Tegan Taylor

Many people use food tracking apps, whether for weight loss purposes, or to help manage a medical condition.  But when it comes to how much energy, fat, protein or sodium is in a certain food, how accurate are they? Researchers have looked at hundreds of apps and identified some of their blind spots — including multicultural meals.  Guest Dr Juliana Chen, accredited practising dietitian and lecturer at the University of Sydney  References Evaluating the Quality and Comparative Validity of Manual Food Logging and Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Food Image Recognition in Apps for Nutrition Care

More attention is being paid to toxins and their effects on the human body – like PFAS chemicals, microplastics and heavy metals.  A guide has been released providing advice to parents, childcare centres and policymakers.  It provides practical approaches to reduce the risks from known toxins.  Guest Dr Rachael Wakefield-Rann, Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney References New guide helps childcare providers keep kids safe

In epilepsy, seizures are caused by an 'electrical storm' in the brain that can be seen during an EEG test. But there is another kind of seizure, which presents the same but cannot be seen on an EEG. Despite being so common, there are few treatments for functional seizures and functional neurological disorder (FND). Guest Jackie, participant in Re-PROGRAM Dr Toby Winton-Brown, neuropsychiatrist at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and at Monash Neuroscience at Monash University   References Re-PROGRAM: The evaluation of a brief intervention program for patients with functional seizures in an outpatient hospital setting "What the hell is wrong with me?" - Health Report, Saturday 29 June, 2024

We've been searching for a fountain of youth for millennia. How can we not only live longer, but live healthier for longer? Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is the latest anti-ageing candidate under the microscope. Norman and Tegan explain what it is, and whether supplements promising to boost NAD actually do what's advertised on the bottle. References: NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing NAD+ in Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders What is really known about the effects of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in humans Dietary Supplementation With NAD+-Boosting Compounds in Humans: Current Knowledge and Future Directions The use of a systems approach to increase NAD+ in human participants Specific ablation of Nampt in adult neural stem cells recapitulates their functional defects during aging

It's estimated more than 400,000 Australians are living with dementia, which impacts them as well as their loved ones. A new pilot study is exploring how songwriting can help, especially for those with early onset dementia. Guests Associate Professor Samantha Loi, neuropsychiatrist at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne Paul Wheelton, carer for his wife Angela Phoebe Stretton-Smith, music therapist References Statement – NDIS funded music and art therapy Bill Shorten flags NDIS changes to music and art therapy funding, ABC News

Scientists are increasingly concerned about the rising incidence of colorectal cancer among younger populations, and emerging research points to the gut microbiome as a key factor in understanding this trend. A study from the University of Melbourne uncovered a specific bacterial strain that can cause DNA damage, potentially triggering the development of colorectal cancer. References: Intratumoral presence of the genotoxic gut bacteria pks+ E. coli, Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum and their association with clinicopathological and molecular features of colorectal cancer

The first 2,000 days of life are crucial for brain development. Children learn and grow more during this time than at any other point in their lives. However, research shows many childcare centres are failing to provide proper nutrition: children are going hungry, and meals often don't meet basic dietary standards. Experts are calling for better food support in disadvantaged areas and improved nutritional guidelines for early childhood centres to help children get the nourishment they need.

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