Mikkipedia

Mikki Williden

Mikkipedia is an exploration in all things health, well being, fitness, food and nutrition. I sit down with scientists, doctors, professors, practitioners and people who have a wealth of experience and have a conversation that takes a deep dive into their area of expertise. I love translating science into a language that people understand, so while some of the conversations will be pretty in-depth, you will come away with some practical tips that can be instigated into your everyday life. I hope you enjoy the show!

  1. 1d ago

    Brandon DaCruz - Protein Masterclass: How Much You Need for Muscle, Fat Loss and Ageing

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz Episode Summary Brandon DaCruz is an online nutrition and physique coach and the host of the Chasing Clarity Health and Fitness podcast, and he is a familiar voice to Mikkipedia listeners. In the latest Mikkipedia and Chasing Clarity collaboration, he and Mikki put together a protein masterclass, working through the questions they are asked most: how much protein you need, how that changes with your goal and life stage, and which details deserve your attention. They cover why protein is still so confusing despite being added to everything from yoghurt to chocolate bars, why resistance training and protein work together, the difference between the RDA and an intake that supports muscle, and why needs rise in a calorie deficit. They also discuss lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat and those on GLP-1 medications, protein and appetite, protein quality and plant versus animal sources, how much protein one meal can use, and the anabolic window. Brandon finishes with practical starting points for muscle gain, recomposition, fat loss and very lean athletes, and Mikki does the same for endurance athletes, older adults and vegans. Key Topics Why protein advice is still confusing: "proteinification" of food, lingering myths about kidney harm, and experts with similar authority saying very different thingsWhy training creates the signal for muscle growth and protein supports the response, and why adding protein without resistance training does little for muscleHow much people actually eat: Mikki sees most clients under-eating protein even when they think every meal is covered, and Brandon sees protein skewed towards dinner and dropping at weekends, in men as well as womenThe RDA of 0.8 g/kg is an adequacy figure, not a target for muscle; around 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg covers most of the benefit for people training at maintenance or in a surplus, while Mikki aims for at least 1.8 g/kg for endurance athletes and around 2 g/kg for those eating lower carbFat loss: a deficit suppresses muscle protein synthesis, so Brandon scales protein with the risk of muscle loss, from around 1.9 g/kg up to 2.5 to 3.2 g/kg for very lean and physique athletesLean mass and GLP-1s: why Brandon worries less about some lean mass loss in people with a lot of excess body fat, and how DEXA "lean mass" includes more than muscleDon Layman's informal 100 g a day floor, and why both hosts increase protein in steps rather than all at onceProtein and satiety: protein is the most filling macronutrient, but fibre, water, energy density, food volume and regular meal timing matter too, and protein-fortified snacks are still processed foodProtein quality and plant-based diets: leucine and the full essential amino acid profile, what vegan and mycoprotein trials show, leucine in plant protein powders, and why Mikki adds an essential amino acid powder for plant-based athletesPer-meal protein and timing: the body can use more than 20 to 30 g at once, three to five protein meals a day works well, and the post-workout window is wider than 30 minutes, though protein soon after fasted training still mattersChapters 00:00 Introducing Brandon and the protein masterclass03:13 Why protein still confuses people08:06 Protein, resistance training and muscle15:54 How much protein people actually eat22:28 The RDA versus an optimal intake27:50 Protein needs for endurance athletes30:15 Protein needs during fat loss39:50 Lean mass, excess body fat and GLP-1s47:45 A 100 gram floor and building up gradually52:35 Satiety and metabolic health1:02:14 Protein quality and plant versus animal sources1:17:21 Per-meal protein, distribution and timing1:26:10 Practical targets by goal and population Guest / Resources Brandon DaCruz Instagram: @brandondacruz_Website: brandondacruzfit.comChasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast, on all major podcast platformsChasing Clarity EP. 93, Dr Scott Stevenson on whether there is an upper limit to protein-stimulated muscle anabolism (the Trommelen study): listen hereEarlier Mikkipedia episodes mentioned Mikkipedia 482, Brandon DaCruz on body recomposition: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/482Mikkipedia 492, Rapid fat loss with Brandon DaCruz: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/492Mikkipedia 466, Prof. Don Layman on protein, policy and dietary guidelines: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/466Mikkipedia 238, Putting perspective on protein with Prof. Don Layman: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/238Mikkipedia 460, José Areta on energy deficit and muscle adaptation: podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/460Why protein matters and how much people eat Brenner BM, Meyer TW, Hostetter TH. Dietary protein intake and the progressive nature of kidney disease. N Engl J Med, 1982 (the "Brenner hypothesis"): doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198209093071104Mertz KH et al. The effect of daily protein supplementation, with or without resistance training for 1 year, on muscle size, strength, and function in healthy older adults. Am J Clin Nutr, 2021: doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa372Layman DK et al. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr, 2005: doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.8.1903Bray GA et al. Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating. JAMA, 2012: doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.1918University of Otago and Ministry of Health. A Focus on Nutrition: Key Findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey, 2011 (protein chapter): health.govt.nzHow much protein for muscle Morton RW et a...

  2. 3d ago

    Up Two Kilos After a Big Weekend? Why Most of It Isn't Fat

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026 Episode Summary In this solo Monday episode, Mikki tackles a question she gets constantly from clients and on social media: why the scales can jump two kilos after a big weekend when that much fat gain seems impossible. She traces the familiar rule that a kilo of fat is worth about 7,700 calories (3,500 per pound) back to Wishnofsky's 1958 paper. She explains why it is a reasonable estimate of the energy stored in mostly-fat body weight, but a poor prediction of how much fat a given surplus will add. Using overfeeding studies, including the Levine NEAT study and the Bouchard identical twin study, Mikki works through three problems with the rule: extra food isn't all stored, not all weight gain is fat, and energy balance shifts as your body changes. She then reruns the maths on a genuinely big weekend and shows why a Monday-morning jump is mostly glycogen, water, salt and food in transit. That understanding should change what you do next. Key Topics Where the 7,700 calorie (3,500 kcal per pound) rule came from, and why it is defensible as an estimate of the energy in a kilo of mostly-fat body weightThe difference between a kilo of pure lipid, a kilo of adipose tissue and a kilo on the scales, which can represent anything from about 1,000 to more than 9,000 caloriesWhy digesting and storing food costs energy, and why a carbohydrate surplus is stored a little less efficiently than a fat surplus without meaning carbs cause more fat gainWhat extra protein changes during overfeeding: in a metabolic ward study fat gain was similar across protein intakes, but higher-protein diets added lean tissue and raised resting energy expenditureHow NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) explained much of the tenfold difference in fat storage between people eating the same surplusThe identical twin overfeeding study: about 11 kg predicted by the rule, 8.1 kg gained on average, with a range of 4.3 to 13.3 kg and responses that clustered within twin pairs. Mikki notes that these were young men, and the results can't be mapped directly onto women in perimenopauseHow glycogen and water, sodium, alcohol and food in the gut drive short-term jumps on the scales, and why the water-to-glycogen ratio isn't as fixed as often statedWhy energy balance isn't static, and why the energy content of each kilo lost is lower early in a diet and in leaner peopleRerunning the maths: roughly 9,000–11,000 surplus calories to add a kilo of fat tissue, and around 400–500 g of fat at most from a 4,500 calorie weekend surplusWhy the 7,700 rule creates false precision in both directions, from panic after a big weekend to disappointment after week one of a new planChapters 00:00 Introduction: the Monday morning weigh-in02:52 Where the 7,700 calorie rule comes from05:17 Why extra food isn't all stored07:30 NEAT and the twin overfeeding study10:29 Glycogen, water and short-term weight gain13:00 Why energy balance isn't static16:15 What a kilo on the scales really means18:09 Big weekends, new diets and what to do next Guest / Resources Wishnofsky (1958), Caloric Equivalents of Gained or Lost Weight, American Journal of Clinical NutritionHorton et al. (1995), Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage, American Journal of Clinical NutritionAntonio et al. (2014), The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals, Journal of the International Society of Sports NutritionBray et al. (2012), Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating, JAMALevine, Eberhardt and Jensen (1999), Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans, ScienceBouchard et al. (1990), The response to long-term overfeeding in identical twins, New England Journal of MedicineOlsson and Saltin (1970), Variation in total body water with muscle glycogen changes in man, Acta Physiologica ScandinavicaHall and Chow (2013), Why is the 3500 kcal per pound weight loss rule wrong?, International Journal of ObesityLeibel, Rosenbaum and Hirsch (1995), Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight, New England Journal of MedicineHeymsfield et al. (2012), Energy content of weight loss: kinetic features during voluntary caloric restriction, Metabolism Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwillidenNZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzSave 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz supplement: MIKKI saves you 25% at www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk off your first order

  3. Oct 20

    New Zealand Blackcurrant, Fat Oxidation and Recovery with Dr Matthew Cook

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz Episode Summary Dr Matthew Cook is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Worcester in the UK. He completed the first PhD examining the effects of New Zealand blackcurrant on physiological responses at rest and during exercise in trained cyclists, under Prof Mark Willems at the University of Chichester, and he is still researching blackcurrant and performance, recovery and health. Mikki has used CurraNZ for years, including during the Grand to Grand Ultra, and wanted to hear from one of the researchers behind the evidence. Matt explains what is in New Zealand blackcurrant, why his group thinks the metabolites formed after we eat anthocyanins matter more than the anthocyanins themselves, and how an extract compares with eating the whole fruit. The centre of the conversation is Matt's recent meta-analysis of 15 studies and 226 participants, which found a consistent increase in fat oxidation during exercise. Matt is careful about the size of it: about 0.042 grams of fat a minute, or roughly 2.5 to 3 grams over an hour of moderate exercise, "physiologically detectable" and possibly meaningful, but modest. He also notes that more fat use does not automatically mean glycogen sparing. They talk about why some people respond more than others, including a study where women with more body fat responded more (an observation in 11 women that needs repeating), and how little is known about perimenopausal, menopausal or insulin-resistant women. Matt finishes with the most-studied dosing protocol, timing before events and the evidence on recovery. Key Topics Matt's path from an undergraduate degree at Southampton Solent University to a master's and PhD at the University of Chichester, and his ongoing collaboration with Prof Mark WillemsWhat makes New Zealand blackcurrant distinctive: high UV exposure, an anthocyanin profile dominated by delphinidin and cyanidin, and the idea that metabolites made in the liver and by gut bacteria drive the effectsWhole fruit versus extract: two capsules (600 mg) give about 210 mg of anthocyanins, roughly 70 to 80 g of fresh fruit by Matt's rough calculation, with seasonality, consistent dosing and fibre load favouring an extractThe consistent finding that blackcurrant shifts fuel use towards fat at the same exercise intensity, and why that does not automatically equal glycogen sparingMatt's meta-analysis of 15 studies and 226 participants: a pooled increase in fat oxidation of 0.042 g per minute, about 20 kcal over an hour, and why percentage changes can look larger than they areA study of 11 men and 11 women: both increased fat use, but only in women did the size of the response track body fat percentage, an observation Matt says needs repeatingResearch gaps in women across the lifespan, including perimenopause, menopause, insulin resistance and higher body fat, since most participants so far have been men or lean, active womenResponders and non-responders: people burning more carbohydrate at baseline (a higher RER) had more room to respond, and why a smartwatch cannot measure RERA Liverpool John Moores University muscle biopsy study showing greater use of fat stored inside type 1 muscle fibres, and what that might mean beyond athletesPractical dosing: 600 mg a day split morning and evening, starting seven days before an event, two capsules about two hours before the start, practising in training first, and some evidence for taking it for a few days after damaging exercise to help recoveryChapters 00:00 Introduction03:53 Matt's background and blackcurrant research09:53 Anthocyanins, metabolites and the gut18:20 Whole fruit versus extract24:28 Fat oxidation during exercise27:39 Putting the meta-analysis effect in context31:59 Men, women and body fat36:48 Responders and non-responders40:22 Baseline fuel use and RER43:18 Muscle fat use and metabolic health50:43 Dosing, timing and recovery54:29 Upcoming research and contact details Guest / Resources Dr Matthew Cook, University of Worcester: worcester.ac.uk/discover/matthew-cook.html. Matt says his email address and papers are listed on this page, and he would like to hear from people and coaches who have used blackcurrantCook MD, Bateman JJ, Willems MET. Blackcurrant Anthocyanin Supplementation Alters Exercise-Induced Substrate Utilization - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2026: doi.org/10.1080/19390211.2026.2624114Cook MD, Shan Y, Willems MET. Effects of New Zealand Black Currant Extract on Exercising Substrate Utilization and Postexercise Blood Pressure in Men and Women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2025: doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2024-0108Willems MET, Cook MD. Alterations of Exercise-Induced Carbohydrate and Fat Oxidation by Anthocyanin-Rich New Zealand Blackcurrant Are Associated with the Pre-Intervention Metabolic Function: A Secondary Analysis of Randomized Crossover Trials. Nutrients, 2025: doi.org/10.3390/nu17060997The Liverpool John Moores University muscle biopsy study: Jones LA, Leung L, Barrett JS, Fortis HO, Strauss JA, Shepherd SO. New Zealand blackcurrant extract augments muscle glycogen storage at rest and enhances intramuscular triglyceride degradation during prolonged exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2026: doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05995-9Prof Mark Willems, University of Chichester, Matt's PhD supervisor and long-time collaboratorCurraNZ, the New Zealand blackcurrant extract used in this research, is a sponsor of the show. Use the code MIKKIPEDIA for a discount: curranz.co.nzMikki's earlier episodes with Fleur Cushman of CurraNZ, including Fleur Cushman - the science behind blackcurrants Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwilliden

  4. Oct 18

    Live Blood Analysis, Skin Scanners and IgG Tests: What They Actually Measure

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026 Episode Summary In this episode, Mikki looks at three tests clients keep bringing to her that sound scientific but don't deliver what they promise: live and dry blood analysis, skin carotenoid scanners and IgG food intolerance panels. For each one she explains what the test actually measures, what it is sold as measuring, and why the gap between the two matters when people end up on a raft of supplements or a long list of foods to avoid. She also walks through a 2025 randomised, sham-controlled trial of an IgG-guided elimination diet in IBS. The effect was real but modest, and the sham group did well too. Mikki explains why that trial doesn't justify the commercial panels sold online. She finishes with the tests and approaches that are worth your money if you have gut symptoms, fatigue or suspected food reactions. Key Topics Why live and dry blood analysis is appealing when your standard bloods are "in range" but you still feel unwell, and why what practitioners point to on the slide is clotting and drying artefactBlood pH is tightly regulated at around 7.4, so a test claiming to show your blood is "acidic" isn't measuring anything realRobert O. Young, author of The pH Miracle and a prominent promoter of live blood analysis, was convicted in the US of practising medicine without a licenceSkin carotenoid scanners use a genuine technique and measure a real biomarker, but the score mostly reflects fruit and vegetable intake and says nothing about iron, B12, vitamin D, zinc, thyroid or overall antioxidant statusThe conflict of interest when the scanner's manufacturer also sells the supplements that raise your scoreIgE versus IgG: why IgG to foods largely tracks what you eat, and why rising IgG4 signals tolerance rather than intoleranceWhy ASCIA, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology advise against IgG food testingWhat the 2025 IgG-guided elimination diet trial in IBS did and didn't show: 59.6% vs 42.1% responders, roughly one extra responder for every six people, using an 18-food research assay rather than a commercial panelThe costs of unnecessary restriction: avoiding 15–30 everyday foods, food fear in midlife, and months of delay before a proper diagnosisBetter routes: specialist assessment and specific IgE for allergy, coeliac serology before removing gluten, breath testing for lactose, and a supervised low FODMAP trial with reintroduction for IBSChapters 00:00 Introduction00:45 Live and dry blood analysis05:28 Skin carotenoid scanners07:54 IgG food intolerance panels11:02 The IgG-guided elimination diet trial14:28 The harms of unnecessary restriction16:13 Better ways to investigate symptoms Guest / Resources Robert O. Young, author of The pH MiracleDr Jim Faed, haematologist, University of Otago Medical School, quoted in the NZ Herald (April 2025) on clinics offering live blood analysisPharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner (S3), a Nu Skin skin carotenoid scannerVeggie Meter, a research-grade skin carotenoid deviceEuropean Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) task force report on IgG4 testing to foodsAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)ASCIA, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and AllergySingh et al. (2025), A Novel, IBS-Specific IgG ELISA-Based Elimination Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial, GastroenterologyLow FODMAP diet (supervised, with reintroduction) Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwillidenNZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzSave 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKI at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz supplement: MIKKI saves you 25% at www.curranz.co.nz or www.curranz.co.uk off your first order

  5. Oct 13

    GLP-1 Medications in Practice: A New Zealand View with Dr Lara Courtenay

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz Episode Summary Dr Lara Courtenay is a New Zealand-trained GP and bariatric physician with the Weightless Specialist Team at the MacMurray Centre in Auckland, and she has worked in obesity medicine since 2020. Mikki has talked about GLP-1 medications with plenty of international researchers and doctors, so after hearing Lara speak for the Goodfellow Unit she wanted a New Zealand view from someone working with patients every day. Lara explains why GP knowledge of these medications here is variable, and why, in her clinic, the dietitians and psychologists around the medication matter as much as the prescription itself. They talk about perimenopausal women who are doing everything right and still cannot shift fat, and Lara's analogy of the medication letting go of the handbrake. They also cover prescribing criteria and the limits of BMI, dose escalation and cost, appetite and food noise, and why some plateaus come from eating too little, where Lara's clinic often lowers the dose and has people eat more. Lara is candid about what she does not know. She says the evidence suggests most people need to stay on something long term, that she cannot predict who will manage without it, and that her view on high-intensity exercise is clinic advice she "could be wrong" about. The conversation finishes with regular eating and breakfast, exercise intensity and HRT. Key Topics Why knowledge of GLP-1 medications among New Zealand GPs is "variable": some GPs will not discuss them and refer on, while others are highly skilled prescribersHow Lara came into obesity medicine through gastric balloons in 2020, and a clinic model where patients could not get the medication without seeing a dietitianOlder options such as Saxenda and Contrave, which could work well, and how much of the shift to the weekly drugs is effectiveness versus marketing and online hypePerimenopausal women who exercise, eat well and still cannot lose fat, and Lara's explanation that the medication lets go of the handbrakePrescribing from a person's heaviest documented weight, taking ethnicity into account, and why both Lara and Mikki see BMI and the word "obesity" as flawedDose escalation in practice: a set schedule to start, then stopping wherever each person needs to stop, with nutritional needs always met, and cost as one of the biggest barriersWhether people can come off these medications: Lara has seen some "unicorns" do it, but she says the evidence points to most people needing something long term and she cannot tell in advance who will manageAppetite and food noise: most people get some appetite restriction, being hungry on the medication is not a failure, and Lara is now seeing patients who escalated without support and under-ateWhy people plateau, including strict eaters falling short on fats and nutrients, and why Lara's clinic often lowers the dose and tells people to eat moreThe clinic dietitians' advice on regular eating and eating before 10am, why high-intensity exercise is not always the best fit during weight loss, and Lara's strong support for HRTChapters 00:00 Introduction02:58 GLP-1 knowledge among New Zealand GPs05:31 From gastric balloons to obesity medicine08:24 Older drugs, newer drugs and support11:43 Perimenopause and releasing the handbrake13:39 Prescribing criteria, BMI and the scales18:03 Dose escalation and cost20:53 Coming off the medication25:59 Appetite, under-eating and food noise32:28 Why people plateau37:08 Regular eating and breakfast41:33 Exercise intensity and cortisol45:04 HRT and contacting the clinic Guest / Resources Dr Lara Courtenay at the MacMurray Centre: macmurray.co.nz/doctors/lara-courtenayThe MacMurray Centre, Auckland: macmurray.co.nz. Lara says patients can call the clinic and ask for the weight loss doctor, and the dietitians can see patients whose own GP is prescribingThe Goodfellow Unit, where Mikki first heard Lara speak: goodfellowunit.orgMedications discussed: semaglutide, tirzepatide, Saxenda and ContraveTJ Power, The DOSE Effect, the book Lara mentions reading Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwilliden

  6. Oct 11

    Three Studies, Three Different Answers on Supplements and the Brain

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026 Episode Summary A friend sent Mikki a link in a WhatsApp group — an NZ Herald article, originally published in the Washington Post, under the headline that popular supplements could harm the ageing brain. It named three: vitamin D, omega-3 and glucosamine. In this solo episode Mikki goes back to the three separate studies behind that single article and works through what each one actually found. Along the way she lays out the difference between observational research and randomised controlled trials, and why healthy user bias makes supplement users hard to compare with non-users in the first place. The three studies do not point the same way: the vitamin D finding is statistically significant but amounts to about a third of a point on a 27-point scale over six years, the omega-3 signal is more substantial but runs directly against the randomised evidence from VITAL, and the glucosamine work is the most interesting of the three because it pairs experimental biology with human health records — though it concerns people who already have cognitive impairment. Mikki finishes with the questions worth asking of any study like this, and where she has landed on each supplement. Key Topics Why the NZ Herald headline claims more than the evidence behind it can support, even though the article itself acknowledges the findings are preliminary, mostly observational and sometimes contradictoryObservational studies versus randomised controlled trials, and why observational work is hypothesis-producing rather than conclusiveHealthy user bias — researchers can statistically adjust for some differences between supplement users and non-users, but not for a healthy user lifestyle, and not for anything that was never measuredThe vitamin D observational study: over 5,000 adults, average age 67.5, followed six years, showing faster decline in global cognition and executive function — but only about 0.31 points on a scale running to 27Why very large databases can make clinically trivial differences statistically significant, and why the vitamin D result disappeared when users were compared against people taking neither vitamin D nor a multivitaminThe omega-3 analysis using ADNI data, which found faster decline on three cognitive measures plus greater FDG hypometabolism in Alzheimer's-vulnerable brain regions — a real signal, but an observational oneWhy that omega-3 analysis has been challenged in published letters, covering exposure classification, residual confounding, omega-3 formulation, and its inconsistency with previous evidenceWhat the VITAL randomised trial found for both vitamin D and omega-3: no significant difference in cognitive decline, which means no demonstrated benefit but also no demonstrated harmThe glucosamine paper, which combined post-mortem human brains, Alzheimer's mouse models and electronic health records, and found roughly 25% greater progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia among usersThe questions to ask of any supplement study — who was studied, were they deficient, what dose, was exposure randomised, how big was the effect, does it agree with the randomised trials, and has it been replicatedChapters 00:00 A headline about supplements and the brain02:11 Observational studies versus randomised trials05:18 Vitamin D and cognitive decline07:53 Small effects, big databases, real limitations11:11 Omega-3, fish oil and the ADNI study15:00 Why the omega-3 findings were challenged18:55 Glucosamine, mice and health records21:59 Bringing the three studies together23:55 Practical bottom lines for each supplement Guest / Resources The article that prompted the episode NZ Herald: "Why scientists are starting to worry popular supplements could harm the ageing brain" — https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/why-scientists-are-starting-to-worry-popular-supplements-could-harm-the-ageing-brain/premium/VHMO7A5XQBAORA7PZPHXVCNHLE/Originally published in the Washington Post, 10 September 2026: "Why scientists are starting to worry popular supplements could harm the aging brain" — https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/09/10/scientists-are-investigating-whether-popular-supplements-could-harm-aging-brain/The three studies discussed Vitamin D — "Association between vitamin D supplement use and cognitive functioning: a longitudinal cohort study", BMJ Open, January 2026. Used the US Health and Retirement Study; 5,065 participants, mean age 67.5, 2,004 (39.6%) vitamin D users, six years of follow-up. Global cognition declined by an additional 0.052 points per year and executive function by 0.021 points per year among users. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41571412/Omega-3 — "The association between omega-3 supplementation and cognitive decline in older adults", The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 2026. Used Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data; 273 omega-3 users compared with 546 matched non-users over about five years, with FDG hypometabolism in Alzheimer's-vulnerable regions acting as a mediating pathway. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13099475/Glucosamine — "Hyperglycosylation is a metabolic driver of Alzheimer's disease", Nature Metabolism, 2026. Combined post-mortem human brain tissue, Alzheimer's mouse models, experimental manipulation of glycan biosynthesis, and electronic health records. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-026-01538-4Published responses to the omega-3 analysis "Oxidation over omega-3: Reinterpreting the paradoxical link between fish oil supplements and accelerated cognitive decline", The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42612547/"Do methodological limitations and confounding factors explain the apparent acceleration of cognitive decline in older adults taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements?", The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2274580726001858The randomised trial referenced throughout VITAL (Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial) — randomised older adults to 2,000 IU vitamin D3 daily and to 1 g marine omega-3 daily providing 460 mg EPA and 380 mg DHA, against placebo. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01169259Cognitive measures mentioned MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination), ADAS-Cog-13 (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale), CDR-SB (Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes), FDG PET imaging, APOE4 statusAlso mentioned Pillar Performance — the omega-3 supplement Mikki takes herself. She states in the episode that this is not a...

  7. Oct 6

    Carbohydrate Per Hour in Ultra Running: 90 vs 120 Grams with Paul Booth

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.com Episode Summary Paul Booth, sports nutritionist, exercise physiologist and PhD researcher in ultra-running metabolism, is back on Mikkipedia, straight from UTMB week in Chamonix, where he raced OCC and worked with elite athletes. Mikki and Paul pick up where they left off a year ago, talking about how much carbohydrate trail and ultra runners actually need. Paul shares results from his own blinded field study comparing 90 g and 120 g of carbohydrate an hour over 55 km. It found no difference in total time, climbing or descending, but every runner had more gut distress on 120 g after about four hours. They also cover how Paul builds race plans from lab testing, training files and years of race split times, and why he thinks faster ultra times owe more to better training environments than to race-day fuelling. He explains the everyday gaps he sees most (refuelling after training, protein at breakfast and meeting total energy needs), and why age-group runners may do well starting nearer 60 g an hour and building only if they need to. Paul is careful to say his findings apply to trail and ultra running up to the distances he has tested, not to cycling or triathlon. Key Topics Paul's OCC race: just over 11 hours on a hot day, fuelled at about 60 g of carbohydrate an hour, completing his set of UTMB ultra racesCaffeine at the elite end, including a CCC podium athlete who took far more caffeine than planned while racing through a knee injuryLab testing in heat and altitude chambers to find each athlete's gut ceiling, and using race modelling to find where carbohydrate can come down as well as upWhy Paul thinks faster ultra performances are driven mainly by more professional, strategic training, and why over-fuelling on race day adds nothing but gut issuesThe risk of pairing very high in-training carbohydrate with "burgers and pizza" to meet energy needs, when fruit, vegetables, fibre, iron and micronutrients still matterThe most common everyday gaps: delayed refuelling after training, too little protein at breakfast, and under-eating total energy on high-volume daysWhether 120 g an hour is justified: Paul sees elite intakes settling around 100 g, and reported high intakes are often overstated once discarded gels and bottles are countedPaul's 90 vs 120 g field study: no significant difference in time, climbing or descending, with a consistent rise in upper-GI distress on 120 g after about four hoursPractical advice for age-groupers: start around 60 g an hour, build towards 90 g only if you are comfortable and racing hardGlucose to fructose ratios: why 1:0.8 mainly matters above about 90 g an hour, and how sponsor products shape what athletes can takeChapters 00:00 Introduction04:02 Paul's OCC race at UTMB week07:32 Elite race results and caffeine plans11:52 Lab testing and race modelling21:47 Why ultra times are getting faster26:47 Training fuel versus overall diet quality32:04 Timing, recovery and breakfast protein34:27 Is 120 grams an hour justified?41:52 The 90 vs 120 gram field study53:55 Fuelling advice for age-group runners56:29 Carbohydrate intake and recovery1:00:05 The 10 grams an hour argument1:05:00 Glucose to fructose ratios1:08:56 Paul's podcast and how to reach him Guest / Resources Paul Booth on Instagram: @ultra.endurance.nutritionistPaul's website, Performance Gains: performancegains.co.ukPaul's previous Mikkipedia episode (398): Fueling Tom Evans and Ruth Croft's Victories at UTMB: Inside Elite Ultra Nutrition with Paul BoothPlews DJ, Booth PD, Krieger T, Maunder E. Fuelled or Fooled? Examining the Evidence and Mechanisms Behind Ultra-High Carbohydrate Intake in Endurance Athletes. Sports Medicine, 2026Paul's 90 vs 120 g per hour field study in ultra runners, presented at the ECSS conference (not yet published)O'Brien WJ, Rowlands DS. Fructose-maltodextrin ratio in a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution differentially affects exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate, gut comfort, and performance. American Journal of Physiology: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 2011. The origin of the 1:0.8 ratio discussedMNSTRY's podcast, which Paul co-hosts: mnstry.podbean.comAthletes and people mentioned: Tom Evans, Ruth Croft, Miao Yao, Gemma Hillier-Moses, Rachel Entrekin, Dan Green, Dr Dan Plews, Tim Podlogar, Alistair Brownlee Curranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nz Contact Mikki:https://mikkiwilliden.com/https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutritionhttps://www.instagram.com/mikkiwilliden/https://linktr.ee/mikkiwilliden

  8. Oct 4

    What 99% Accurate Really Means on a Body Composition Scale

    Sign up to my fatloss in the festive season webinar here. https://www.mikkiwilliden.com/fatloss-in-the-festive-season-2026 Episode Summary A client sent Mikki a link to a very flash Withings bioelectrical impedance scale — NZ$819, marketed as 99% as accurate as a DEXA scan — and asked the obvious question: is it worth the money? In this solo episode Mikki goes and reads the validation document behind that claim, and finds the problem isn't really the scale at all. It's a statistical sleight of hand that turns up constantly in health tech marketing: reporting a correlation and calling it accuracy. Mikki explains the difference in plain terms, with a worked example where a scale reads exactly half the true value every single time and still produces a perfect correlation of 1.0. She then sets the company's own document against three pieces of independent research — a January 2026 systematic review of BIA against a four-compartment model, Siedler and colleagues' 2023 comparison of fifteen BIA devices, and a June 2026 study putting the InBody H20N up against DEXA — to show what honest reporting of a body composition device actually looks like. She finishes with the four readouts on these scales that aren't worth your attention, a practical protocol for getting genuine information out of the one you already own, and four questions worth asking of any health tech accuracy claim you meet in the next few years. Key Topics Correlation is not accuracy. The 99% claim rests on a correlation of 0.99 for total fat mass across 80 people. Mikki accepts the correlation is real, and shows with a worked example why it says nothing about whether any individual reading is right.What you actually want is agreement. Mean difference and limits of agreement, via a Bland-Altman analysis — the standard approach since the mid-1980s, and one the company's document didn't use.What the validation document left out: mean difference from DEXA, limits of agreement, individual prediction error, the age and sex breakdown, the body fat range, whether hydration and fasting were standardised, and whether the validation sample was independent of the data used to build the algorithm. Mikki could find no peer-reviewed publication of it, and notes total body water was validated against a different device entirely.Better hardware doesn't settle the evidence question. Mikki is clear the Withings unit is well built — eight electrodes including a handheld bar, multiple frequencies, current through arms, trunk and legs rather than up one leg and down the other. That is a separate question from whether the accuracy claim stands up.The independent evidence. A January 2026 systematic review of 12 studies found mean bias for body fat percentage ranging from 3.5 percentage points too low to 4.4 too high, with limits of agreement typically spanning 15 to 20 percentage points, and concluded BIA was not equivalent to the four-compartment reference.Reliable does not mean accurate. Across 15 devices, precision error was 0 to 0.5 percentage points — these scales are very consistent with themselves. A device can be reliably wrong, which is why direction of change can still be informative even when the absolute number isn't. The longitudinal results were more mixed: some devices tracked change reasonably, others didn't.What honest reporting looks like. In 55 adults with obesity, the InBody H20N sat 1.64 percentage points from DEXA on body fat, with limits of agreement of −3.4 to +6.7 — good across a group, much looser for the individual standing on it. Skeletal muscle mass was worse, overestimated by 5.66 kg on average. Less impressive than 99%, and far more useful.Four readouts not worth watching: visceral fat (a proprietary index on an arbitrary scale, not a measurement of visceral adipose tissue like CT or MRI); bone mass (not bone mineral density, and no guide to osteoporosis risk — DEXA is the answer there); basal metabolic rate (calculated from an equation, not measured — that needs indirect calorimetry); and body water (better on a multi-frequency device, still modelled).How to use the scale you have. Standardise everything you can control, because hydration, glycogen and cycle phase move these numbers more than real change does over a short window. Measure three or four times a week, average weekly, read four-week trends, and triangulate against weight, waist, clothing fit, training numbers and photos. Swap "my body fat is 23.7%" for "my body fat estimate has trended down over the last 10 weeks".The transferable point. InBody's own product page claims over 98% agreement with DEXA — near enough the same move. When you're told a number is 99% accurate, ask what that means, what it was compared against, who paid for the comparison, and how far off an individual reading can be.Chapters 00:00 The $819 scale and the 99% claim02:15 Why correlation is not accuracy04:27 Better hardware, missing evidence06:48 What the independent research shows09:10 InBody versus DEXA: the real numbers11:53 Readouts not worth watching13:27 How to use a scale well15:40 Questions to ask of health tech Guest / Resources This is a solo episode — no guest. Studies discussed The Validity of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Compared to a Four-Compartment Model in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review — Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 31 January 2026. Twelve studies; mean bias for body fat percentage −3.5 to +4.4 percentage points; limits of agreement typically 15–20 percentage points. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11010065Siedler MR et al. Assessing the reliability and cross-sectional and longitudinal validity of fifteen bioelectrical impedance analysis devices — British Journal of Nutrition, 2023;130:827–840. Seventy-three adults across 15 BIA devices against a four-compartment model, with 37 returning 12–16 weeks later for the longitudinal analysis.Ellison KM, Gard W, Wood J, Layton C, Sayer RD. Assessing Body Composition for Resource-Limited Settings: Agreement of a Scalable BIA Device Compared to DXA and Clinical BIA in Adults With Obesity — Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 2026. The InBody H20N against DEXA in 55 adults with obesity (mean age 62.6, 67% female), under an 8-hour fast with no alcohol or vigorous exercise for 24 hours. The research group is at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319261459756Methods and terms mentioned Bland-Altman analysis — the standard method for comparing two measurement techniques, giving mean difference and limits of agreementFour-compartment model — a stronger reference than DEXA alone, accounting for body volume, total body water, bone mineral and body mass separatelyDEXA — the reference method throughout, and the gold standard for bone mineral densityIndirect calorimetry — what measuring basal metabolic rate actually requires, using a mask and a metabolic cartCT and MRI — what an actual measurement of visceral adipose tissue requiresDevices mentioned Withings bioelectrical impedance scale — the NZ$819 device that prompted the episode

See All (515)

Trailer

5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Mikkipedia is an exploration in all things health, well being, fitness, food and nutrition. I sit down with scientists, doctors, professors, practitioners and people who have a wealth of experience and have a conversation that takes a deep dive into their area of expertise. I love translating science into a language that people understand, so while some of the conversations will be pretty in-depth, you will come away with some practical tips that can be instigated into your everyday life. I hope you enjoy the show!

Information

  • Creator
    Mikki Williden
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    515
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mikki Williden
  • Show Website
    Mikkipedia

You Might Also Like