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PODCAST

Sigma Nutrition Radio

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.

health & fitness nutrition

All Episodes

51:28

#593: Can We Define Hyper-Palatable Foods? And Is...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2026/02/03

While the term "hyperpalatable" has been used frequently for considerable time to refer to foods that are so appealing and tasty that they drive overeating, this term hasn't been well-defined nor has there been a universal standard for what it means. One researcher who set out to create an objective definition for hyper-palatable foods (HPFs) is Dr. Tera Fazzino. Using specific defined thresholds of sugar, fat and salt combinations, Dr. Fazzino and colleagues have looked at the impact of consumption

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01:26:11

#592: How Much Protein is Actually Healthy? – Eric...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2026/01/27

In this episode, the discussion turns to a deceptively simple question that sits at the centre of countless nutrition debates: how much protein do we actually need? On one side, there are confident claims that very high protein intakes are not just beneficial but essential for maximising strength, performance, and muscle mass. On the other, equally strong assertions that the current RDA is entirely sufficient for most people, and that going beyond it is unnecessary or even harmful. Dr. Eric Helms

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52:31

#591: Maintaining Functional Capacity with Age –...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2026/01/20

Maintaining the ability to carry out everyday tasks and live independently is often described as a cornerstone of healthy ageing. But what actually happens to muscle strength, power, and functional ability as we get older? And how inevitable is their decline? At what point do changes in muscle function really begin to matter for day-to-day life? Is loss of strength an unavoidable consequence of ageing itself, or does it reflect something more modifiable? If declines are not fixed, what kinds of

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41:09

#590: Is the Nutrient Density of Crops Declining? –...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2026/01/13

Nutrient density refers to the concentration of vitamins and minerals in crops relative to their yield. There are widespread claims that today's fruits, vegetables, and grains contain fewer micronutrients than in decades past, often linked to modern farming practices or soil degradation. This issue is important because if staple crops become less nutritious, it could silently undermine dietary quality and contribute to micronutrient deficiencies ("hidden hunger") in populations. Dr. Edward Joy is

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17:53

Does Processing Really Make Food Unhealthy? (SNP47)

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2026/01/06

This is a Premium-exclusive episode of the podcast. To listen to the full episode you need to be subscribed to Sigma Nutrition Premium. Recently we (Danny Lennon & Alan Flanagan) were invited to 'Processing the Evidence', a "behind closed doors" workshop to discuss the latest scientific evidence on the role of processed foods in human health. The event was organized by Professors Ciarán Forde and Vincenzo Fogliano of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The workshop attendees included a range

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01:01:24

#589: Causal Inference in Nutrition Science – Daniel...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/12/30

This episode explores how asking better questions and using stronger methods can resolve much of the confusion in nutrition science. Dr. Daniel Ibsen discusses why nutrition research often produces conflicting results and how careful methodological thinking can clarify true diet-disease relationships. Nutrition science has unique challenges – diets are complex, people self-report their food intake imperfectly, and we can't easily run long-term diet experiments on people. Dr. Ibsen explains how

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46:14

#588: Menstrual Cycle "Syncing": Do the Claims Hold...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/12/23

How much do hormonal fluctuations really influence performance and recovery? Should women be adjusting their training and nutrition based on the menstrual cycle? And do female athletes need different protein strategies or recovery protocols than men? These are questions that have fuelled countless online claims, from rigid "cycle syncing" programmes to supposedly gender-specific nutrition rules. But how much of that is actually grounded in evidence? In this episode, the conversation tackles those

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44:07

#587: How Should Nutrition Be Taught in Medical...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/12/16

This episode centers on the critical gap in nutrition education within medical training and efforts to bridge it. Guest Akash Patel, a medical student who led a pilot nutrition curriculum, discusses why doctors receive little formal training in nutrition despite poor diet being a major driver of disease. With diet-related conditions (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) contributing heavily to morbidity and healthcare costs, the conversation highlights a pivotal push to better equip

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01:07:20

#586: The Manufactured Collapse of Expertise

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/12/09

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 their health decisions on, people who don't have direct expertise in the field in which they are talking about. Moreover, some promote the lack of domain expertise as a feature, not a bug. They claim that those that were conventionally seen as domain experts are

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09:40

SNP46: Reviewing Six Key Insights from the Year's...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/12/02

This is a Premium-exclusive episode of the podcast. To listen to the full episode you need to be subscribed to Sigma Nutrition Premium. Each year, the conversations on Sigma Nutrition Radio aim to examine the ideas that shape how we understand nutrition, health, and human behavior. This episode brings together the key insights from those discussions, revisiting the most important themes, emerging evidence, and shifts in understanding from the past year. Across topics such as dietary guidelines,

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58:44

#585: Why We Think Poorly: Reason, Emotion, and...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/11/25

We take a look at critical thinking in science and healthcare, examining how we often fall prey to cognitive biases, emotional reasoning, and flawed thinking. Drawing from six different experts in their respective fields, the episode explores why we sometimes believe we are being rational when in fact our conclusions aren't truly evidence-based. The discussion spans what genuine evidence-based practice means, how domain expertise matters, and how factors like identity, beliefs, and emotions can

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59:19

#584: EAT-Lancet: Does the Planetary Health Diet...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/11/18

How should we think about diets that claim to optimise both human and planetary health? Can a single "reference diet" really balance the complex trade-offs between nutrition adequacy, chronic disease prevention, and environmental sustainability? These questions have gained renewed attention with the release of the 2025 update to the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet. The original 2019 report proposed a mostly plant-based dietary pattern designed to improve population health while staying within

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54:33

#583: Ultra-Processed Foods & Fixing the Food...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/11/11

Ultra-processed foods have become central to the way we eat and to many of the challenges we face in public health nutrition. They dominate supermarket shelves, shape population diets, and often appear as the prime suspect in rising obesity and metabolic disease rates. But beyond the label itself, what exactly makes these foods problematic? Is it their nutrient composition, their texture and palatability, the rate at which we consume them, or the broader environments that make them so accessible and

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13:47

SNP45: Antioxidants – What You Need To Know

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/11/04

This is a Premium-exclusive episode of the podcast. To listen to the full episode you need to be subscribed to Sigma Nutrition Premium. What exactly are "antioxidants," and why do they get so much hype? We often hear that blueberries, dark chocolate, and red wine are healthy because they're packed with antioxidants – but is the story really as simple as "more antioxidants = better health"? In this episode, Danny explores the true role of antioxidants in the body, challenging simplistic narratives

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48:30

#582: GLP-1 Agonists: Side Effects, Management and...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/10/28

GLP-1 receptor agonists have emerged as a groundbreaking tool in obesity treatment. In this episode, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky (an obesity specialist) explains how these medications are now yielding unprecedented weight loss outcomes in people with obesity. The discussion centers on GLP-1 agonist drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide: how they work, how much weight loss they can produce, and why they represent a paradigm shift in obesity management. Importantly, the conversation addresses practical

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01:05:38

#581: What Is Successful Public Nutrition Policy? And...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/10/21

Public nutrition policy plays a critical role in shaping population health through laws, guidelines, and programs that influence what people eat. In this episode, Emily Callahan, an expert in nutrition policy, talks about why public nutrition policies often fall short and what “success” looks like. They discuss how evidence-based nutrition interventions can stall due to political or practical barriers, and explore examples ranging from federal food assistance programs to sodium reduction

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01:02:45

#580: Sodium Bicarbonate for Sports Performance –...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/10/14

Sodium bicarbonate is one of the most consistently supported ergogenic aids in sports nutrition research, yet its underlying mechanisms and real-world applications remain widely misunderstood. More recent developments have focused on how to optimise both the timing and formulation of supplementation. The “individualised ingestion timing” approach has emerged as a practical strategy, recognising that the time-to-peak blood bicarbonate concentration varies considerably between individuals. Similarly,

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59:28

#579: Is Your Chronotype Hard-Wired or Modifiable?...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/10/07

In this episode, we explore the concept of chronotype, which reflects an individual’s biological circadian timing and how it manifests in preferred sleep–wake patterns. Understanding chronotype is important because it differs from simple diurnal preference, which may be shaped by lifestyle or psychological factors rather than biology. We examine how chronotype is measured, from gold-standard laboratory methods to validated questionnaires used in field studies. The discussion also highlights the

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52:30

#578: Creatine For Brain Health: Overhyped Trend or...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/09/30

Creatine is best known as a sports supplement for enhancing muscle strength and high-intensity performance. But could it also improve brain health and cognitive function? Or are such claims overhyped? If creatine can support brain health, it could have implications for aging, neurodegenerative diseases, concussion recovery, and mental fatigue. In this podcast episode, Professor Eric Rawson discusses what current science says about creatine’s effects on the brain, including memory, executive

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14:09

Is There a Limit to Energy Expenditure? And What...

Sigma Nutrition Radio ·

2025/09/23

Energy expenditure is one of the most fundamental yet often misunderstood aspects of human physiology. A central question is whether there is a ceiling to how many calories we can burn, and what happens when activity levels approach that limit. Grasping these dynamics is essential for health professionals and researchers, as energy balance directly influences body weight regulation, metabolic health, and athletic performance. Emerging research shows that our bodies regulate calorie burn not in a

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