#543: Eye Health & Nutrition – Prof. John Nolan

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Danny Lennon

Sigma, Dietetics, Evidencebased, Nutrition, Training, Health & Fitness, Science, Diet, Fitness, Evidence, Bodybuilding, Health

4.8 • 626 Ratings

🗓️ 19 November 2024

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of ocular nutrition with Professor John Nolan, exploring how specific nutrients can play crucial roles in preserving eye health, improving vision and supporting cognitive function.

With age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affecting millions globally, Professor Nolan sheds light on groundbreaking research showing how certain carotenoids—natural pigments found in plant foods—could impact eye health and perhaps even neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

But what are these compounds exactly, and why are they so impactful?

Through in-depth clinical studies, Nolan has identified optimal nutrient formulations that could bridge the gap in conditions as diverse as macular degeneration and cognitive decline. He makes a compelling case for why the timing and quality of these interventions could matter as much as diet itself.

Finally, this episode goes beyond individual health to consider public health implications, particularly the need for better regulation in the supplement industry and enhanced nutritional education for medical practitioners.

Timestamps

[01:20] Professor Nolan’s academic journey and early inspirations in vision science
[02:12] Groundbreaking research on age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
[04:24] How carotenoids contribute to eye health and disease prevention
[07:27] Expanding from eye research to exploring brain health connections
[16:23] Overcoming challenges in developing effective nutritional supplements
[20:57] The role of preventative nutrition in eye and cognitive health
[27:28] Key findings from major human trials on carotenoids and vision
[33:37] Evidence linking carotenoids to cognitive health and aging
[42:53] Practical insights for medical practitioners on using nutrition for eye health

Links:

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Enroll in the next cohort of our Applied Nutrition Literacy course
Caretenoid supplement mentioned by Prof. Nolan: MacuPrime

Transcript

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0:00.0	And here we are a very big welcome to Professor John Olin. Thank you so much for taking the time to come and talk to me today.
0:21.5	It's a pleasure.
0:22.6	Very happy to have the conversation.
0:24.4	I think anyone listening when they go and look through your academic background
0:27.9	and your career to date will see how much a big deal it is.
0:31.9	And so for me, I'm delighted that you've taken the time to do this.
0:35.7	Maybe to give people some of that context,
0:37.4	can you walk us through some of your background in academia and your current research interests?
0:43.1	I studied science when I finished school, which, by the way, I certainly wasn't an A student leaving school.
0:48.6	I struggled quite a bit.
0:51.0	Scraped my way into university, probably not known that I suffered a little bit
0:55.3	with dyslexia back then. It wasn't really diagnosed or managed. But yeah, something that I'm
1:00.5	proud to tell the story of now because I see so many younger students suffer in that way. But nonetheless,
1:06.9	I got the great opportunity to study science and my education from there went in a very positive
1:12.4	direction because I had a passion and interest in science always. So I did biochemistry, but luckily
1:18.4	I landed on doing a PhD program that was designed to look at a disease called age-related
1:25.5	macular degeneration. And honestly, I didn't know really much about that disease.
1:30.3	I knew it was a disease of the eye.
1:32.3	And the science that I had to conduct as part of the hypothesis, if you like,
1:36.3	was to look at people at risk of this disease.
1:39.3	And macular degeneration is a disease of the macula,
1:42.3	which is basically the back of the eye.
	...

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