One Day MD | Evidence-Based Wellness

Clinical Quick-Reference Card Protocol Definition: A 5-day, plant-based, low-protein, low-carbohydrate, high-unsaturated-fat dietary regimen engineered to trigger the metabolic and cellular cellular renewal pathways of water fasting without starvation. Standard Caloric Allocation: Day 1: ~1,100 kcal (~11% protein, 46% fat, 43% complex carbs). Days 2–5: ~725–750 kcal (~9% protein, 44% fat, 47% complex carbs). Primary Molecular Triggers: Downregulation of mTOR, IGF-1, and PKA pathways; activation of AMPK, Sirtuins (SIRT1/SIRT3), and autophagy; elevation of circulating beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB). Landmark Human Findings (Nature Comms, 2024): 3 consecutive monthly cycles resulted in a median biological age reduction of 2.5 years , alongside significant decreases in hepatic fat, fasting insulin, and blood pressure, independent of total weight loss. Medical Oversight Requirement: Mandatory physician clearance for individuals taking ...

Why does LDL cholesterol sometimes rise dramatically on a ketogenic diet while triglycerides fall and HDL cholesterol rises? This is one of the most intriguing and controversial lipid responses associated with very-low-carbohydrate diets. For many people, a ketogenic diet produces a relatively modest change in LDL cholesterol. But a subset—particularly some lean individuals—can experience a much larger increase, occasionally reaching LDL-C levels above 300, 400, or even 500 mg/dL. At the same time, triglycerides may fall dramatically and HDL-C may rise. LDL-C ↑↑↑ Triglycerides ↓↓↓ HDL-C ↑ This combination is commonly referred to in the research literature as the Lean Mass Hyper-Responder (LMHR) phenotype. The phenomenon is important because it challenges the assumption that LDL and triglycerides must always move together. It also raises a difficult clinical question: what does dramatically elevated LDL mean when the individual otherwise appears metabolically healthy?...

GLP-1 drugs can be highly effective for weight loss, but extreme appetite suppression, persistent nausea or vomiting, and very rapid weight loss can create a nutritional problem that is easy to overlook. One of the most serious possibilities is thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency leading to Wernicke encephalopathy , a neurological emergency. Recent case reports, a 2025 pharmacovigilance analysis and a 2026 systematic review have raised a safety signal involving semaglutide, tirzepatide and other GLP-1-based therapies . The evidence remains limited and does not establish that GLP-1 drugs directly cause Wernicke encephalopathy in most users. Instead, the leading concern is an indirect pathway involving markedly reduced food intake, gastrointestinal intolerance, nutritional depletion and rapid weight loss . ( Gras et al., 2025 ; Goldman et al., 2026 ; Bidesie & Oudman, 2026 .) Key takeaway: The concern is not that everyone taking a GLP-1 medication ...