To what extent can maternal nutrition during pregnancy influence a child’s later cognitive or behavioural development? While genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to neurodevelopmental outcomes such as ADHD and autism, growing attention is being paid to the potential role of prenatal exposures, including dietary patterns. Yet, evidence in this area remains limited, and causality is difficult to establish. One recent study aimed to explore this question by analysing how matern...
Jul 01, 2025•45 min
For decades, dietary guidelines—and the Food Pyramid in particular—have been at the center of heated debates and considerable controversy. These guidelines have often been accused of being influenced by industry interests, oversimplifying nutritional nuance, or even directly contributing to rising obesity and metabolic disease rates. In this episode, we critically assess common claims surrounding the Food Pyramid, including whether it was truly shaped by vested industry interests, if it encourag...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Inflammation has become a nutrition buzzword, often used in extreme or misleading ways. This episode aims to clarify what inflammation is, how it relates to diet and health, and whether specific foods truly provoke inflammatory responses in the body. The episode provides a nuanced, evidence-based look at inflammation and diet. It explains the difference between acute and chronic inflammation, outlines the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in disease, and emphasizes that overall dietary patt...
Jun 17, 2025•16 min
GLP-1 receptor agonists have changed the landscape of obesity treatment, offering levels of weight loss once thought unattainable without surgery. But what happens after the weight is lost? And can we really talk about success without talking about maintenance? While much of the public discourse fixates on dramatic weight loss numbers, the harder question is what comes next. Can lifestyle interventions alone sustain weight loss after GLP-1 cessation? How do metabolic adaptations and behavioral r...
Jun 10, 2025•51 min
Zinc is an essential micronutrient that often flies under the radar, despite being vital for hundreds of enzymes and transcription factors involved in immunity, antioxidant defense, and DNA repair. A surprisingly large segment of the population may not get enough – an estimated 10% of U.S. individuals consume less than half the recommended zinc intake, putting them at risk of deficiency. In this episode, Prof. Emily Ho discusses how even mild zinc insufficiency can impair immune function, promot...
Jun 03, 2025•44 min
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the commonly held belief that protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It’s an idea that shows up frequently in both clinical guidance and popular nutrition discourse: if you want to feel fuller, eat more protein. But how robust is that claim when you drill into the details of the evidence? To explore this, Alan and Danny examine the complex interplay between protein intake, satiety, and energy intake. We look at both historical and recent literature...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Global food systems have been increasingly subjected to financial speculation, leading to adverse consequences for growers, consumers, and public health. But what are the systemic vulnerabilities that impact food security, equitable access to nutritious food, and the broader socio-political frameworks influencing these outcomes? Understanding the financial mechanisms shaping food production and distribution is highly relevant for health professionals, policy makers, and researchers concerned wit...
May 20, 2025•44 min
Seed oils have recently become a hotly debated topic in nutrition, fueled by sensational claims on social media. In this episode, the central theme is examining whether seed oils are truly harmful or if they’ve been unjustly demonized. The discussion tackles prevalent claims – that seed oils drive inflammation, oxidation, and chronic disease – and compares them against the current scientific evidence. This is highly relevant to nutrition science and clinical practice today, as many patients and ...
May 13, 2025•15 min
In this Quack Asylum episode, Danny and Alan critically examine the claims surrounding “detoxification protocols” – specialized diets, cleanses, or supplements marketed to eliminate toxins from the body for better health. The central theme is whether these detox plans actually improve health outcomes or if they’re built on pseudoscience and fear. Many alternative health proponents argue that modern life exposes us to countless toxins that accumulate in our bodies, causing chronic diseases, and t...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Emulsifiers are a ubiquitous component of the modern food supply, found in everything from salad dressings and dairy products to pastries and sauces. Traditionally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies, emulsifiers play a vital role in enhancing the texture, stability, and shelf-life of countless processed foods. Yet, in recent years, emerging research has prompted a reevaluation of this assumption, raising intriguing questions about whether regular consumption of these additives might have pr...
Apr 29, 2025•51 min
Nutrition is increasingly being considered as a modifiable factor that may influence neurodevelopmental outcomes. While severe deficiencies in certain nutrients are known to have dramatic effects, there is growing interest in the potential impact of more subtle insufficiencies — particularly during critical windows such as pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood. In conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, and autism spectrum condition (ASC), questions have been raised around whether specific nutrients m...
Apr 22, 2025•46 min
This is a segment from one of our Premium-exclusive AMA (ask me anything) episodes, where we answer questions submitted by Premium subscribers. To listen to the full episode, you’ll need to be a Premium subscriber and access the episode on the private Premium feed. Questions Answered in This Episode [02:00] Why does the Mediterranean diet emphasize monounsaturated fats over polyunsaturated fats when the latter seem more beneficial for heart health? [08:48] What dietary patterns or foods best sup...
Apr 15, 2025•20 min
The intersection of nutrition, dermatology, and skin health is an area of growing interest, yet one that remains riddled with misinformation and oversimplified claims. The influence of dietary patterns, specific nutrients, and lifestyle factors on conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and skin aging has been widely debated, with varying levels of evidence supporting different interventions. While some nutritional strategies may play a role in optimizing skin health, the challenge lies in d...
Apr 08, 2025•45 min
Discussions around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and their role in public health have gained significant traction in recent years. While some advocate for categorizing and regulating these foods due to their potential negative health effects, others argue that such classifications can oversimplify the issue and detract from more actionable dietary changes. In this episode, Dr. Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and researcher, joins us to explore the complexities of the UPF debate. Rather than ...
Apr 01, 2025•52 min
In the realm of health psychology, our understanding of eating behaviors extends beyond mere physiological hunger cues. Research indicates that factors such as learned associations, cultural influences, and individual perceptions play pivotal roles in shaping our dietary choices. Recognizing this complexity is essential for developing effective dietary interventions that move beyond simplistic recommendations, acknowledging the intricate web of cognitive, emotional, and societal factors at play....
Mar 25, 2025•49 min
Sleep is one of the most critical yet often overlooked components of health, performance, and overall well-being. Poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can disrupt circadian rhythms, impair glucose metabolism, and alter hunger signals, leading to increased food intake, reduced insulin sensitivity, and other undesirable outcomes. In this episode, we bring together expert discussions from some of the leading researchers in sleep science, to explore what defines high-quality sleep, the mechanism...
Mar 18, 2025•22 min
There is research suggesting that industrialization has significantly altered the composition of our gut microbiota, with certain microbial species now absent in many industrialized populations. Given the known associations between gut microbiome diversity and health, researchers have begun investigating whether restoring lost microbial species and adopting dietary patterns similar to those of non-industrialized populations could lead to measurable health benefits. In a newly-published study, th...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Every five years, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are updated based on the latest scientific evidence to help shape national nutrition recommendations. A panel of experts was assembled to review the existing research, evaluate new findings, and provide recommendations that will inform the next edition of the guidelines. One of the committee members involved in this process is Professor Christopher Gardner, a leading nutrition scientist at Stanford University, who joins us to share key insights from ...
Mar 04, 2025•59 min
Understanding the complexities of diet-disease relationships requires a nuanced approach to nutritional science. Unlike other scientific disciplines, nutrition research often grapples with the inherent challenges of studying dietary patterns and nutrient intakes in free-living populations over long periods. The cumulative effects of dietary exposures, combined with the necessity to control for confounding factors such as total energy intake and population-specific dietary habits, highlight the n...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 13 min
This episode focuses on the intersection of nutrition, lifestyle, and women’s health, with a particular emphasis on managing complex conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Registered dietitian Marjorie Nolan Cohn shares insights from over two decades of clinical practice, highlighting the importance of addressing foundational health behaviors—such as adequate sleep, hydration, and nutrient-dense dietary patterns—before introducing targeted interventio...
Feb 18, 2025•41 min
Over the past couple of decades, renowned researcher Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge has uncovered fascinating links between how we sleep and what we eat, revealing how these two lifestyle factors influence energy balance, cardiovascular health, and metabolic function. In this episode we’ll explore Dr. St-Onge’s findings on sleep regularity and its association with reduced mortality risk, providing actionable insights for optimizing your lifestyle. With a focus on combining rigorous methodologies and c...
Feb 11, 2025•41 min
Multivitamin and multimineral supplements have long been a topic of both scientific inquiry and public debate. While they are often marketed as convenient solutions for achieving nutritional adequacy, their true value remains contentious. Are these supplements essential insurance policies against nutrient deficiencies, or are they merely expensive placebos? Importantly, how should we weigh their potential benefits against the lack of robust evidence for long-term health outcomes such as reduced ...
Feb 04, 2025•18 min
While the fitness industry often emphasizes short-term goals such as rapid weight loss or aesthetic improvements, a growing body of evidence highlights the importance of fostering long-term habits for health and wellbeing. Understanding how psychological frameworks intersect with physical health behaviors is key to empowering clients and overcoming the challenges posed by rigid dieting practices or the influence of social media culture. Bodybuilding and fitness culture serve as both a microcosm ...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors represent complex, multifaceted challenges that affect individuals across all demographics, yet they remain widely misunderstood and under-recognized. These issues often extend beyond the stereotypical images associated with eating disorders, touching everything from rigid “clean eating” obsessions to the normalized extremes of diet culture. At the heart of these behaviors lies a disruption in one’s relationship with food, often fueled by societal...
Jan 21, 2025•53 min
In a world flooded with information, discerning fact from fiction in fitness and nutrition has never been more challenging—or more important. The rise of social media and democratized science has given everyone a platform, but not all voices are equal. How do we navigate a landscape where influencers with massive followings wield the same credibility as seasoned experts? Why do pseudoscientific trends gain traction while nuanced evidence gets lost in the noise? In this episode we also dive into ...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 19 min
IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1) has emerged as a hot topic in health and nutrition discussions, often linked to longevity, cancer risk, and metabolic health. On one hand, IGF-1 is essential for growth, repair, and metabolic regulation; on the other, it is sometimes associated with disease processes, including cancer and cognitive decline. For those intrigued by the intersection of nutrition, biomarkers, and disease prevention, IGF-1 offers an opportunity to explore how science grapples with...
Jan 08, 2025•22 min
Fitness pursuits can bring various benefits. However, within the modern fitness industry there is a complex interplay of body image ideals, societal pressures, and disordered eating behaviors. Research continues to illuminate how certain practices and messaging within the industry—such as the overvaluation of leanness or the impact of social media personas—can fuel body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. For fitness coaches and enthusiasts alike, this raises important questions: What defines...
Jan 01, 2025•48 min
Healthspan, healthy ageing, and chronic disease are pivotal topics in today’s health discourse, emphasizing not just the length of life but the quality of those additional years. Focusing on healthspan means striving for a longer period of life free from disease and disability, which is increasingly important as global life expectancies rise. Healthy ageing involves adopting lifestyle habits that promote physical, mental, and social well-being throughout the lifespan, thereby reducing the risk o...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Navigating the complex and often underemphasized requirements of professional standards, legal considerations, and insurance can be challenging for sports nutrition practitioners and personal trainers. Many professionals, especially early in their careers, may overlook or minimize these responsibilities, focusing primarily on the practical and enjoyable aspects of helping clients achieve their goals. However, staying informed and adhering to these standards is not only essential for providing et...
Dec 18, 2024•59 min
Carbohydrate metabolism and metabolic health have become central themes in the science of nutrition, with questions about fuel utilization, the impact of different diets, and the potential of ketone supplements driving new research. As researchers continue to uncover how the body adapts to various energy sources, there are emerging insights into how glucose tolerance, glycogen utilization, and even ketogenic diets influence not only physical performance but also long-term health outcomes. Unders...
Dec 10, 2024•57 min
