Thinking Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

How beetroot juice lowers blood pressure and improves sports performance Jun 14, 2022

Show notes

Nitrates are inorganic compounds found in many vegetables such as spinach, celery, radishes, and lettuce, but beetroot is one of the highest sources. Nitrate contributes to the production of nitric oxide, which has an important role to play in immune function as well as regulating the tone of blood vessels which impacts blood pressure. In this podcast, I look at the evidence for using nitrate-rich beetroot juice to treat high blood pressure as well as its role as a supplement to improve athletic performance.

Links referred to in the podcast

Nitrates from beetroot juice and effect on hypertension https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35369064
IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/7/439

Episode transcript
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Managing IBS with the low-FODMAP diet and probiotics May 31, 2022

Show notes

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints. 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’ll look at the current evidence for different approaches with a focus on the popular low-FODMAP diet as well as probiotic supplements.

Links referred to in the podcast

Low-FODMAP diet and IBS review 2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30046155
Low-FODMAP diet and probiotics in IBS review 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35355730

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Will magnesium help you sleep better? May 17, 2022

Show notes

Magnesium is a key mineral that is essential for muscle contractions and nerve transmission while also keeping your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong. Of the many health conditions linked to magnesium, it is poor sleep quality that often comes up as a reason to take magnesium supplements. In this podcast, I’ll look at the latest evidence for magnesium and sleep. And then I’ll profile the main food sources of magnesium and critique the merits of the many different supplemental forms of magnesium.

Links referred to in the podcast

Systematic review of magnesium and sleep quality https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35184264

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Caffeine and resistance exercise: how much do you need? May 03, 2022

Show notes

Caffeine is a popular go-to supplement for many athletes. And for good reason. Not only is it the key component of one of the world’s most widely used legal drugs – I’m talking about coffee here people – it is also a sports supplement that is well supported by scientific evidence. Caffeine can offer a performance-enhancing benefit by providing a small, but worthwhile, enhancement of performance over a range of exercise situations from short-duration events right through to endurance events. In this podcast, I look at the role of caffeine specifically in resistance exercise and outline what could be the minimum amount needed for a benefit.

Links referred to in the podcast

IOC consensus statement on dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/7/439
Caffeine and resistance exercise meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35203046
Sports Dietitians Australia www.sportsdietitians.com.au

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Go nuts for nuts: why they’re great for your heart and weight Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet is good for your heart. They’re also a super nutritious snack for any time of the day. But, what about all that fat? Be fearful not of fat as not only is the type of fat found in nuts considered healthy, but a major systematic review finds little impact of eating nuts on body weight. And that’s what I’ll cover in today’s episode.

Links referred to in the podcast

Systematic review of nuts and body weight https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13330

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Nutrient wins and losses on a plant-based diet Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

Plant-based eating is on-trend and has been for some time. Fuelled by health, environmental and ethical personal choices, we are seeing more people than ever adopt this way of eating. But there is no one ‘right’ way to eat. And even within a framework of ‘mostly plants’, it is possible to do it well and not so well. In this podcast, I’ll look at the latest research comparing different types of plant-based diets to one that includes meat and see how they compare on the nutrient wins and losses scoreboard.

Links referred to in the podcast

Systematic review of plant-based diets compared to meat eaters https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35010904
Healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34379193

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Focussing on eating healthier is better than trying to eat less Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

With no end of diets to choose from, it is clear they collectively make little long-term impact on body weight with most people regaining any weight lost within months. So, rather than putting the focus on dieting to lose weight, how much impact could a change in mindset to concentrate on eating healthier have instead? Well, in an interesting twist to this question, a research study designed to educate people on portion sizes, actually found that people ate more food. But the catch was that it was healthier food options they were choosing, with the flow-on benefit of them eating fewer kilojoules overall.

Links referred to in the podcast

Effect of portion size training on food choices https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29353006

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Want a healthy heart? Eat more of these flavonoid foods Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Heard about flavonoids? They are just one group from a long list of beneficial natural polyphenol chemicals you’ll find in plant foods. While the chemistry and naming structure can be daunting, there is nothing daunting about the foods that contain lots of these flavonoids. In our body, these flavonoids can operate as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. And that all spells good news for your heart health. In this podcast, I’ll explain what flavonoids are, what foods contain lots of them, and unveil the latest evidence linking them to good heart health.

Links referred to in the podcast

Flavonoids explained https://www.healthline.com/health/what-are-flavonoids-everything-you-need-to-know
Meta-analysis of flavonoids and heart disease risk https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34470681

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Nut allergies: causes, consequences and emerging treatments Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

Nut allergies are one of the most common types of food allergy seen in children and adults. Caused when the body’s immune system overreacts to proteins found in nuts or peanuts, it can lead to a range of symptoms from mild reactions to severe anaphylaxis that is life-threatening. People with a nut allergy need to avoid the nut that triggers their allergy entirely. There is hope on the horizon though. Called oral immunotherapy, it is emerging as a possible way to desensitise people to nuts and allow small amounts to be eaten safely. And that’s what I’ll be covering in this podcast.

Links referred to in the podcast

Oral immunotherapy clinical trial 2016 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27522159
Oral immunotherapy clinical trial 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35065784
AR101 oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30449234

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How probiotics can help people with bowel cancer Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

Bowel cancer (also called colorectal or colon cancer) is the second biggest killer of Australians from cancer each year. This is one form of cancer where diet and lifestyle choices play a big part in changing a person’s risk of developing it. But once someone is diagnosed with cancer, the outlook changes. Now emerging research is finding that the use of probiotic supplements taken in conjunction with active treatments of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can have a beneficial effect on the outlook of people with bowel cancer. And that’s the topic I’ll cover in this podcast episode.
Links referred to in the podcast