Thinking Nutrition

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
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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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

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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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

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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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

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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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

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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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 

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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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 

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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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

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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Twitter: CroweTim

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

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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Twitter: CroweTim

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

• Systematic review of probiotics for the management of radiation-induced bowel disease https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261561413000502
• Systematic review of probiotic supplementation in people with colorectal cancer https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/80/1/22/6283538

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

Connect with me
Instagram: doctimcrowe
Facebook: Thinking Nutrition
Twitter: CroweTim