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#567: Did Big Sugar Hijack the Food Pyramid? Were Low-fat Diets a Scam that Damaged Our Health?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Release Date: 06/24/2025

#568: Does the Maternal Diet Impact Risk of ADHD & Autism? – David Horner, PhD show art #568: Does the Maternal Diet Impact Risk of ADHD & Autism? – David Horner, PhD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

To what extent can maternal nutrition during pregnancy influence a child’s later cognitive or behavioural development? While genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to neurodevelopmental outcomes such as ADHD and autism, growing attention is being paid to the potential role of prenatal exposures, including dietary patterns. Yet, evidence in this area remains limited, and causality is difficult to establish. One recent study aimed to explore this question by analysing how maternal diet quality during pregnancy (specifically, adherence to a Western-style dietary pattern)...

info_outline #567: Did Big Sugar Hijack the Food Pyramid? Were Low-fat Diets a Scam that Damaged Our Health? show art #567: Did Big Sugar Hijack the Food Pyramid? Were Low-fat Diets a Scam that Damaged Our Health?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

For decades, dietary guidelines—and the Food Pyramid in particular—have been at the center of heated debates and considerable controversy. These guidelines have often been accused of being influenced by industry interests, oversimplifying nutritional nuance, or even directly contributing to rising obesity and metabolic disease rates. In this episode, we critically assess common claims surrounding the Food Pyramid, including whether it was truly shaped by vested industry interests, if it encouraged harmful dietary shifts toward excessive carbohydrate and sugar consumption, and whether the...

info_outline SNP41: Do Certain Foods Really Cause Inflammation – And Are Anti-Inflammatory Diets the Answer? show art SNP41: Do Certain Foods Really Cause Inflammation – And Are Anti-Inflammatory Diets the Answer?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Inflammation has become a nutrition buzzword, often used in extreme or misleading ways. This episode aims to clarify what inflammation is, how it relates to diet and health, and whether specific foods truly provoke inflammatory responses in the body. The episode provides a nuanced, evidence-based look at inflammation and diet. It explains the difference between acute and chronic inflammation, outlines the role of chronic low-grade inflammation in disease, and emphasizes that overall dietary patterns – rather than any single food – are what influence our inflammatory status. Commonly...

info_outline #566: Can We Maintain Weight Loss? Pharmacology and Behavior – Tara Schmidt, RD show art #566: Can We Maintain Weight Loss? Pharmacology and Behavior – Tara Schmidt, RD

Sigma Nutrition Radio

GLP-1 receptor agonists have changed the landscape of obesity treatment, offering levels of weight loss once thought unattainable without surgery. But what happens after the weight is lost? And can we really talk about success without talking about maintenance? While much of the public discourse fixates on dramatic weight loss numbers, the harder question is what comes next. Can lifestyle interventions alone sustain weight loss after GLP-1 cessation? How do metabolic adaptations and behavioral relapse factor in? And what does the data actually show about relapse rates, nutritional adequacy,...

info_outline #565: How Zinc Insufficiency Impacts Inflammation, Immunity & Aging – Prof. Emily Ho show art #565: How Zinc Insufficiency Impacts Inflammation, Immunity & Aging – Prof. Emily Ho

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that often flies under the radar, despite being vital for hundreds of enzymes and transcription factors involved in immunity, antioxidant defense, and DNA repair. A surprisingly large segment of the population may not get enough – an estimated 10% of U.S. individuals consume less than half the recommended zinc intake, putting them at risk of deficiency. In this episode, Prof. Emily Ho discusses how even mild zinc insufficiency can impair immune function, promote chronic inflammation, and accelerate aspects of aging. She delves into the concept of...

info_outline #564: Is Protein’s Appetite-Suppressing Power Overstated? show art #564: Is Protein’s Appetite-Suppressing Power Overstated?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the commonly held belief that protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It’s an idea that shows up frequently in both clinical guidance and popular nutrition discourse: if you want to feel fuller, eat more protein. But how robust is that claim when you drill into the details of the evidence? To explore this, Alan and Danny examine the complex interplay between protein intake, satiety, and energy intake. We look at both historical and recent literature, including work from Kevin Hall’s group, that raises important questions about how much of...

info_outline #563: The Financialization of the Food System – Prof. Martin Caraher show art #563: The Financialization of the Food System – Prof. Martin Caraher

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Global food systems have been increasingly subjected to financial speculation, leading to adverse consequences for growers, consumers, and public health. But what are the systemic vulnerabilities that impact food security, equitable access to nutritious food, and the broader socio-political frameworks influencing these outcomes? Understanding the financial mechanisms shaping food production and distribution is highly relevant for health professionals, policy makers, and researchers concerned with nutrition, equity, and global health systems. This episode urges a critical re-evaluation of...

info_outline SNP40: Do Seed Oils Cause Inflammation & Chronic Disease? show art SNP40: Do Seed Oils Cause Inflammation & Chronic Disease?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Seed oils have recently become a hotly debated topic in nutrition, fueled by sensational claims on social media. In this episode, the central theme is examining whether seed oils are truly harmful or if they’ve been unjustly demonized. The discussion tackles prevalent claims – that seed oils drive inflammation, oxidation, and chronic disease – and compares them against the current scientific evidence. This is highly relevant to nutrition science and clinical practice today, as many patients and practitioners are encountering conflicting information about vegetable oils. By exploring the...

info_outline #562: How to Detoxify Yourself – Quack Asylum Special show art #562: How to Detoxify Yourself – Quack Asylum Special

Sigma Nutrition Radio

In this Quack Asylum episode, Danny and Alan critically examine the claims surrounding “detoxification protocols” – specialized diets, cleanses, or supplements marketed to eliminate toxins from the body for better health. The central theme is whether these detox plans actually improve health outcomes or if they’re built on pseudoscience and fear. Many alternative health proponents argue that modern life exposes us to countless toxins that accumulate in our bodies, causing chronic diseases, and thus we must undergo periodic detox regimens to cleanse ourselves. There is genuine...

info_outline #561: Emulsifiers in the Modern Diet: Health Risk or Harmless Additive? show art #561: Emulsifiers in the Modern Diet: Health Risk or Harmless Additive?

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Emulsifiers are a ubiquitous component of the modern food supply, found in everything from salad dressings and dairy products to pastries and sauces. Traditionally regarded as safe by regulatory agencies, emulsifiers play a vital role in enhancing the texture, stability, and shelf-life of countless processed foods. Yet, in recent years, emerging research has prompted a reevaluation of this assumption, raising intriguing questions about whether regular consumption of these additives might have previously overlooked health consequences. Recent epidemiological studies have suggested possible...

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More Episodes

For decades, dietary guidelines—and the Food Pyramid in particular—have been at the center of heated debates and considerable controversy. These guidelines have often been accused of being influenced by industry interests, oversimplifying nutritional nuance, or even directly contributing to rising obesity and metabolic disease rates.

In this episode, we critically assess common claims surrounding the Food Pyramid, including whether it was truly shaped by vested industry interests, if it encouraged harmful dietary shifts toward excessive carbohydrate and sugar consumption, and whether the subsequent health outcomes seen at the population level can be fairly attributed to these guidelines.

Additionally, we evaluate the role of the sugar industry in funding key studies and publications, examining the implications such conflicts of interest may have had on nutritional science.

Drawing on historical context, rigorous examination of scientific evidence, and an evaluation of how nutritional recommendations have evolved, this discussion aims to clarify misunderstandings, highlight legitimate criticisms, and separate fact from persistent myths regarding dietary guidance and its implications for health.

Timestamps

  • [01:37] Common claims and narratives
  • [03:15] Historical context of dietary guidelines
  • [21:57] Sugar industry influence on dietary research
  • [36:17] The mcgovern report
  • [40:49] Misconceptions about dietary guidelines
  • [44:28] Changes in food supply and consumption
  • [58:15] Critiques and conflicts of interest
  • [01:06:47] Key ideas segment (Premium-only)

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