Friday, October 30, 2026 · Edition updated 6:00 AM ETFRI, OCT 30 · 6 AM ET editionNext edition in Next --:--:--
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What you can do today: eat and drink

Eating patterns, fasting and alcohol. How far the research on each has got, and the products that go with them.

What people try

4Healthy eating patterns (Mediterranean, DASH, whole foods)Stage 4 · Widely recommended · Free; a change in eatingThe Mediterranean diet is a plant-focused eating plan based on the traditional foods and cooking methods of the Mediterranean region.Main risk: It says people may have lower iron levels.4Drinking less alcoholStage 4 · Widely recommended · FreeDrinking less alcohol means cutting back on how much you drink, which is better for health than drinking more.Main risk: Taking aspirin and drinking raises the risk of stomach or intestinal bleeding.3Calorie restriction and fastingStage 3 · Large studies in people · Free; a change in eatingCalorie restriction means eating fewer calories than usual without missing key nutrients, while fasting diets limit when or how much a person eats.Main risk: The NIA says too many ketones in the blood (chemicals made from burning fat) can have harmful health effects.

Products

Sorted by the best research stage of each product's ingredients, then by price. The stage describes research on the ingredient, not proof that the product works.

No products listed here yet.

Recent research

Lab study in C. elegans worms (roundworms), a lab study

Short daily fasting extended lifespan in tiny worms

Worms fasted for part of each day lived longer than worms that did not fast.

News report · New Scientist

Transplanted mouse ovaries take on the biological age of their recipients, study reports

Researchers led by Sharif Iqbal at Harvard Medical School transplanted ovaries between young mice and older mice and built an ovarian clock based on gene expression and DNA changes.

Study in 49 older patients with atrial fibrillation, average age 78

Mediterranean diet linked to two mitochondrial proteins in older heart patients

People who followed the Mediterranean diet more closely had higher blood levels of two small proteins.

Summary of earlier studies

How everyday surroundings may affect heart failure in older adults

This review looks at pollution, noise, heat, and other surroundings linked to heart failure in older people.

News report · Lifespan.io

Study links hypothalamic neuron cilia to caloric restriction and NAD+ effects in mice

Researchers report that many benefits of caloric restriction and increased NAD+ may depend on cilia of hypothalamic neurons.

See all the latest research →

What others are writing

Recent articles from health journalists, hospitals and universities. We link to them; we don't write or endorse them.

news.harvard.edu · Samantha Laine Perfas · Jun 17, 2026

A clearer picture of drinking and disease ↗

Drinking less alcohol: A new review finds some alcohol-related damage can be slowed or reversed by cutting down or quitting drinking.

hsph.harvard.edu · Maya Brownstein · Jun 2, 2026

Alcohol is the root of 62 diseases and a partial cause of dozens more ↗

Drinking less alcohol: The review finds alcohol causes dozens of diseases, and cutting down or quitting can slow or reverse many of them.

health.harvard.edu · Matthew Solan · May 1, 2025

Last call for alcohol? - Harvard Health ↗

Drinking less alcohol: The article reviews conflicting research on whether moderate drinking is safe and says current guidance shouldn't immediately change for light to moderate drinkers.

CNN · Sandee LaMotte · May 31, 2024

Mediterranean diet helps women live much longer, a large new study finds ↗

Healthy eating patterns: A large study found women who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of death over 25 years.

This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.