Sigma Nutrition Radio

By Danny Lennon

What's Sigma Nutrition Radio about?

Discussions about the science of nutrition, dietetics and health. The podcast that educates through nuanced conversations, exploring evidence and cultivating critical thinking. Hosted by Danny Lennon.

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#463: Do Vegan Diets Cause ...

12.06.2022

In this episode, the Sigma team explores the question: “Do vegan diets increase the risk of depression?” This is a question that emerges from a few different places. First, it’s common to hear such a claim from proponents of largely ...

Sigma Nutrition Radio episodes:

12.06.2022 #463: Do Vegan Diets Cause Depression? In this episode, the Sigma team explores the question: “Do vegan diets increase the risk of depression?” This is a question that emerges from a few different places. First, it’s common to hear such a claim from proponents of largely ...
11.29.2022 #462: Gyorgy Scrinis, PhD – Ultra-Processed Foods, Nutritionism and Current Food Systems Links: Show notes page (incl. study links & related episodes) Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Live event in London, UK About this episode: Over the past decade, the increasing uptake and acceptance of the Nova food processing classification system has ...
11.22.2022 #461: Prof. Emma Boyland – How Food Marketing Impacts Eating Behaviour Research has shown that food marketing strongly impacts children’s eating behaviour. Marketing influences food purchase requests, purchases, and preferences. And the evidence of a relationship between food marketing exposure and obesity meets epidemiological criteria for causality. The evidence suggests that ...
11.15.2022 SNP11: The Death of Domain Expertise Never before has there been greater access to information about nutrition and health. But never before has there been such a low barrier to being seen as an “expert”. There are large numbers of people getting information from, and basing ...
11.08.2022 #460: Dr. Priya Sumithran – Body Fat Regulation, Pros & Cons of Weight Loss Interventions, and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Obesity increases the risk of a range of chronic diseases and negative health outcomes. And trials where a sufficient amount of weight loss is achieved show health improvements. However, despite the “straightforward” nature of causing weight loss through a hypocaloric ...
11.01.2022 #459: Nicky Keay, MB BChir – Hormones & Healthspan: The Endocrine System Across the Life Course The endocrine system plays a central role in growth, development, metabolism, reproduction, and physical well-being throughout life. Hormones interact in complex networks, orchestrating a range of critical functions. Over the life course, we experience various changes in hormone levels, fluctuations, ...
10.25.2022 What Are Stable Isotopes? How Are Tracers Used in Nutrition Research? (Preview) Stable isotopes have been used as tracers in human nutritional studies for many years. But what are they? Why do we use ‘tracers’ in nutrition studies? And what are some practical examples? A chemical element can have different forms or ...
10.18.2022 #458: How Foods Impact Satiety, Hunger & Appetite Given the negative consequences of consistent overconsumption of food (leading to a caloric surplus), having a dietary intake that is of appropriate calorie intake is an important aspect of long-term health. Therefore, thinking about which foods and diets can help ...
10.11.2022 #457: Austin Robinson, PhD – Salt Sensitive vs Salt Resistant, Impacts of Sodium on Health, & Racial Differences in Risk Hypertension (elevated blood pressure) is a condition that significantly increases the risk of several diseases and is a major cause of premature death worldwide. In the US, recent estimates suggest that about half of the adult population has hypertension. At ...
10.04.2022 #456: Prof. Glenn McConell – Glucose Uptake During Exercise & Muscle Insulin Sensitivity Exercise improves metabolic control both via increasing muscle glucose uptake during muscle contractions by insulin-independent mechanisms and by increasing skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity after physical activity. A reduction in skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity is an early event in the development ...
09.27.2022 #455: Jill Joyce, PhD – Improving the Diets of Tactical Populations The term ‘tactical populations’ has been applied to those working in law enforcement, fire, first responders, and military. In addition to the importance of their work, the work they do itself presents some challenges for health and nutrition. Despite the ...
09.20.2022 SNP9: AMA – Blood Pressure, LDL Lowering, PCOS & More! In this Premium-exclusive ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode, Alan & Danny answer a range of listener questions. Topics include obesity rates, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol drugs, PCOS, and what issues they have changed their minds on. See the full list of ...
09.13.2022 #454: Eric Helms, PhD – Plant or Animal Protein: Rethinking Protein & Muscle When it comes to eating to promote muscle hypertrophy, muscle repair/recovery and maintenance of mass and function, protein has been an obvious focus. Indeed muscle mass and quality are dependent on the continuous remodeling of skeletal muscle proteins. This is ...
09.06.2022 #453: Nick Gant, PhD – Cognitive Performance: Impact of Caffeine, Nicotine & Creatine (Rebroadcast) The brain plays a central role in both physical and psychological function and performance. The brain also has a very high energy demand. In addition, fatiguing conditions can cause impairment of cognitive performance. One area of research in neurometabolism related ...
08.30.2022 #452: Stuart Phillips, PhD - Bacterially Synthesized Whey, Plant vs. Animal Proteins, Muscle & Extended Fasts, & Much More This episode was oringally published as one of our “Expert – ask me anything” (AMA) episodes, which we published for Premium prescribers. In such bonus episodes, we collect questions from Premium subscribers and ask them direct to a world-class expert ...
08.23.2022 #451: Potassium & Blood Pressure: Influence of Sex & Sodium It has been consistently shown in research that elevated dietary sodium consumption is associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, low levels of dietary potassium intake are associated with these same risks. However, ...
08.16.2022 #450: Megan Rossi, PhD, RD – Diet For a Healthy Gut: Diversity, Fiber Types & Gut Health Pseudoscience With the advances in understanding the importance of the gut (including its bacterial contents) for human health, much interest and attention has been placed on how to eat to promote positive ‘gut health’. This has led to many exciting research ...
08.09.2022 #449: Do Artificial Sweeteners Increase Cancer Risk? (Study Analysis) A study published in March 2022 suggested that consumption of artificial (non-nutritive) sweeteners is associated with a 13% increase in risk of cancer. And so in this episode, Dr. Alan Flanagan, Dr. Niamh Aspell, and Danny Lennon discuss this specific ...
08.02.2022 #448: Prof. Norman Temple – Can Science Answer Diet-Health Questions? While we’ve never known more about diet and health, there remain many unanswered questions in nutrition science. However, there is often disagreements on how best to answer these questions, particularly in relation to informing practical diet advise that meaningfully improves ...
07.26.2022 #447: Does Eating Fish Increase Skin Cancer Risk? Study Analysis A recent study reported a higher risk of developing melanoma in people who ate a relatively high intake of fish. This study caused headlines and it was picked up by many outlets (including the New York Times, Sky News, etc.). ...
07.25.2022 Live Events in London, Dublin & Berlin Tickets are on sale now for our live events later this year. Tickets are first come, first served and are priced at £35/€40 for general admission. Full details here: https://sigmanutrition.com/live/
07.19.2022 SNP7: Stephan Guyenet, PhD - Ask Me Anything! This is an “ask me anything” (AMA) episode, which means a world-class expert and past podcast guest comes on the podcast to answer questions submitted by you, our podcast listeners. Stephan Guyenet spent 12 years in academia studying neurodegenerative disease ...
07.13.2022 #446: How Climate Change Impacts Nutrient Status Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800’s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due ...
07.07.2022 #445: Dr. Hazel Wallace - Nutrition for Women’s Health When it comes to specific questions related to diet and health for women, there is often a shortage of consensus answers from research, for a variety of reasons. In addition, there are clearly aspects of biological sex that have implications ...
07.04.2022 SNP6: GRADE System: What is it? And How Does it Apply to Nutrition? [Preview] This is a preview of the second episode in a new series called “Nutrition Science Explained”, in which members of the Sigma team will take a concept commonly mentioned in discussions about nutrition science, and explain what it is, give ...
06.28.2022 #444: Folate – Intake, Genetics & Health Outcomes Folate (also known as viatmin B9) actually relates to a collection of folates; both natural dietary folates and synthetic forms, primarily folic acid. This folate/folic acid that is consumed via the diet or supplementation is a precursor for the formation ...
06.22.2022 #443: Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD - Can Choline Help Improve DHA Status? A recently published study by Klatt and colleagues examined the impact of choline supplementation alongside DHA supplementation, versus DHA supplementation alone, on DHA status in pregnancy. It is known that DHA is a critical nutrient at this time for healthy ...
06.15.2022 #442: Are Vegetables Detrimental to Health? In this episode Alan and Danny aim to address the idea that you shouldn’t eat vegetables, or that they aren’t beneficial. We will specifically look at a number of claims that relate to: The claim that vegetables aren’t beneficial for ...
06.13.2022 SNP5: Prof. Stuart Phillips - Ask Me Anything! [Preview] This is an "ask me anything" (AMA) episode, with Prof. Stuart Phillips of McMaster University. Prof. Phillips takes questions on protein intake, sources, muscle function, and healthy ageing. To listen to the full AMA, click here to subscribe to Sigma ...
06.07.2022 #441: Julie Abayomi, PhD, RD - Diet During Pregnancy Consuming a healthy diet during pregnancy is an obvious and accepted recommedation. However, what exactly is a "healthy diet" in this context? In addition, there are specific nutrients which are crucial for the healthy development of the child, including nutrients ...
05.31.2022 #440: Are Dietary Guidelines Trying To Kill Us? It has become common rhetoric for those promoting various types of diets to suggest that dietary guidelines published by government departments are at best, unhealthy, or at worst, causative in driving obesity and chronic disease in the population. While different ...
05.26.2022 SNP4: Detoxification Protocols [Preview] There have been many claims made about the benefits of a detoxification "protocol" or "plan", based on specific dietary and supplemental regimens. Many of the arguments propose that many things we come into contact with are toxins and they can ...
05.23.2022 #439: Prof. David Jenkins - Lipid-Lowering Diets With elevated LDL-cholesterol being a causal risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease, having interventions to lower blood lipids, and in particular LDL-C, are crucial for population health. A number of drugs are now incredibly effective for this, with statins being ...
05.17.2022 #438: Diet, Brain Health & Cognitive Function Some cognitive decline is normal with age. However, more significant cognitive decline is primarily due to disease-induced dementias (such as Alzheimer’s Disease). It also results from neurodegenerative disorders and chronic, prolonged degeneration of our neuronal pathways and functions. Drug discovery ...
05.10.2022 #437: GMOs & Genetic Engineering: Harmless or Health-Hazard? The issue of genetic enginnering in the food system is one that is often charged with emotion and strong opinion. Indeed, there has been much concern voiced over the years about the potential harms to both human health and the ...
05.03.2022 #436: Charlene Van Buiten, PhD – Coeliac Disease & the Search for Novel Therapies Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder stimulated by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye. The condition affects approximately 1% of the Western world. However, currently the only approved treatment for coeliac disease is ...
04.26.2022 #435: Fasting & Longevity – Does the Evidence Match the Hype? Current discussions relating to health focus on longevity. This may include some who look at lifespan extension, some who talk of delaying or “treating” ageing or those who focus on reducing morbidity within the parameters of normal lifespan. One propsed ...
04.19.2022 SNP2: "Fish is Bad For You" [PREVIEW] While dietary guidelines universally include fish as a food group that can be consumed regularly in a healthy dietary pattern, there are some potential risks of fish consumption that get raised. Some have some legitimacy, for example the frequency of ...
04.12.2022 #434: Is a Vegan Diet Really Best for Diabetes? Many different diets have been put forward as solutions that treat type 2 diabetes. Some will claim the diet “reverses” diabetes, some say it puts it into “remission”, while others more conservatively recommend a diet to manage diabetes symptoms in ...
04.06.2022 #433: Greg Potter, PhD - The Bidirectional Relationship Between Sleep and Diet The relationship between our diet and sleep is bi-directional; i.e. sleep impacts diet and diet impacts sleep. Therefore, we can examine the impact of sleep timing, duration and other dimensions on our dietary intake. And then also examine the impat ...
03.30.2022 #432: Bill Harris, PhD - Omega-3 Fatty Acids & Health Omega-3 fatty acids have long been associated with various health outcomes. A type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in various plant foods such as flax seeds or chia seeds. Other omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and ...
03.28.2022 [Announcement] Live Event in Dublin See full details: https://sigmanutrition.com/event/
03.24.2022 #431: Artificial Sweeteners - Health Impacts and ‘Safe’ Levels There is now widespread use of various "artificial sweeteners" in foods and beverages. Most commonly non-nutritive sweeteners are used to sweeten a products, whilst having less sugar and calories than a traditionally sugar-sweetened version of that product. For example, diet ...
03.17.2022 SNP1: "Don’t Eat Vegetables" [Preview] In this Premium episode Alan and Danny aim to address the idea that you shouldn’t eat vegetables, or that they aren’t beneficial. Two related ideas have been circulated in some nutrition/health communities on the internet: Vegetables aren’t beneficial for health ...
03.14.2022 #430: Soy - Yes, No, Maybe? Click here to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium The popularity of soy foods and soy-based products has been increasing in recent times. This has been particularly the case as a dairy alternative, with people switching to using soy ‘milk’ and ...
03.08.2022 #429: Kevin Hall, PhD & Stephan Guyenet, PhD - Carbohydrate-Insulin Model vs. Energy Balance Model Click here to subscribe to Premium The pathogenesis of obesity is clearly complex. And the need to have a comprehensive model to explain this pathogenesis is important. One such model, termed the Energy Balance Model, has largely been the consensus ...
03.02.2022 #428: Food Environments Click here to subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Clearly the food choices one makes over time directly impacts health. However, choices are not made in a vacuum; that is, they are not always concious decisions made for rational reasons based ...
02.28.2022 Can You ‘Study’ Nutrition Science with a Podcast? Here’s How. (Including a Time-sensitive Announcement) Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium: https://sigmanutrition.com/premium/ You love listening to, and learning from, nutrition podcasts. Sigma Nutrition Premium allows you to more effectively do that. Understand topics more deeply Retain more of what you hear Recall specific details long after ...
02.22.2022 #427: Jacob Schepis – Evidence-Based Coaching: Desirable Goal or Unattainable Burden for Fitness Professionals? Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium It's never been more popular to be seen as "evidence-based" as a fitness professional. And indeed evidence-based practice has been seen as the best way to arrive at coaching decisions. But is "evidence-based practice" actually ...
02.15.2022 #426: Jaebian Rosario – How Social Identity and Idealogical Extremes Impact Scientific Discussion Subscribe to Sigma Nutrition Premium Jaebien Rosario is currently a graduate level student in public health at East Stroudsburg University. He has degrees in psychology and philosophy, and has previously worked as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. His interest ...

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