Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to PREMIUM Recommended resources Receive Sigma's free email newsletter Learn more about the podcast About This Episode: Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been widely employed in nutrition research to assess dietary intake patterns among study participants. However, debates surrounding the reliability of FFQs have persisted both inside and outside the academic community. These debates primarily revolve around issues related to measurement error, recall ...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Links: Subscribe to Premium Sigma recommended resources Learn more about the podcast About this episode: In 1985 a paper titled “Sick Individuals and Sick Populations” was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The paper, authored by eminent epidemiologist Geoffrey Rose, can be considered as seminal and important because it brilliantly raised the concept of the “prevention paradox” and challenged traditional approaches to public health and preventive medicine. The paper’s insigh...
Sep 26, 2023•18 min
Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to PREMIUM Get our free weekly emails Learn more about Sigma Nutrition Radio About This Episode: The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC) stands as a seminal and pioneering research endeavor within the domain of epidemiology and cancer prevention. Conducted in Finland, the study aimed to examine the potential protective effects of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and beta-carotene supplementation against the occurrence of various cancer t...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Links: Episode page with extra resources Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive our free weekly emails Learn more about Sigma Nutrition Radio About this Episode: The field of circadian biology has long been associated with regulating diurnal physiological processes, notably the sleep-wake cycle. However, recent advances have unveiled a broader role for circadian clocks across various tissues, including skeletal muscle. Within this context, the investigation of circadian clocks within the skeletal muscle m...
Sep 12, 2023•35 min
Links: Go to episode page (with study links & resources) Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive our weekly newsletter More episodes on cholesterol & heart disease About This Episode: The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) was a groundbreaking clinical trial conducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Its main objective was to investigate the relationship between various risk factors and the incidence of heart disease. The study aimed to determine whether modifying risk factors, such as high blo...
Sep 05, 2023•55 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources for this episode) Subscribe to PREMIUM Join the Sigma email newsletter Learn more about Sigma Nutrition Radio About this Episode: One of the most important and influential papers in nutrition science is one by Ancel Keys and his colleagues that was published in The Lancet in 1957. This seminal paper examined the relationship between dietary fat intake and serum cholesterol levels. The researchers investigated how different types of fats in the diet affec...
Aug 29, 2023•59 min
This is a Premium-exclusive episode, so here you'll only hear a preview. In order to listen to the full episode you’ll need to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium . About This Episode: It has been clearly demonstrated that elevated LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), or perhaps more specifically pro-atherogenic lipoproteins, is causal in atherosclerosis development in humans. One crucial concept within this is that the risk relates not only to the magnitude of elevated LDL-C, but the duration of exposure....
Aug 22, 2023•13 min
Links: Resources and info for this episode Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's weekly email newsletter About This Episode: Losing at least 5% of one’s initial body weight is associated with improvements in glycaemic control, blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and other positive outcomes. Due to these reasons, it is typically recommended that individuals classified as overweight or obese should engage in effective weight loss interventions. However, despite the potential for clinically signifi...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Links: Episode Resources Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive our weekly newsletter About This Episode: There has been interest in, and debate about, how protein intake impacts metabolic health, particularly in relation to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk. Recently, there has been interest in higher protein intakes as an intervention in diabetes, owing to a variety of potential mechanisms. For example, the satiety value of protein, the promotion of insulin secretion by protein, and imapcts on...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive our free weekly emails About This Episode: The management of type 2 diabetes has long been a challenge, but a new study conducted by researcher Mark Lyngbaek and his colleagues has the potential to add important considerations to the approach to treatment. Titled the “DOSE-EX” randomized clinical trial, their study uncovers the impact of exercise and weight loss on beta-cell function, a key factor in diabetes progression. DOSE-EX is a four-a...
Aug 01, 2023•58 min
Links: Subscribe to PREMIUM Episode page Receive Sigma emails About this Episode: We've just released a lengthy 'ask me anything' episode, where Dr. Alan Flanagan addressed specific listener questions, over on the Sigma Nutition Premium feed. In this episode, you'll hear one detailed answer from that AMA, in which Alan discusses the concept of "causal risk factors". This is a term that is regularly mentioned on the podcast, and has a very specific and important meaning. This episode will give yo...
Jul 25, 2023•32 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Receive Danny's weekly emails Twitter: @NutritionDanny Subscribe to PREMIUM About This Episode: In the UK, there is a threefold higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in UK African and Caribbean (AfC) communities, compared to the general population. And ethnic inequalities in type 2 diabetes treatment and outcomes have been documented. And so addressing these inequalities is an urgent healthcare priority in the UK. Differences in outcomes relate to physiol...
Jul 18, 2023•51 min
Links: Episode page (with links to resources) Receive Danny's weekly emails Subscribe to PREMIUM About This Episode: The topic of whether hunger and satiety are affected by the time of day has generated considerable interest within the nutrition research community. Researchers have been particularly intrigued by the potential influence of circadian rhythms on caloric intake throughout the day. Initially, a number of studies proposed that consuming high energy intakes in the morning could lead to...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Links: Join notification list for book pre-orders Go to episode page (w/ resources) Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium About This Episode: “Weight cutting” is a common practice in weight-class based sports. And typically, combat sport athletes have reported cutting the largest amounts of weight for competition. The concept of cutting weight is based on the assumption that a size advantage gives a performance advantage in combat sports. And by getting into a lower weight class than their “norma...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Receive Danny's weekly emails Subscribe to PREMIUM Twitter: @NutritionDanny Instagram: @dannylennon_sigma About This Episode: Peaks in blood glucose (or “blood sugar spikes”) are commonly highlighted as something harmful to health. And, of course, an excessively high blood glucose response to a meal can be problematic, or at least indicate there is a problem. However, elevations in blood glucose after eating are a normal physiological response. And “bad...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Links: Go to episode page Receive Danny's weekly emails Subscribe to PREMIUM About This Episode: Menopause is commonly associated with hormonal changes and physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, mood changes, sleep issues, and weight gain. Based on anecdotal reports, another interesting question emerges: what is the potential impact of menopause on appetite? As women undergo this transformative phase, many report fluctuations in their food intake and body weight, raising the question: Does meno...
Jun 20, 2023•45 min
Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's weekly email Twitter: @NutritionDanny Instagram: @dannylennon_sigma About This Episode: Note: This is a Premium-exclusive episode, so in order to listen to the full episode you’ll need to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium . Low-carbohydrate diets come with a list of reported benefits, and research does show benefit for a number of different outcomes. However, many influencers and advocates of low-carb diets routinely add commentar...
Jun 13, 2023•14 min
Links: Episode page with resources Subscribe to PREMIUM MASS Research Review About This Episode: Metabolic adaptation refers to the process by which the body adjusts its metabolism in response to changes in energy intake or body mass. This adjustment can occur in both directions, meaning that the body can increase or decrease its energy expenditure in response to changes in energy intake or body weight. When someone consumes fewer calories than their body requires for energy, the body will respo...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Links: Episode page (with links to studies mentioned) Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's free weekly email About This Episode: The benefits of consuming a higher fiber diet have been consistently demonstrated in nutrition research. Epidemiology clearly shows that higher intakes, compared to lower intakes, leads to a risk reduction for a range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. And based on this epidemiological evidence, most dietary guidelines recommend dietary pat...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's weekly email About This Episode: In the last couple of decades, carbohydrates have experienced an increasing amount of negative campaigning. In general, the main argument is that carbohydrates have been viewed as the root cause for obesity, diabetes and several other diseases including heart disease and behavioral disorders. However, there can often be a lack of appreciation that not all carbohydrates are equal in th...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's free weekly email About This Episode: “Personalized nutrition” has been promoted as an approach that will improve people’s health by prescribing them specific dietary recommendations based on their own genetic and phenotypic data. The premise is that given we each respond differently to foods, having general dietary recommendations may be doing many people a disservice. And by using an array of personal data, it is n...
May 16, 2023•23 min
Links: Go to episode page (with further resources) Subscribe to PREMIUM Get Danny's weekly email, the Sigma Synopsis About This Episode: While it has long been acknowledged that high intakes of saturated fat can increase risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease due to their impact on blood lipids, there are some who question the association between saturated fat and heart disease. Specifically, they may state that the evidence for this association is weak or non-existent, typically by poin...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition PREMIUM Receive Danny's free weekly emails About this Episode: The beneficial impact of a high-fiber diet is something that has been promoted in nutrition for a long period of time. But there remain a variety of interesting questions to researchers, practitioners and the general public alike. How much fiber do we actually need? What are current fiber recommendations based on? What outcomes have the strongest evidence for ben...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's free weekly email Description: Blood glucose responses play a crucial role in maintaining good health, and any abnormalities in glucose regulation can lead to several chronic conditions. Diabetes is one such disease that results from a lack of insulin production or the body’s inability to use insulin effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels. There has been debate about what exactly constitues a “healthy” and “unhealthy” ...
Apr 25, 2023•51 min
Links: Go to episode page (w/ resources) Get Danny's weekly emails Subscibe to Premium Description: Understanding the concept of an “exposure” is a critical aspect to nutrition science literacy. The ‘exposure of interest’ refers to the variable or factor that is being studied to determine its relationship with a particular health outcome. For example, in a study examining the relationship between diet and heart disease, the exposure of interest may be a particular nutrient or food group, such as...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Links: Episode page with related links Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Receive Danny's free weekly email Description: Substantial evidence shows that a high intake of saturated fat in the diet has the potential to significantly raise LDL-C and ApoB-containing lipoproteins in many people, and in turn increase their risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, people may raise what seems to some contradictory evidence, or what is sometimes thought of as a parado...
Apr 11, 2023•22 min
Links: Go to episode page (with resources) Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Receive our free weekly emails Introduction: Discordance between low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL-p) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) occurs when the levels of these two biomarkers do not match up as expected. Discordance between Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is similar, except rather than counting just LDL particles, ApoB is a measure of the numbers of li...
Apr 04, 2023•54 min
Links: Go to episode page (w/ resources) Subscribe to PREMIUM Receive Danny's free weekly email Description: Fructose is a type of sugar that is commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and many processed foods. In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion and debate about the impact of fructose on health, with some claiming that it is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. However, these claims are often at odds with what the scientific literature actually say...
Mar 28, 2023•52 min
Links: Go to episode page Subscribe to Premium Sign-up for our free weekly email: The Sigma Synopsis Description: The idea of food addiction has gained a lot of attention in recent years, as obesity rates continue to rise around the world. Many people struggle with overeating and find it difficult to resist certain foods, leading to a cycle of guilt and shame. The concept of food addiction suggests that there may be a biological explanation for this behavior, and that certain foods may be especi...
Mar 22, 2023•56 min
Questions Answered in this AMA [00:03:01] Mechanisms that keeps weight stable over time? [00:11:52] Semaglutide: Game-changer? Weight regain? [00:30:42] How to further lower LDL-C? Can I avoid statins? [00:43:52] Glyphosate: A cause for concern in food? [00:48:30] High caffeine intake is making me sweat more. What’s going on? [00:55:16] Should I avoid non-organic meat? [01:00:08] Is there evidence on iron and zinc co-ingestion for anemia of prematurity? [01:03:09] “Carni-nutrients”: Can vegan di...
Mar 17, 2023•27 min
