Thinking Nutrition

Latest Episodes:

What sorcery is this? How carbohydrate mouth rinses improve sports performance Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Taking on carbohydrates during exercise is a well-described way to help fuel muscle and endurance. But the research in this area took a decidedly strange turn some years ago when it was shown that the simple act of just swishing a carbohydrate-containing drink in your mouth for a few seconds can also have a performance advantage. This was research that I simply could not believe when I first came across it, but it has been replicated many times now. In this podcast, I’ll look at just how carbohydrate mouth rinsing can improve sports performance.

Links referred to in the podcast

Summary of the carbohydrate mouth rinsing research https://www.mysportscience.com/post/2015/05/20/spit-or-swallow-carb-mouth-rinse-and-performance
Mouth rinsing with a pink artificially sweetened drink and running performance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34055861

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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Collagen supplements: an update on the evidence for health benefits Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

It was back in episode 55 that I first tackled the topic of collagen supplements. It proved to be one of my most popular episodes ever. And for good reason as there is a growing evidence base to support many of the health claims made about collagen: from improving skin health to perhaps even helping with sports injury recovery and osteoarthritis. In this podcast, I give an update on the growing scientific evidence for the use of collagen supplements. I’ll also explain how there is certainly a plausible biological mechanism to explain how this particular dietary protein source can have a targeted benefit even after digestion.

Links referred to in the podcast

Meta-analysis of effects of hydrolysed collagen on skin ageing https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33742704

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Blue is the new black: berries, anthocyanins and your brain health Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

One of the best guides to food variety is colour. And for colour, it is a group of natural plant chemicals called anthocyanins that are getting a lot of attention for their beneficial effects on our brain. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give red, purple, and blue plants their rich colouring. They’re responsible for putting the ‘blue’ into blueberries and a bunch of other berries as well as some foods with bright red-orange colouration. In this podcast, I’ll look at the science behind how these anthocyanins can help keep your brain healthy and functioning well throughout life.

Links referred to in the podcast

Blueberry supplementation and cognitive function in older adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28249119
Systematic review of effects of anthocyanins on cognition, vascular function and cardiometabolic risk factors https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34204250

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Weight loss supplements: how hype triumphs over substance Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Weight loss supplements are big business. Fat burners, fat blockers, metabolism boosters, appetite suppressants – these are just some of the popular kinds of pills, potions and herbal concoctions that fly off pharmacy and health food store shelves. But how effective are any of these products? That’s what I’ll explore in this podcast.

Links referred to in the podcast

Systematic review of herbal supplements for weight loss https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984610
Systematic review of dietary supplements and alternative therapies for weight loss https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34159755
Weight-loss supplements loosen dietary control https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24096084

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Are chromium supplements helpful for people with diabetes? Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Chromium is an essential trace mineral that is most closely tied to helping insulin work to lower glucose levels. That means you will often see it as a recommended supplement for people with diabetes. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at what chromium does in our body, where you find it in foods, and unpack the numerous health claims made about it in helping control blood sugars and even shed excess body weight.

Links referred to in the podcast

Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose control in people with T2DM https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32730903
Meta-analysis of effects of chromium supplementation in people with T2DM https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34237387

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Can you really ‘boost your metabolism’? Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

All manner of diet and exercise hacks are claimed to ‘boost your metabolism’, but what, if anything are they really doing to your body? In this podcast, I’ll explain what exactly is meant when you hear the term ‘metabolism boosting’, the factors that you can and can’t control that alter your metabolism and explore how much we can really blame our metabolism on weight changes.
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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Instagram: doctimcrowe
Facebook: Thinking Nutrition
Twitter: CroweTim

Can you be addicted to food? Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

Sugar addiction. Carb addiction. Junk food addiction. It seems we’re in the middle of a food addiction epidemic. But everyone is addicted to food to some degree; just try not eating for a day or two and you’ll crave the stuff. So, here it is a case of contrasting the deep physiologic survival need we have to eat versus the desire for specific types of foods. But can we really elevate what someone may consider a food addiction to that of a drug or gambling addiction? In this podcast, I’ll explore if food addiction really is a thing.

Links referred to in the podcast

Systematic review on the evidence for ‘food addiction’ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/4/477
Ranking of foods based on ‘addictive potential’ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25692302

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How the MIND diet keeps the mind sharp Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

If there was a particular way of eating that could give you the best chance possible of keeping your mind healthy and sharp into older age, would you want to adopt it? Well there is, and it is called the MIND diet. Designed by medical researchers to help reduce the risk of dementia and loss of brain function as you age, the research base into it is growing. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at the evidence behind the MIND diet and give you all the key foods that are part of it.

Links referred to in the podcast

Outline of the MIND diet https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-do-we-know-about-diet-and-prevention-alzheimers-disease
Review of MIND diet and cognition in older adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33989093

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Let food be thy sunscreen Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

You are what you eat. This is more than a trite phrase, as this mantra may have some direct relevance to the area of skin protection from UV sun damage. And here, it is the carotenoid family of vitamin A precursors which give many fruits and vegetables their vivid rich red, orange and yellow colours that could be getting into our skin to prevent the oxidative damage from the sun. In this podcast, I’ll look closer at those carotenoids and profile the latest research on how they could protect your skin. And as an extra reason for why you may want to eat more of these foods, I’ll explain why they could even help you get a date.

Links referred to in the podcast

Review of carotenoids in skin protection https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phpp.12690
Change in skin tone from eating more fruits and vegetables over 6 weeks https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300405
Carotenoid skin colouration and attractiveness https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Fruit-over-sunbed%3A-Carotenoid-skin-colouration-is-Lefevre-Perrett/6e81e0652bcc638acb9f16401b82bc2dfbaed856

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Plant vs animal protein for the muscle gainz Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

Going ‘all in’ on plant foods is a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down. But for those who are all about the muscle gainz for their sport and health, should you be concerned that your hard-won muscle growth is being compromised because you’ve embraced a mostly plant-based life? In this podcast, I’ll delve into the key differences between animal and plant-based proteins, the main supplements on the market for each, and profile the latest research on how people fare for muscle growth when weight training on a vegetarian versus an omnivore diet.

Links referred to in the podcast

Differences between vegetarian and omnivore endurance athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27854281
High-protein plant vs animal protein diet for resistance exercise https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33599941

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Instagram: doctimcrowe
Facebook: Thinking Nutrition
Twitter: CroweTim