Snacking To Lower Cholesterol?!

You might think this is slightly nutty, but an interesting bit of research delivered some kernels of good science which (pe)can help lower “bad” cholesterol!

Now that the dad jokes are out of the way and you’ve picked yourself up of the floor laughing I can go into detail…

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (PMID: 39880306), swapping your usual midday crisps or biscuits for pecans might significantly improve your cholesterol profile and overall diet quality. 

The study zoomed in on adults dealing with or teetering toward metabolic syndrome, that pesky cluster of conditions increasing the odds you'll one day have an awkwardly serious chat with your doctor about diabetes or heart trouble.

The researchers gathered 138 brave snackers, aged 25 to 70, who each already had at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor (like elevated blood pressure, stubborn belly fat, or unhelpful cholesterol levels).

For 12 weeks, half replaced their regular snacks with 57 grams of pecans daily, while the other half sadly missed out.

The outcome? Those crunching pecans saw impressive drops in total cholesterol, LDL (known as "bad cholesterol"), non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and improved ratios of total cholesterol to HDL (the one we call "good cholesterol"). This matters, scientifically speaking, because reducing LDL cholesterol and improving cholesterol ratios directly lowers your chances of heart disease and strokes.

There was some additional domino effect like good news too, as it seemed dituching “unhealtheir” snacks for pecans also led to surprisingly better food choices overall. In fact, pecan gobblers showed a 17% higher adherence to the Healthy Eating Index, suggesting pecans somehow tricked them into eating healthier overall; more plant proteins, seafood, and nutrient-rich choices. Sneaky, delicious nuts.

But life's never fair and I’ve got to show you the full picture; participants snacking on pecans did experience an average 0.7 kg weight gain, probably due to accidentally eating a few extra calories or overestimating the energy swap. Still, researchers noted this modest weight gain didn't negate the cholesterol-smashing effects, though perhaps future snack-swapping can be mindful of overall energy balance.

So, the next time you reach for your snack drawer or you’re doing some grocery shopping remember: pecans (in fact most nuts.. unless they’re swimming in chocolate) could be an easy way to becoming your heart’s new best friend!

Supplements That Can Harm Your Liver…

In the last three decades, we’ve gone from Flintstones vitamins to swallowing the entire periodic table in the name of wellness. 

TikTokers chug berberine to “hack” their metabolism, influencers munch on sea moss smoothies, and biohackers treat turmeric like it’s the Fountain of Youth™; all while their livers could be doing a lot of unwanted heavy lifting…

Let’s be clear: Supplements aren’t evil. I take a fair few myself and recognise their value. But they’re not fairy dust either. 

There is a dark side of “Wellness”...a.k.a liver roulette…

Over 20% of drug-induced liver injuries in the U.S. now trace back to supplements. 

For example, green tea extract (often in “metabolism boosters”), bodybuilding powders laced with steroid imposters, and multi-ingredient “miracle” blends are the usual suspects. Even “clinically validated” brands have left folks sprinting to the ER with livers waving white flags.

Turmeric, ashwagandha, and red yeast rice? These botanical bad boys in high doses can also engage your liver in some rough and tumble. And thanks to lax regulations, analyses have revealed that “pure” supplements might also be contaminated with lead, arsenic, synthetic drugs, fungi or a surprise guest star: E. coli.

People who use supplements are often at risk of doing a “pick n mix”; collating and ingesting multiple supplements with multiple bioactive ingredients, sometimes taking them at super-high doses or with other drugs, while manufacturers swap in cheaper ingredients to lower costs.

As humans we often fall into the trap of wanting quantity, but more ≠ better. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) don’t just pee out; they bunker down in your tissues like squatters. The result is often headaches, insomnia, or a one-way ticket to a kidney stone hellscape.

I’ve been increasingly aware of the need to do my own verification when it comes to third party testing (i.e ensuring websites upload proof of their testing and safety certificates so I can see at some due diligence has gone into the creation of supplements).

Look for things like NSF, USP, or Informed Sport seals. No cert? Assume it’s sawdust.

Another thing we often don’t talk about with supplements is their interaction with any regular prescription medications we might be taking. Supplements are chemicals and mixing supplements with meds can turn your liver into a science fair project gone wrong.

You Should Stop Speed Running Life…

Life, it seems, has tricked us all (certainly it did for me) into believing it's some kind of high-stakes race; a frantic scramble to summit as many metaphorical mountains as possible, in record-breaking time, without ever stopping to question why we're climbing them in the first place. 

But I’m fashionably late in coming to this realisation in life but nonetheless I’ve learned that speed is meaningless if your internal GPS is permanently set to existential crisis mode.

Imagine spending your life mastering mountain-climbing techniques, shaving milliseconds off your climbing time, buying all the fancy gear only to realize, after breathlessly reaching the peak, you're standing triumphantly atop Mt. Misery, gazing out over a landscape of regret and mild despair. You've climbed fast, sure, but you've climbed the wrong bloody mountain.

Humans are notoriously terrible at accurately predicting what will genuinely make us happy. We suffer from what's elegantly called "forecasting errors," but which, translated to plain English, basically means we're cluelessly sprinting towards things that don’t matter and then wondering why they don’t feel satisfying (its why that new car feels good for a few weeks or months but then the joy fades..)

Neuroscience backs this up with the depressing reminder that our brains care more about anticipation than fulfillment. That brief thrill of ticking off tasks, no matter how meaningless, has convinced your brain you're "winning," even as your soul slowly dies of boredom.

So, how can you avoid becoming tragic mountain-speedsters destined for an emotional crash landing? Well annoyingly enough the answer involves being intentional about goals.

This means regularly interrogating yourself with uncomfortable yet essential questions: Is this “mountain” truly mine? Am I climbing because it fulfills me, or because it's impressively tall, shiny, or Instagrammable?

Goal setting isn't just a profound concept; it has laughably simple parallels even in something as mundane as eating. Ever watched someone speed-eat a cheese and pickle sandwich like they're competing in the Olympics of lunchtime regret.

The point of food isn't to inhale calories at maximum efficiency; it's to savor the sandwich, appreciate its absurdly perfect cheese-to-pickle ratio, and maybe even enjoy the company around you. Life, goals, and happiness work pretty much the same way.

Instead of obsessing over speed and efficiency; metrics that rarely correlate with meaningful fulfilment… perhaps our greatest act of productivity is choosing our mountains and goals carefully, climbing them slowly and deliberately.

Because who the hell wants to stand at the summit only to realize the view is better elsewhere?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome 101 

IBS, irritable bowel syndrome can be a nightmare. Think of it like your gut hosting a chaotic improv comedy night… no one follows the script, your nerves are frayed (which could cause more code brown pants) and half the audience (i.e your microbiome) heckle you or worse, storm out offended. 

The real problem is that we misunderstand it because we blame the actors (e.g food), when really, it's a lousy bluetooth connection between your gut and your brain creating misery with unpredictable consequences.

In a hat tip to IBS awareness month in April, this is the first ever guest segment on my newsletter written by my friend Kirsten Jackson (@ the.ibsdietitian on Instagram)...

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Whilst ‘taboo’, the bodily functions of a working GI tract are really quite normal - farting, burping, pooping and even a bit of bloating now and again all serve a purpose. But for the 1 in 10 of us that has irritable bowel syndrome, our GI tract seemingly has a mind of its own and these functions become rather off the scale, leading to a huge negative impact on a person’s quality of life. People with IBS can suffer with ongoing symptoms of regular bloating, abdominal pain, urgency to open their bowels, constipation and loose stools.

IBS is caused when the communication between the gut and the brain (the gut-brain axis) is not behaving itself. Now the brain and the gut like to use a variety of methods to communicate with each other: the nervous system, hormones and even the gut microbes. It is likely that people who have IBS have dysfunction in each of these areas meaning that we really need to manage IBS symptoms using a variety of different methods.

Diagnosis of IBS is not straightforward but we do have official medical guidelines which clearly define this condition and how it is diagnosed. And please do not get drawn into the fancy looking ‘intolerance’ tests you see advertised everywhere. Symptoms of IBS can also belong to other conditions like IBD, coeliac disease and even bowel cancer so your first port of call is to see your GP for an assessment and routine testing.

Now how do you manage these symptoms once you have your diagnosis? The good news is that there are 1000s of research studies looking at IBS and multiple ways to improve and manage your symptoms. Here are some of the ways;

• The Mediterranean Diet.

• Fiber supplements - psyllium husk or partially hydrolysed guar gum (for both constipation and diarrhea).

• The low FODMAP diet process - there are more than 10 randomised controlled trials on this diet andt helps with up to 75% of people’s symptoms. The process works by identifying dietary triggers.

• Probiotic supplements - ensuring you are taking a strain that has been scientifically proven to help IBS.

• Stress based mindfulness techniques such as meditation.

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (specific gut directed therapy)

• Clinical hypnotherapy. 

• Sleep hygiene practices.

• Regular exercise.

The list is extensive and can be overwhelming - Where should you start? Do you need some expert guidance? Often online information is incorrect and conflicting. But rest assured, Dr Rajan has asked me to also do a guide for you so you can download my free IBS starter guide here.

You can subscribe to Kirsten's weekly IBS emails here:

Neuroticism & Dementia…

If you're the type who regularly lies awake at night replaying awkward conversations from 2014 or frantically Googling symptoms because a TikTok video has convinced you that a mild headache from 2 weeks ago is definitely a brain tumour… then you might be a tad “neurotic” (been there done that…sometimes still do). And while neuroticism; psychology-speak for chronic worry and frequent bouts of existential dread, can make life a never-ending sitcom of misery, recent research suggests it might also be nudging people toward another unwelcome companion later in life: dementia.

In a comprehensive analysis published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association (PMID: 38018701), researchers sifted through data from 44,000 participants, examining their "big five" personality traits… conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and our anxiety-ridden friend neuroticism. Unsurprisingly, high neuroticism turned out to be a pretty solid predictor of dementia risk.

Neuroticism, at its core, is characterized by emotional reactivity, persistent stress, and a negativity bias strong enough to turn any silver lining into a storm cloud. Neuroscience shows this trait is linked to heightened activation in the amygdala (the brain’s emotional panic alarm) which chronically floods your system with stress hormones like cortisol. Over time, this endless barrage isn't just exhausting; it's physically damaging, potentially shrinking the hippocampus, your brain’s essential center for memory and learning.

Ironically, worry itself now has something genuinely worrying attached: chronic stress accelerates cognitive decline and increases susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Interestingly, however, researchers led by Professor Emorie Beck discovered something oddly hopeful; personality traits don't seem to influence the underlying biological pathology of dementia (like amyloid plaques or tau tangles), but they do affect how resilient the brain is in coping with these pathologies. 

So simple translation: if your personality leans neurotic, you're more likely to notice and experience dementia’s cognitive symptoms.

But don't spiral quite yet (neurotic people, looking at you and me). The good news hidden within this gloomy cloud is that personality traits aren’t entirely fixed; think of them more like adjustable knobs rather than permanent tattoos. Professor Beck reassuringly points out you can intentionally dial down neurotic tendencies by cultivating routines, building healthier emotional habits, associating with optimistic and conscientious individuals, and yes, even seeking therapy (finally an excuse for those endless hours of online symptom-checking).

So, if you find yourself panicking about your panic, remember that your neuroticism doesn’t have to dictate your brain’s future. It’s never too late to start shifting toward a slightly less anxious, slightly more forgettable future…in the best possible way!

P.S I had an excellent deep dive all about Alzheimer’s and how we can modify certain lifestyle aspects to reduce our risk of cognitive decline here:

Eat Leftover Carbs ASAP!

People seem to have an inherent fear of left overs… and worries about getting food poisoning. Realistically if you follow standard food safety and hygiene practices (like storing your left over in the fridge or freezer at the appropriate time and not continually reheating the same portion of food ad infinutum) you will be fine.

In fact your left over carbs could be the superfood your gut is crying out for.

Left over carbohydrates contain resistant starch (RS), the carb loophole your gut microbes wish they could monetize on TikTok. Imagine a starch that also doubles as a fiber, slipping past your small intestine like a sneaky gut ninja to throw a microbiome feast. Science calls this “fermentation.” Your gut calls it brunch.

When RS hits your colon, it’s like a party for beneficial bacterial species like Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus bromii; specialized bacteria that break down RS into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate. Think of butyrate as your colon’s personal spa day; less inflammation and it sparks joy in insulin-sensitive cells.

Beyond the microscopic benefit, studies have shown that RS helped with weight loss and satiety as RS-fed gut microbes alter bile acid profiles and block fat absorption like a cholesterol bouncer.

For those who are prediabetic or diabetic, RS slows glucose absorption, turning your post-meal blood sugar spike into a gentle wave. Meta-analyses show RS slashes fasting glucose and insulin resistance, especially in diabetics.

RS fermentation also cranks out butyrate, which repairs gut lining leaks and whispers sweet nothings to your immune system. 

But not all Resistant Starch is created equal. Here’s your brief field guide:

RS1: Found in legumes/grains. Physically trapped in cell walls

RS2: In raw potatoes/green bananas. Resists digestion until gut microbes “uncuff” its crystalline structure.

RS3: Forms when you cook-then-cool carbs. Reheating? Doesn’t kill the RS magic. Your pasta salad is now a prebiotic.

RS4: Chemically modified starch, still effective.

If you want to RS-ify your life you can:

1. Cook rice/pasta/potatoes → fridge overnight → reheat. Voilà: RS3 boost without sacrificing carb-soul

2. Go raw(ish): Add raw oats to smoothies or slice green bananas into yogurt. B. adolescentis will send you a thank-you note

3. Legumes = Lentils, chickpeas, beans. RS1 + protein = gut microbiome’s power couple.

4. Dose wisely: Start with 15-20g/day (≈ ½ cup cooled rice). Too much too fast? Let’s just say your gut may not be thankful.

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