Thinking Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

Do multivitamins make you healthier? Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

Multivitamin supplements are big business. Pharmacy and supermarket shelves groan under the weight of choice available to us. So, if you’re serious about your health, should you be taking one of these even if it is just as an insurance policy for a less-than-perfect diet? While multivitamins won't boost your health as much as what people believe, they do have the potential to be useful for certain groups of people. In my latest podcast, I investigate the evidence for any health benefits of multivitamins and then tell you for which people they could prove useful and for whom they really are just a waste of money.

Links referred to in the podcast

Review of multivitamin supplementation and cardiovascular disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29991644
Review of multivitamin supplementation and chronic disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24941429
Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand https://www.nrv.gov.au

Episode transcript
To access the full episode transcript, go to the following link and select the individual podcast episode and then click on the ‘Transcript’ tab https://thinkingnutrition.buzzsprout.com

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Five ways to cut your risk of bowel cancer Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Bowel cancer (also called colon or colorectal cancer) ranks as one of Australia’s most common cancers, especially for people aged over 50. This is one form of cancer where diet and lifestyle choices play a big part in changing a person’s risk of developing it. That actually makes it a good news story because lifestyle factors are changeable. In this podcast, I’ll outline the key lifestyle habits to consider looking at that could lower your risk of bowel cancer.

Links referred to in the podcast

WCRF information on diet, nutrition and physical activity and bowel cancer risk https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-types/bowel-cancer
WCRF update report on lifestyle factors and bowel cancer risk https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Colorectal-cancer-report.pdf
Meta-analysis of central adiposity and all-cause mortality https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3324

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Is it better to exercise fasted or fed? Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

To exercise fasted or fed? It’s a controversial topic with strong views coming from both camps. For those promoting weight loss, exercising fasted is often an essential criterion to ensure the most ‘fat burning’ possible. Then there is the opposing argument that you want to be well-fuelled before activity to help power the length and duration of your exercise. As with most things in nutrition, the simple logic of both camps falls down when you take into account the complexity of physiology and psychology of us as human beings. In this podcast, I’ll look at the fasted versus fed exercise debate.

Links referred to in the podcast

Meta-analysis of fasted vs fed exercise on weight loss and boy composition https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/2/4/43
Meta-analysis of fasted vs fed exercise and performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29315892
Intermittent fasting and its effects on athletic performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31283627

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How useful is body mass index (BMI)? Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

Carrying too much weight is linked to poorer health. But just how much weight is too much? Body fat can be measured in several different ways, with each method having its own pros and cons. Body mass index or BMI is by far the most common one as it only relies on knowing your height and weight. But with that simplicity comes flaws as those easy results can sometimes be misleading, which is why the widespread use of BMI is troubling. In this podcast, I’ll look at the different ways that body fat assessment can be made and explain why you should take any BMI label it may give you with a grain of salt.

Links referred to in the podcast

BMI calculator https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/tools/body-mass-index-calculator-for-adult
Diagnostic performance of BMI to detect obesity https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20125098

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Is cinnamon a super spice for blood sugar control? Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Cinnamon is a spice that has been used around the world for thousands of years. It is far more than a food accompaniment. It’s the use of cinnamon as a medicinal agent that has scientists interested because of unique compounds found in cinnamon that appear to offer some unique health benefits. In this podcast, I’ll look at those health benefits with the spotlight firmly placed on how cinnamon may help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under better control.

Links referred to in the podcast

Meta-analysis of cinnamon and blood glucose control (2012) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22579946
Meta-analysis of cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes (2013) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24019277
Meta-analysis of cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes (2019) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30935562
Meta-analysis of cinnamon and weight loss trials https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30799194

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Chocolate and its many health benefits Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Chocolate. It’s sweet, it’s tasty, we desire it and crave it. It is a food that brings immense pleasure and enjoyment. And in case you were looking for any more valid reasons to eat it, scientific research now confirms that it can be good for you. In this podcast, you’ll learn about the heart, exercise and brain health benefits of chocolate.

Links referred to in the podcast

Meta-analysis of chocolate and cardiovascular disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30061161
Dark chocolate and exercise performance http://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0106-7
Dark chocolate and mental health https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/8/2445/htm
Cocoa and cognitive function https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22892813

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Detox diets: their pros and cons Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Detox or liver cleansing diets have been around for many years. With astonishing claims of rapid and easy weight loss, improved health, and more energy, they offer the ultimate quick fix to get you healthy again. In this podcast, I will give you the essential guide to detox diets, look at the claims made versus the reality and outline my list of pros and cons for anyone considering going on a cleanse.

Links referred to in the podcast

Review of the evidence for detox diets https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jhn.12286
Choice review of detox diets https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/diet-and-fitness/weight-loss/articles/do-detox-products-work

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The perils of highly processed foods Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

"Just cut out processed foods if you want to be healthy". It’s an easy throw-away line loved by nutrition wellness influencers on social media, but such advice shows naivety for what happens to food in its journey to our plate. Almost everything you eat to some extent has been processed, and not all processed foods are bad for the body. Now nutrition researchers are better defining the world of processed foods and here, it is the new term of ‘ultra-processed foods’ that you will be seeing used more in the future. In this podcast, I look at what defines an ultra-processed food and explain how they are now recognised for the unhealthy addition they make to your diet.

Links referred to in the podcast

NOVA classification system http://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf
Ultra-processed foods and obesity https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194406
Ultra-processed foods, health and mortality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31623843
Clinical trial of ultra-processed foods and weight gain https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105044

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This is your brain on blueberries Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

What’s blue, round, sweet, grows on a bush and can boost your brainpower? If you answered blueberries, you would be right. Or that should be: ‘mostly right’. The ‘brain-boosting’ part needs a bit more science to catch up to the headlines, but it is looking promising that blueberries may be one food worthy of the ‘superfood’ title. In this podcast, I’ll look at the science behind how blueberries can help keep your brain healthy and functioning well throughout life.

Links referred to in the podcast

Clinical trial of blueberries and brain function https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28249119
Berries and cardiovascular disease risk factors: meta-analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4804301
Frozen versus fresh blueberries https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1082901
Fish oil and rheumatoid arthritis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606571

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Treating IBS with diet and supplements: what does the evidence say? Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints. Characterised by abdominal pain and bloating and alternating periods of diarrhoea and constipation, this chronic condition can go on to cause anxiety, depression and severely affect the quality of life of a person suffering from it. With no one single identified trigger or treatment, IBS can be a minefield for a person to try and get on top of. Diet changes are one area that can have a positive impact on IBS and in this podcast, I look at the evidence for different approaches from supplements such as peppermint oil right through to the very promising research on low-FODMAP diets.

Links referred to in the podcast