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iHeartRadioGot zinc? Foods, functions and deficiencies
Zinc is an essential mineral which is needed for the proper growth and maintenance of our body. It is a key factor in helping hundreds of enzymes work and is needed for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function and much more. While rare, zinc deficiency in a country like Australia can occur and there are certain groups particularly at risk. In this podcast, I’ll outline the key roles of zinc, what the consequences of deficiency are and give you suggestions on the best food sources and supplemental forms of zinc.
Links referred to in the podcast
Zinc and the common cold
Breastfeeding and the infant microbiome
Tracking diet trends with Google Trends
Diets are like clothing fashion trends: they come into and out of style. And if you wait long enough: back into style again. One of my favourite pop culture research tools is Google trends. Google trends keeps a global finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of nutrition and diets. And tracks this over time based on the popularity of search terms. Now a research team has mined this wealth of data to produce a snapshot of the ever-changing diet trends with some surprising results.
Links referred to in the podcast
Popularity of diets using Google Trends data
Popular diets compared
Diet and association with cancer mortality and cancer recurrence
My top nutrition myths
Can a slow metabolism be blamed for most people’s weight gain? Is celery a negative calorie food? Does microwaving food destroy nutrients? The answer to all of the questions I just posed is ‘no’. Welcome to the world of nutrition myths. Nutrition is a field where someone can be seen by the public as an ‘expert’ simply because of the way they eat and the benefits it has had for them. So, is it any wonder that nutrition is also an area that is ripe for the propagation of all manner of myths and falsehoods? Some of these myths are born from a base of science, but as science advances, these myths should be called out for what they are. In this podcast, I’ll go over some of the more popular myths I’ve come across and explain where the truth really lies.
Links referred to in the podcast
Review on exercise and food intake
Perceived healthiness of a food and amount eaten
How what you eat affects your mental health
You are what you eat, but when it comes to your mental health, what you eat can have a profound impact on your mood and how you feel. Welcome to the rapidly moving world of nutritional psychiatry which is uncovering the key links between diet and mental health. And it could just be that it is our gut microbes, through acting as psychobiotics, that are the stars of the show here, so long as they are kept fed well.
Links referred to in the podcast
Fruits and vegetables consumption and life satisfaction
Nutrition intervention in depression: the SMILES study
Nutrition intervention in young people with depression
Meta-analysis of diet in depression and anxiety
Meta-analysis of fish oil and depression
Meta-analysis of fish oil and anxiety
Meta-analysis of vitamin D in depression
Why antioxidants in food are overrated
Antioxidants. They’re a food marketer’s dream. With promises of helping to keep your waistline slim, your heart healthy, and your brain sharp, is there anything these wonder molecules can’t do? Blueberries, dark chocolate, green tea and whatever happens to be trendy in the juice bar scene makes for a great reason to eat something delicious that can also be good for your health. But the time of antioxidants has come and gone. Nutrition science has moved on and now promotes the benefits that thousands of other natural chemicals found in foods can have – most with nothing to do with their antioxidant activity. In my latest podcast, I outline the role antioxidants play in the body and explain why food is much more than antioxidants when it comes to health.
Links referred to in the podcast
Antioxidants in the prevention of cancer: meta-analysis
Shift work and the risk of obesity
Magnesium: foods, functions and supplemental forms
Magnesium. It is a key mineral in our body and needed for more than 300 different chemical reactions. It is also essential for muscle contractions and nerve transmission while also keeping your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong. In this podcast, I’ll outline the key functions of magnesium as well as cover the different health conditions where magnesium is thought to play a role such as heart disease and high blood pressure, diabetes, muscle cramping and poor sleep quality. And then I’ll look at the main food sources of magnesium and critique the merits of the many different supplemental forms of magnesium.
Links referred to in the podcast
Cochrane review of magnesium and muscle cramps
Magnesium L-threonate in people with Alzheimer’s disease
Cooking skills in young adults and later life diet behaviours
Are raw food diet claims overcooked?
Eating only raw foods has emerged as a popular dietary trend. Proclaiming an emotive health message, it is enough to make you think twice before next adding heat to your food. But fear not because on the scales of health, there is little to tip the balance in either direction. In this podcast, I look at the claims made about raw food diets and put these into context for the many health benefits that cooking food offers.
Links referred to in the podcast
USDA Nutrient Retention Database
Review of cooked and raw vegetable consumption and cancer risk
Study on how cooking preserves antioxidant content of foods
Early life eating habits
Sports supplements essentials: beta-alanine
The sports supplement market is big business, but the reality is that most of these supplements have little evidence for a benefit. It is not all negative news though because there is a small group of supplements that are backed by science and which can play a performance-enhancing role in some athletes. In this series on sports supplements, I will profile this group of supplements and for this podcast, the spotlight is on beta-alanine.
Links referred to in the podcast
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
Sports Dietitians Australia
Sports supplements essentials: sodium bicarbonate
The sports supplement market is big business, but the reality is that most of these supplements have little evidence for a benefit. It is not all negative news though because there is a small group of supplements that are backed by science and which can play a performance-enhancing role in some athletes. In this series on sports supplements, I will profile this group of supplements and for this podcast, the spotlight is on sodium bicarbonate.
Links referred to in the podcast
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
Sports Dietitians Australia
Sports supplements essentials: beetroot juice
The sports supplement market is big business, but the reality is that most of these supplements have little evidence for a benefit. It is not all negative news though as there is a small group of supplements that are backed by science and which can play a performance-enhancing role in some athletes. In this series on sports supplements, I will profile this group of supplements and for this podcast, the spotlight is on beetroot juice.
Links referred to in the podcast
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
Sports Dietitians Australia
Sports supplements essentials: caffeine
The sports supplement market is big business, but the reality is that most of these supplements have little evidence for a benefit. It is not all negative news though as there is a small group of supplements that are backed by science and which can play a performance-enhancing role in some athletes. In this series on sports supplements, I will profile this group of supplements and for this podcast, the spotlight is on caffeine.
Links referred to in the podcast
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
Sports Dietitians Australia
Sports supplements essentials: creatine
The sports supplement market is big business. And it is no wonder that athletes gravitate to the pills, powders and potions on the market for the promises they make of enhancing training and race day performance and allowing them to get the jump on their competitors. The reality is that most of these supplements have little evidence for a benefit. It is not all negative news though as there is a small group of supplements that are backed by science and which can play a performance-enhancing role in some athletes. In this series on sports supplements, I will profile this group of supplements and for this podcast, the spotlight is on creatine.
Links referred to in the podcast
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete
Sports Dietitians Australia
Water, water everywhere
How much water do you really need, and is possible to drink too much? In this podcast, I explain why the advice to drink ‘8 glasses of water each day’ is a myth that needs to be busted. And then I’ll outline that while even though it is very rare, it is possible for a healthy person to drink too much water with the consequences of this being potentially life-threatening. So, endurance athletes take note, this could apply to you.
Links referred to in the podcast
Hyponatraemia in marathon runners
Frozen fruits and vegetables and diet quality
Your guide to vitamin C
Vitamin C is a vital nutrient for health. It is central in the functioning of the immune system and building strong bones, skin, and blood vessels. Yet despite vitamin C being abundant in fruits and vegetables, it is also one of the most popular supplements taken, despite widespread deficiency in the population not being an issue. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at the roles of vitamin C and uncover the evidence for some of the many health claims made about it.
Links referred to in the podcast
Cochrane review of vitamin C and the common cold
Eating speed, weight gain and metabolic syndrome
Reasons to love your legumes
Want to know what the one food that is truly deserving of the title ‘superfood’ is? It is legumes. Packed with nutrients, offering a host of health benefits and good for the environment too, you’ve probably been overlooking these foods for years. It is time to give them another look. Oh, and they also store really well, making them ideal doomsday prepping foods which is on-trend in today’s times. In this podcast, I’ll talk about the foods that make up the legume family, uncover those health benefits and give you tips on how you can get more of them in your diet.
Links referred to in the podcast
Legumes and heart disease risk meta-analysis
Legumes and body weight meta-analysis
Legumes and blood pressure meta-analysis
Posture and food perception
Drink tea and carry on
People all over the world have been drinking tea for centuries, and for good reason. A growing field of research has shown that tea has a role to play in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. And on top of that, a good cup of tea has a real calming and relaxing effect – just what we need in these stressful times. So put the kettle on, sit back, and relax, as I explore in this latest podcast the health benefits of tea.
Links referred to in the podcast
Tea and risk of type 2 diabetes meta-analysis
Green tea and cancer prevention review
Green tea and weight loss review
Tea and risk of depression meta-analysis
Blueberries and heart health
Shedding light on vitamin D and your immune system
Vitamin D is well-known for its role in building strong bones. But increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems. Serving a dual role as both a hormone and a vitamin, it is the sun that is the main source of vitamin D with few foods being reliable sources of it. In this podcast, I outline the key roles played by vitamin D, profile the growing number of health areas linked to it especially as it relates to immunity, and discuss how you can keep your vitamin D levels up. That last point is especially important in today’s times with self-isolation now trending as 2020’s word of the year.
Links referred to in the podcast
Vitamin D supplementation and acute respiratory infections
Gratitude and healthy eating
All things sweet: sugar and your health
Sugar. We eat too much of it, but how worried should you be about what it is doing to your health? While there can be considerable debate in many areas of nutrition science, along with conflicting recommendations on what we should eat, sugar is one food that everyone unites on in acknowledging that we eat too much of it. In this podcast, I explore the different ways that added sugar can sneak into food, explore the truths (and lies) about some of the health claims made about it, and give you tips on how to eat less of it – all with no ‘12-week sugar detox program’ needed.
Links referred to in the podcast
Sugar and body weight meta-analysis
Sugar and hyperactivity in kids meta-analysis
Whole fruit and energy intake
The science of soy: health, harms and hyperbole
Soy. It’s one of the most polarising of foods. A casual search of the Internet will uncover first one article lauding it for its health benefits, while the next article will class it as food of the devil with eaters of it condemned to a hell of hormone-related disease. To help you make sense of the conflicting messages about soy, I’ll dig deeper into some of the key health areas linked to eating soy foods. And then I’ll clarify just how much credence you should give to both the health claims and the health alarms about it.
Links referred to in the podcast
Umbrella review of soy and isoflavones consumption and health
Meta-analysis of soy and cardiovascular disease
Effect of soy on reproductive hormones in men
Effect of soy on thyroid function
Soy-based infant formula
Diet and cancer risk
Do you need that protein supplement?
The protein powder supplement market is big business. Popular in the world of sport where muscle growth is a priority, the marketplace is dominated by glossy pictures of cut models and an ever-expanding list of claims for how these products will pack on the muscle. So, do the bros at the gym have it right in that you need these supplements if you’re serious about the gainz, or could plain old boring ‘food’ do the same job? In this podcast, I dig deeper into the world of protein and muscle growth and see what the research says about protein supplements and then put this into context for what it means for the typical sportsperson.
Links referred to in the podcast
Review and meta-analysis of protein supplementation and muscle growth
Review of nutrient timing in exercise
Soy protein supplementation in resistance training
Pea protein supplementation in resistance training
Vegetarian versus omnivore athletes
Diet intervention in young adults with depression
Got iron? Foods, functions and insufficiencies
Iron. It’s one of our most important essential minerals and sits at the heart of oxygen transport and energy metabolism in the body. In this podcast, I put the spotlight on iron, outline its key functions and explore the food factors that control how much of it we absorb. Because iron deficiency ranks as one of the world’s most common nutritional disorders, I go into detail of the consequences of this, how deficiency is tested for and importantly, how it can be managed with diet and supplements.
Links referred to in the podcast
Iron status in vegetarians
MJA review of iron and vegetarian diets
Feeding vegetables to fussy eaters
Eating for two: you and your gut bacteria
There is nothing bigger in the world of nutrition and health at the moment than the gut microbiota. With potential far-reaching health implications, one of the best ways to keep your gut microbes happy is to feed them well. In this podcast, I look at some of the health areas being linked to the gut microbiota. And then explore in greater depth one area, which is that of body weight regulation as the focus for this episode. And then I’ll drill down into letting you know the types of foods and nutrients that feed your gut microbes best.
Links referred to in the podcast
Pilot study of faecal transplants in obesity
Probiotic supplementation and weight loss
Change in microbiota with diet changes in African Americans
Rapid changes in microbiota with diet changes
How fermented foods benefit your health
Fermented foods are a hot food trend right now. But it has been an overnight success thousands of years in the making. In this first part of an ongoing series theme on all things gut health, gut bacteria and the gut microbiome, I explore the world of fermented foods, describe the popular ones and most importantly: look at what science has to say about their health benefits.
Links referred to in the podcast
Sauerkraut and IBS
Kimchi and blood lipids
Kefir and health benefits review
Sourdough bread and gut discomfort
Association between gut microbiota and personality
Dairy and bone health review 2018
Dairy and bone health review 2019
Coffee and its surprising health benefits
Coffee. For some, it is deserving of its own essential food group. But is coffee more than just a way to achieve functioning human capacity first thing in the morning? You may have seen media headlines in the past warning about health risks of coffee. But now that the science has matured, coffee turns out to be one of the most surprisingly positive health stories of recent years. Forget about the latest superfood trend, coffee is where it is at. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at those health benefits and give you the validation you’ve been seeking to justify your caffeine habit.
Links referred to in the podcast
Review of coffee and health
Caffeine use in Parkinson’s disease
Sports Dietitians Australia fact sheet on caffeine
Caffeine and the risk of miscarriage
Intermittent fasting in sport
Blue Zones: secrets of the world’s long-lived
What’s the secret to a long, healthy life? The answer here does not lie in exotic Himalayan berries, green smoothies, or jumping on the latest fad diet bandwagon. Instead, take a step back and learn from the habits of those in the world who already have the answer. Called ‘Blue Zones’, these are areas in the world where more people enjoy remarkably longer, healthier lives than anywhere else on the planet. In this podcast episode, I’ll outline their key health habits and of course bring in what science has to say about it and then put it practical terms for how to implement this in your own life.
Links referred to in the podcast
Fruits, vegetables and happiness
Diet and telomere length
The user’s guide to intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is currently one of the world’s most popular health trends. Characterised by alternating periods of food absence followed by periods of normal eating, promoters of intermittent fasting claim that it is the ‘metabolic key’ to unlocking weight loss, reducing inflammation, cutting the risk of diabetes and heart disease and maybe….even extending your life. This show covers what intermittent fasting is, how to do it, and what the evidence says about that long list of health claims.
Links referred to in the podcast
Intermittent fasting vs traditional dieting for weight loss
Review of the effects of intermittent fasting on health, ageing and disease
Fasting during cancer treatment
Children’s food choices after watching a healthy cooking show
Making sense of nutrition confusion
If you want to be less confused about just how to make sense of conflicting nutrition messages that you hear about each day then you’ve come to the right place. In this podcast, I’ll unpack what makes nutrition appear to be such a confusing area. But importantly, I’ll help set you straight in knowing how to make sense of it all.
Links referred to in the podcast
Industry conflict of interest in research
Review of dietary patterns and health
Avocado and oxidised LDL clinical trial