports medicine. What the controlled trials show about recovery, circulation, and the question of whether it's better than either alone.
Sauna + cold: combined protocols and what we know about them
Cold & heat exposureEvidence CCombining heat and cold exposure — sequence, duration, and what gets tracked in the small but growing research base. Plus a careful note on cardiovascular load.
The Wim Hof Method: a critical look at what's replicated
Cold & heat exposureEvidence CBreathing + cold + mindset — the three pillars of the Wim Hof Method. What the controlled studies actually replicate, what gets overstated, and the real safety considerations.
Mobility and stretching: what the evidence shows (and where it's overstated)
ExerciseEvidence CMobility work is a large industry built on a thinner evidence base than people realise. What stretching, mobility drills, and yoga actually do — and what the research doesn't support.
Fasting and autophagy: what the research actually demonstrates in humans
Fasting protocolsEvidence CAutophagy gets cited as the headline benefit of fasting. Most of the supporting evidence is in cells and animals — here's what's been measured in humans and the size of the gap.
Fasting and women's hormones: a careful look at the evidence
Fasting protocolsEvidence CSome women report menstrual disruption with sustained fasting; some studies report no differential effect. The literature is smaller and more nuanced than confident claims on either side.
OMAD (one meal a day): the lightest evidence in the fasting space
Fasting protocolsEvidence COMAD compresses all daily eating into a single meal. The behavioural simplicity is real; the controlled trial evidence is much thinner than 16:8 or 5:2, and the safety considerations are larger.
Prolonged fasts (72+ hours): safety, evidence, and when clinical supervision matters
Fasting protocolsEvidence CWhat happens biologically in fasts beyond 72 hours, the real safety considerations including refeeding syndrome, and why most of the longevity claims for multi-day fasts run far ahead of the human evidence.
Refeeding after a fast: practical strategies and what the data supports
Fasting protocolsEvidence CHow to break a fast longer than 24 hours without GI distress, plus a brief note on refeeding syndrome — a rare but serious risk after prolonged fasts.
Light glasses (Luminette, AYO): what the trials use and what they measure
Light therapyEvidence CWearable light therapy glasses promise circadian benefits in a portable form. Smaller evidence base than 10,000-lux SAD lamps, and the practical effectiveness depends on usage. What the published research shows.
Red light therapy: what the human research actually supports
Light therapyEvidence CRed and near-infrared light devices are sold for everything from skin to thyroid to muscle recovery. Which of those claims have human evidence, which don't, and what to think about devices.
Biological age tests (GrimAge, PhenoAge, Horvath): what they measure and don't
LongevityEvidence CEpigenetic clocks claim to measure 'biological age' from DNA methylation patterns. The research is real; the consumer products have validation issues and the actionability is much smaller than the marketing implies.
Metformin and longevity: a careful look at the TAME hypothesis
LongevityEvidence CMetformin is a first-line diabetes medicine that has been proposed as a healthspan-extending intervention in non-diabetics. The hypothesis is plausible; the human evidence is much more limited than the headlines suggest.
NAD precursors (NR, NMN): what the human evidence actually shows
LongevityEvidence CNicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide are widely marketed as longevity supplements. The cell biology is real; the human clinical evidence is much thinner than the marketing suggests.
Peter Attia's 'Outlive' framework: a summary in ASA-safe terms
LongevityEvidence CPeter Attia's framework from 'Outlive' organises longevity around exercise, nutrition, sleep, and emotional health. A look at what's evidence-based, what's extrapolation, and what the framing adds.
Rapamycin and longevity: what the research describes (and why we don't tell you how to dose it)
LongevityEvidence CRapamycin is the most-discussed mTOR inhibitor in the longevity space. It's a prescription-only medicine in the UK with a serious side-effect profile. Here's what the published research says — without dosing guidance.
Senolytics (quercetin + fisetin): what the human evidence shows
LongevityEvidence CSenolytics target senescent 'zombie' cells implicated in ageing. The mouse data is striking; the human trials are small, early, and the marketing dramatically outpaces the evidence.
Spermidine: what the autophagy-marketing supplement actually does
LongevityEvidence CSpermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine sold as a longevity supplement on autophagy-related claims. A look at the food sources, the human evidence, and what gets oversold.
Bacopa monnieri: the slow-acting memory supplement with real RCT evidence
NootropicsEvidence CBacopa is one of the few nootropics with replicated RCT evidence for memory in older adults. The effect builds over 12 weeks, not days. What the trials show, the standardisation issue, and what to expect.
L-tyrosine: stress, fatigue, and the limits of amino-acid supplementation
NootropicsEvidence CL-tyrosine is the precursor to dopamine and noradrenaline. Real trial evidence for performance under acute stress; thinner evidence for general cognitive benefit. What's replicated and what isn't.
Lion's mane mushroom: the gap between mouse studies and human evidence
NootropicsEvidence CLion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) has interesting mouse data on nerve growth factor and cognition. The human evidence is much thinner. What's actually replicated, what's marketed, and what to expect.
Rhodiola rosea: what the adaptogen research actually shows
NootropicsEvidence CRhodiola is widely marketed as an adaptogen for stress and fatigue. A careful read of the published trials and what to expect from a 200–600 mg/day dose.
Infrared vs traditional sauna: the practical differences
SaunaEvidence CInfrared and traditional saunas heat the body differently. What that means for cardiovascular load, sweating, and whether the published research transfers between them.
Sauna and immune function: what the frequency-vs-infection data shows
SaunaEvidence CRegular sauna use is associated with reduced respiratory infection rates in Finnish cohort data. What the trials and observational studies actually show on immunity, and where the claims overshoot.
Steam room vs sauna: physiological differences and what evidence transfers
SaunaEvidence CSteam rooms and traditional saunas produce different physiological responses despite feeling similar. What the heat-and-humidity research shows, where the cardiovascular evidence transfers, and what each is good for.
Blue light reduction: what the lab studies actually measure
Sleep optimisationEvidence CBlue-blocking glasses, screen filters, and the claim that evening screens 'destroy melatonin' — what the controlled chronobiology research shows, and the effect sizes you should expect.
Magnesium glycinate and sleep: what the research actually shows
Sleep optimisationEvidence CMagnesium glycinate is one of the most-recommended supplements for sleep online. The human evidence is thinner than the marketing — here's what's actually in the literature.
Mouth taping: what the evidence actually shows
Sleep optimisationEvidence CMouth taping is a popular sleep optimisation claim — better sleep, nasal breathing, jaw shape. The published evidence is much smaller than the wellness market suggests, and the safety considerations are real.
Berberine as a supplement: lipid, glucose, and the regulatory grey area
SupplementsEvidence CBerberine has solid trial evidence for lipids and modest glucose effects. The supplement-aisle framing differs from the CGM page — here we look at it as a lipid-and-glucose tool, the interaction risks, and the UK regulatory status.
Collagen peptides: between the marketing and the trial evidence
SupplementsEvidence CCollagen peptides are widely sold for skin, joints, and hair. The trial evidence is meaningfully smaller than the marketing implies — what's actually replicated, what isn't, and what to expect.
Probiotics: strain specificity, what's evidenced, and what isn't
SupplementsEvidence CThe probiotics market sells 'gut health' as a single category. The trial evidence is strain-specific and indication-specific — what's actually evidenced for diarrhoea, IBS, and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, and what isn't.
Vitamin K2: the supplement often paired with vitamin D
SupplementsEvidence CVitamin K2 is widely marketed as essential alongside vitamin D supplementation. The cardiovascular and bone-health evidence is interesting but smaller than the supplement-shop confidence implies.
What is Garmin Body Battery? How the score works and how to read it
WearablesEvidence CWhat is Garmin Body Battery? Garmin's 5–100 energy-reserve score built from HRV, sleep, stress, and activity. The inputs are independently validated; the composite isn't. How to read it, device and subscription status, and how it compares to Whoop, Oura, and Apple's new Readiness score.
Smart scales and body composition (BIA): what the numbers actually mean
WearablesEvidence CSmart scales using bioelectrical impedance (BIA) estimate body composition. Withings, Garmin, Eufy, and Omron are common UK options. What's accurate, what's noisy, and what to track.