Thinking Nutrition
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© 2025 Thinking Nutrition
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Thinking Nutrition is all about presenting the latest nutrition research in plain language and then translating this into what it means for your health. Dr Tim Crowe is a career nutrition research scientist and an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian. Tim has over 30 years of research and teaching experience in the university and public health sectors, covering areas of basic laboratory research, clinical nutrition trials and public health nutrition. He now works chiefly as a freelance health and medical writer and science communicator.
139 Episodes
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Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterised by high blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production. It's a growing global health concern. While diet, exercise and medication form the cornerstone of diabetes management, researchers are continually exploring new avenues to improve blood sugar control. One such area gaining traction is the use of probiotics that can alter gut and metabolic health. But can these tiny microorganisms make a meaningful diff...
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal issue marked by abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. This chronic condition can lead to anxiety, depression and a reduced quality of life. With no definitive trigger or treatment, managing IBS can be challenging. However, diet changes can positively influence IBS. In this podcast episode, I’ll outline evidence for various approaches, from supplements like probiotics right through to low-FODMAP diets. Links referred t...
We’re all getting older and living longer lives than ever before. But as we age, we are faced with a higher risk of nutritional frailty. This is marked by unintentional weight loss, loss of muscle mass and strength which increases the likelihood of disability. In this podcast episode, I highlight how our nutrition needs change as we age and why a firm focus is needed in preserving muscle mass through a combination of resistance exercise and additional protein. Links referred to in the podcast...
1Creatine is one of the most well-researched and effective sports nutrition supplements for improving exercise performance. So it is no surprise that interest in using creatine supplements to enhance performance during intense activity has grown dramatically over the last few years. One of the most common ‘use cases’ for creatine supplements is for muscle and strength gains. This makes creatine a popular choice by strength and power sports athletes, bodybuilders and recreational exercisers to ...
Heard about hydrogen water? It is regular water that has extra hydrogen infused in it and it’s one of the latest health trends with proponents claiming it will fight off disease, reduce inflammation, boost energy, improve mental health and enhance athletic performance. That’s quite a list of impressive claims. But what does the research have to say? That’s what I explore in this podcast to see if hydrogen water can live up to the hype or if it should be labelled the latest health hoax. Links ...
No one nutrient gets greater focus in the sports and performance world than protein – and for good reason. Protein builds and powers our muscles and with that comes strength and performance gains – something just about every athlete wants to have more of. Understanding how dietary protein improves muscle mass, strength and performance is crucial. Two topics that are hotly debated are the role of protein type and timing around a resistance training program. And they’re the topics I’m going to ...
Some aspects of ageing may be inevitable, but when it happens together with an accelerated loss of weight, muscle mass and strength it makes an older person much more susceptible to disability, poor quality of life and earlier death. The condition is called sarcopenia and it is underpinned by chronic inflammation. Diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way in preventing and treating sarcopenia and inflammation. And now research is adding to this by looking at the role of probiotics as a way...
Interest in collagen supplements continues to grow – and for good reason. That’s because despite rubbish claims that are way off the mark that there is ‘no evidence they work’ and ‘all the research is funded by the collagen industry’, the reality is very different. In past podcasts I’ve delved into the topic of hydrolysed collagen supplements and skin health and where there are now dozens of blinded randomised controlled trials showing a benefit in increasing skin moisture and elasticity and ...
Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints. With no single identified trigger or treatment, IBS can be a minefield for a person to try and get on top of. Dietary changes like a low-FODMAP diet, supplements and stress modification all have a role to play. Another emerging treatment for IBS are probiotics. Probiotics may improve IBS symptoms by changing the gut microbiota and their metabolite production which can change gut motility, inflammation and gut hype...
The establishment and development of the microbiome in the early stages of life can play a pivotal role in affecting our health throughout life. The formation of our microbiome happens during the perinatal period where it is influenced by the interaction between the microbiomes of mothers and infants. The microbial composition of breast milk plays an important part in this process. The microbiome of breast milk is also influenced by the gut microbiome of the mother through what is termed the ...
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common with women about 30 times more likely to develop one than men. The bacterial infection of a UTI can cause painful burning sensations when urinating, frequent and strong urges to urinate, and changes in the composition of the urine. Antibiotics are the most common first-line treatment for UTIs, but there is growing interest in the role that nutrition-related treatments can play in reducing the risk of developing a UTI in the first place. Enter the mos...
Tendons play a vital part in helping us move. They are a collagen-infused super-strong bridge that connects muscles to bones allowing you to move your limbs. When overused, overloaded or damaged, these same tendons can cause us a lot of pain and movement impairment. Outside of the well-defined medical treatments and physiotherapy rehabilitation programs that assist with recovering from tendon injuries, there has been growing interest in the role of specialised tendon-targeted nutritional supp...
Do you want to lose weight, boost your metabolism, improve your digestion, detox your body, and have glowing skin all while keeping your body nicely alkalised and in balance? You can. All you need do is start each day with a glass of water with the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon in it. I mean water is good for you. And lemons, being a fruit, are good for you. So why not combine the two and get a quantum level of health-boosting synergy? Okay, so now for a dose of reality as I explore the w...
In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the potential negative health effects of lectins. What are lectins? They’re a type of protein found in many plant foods such as legumes, wholegrains and some fruits and vegetables. If you take YouTube clips and popular diet books on their word, then these lectins are harmful to human health and are a major driver of inflammation, weight gain and many chronic diseases. Of course, to believe all this, you need to suspend the reality that hu...
It is something that all regular and not-so-regular exercisers have experienced: muscle pain and soreness in the days following a particularly hard training session. It is the price paid for the benefits exercise, especially resistance training, can have on growing muscle mass and strength, stability, glucose tolerance and bone density. The list of ways that people deal with exercise-induced muscle soreness is long, but in this podcast, I’ll explore one aspect. And that’s how protein helps wi...
Olive oil is a core staple in a Mediterranean-style diet. And it is for good reasons that it takes a central place as a ‘go to’ salad and cooking oil in kitchens around the world. In this age where too many foods are dubiously anointed with the title of ‘superfood’, extra virgin olive oil may just be one food deserving of this name in the oil category. In this podcast, I’ll look at the unique properties of olive oil and delve into what the scientific evidence says about its health benefits. L...
If you’re active on social media in the health and nutrition space, it’s very likely you’ve seen health advice over the last few years warning you about the evils of seed oils. These seed oils are toxic don’t you know? And they’re blamed for a whole host of health ills such as inflammation, lowered immunity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and more. But the reality about seed oils is far less scary and there are few health concerns you need worry about. And likely quite a few health be...
Nightshades are a group of plants that belong to the Solanaceae family. They include some very commonly eaten foods such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and potatoes. These foods have been eaten for centuries by many cultures around the world and are considered a staple food in many traditional diets. Despite this, if you go digging into ‘health and wellness’ advice on the Internet, you’ll sometimes come across health warnings about nightshades. Digestive issues and inflammation feature promi...
From the common cold right through to the flu, it is something most people are faced with many times over in their life. And all of us could do with less coughing, sore throat, runny nose, body aches and fatigue in our lives. Our gut microbiota plays an important part in our immune system, so scientists for some years have looked at how changing our gut microbiota could influence respiratory tract infections. In this podcast, I’ll look at the current state of play for the role of supplemental...
What we eat is increasingly recognised as an important element in influencing fertility. With almost one in six couples experiencing fertility problems, knowing more about lifestyle factors such as diet that can alter this has major consequences. Most research in this area has focused on specific nutrients or food groups. But we don’t eat foods or nutrients - we eat whole diets which are described as dietary patterns. In this podcast episode, I profile new research into the area of dietary pa...
Food porn is all about posting and engaging with photos of desirable and stylised food on social media. And those digital images can do real things to our brains. Researchers are now digging below the surface level of social media trends and are exploring how the sharing of food porn images can influence the food choices we make. In this podcast, I look at how that influence can help nudge us in the direction of better food choices. Links referred to in the podcast Can food porn prime healthy...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term that describes chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of IBD. In recent years, research into the role of diet in the cause and treatment of IBD has been gaining traction. In this podcast episode, I look at some of that evolving research into potential dietary triggers linked to causing IBD as well as possible treatments for managing IBD with diet. Li...
For decades, carbohydrates have been at the centre of sports nutrition guidelines to help maximise physical performance and maintain muscle glycogen levels. But interest in an alternative approach, that being very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets, has been growing for some time. With the dual aim of reducing body fat and enhancing the use of fat as a primary fuel source during exercise, there are plenty of glowing social media testimonials attesting to the benefits of this way of eating for a...
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. AMD is a progressive disease seen as damage to the retina, which can lead to permanent central vision loss and even blindness. Good nutrition is important for eye health. And for many years, a range of nutrients have been specifically promoted as having a role in helping to protect the eye from AMD progression. Much of the evidence to support the role of nutrition in AMD has come from obse...
Eczema is a general term for rash-like skin conditions with atopic dermatitis being the most common form. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterised by itching and recurrent eczema patches. Up to 20 percent of children can be affected by atopic dermatitis, but even in adults, it is far from uncommon with prevalence rates of between 1 and 3 percent. One growing area of study in the cause and treatment of atopic dermatitis is the role of the gut and skin microbiome t...
It was my second ever podcast episode released way back in February of 2020, but it has proven to be the most popular. It was titled The User’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting. Now, it is time to revisit the topic of intermittent fasting with an update on the clinical evidence for how fasting stacks up for its effects on body weight and metabolic health compared to other ways of eating. And that’s what I’ll be exploring in this episode by profiling the results of a recent review on this topic. ...
Advice to ‘eat the rainbow’ has been circulating in the nutrition sphere for some time. And no, it is not a call to action to get more Skittles in your life. Instead, it is all about choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables primarily based on their colour. Red, blue, orange, purple, yellow and green are the important colours here. And those colours occur because of the presence of a family of different polyphenol and other phytonutrient and other phytonutrients naturally found in foods. It...
If variety is the spice of life, then for some, a hot chilli dish is the ultimate way to add spice to life. But outside of the Mexican fiesta party happening inside your mouth and the waterworks from your sweat glands, could there be some benefits for your health? It's time to turn up the heat on chillies as I look at the science and health benefits linked to eating them. Links referred to in the podcast Effects of capsaicinoids supplementation on metabolic syndrome https://www.nature.com/art...
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a popular sports supplement with bodybuilders and athletes. But you don’t need to look for them in a bottle as our diet naturally contains them as part of the amino acid building blocks of protein. With claims of increased muscle protein synthesis, decreased muscle protein breakdown, enhanced endurance and less muscle soreness, they seem to be an essential supplement that no athlete can do without. In this episode, I’ll look at those claims and explore t...
Counselling and medication gain most of the treatment attention for depression, but the promise of dietary changes to help to improve the outlook of people with depression and other common conditions such as anxiety is gaining traction. Welcome to the rapidly moving world of nutritional psychiatry which is uncovering key links between diet and mental health. And one such dietary pattern, the Mediterranean diet, is now building a research base behind it to support a change to the dietary theme...
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 athle...
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...
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 supplement...
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. I...
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...
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...
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 i...
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...
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...
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 th...
Growing up, kids are told to sit down at the table when they’re eating. Far from just being about good manners, science is now discovering how standing up while eating can change taste perception, temperature sensation and even how much is consumed. Welcome to the weird world of altered taste perceptions which is what I’ll be exploring in this podcast. Links referred to in the podcast Sitting vs standing and taste perception https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/46/4/708/5488173Episode transcr...
Ketogenic diets have gained popularity in recent years among athletes. While these diets are just as effective for weight loss as any other diet that causes a calorie deficit, the evidence for a real sporting advantage over other diets is very mixed and it seems only in steady-state endurance sport that they may have some role. But what about in the gym? Is keto a viable option to both shred and bulk up at the same time? That’s what I explore in this podcast by looking at the findings of a re...
Can you cure a hangover? Do drinks with bubbles get you drunk quicker? Are darker drinks worse for you than clear drinks? Is there really such a thing as a beer gut? These questions and more are what I’ll be tackling in my annual Christmas special podcast on all things alcohol facts and fallacies. Links referred to in the podcast Systematic review of hangover cures https://www.bmj.com/content/331/7531/1515Beer belly research https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19550430Episode transcript To access...
Curcumin is the bioactive ingredient found in the popular spice turmeric. Medical science is backing up many of the traditional health claims made about turmeric and the compounds it contains. Conditions such as arthritis, high cholesterol, exercise recovery and even depression all have a growing positive evidence base of research behind them. Now a new research review has looked at the evidence for curcumin supplementation in treating some of the symptoms of PCOS. In this podcast, I give an ...
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition where there is an abnormal increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine – especially types of bacteria not normally found in this part of the digestive tract. Most of the focus on gut health is given to the population of bacteria in our large intestine, so in this podcast, I’ll look at the consequences of what happens when bacterial growth gets out of control in our small intestine. Links referred to in the podcast Herba...
Many of us describe ourselves as having a sweet tooth. But science is now unlocking the secrets of why having a well-developed taste and tolerance to bitter foods could have a wealth of health benefits. But even with their many health benefits, the bitterness of foods such as broccoli, spinach and turnip can put people off. Now new research finds that the taste perception of bitter foods can change the more they are eaten. Links referred to in the podcast Bitter taste and salivary proteins ad...
With all the recent health focus on sugar, poor old fruit has gotten undeserved attention for the simple reason that it is high in sugar. And from that, some very average advice has surfaced that people need to limit how much whole fruit they eat. Now a systematic review puts to bed any health concerns anyone should have about fruit, finding that whole fresh fruit does not contribute to weight gain. Eat up. Links referred to in the podcast Systematic review of the Impact of whole fresh fruit ...
Inflammation is now getting top billing as the latest health concern you should be worrying about. From avoiding so-called inflammatory foods to eating anti-inflammatory foods to treat and even cure inflammation, is there no disease that cannot be explained by our understanding of inflammation? Far from something scary, inflammation is a natural process that helps your body heal and defend itself from harm. It is only when inflammation becomes chronic that the story changes. In this podcast, ...
To exercise fasted or fed? It’s a controversial topic with strong views coming from both camps. For those promoting weight loss, exercising fasted is often an essential criterion to ensure the most ‘fat burning’ possible. Then there is the opposing argument that you want to be well-fuelled before activity to help power the length and duration of your exercise. As with most things in nutrition, the simple logic of both camps falls down when you take into account the complexity of physiology an...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause painful and chronic inflammation to the digestive tract with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis being the most common forms. It is a disease that cannot yet be cured, but it can be managed with the use of medications or in some cases by surgery. Diet and lifestyle can help play a role in managing symptoms of IBD and in this podcast, I’ll look at some of the evolving research for future potential treatments. Links referred...
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Thank you for the Meta-Analysis! I read many people say/write that collagen is useless without any backup or support to their statement.