Misinformation in nutrition is rampant. From demonizing red meat to hyping plant-based diets, conflicting advice has left many people confused about what’s truly evidence-based. In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Bradley Johnston, an expert in evidence-based nutrition and public health policies, to separate fact from fiction. With nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Johnston has challenged conventional wisdom—including recommendations from major organizations like the World Health Organization. He shares how evidence-based practices should guide our dietary choices, the importance of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and how cognitive biases influence the research we trust.
Key Points:
- How evidence-based guidelines are formed—and why they sometimes change
- The three pillars of evidence-based practice and why patient values matter
- Why most nutrition studies aren’t as strong as we think—and how to critically evaluate them
- What the best available research actually says about dietary patterns for longevity
- The role of AI in research and whether it’s a help or hindrance to scientific rigor
If you’ve ever questioned dietary guidelines, nutrition headlines, or conflicting health advice, this episode is a must-listen. Get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about nutrition.
Who is Dr. Bradley Johnston?
Dr. Bradley Johnston is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, specializing in evidence-based nutrition, and the methodology of patient-reported outcomes, randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, and clinical and public health practice guidelines.
With a PhD in experimental medicine from the University of Alberta and post-doctoral training in evidence-based practice, epidemiology and biostatistics from Oxford and McMaster University, his research focuses on advancing human health research methodology to improve clinical and dietary practice recommendations and public health policies. He co-leads EvidenceBasedNutrition.org and NutriRECS, develops nutrition education resources (e.g. Nutrition Users’ Guides), and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Canadian Pediatric Obesity Management Guidelines, ensuring clinical and public health guidelines are backed and transparently supported by the best available evidence, including end user values and preferences, absolute estimates of effect and the certainty of evidence for estimates of effect. His overall aim is to empower patients, clients and members of the public to make fully-informed health care decisions based on the central tenets of evidence-based practice and policy.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - The problem with nutrition misinformation
02:23 - Dr. Bradley Johnston’s background in evidence-based research
07:23 - The history of evidence-based practices in nutrition
12:14 - Why expert biases impact research findings
19:40 - How systematic reviews and meta-analyses work
25:41 - Are we even asking the right nutrition questions?
35:00 - How much evidence is actually needed to make a recommendation?
45:48 - The GRADE approach for evaluating certainty in scientific findings
58:57 - Why animal studies don’t always translate to human health
1:08:23 - Strong vs. conditional recommendations—what do they mean?
1:27:56 - Will AI improve or worsen research quality?
Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.
