With the advances in understanding the importance of the gut (including its bacterial contents) for human health, much interest and attention has been placed on how to eat to promote positive ‘gut health’. This has led to many exciting research questions and labs doing fascinating work. However, on the opposite side, it has led to a spike in opportunistic quacks to jump on the wave of enthusiasm and promote diets, supplements, testing kits and products that don’t reflect the current evidence bas...
Aug 16, 2022•54 min
A study published in March 2022 suggested that consumption of artificial (non-nutritive) sweeteners is associated with a 13% increase in risk of cancer. And so in this episode, Dr. Alan Flanagan, Dr. Niamh Aspell, and Danny Lennon discuss this specific study and give their thoughts on what are fair conclusions to come to. Access show notes here Subscribe to Premium here...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 5 min
While we’ve never known more about diet and health, there remain many unanswered questions in nutrition science. However, there is often disagreements on how best to answer these questions, particularly in relation to informing practical diet advise that meaningfully improves health. Prof. Norman Temple is one academic who has written on a number of these issues. One issue he highlights is the large discrepency in the practical value we have attained from cohort studies and RCTs, relative to mec...
Aug 02, 2022•50 min
A recent study reported a higher risk of developing melanoma in people who ate a relatively high intake of fish. This study caused headlines and it was picked up by many outlets (including the New York Times, Sky News, etc.). In this episode, Alan and Danny dig into the nuances of this study to see if the headlines are justified. Click here for show notes Click here for Premium...
Jul 26, 2022•59 min
This is an “ask me anything” (AMA) episode, which means a world-class expert and past podcast guest comes on the podcast to answer questions submitted by you, our podcast listeners. Stephan Guyenet spent 12 years in academia studying neurodegenerative disease and obesity neuroscience. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Univeristy of Washington, studying the neuroscience of obesity and eating behavior. Previous to that he completed a PhD in neuroscience. Stephan is the author of the popular and ...
Jul 19, 2022•17 min
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800’s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Climate change has the potential to negatively impact the nutrient value of plants, soil organisms, food stuffs, via a variety of ways. Climate change puts food supplies at risk. Floods, droughts, m...
Jul 13, 2022•1 hr 14 min
When it comes to specific questions related to diet and health for women, there is often a shortage of consensus answers from research, for a variety of reasons. In addition, there are clearly aspects of biological sex that have implications for health and also the interaction with diet. For example, the impact of the menstural cycle, of menopause, and differences in nutrient requirements. In this episode, Dr. Hazel Wallace discusses some of these key considerations. Some things covered include:...
Jul 07, 2022•55 min
This is a preview of the second episode in a new series called “Nutrition Science Explained”, in which members of the Sigma team will take a concept commonly mentioned in discussions about nutrition science, and explain what it is, give more background context, and highlight important aspects to know. The goal is to aid listeners to have a deeper understanding of other episodes when such concepts are mentioned. In this episode Alan Flanagan discusses the concept of the GRADE system, and specifia...
Jul 04, 2022•8 min
Folate (also known as viatmin B9) actually relates to a collection of folates; both natural dietary folates and synthetic forms, primarily folic acid. This folate/folic acid that is consumed via the diet or supplementation is a precursor for the formation of tetrahydrofolate (THF), which is a carbon donor and acts a cofactor for a number of enzymes that play important roles in several processes. In this episode, Alan and Danny discuss the role of folate in the methlyation cycle, the impact of fo...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr 13 min
A recently published study by Klatt and colleagues examined the impact of choline supplementation alongside DHA supplementation, versus DHA supplementation alone, on DHA status in pregnancy. It is known that DHA is a critical nutrient at this time for healthy development of the child. And through a number of mechanisms discussed later, it has been hypothesized that choline could lead to greater DHA status. We discuss: What is the connection between choline and DHA? What is the PEMT pathway? Stud...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min
In this episode Alan and Danny aim to address the idea that you shouldn’t eat vegetables, or that they aren’t beneficial. We will specifically look at a number of claims that relate to: The claim that vegetables aren’t beneficial for health, or that there is no health benefit to high vegetable intake. The claim that vegetables are actually detrimental to health, and their removal improves health. This episode was orignally published to Sigma Nutrition Premium. If you wish to get more of these Qu...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 36 min
This is an "ask me anything" (AMA) episode, with Prof. Stuart Phillips of McMaster University. Prof. Phillips takes questions on protein intake, sources, muscle function, and healthy ageing. To listen to the full AMA, click here to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium. Questions answered: [04.28] What is muscle protein balance? [05.32] Why is the focus always on muscle protein synthesis? [07.14] Is MPS a good proxy measure for outcomes we care about (e.g. muscle growth/repair)? [10.37] What's th...
Jun 13, 2022•18 min
Consuming a healthy diet during pregnancy is an obvious and accepted recommedation. However, what exactly is a "healthy diet" in this context? In addition, there are specific nutrients which are crucial for the healthy development of the child, including nutrients which may be difficult to consume enough of. In addition there are nutrients and foods that need to limited or avoided during this period. In this episode, researcher and dietitian Dr. Julie Abayomi discusses important nutrients in pre...
Jun 07, 2022•55 min
It has become common rhetoric for those promoting various types of diets to suggest that dietary guidelines published by government departments are at best, unhealthy, or at worst, causative in driving obesity and chronic disease in the population. While different countries and organizations produce their own guidelines, with slight differences, most of the conversation has focused on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that are created by the USDA. Often the claims is that following these gui...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 14 min
There have been many claims made about the benefits of a detoxification "protocol" or "plan", based on specific dietary and supplemental regimens. Many of the arguments propose that many things we come into contact with are toxins and they can accumulate and compound in effect over time, causing a range of issues. Therefore, by removing these toxins (via a “detoxification protocol”), we can have better health. And indeed it is well known that there are a large number of toxins in the environment...
May 26, 2022•16 min
With elevated LDL-cholesterol being a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease, having interventions to lower blood lipids, and in particular LDL-C, are crucial for population health. A number of drugs are now incredibly effective for this, with statins being the most widely used. However, for those who do not wish to take a medication and/or have only a mild elevation, there may be potential for dietary intervention to lower LDL-C to a point where a statin (or other drug) is not nee...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Some cognitive decline is normal with age. However, more significant cognitive decline is primarily due to disease-induced dementias (such as Alzheimer’s Disease). It also results from neurodegenerative disorders and chronic, prolonged degeneration of our neuronal pathways and functions. Drug discovery for dementias have been largely unsuccessful, leaving no good treatments for this collection of diseases. This had led to research examining areas that may aid in preventing (or more accurately, s...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 54 min
The issue of genetic enginnering in the food system is one that is often charged with emotion and strong opinion. Indeed, there has been much concern voiced over the years about the potential harms to both human health and the environment of genetically-modified (or more accurately, genetically-engineered) crops. Some concern takes the form of outright hysteria, while other concerns are more nuanced and subtle. Among these concerns, which have good evidence to support them? What regulation is cu...
May 10, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder stimulated by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye. The condition affects approximately 1% of the Western world. However, currently the only approved treatment for coeliac disease is adherence to a gluten-free diet for life. Therefore there is much research underway to develop alternative treatment options that may help these patients. One novel antigen-focused therapy that has been hypothesised is the use of plant ...
May 03, 2022•39 min
Current discussions relating to health focus on longevity. This may include some who look at lifespan extension, some who talk of delaying or “treating” ageing or those who focus on reducing morbidity within the parameters of normal lifespan. One propsed intervention that has garnered a lot of excitement, owing to some interesting research, is the potential use of fasting to increase longevity and/or healthspan. Within this broad category, various different dietary interventions have been sugges...
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 26 min
While dietary guidelines universally include fish as a food group that can be consumed regularly in a healthy dietary pattern, there are some potential risks of fish consumption that get raised. Some have some legitimacy, for example the frequency of consumption of high-mercury fish. However, other claims can go to extremes ("eating fish is bad for you") that are based in ideology rather than evidence. In this Quack Asylum episode, we use a video made by a medical doctor as an example of where q...
Apr 19, 2022•16 min
Many different diets have been put forward as solutions that treat type 2 diabetes. Some will claim the diet “reverses” diabetes, some say it puts it into “remission”, while others more conservatively recommend a diet to manage diabetes symptoms in a healthy way. There has been some debate on the use of terms like reversal, cure or resolution. And recently more clarity has been found in defining each. One of the diets that has been recommended by some for the purposes of “reversing” or treating ...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 12 min
The relationship between our diet and sleep is bi-directional; i.e. sleep impacts diet and diet impacts sleep. Therefore, we can examine the impact of sleep timing, duration and other dimensions on our dietary intake. And then also examine the impat of both overall diet and specific nutrients on improving/worsening sleep. The is clear evidence of distinct, acute effects of restricted sleep time on food preferences, eating behaviour, energy intake, and our underlying metabolic physiology. When it...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 43 min
Omega-3 fatty acids have long been associated with various health outcomes. A type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in various plant foods such as flax seeds or chia seeds. Other omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found typically in marine food sources such as oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel) and algae. And while higher intakes of such foods have shown benefit, there has been some confusion over the benefit of such nutrients...
Mar 30, 2022•59 min
There is now widespread use of various "artificial sweeteners" in foods and beverages. Most commonly non-nutritive sweeteners are used to sweeten a products, whilst having less sugar and calories than a traditionally sugar-sweetened version of that product. For example, diet drinks (e.g. diet soda) are most commonly associated with artificial sweeteners. However, they are also in a wide variety of food products and supplements. For a long-time there has been skepticism and alarm raised about the...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 24 min
In this Premium episode Alan and Danny aim to address the idea that you shouldn’t eat vegetables, or that they aren’t beneficial. Two related ideas have been circulated in some nutrition/health communities on the internet: Vegetables aren’t beneficial for health (or that there is no health benefit to high vegetable intake). Vegetables are actually detrimental to health, and their removal improves health. Such advice is usually defended through some combination of the following claims, which we e...
Mar 17, 2022•21 min
Click here to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium The popularity of soy foods and soy-based products has been increasing in recent times. This has been particularly the case as a dairy alternative, with people switching to using soy ‘milk’ and soy-based yogurts and cheese. Additionally, soy has become popular as a meat alternative in a variety of dishes for those looking to reduce meat intake. Soy foods such as tofu can be used in recipes in place of meat, and soy-based ‘meat alternatives’ that...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Click here to subscribe to Premium The pathogenesis of obesity is clearly complex. And the need to have a comprehensive model to explain this pathogenesis is important. One such model, termed the Energy Balance Model , has largely been the consensus paradigm of obesity scientists to this point. Specifically, a recently published paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Dr. Kevin Hall and his colleagues outlined the various nuances of the model, as well as common misconceptions abou...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 47 min
Click here to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Clearly the food choices one makes over time directly impacts health. However, choices are not made in a vacuum; that is, they are not always concious decisions made for rational reasons based on free will. Rather, the choices we make about food are shaped by the contexts within which they are made. The term "food environment" is used to describe the physical, economic, political and socio-cultural contexts in which choices are made about acquir...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 29 min
Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium : https://sigmanutrition.com/premium/ You love listening to, and learning from, nutrition podcasts. Sigma Nutrition Premium allows you to more effectively do that. Understand topics more deeply Retain more of what you hear Recall specific details long after listening Study nutrition science in an enjoyable way As a Premium subscriber you get exclusive access to: Detailed Study Notes ‘Key Ideas’ Segments Hand-crafted Transcripts Premium-only Episodes Subscribe...
Feb 28, 2022•28 min
