Fruit, Fructose, and the Metabolic Middle Ground with Catherine Crofts (part 2)

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This week on the podcast Mikki speaks to Dr CAtherine Crofts in part 2 of their discussion on health about challenging the status quo in nutrition science. Together they take a critical look at the flaws in current dietary guidelines, particularly the persistence of high-carbohydrate, low-fat recommendations despite mounting evidence for alternative approaches.

The conversation dives into how our bodies handle minimally processed versus highly processed carbohydrates, the individuality of carbohydrate tolerance, and why excessive processed carbs play such a central role in driving insulin resistance and chronic disease. 

Drawing on evolutionary and anthropological insights, the discussion considers what our history of hunting, brain expansion, and plant consumption suggests about human adaptation to diet. This leads into the striking health shifts seen in indigenous populations exposed to modern foods, and whether refined carbs and oils are the primary culprits or part of a wider cultural disruption.

Dr Catherine Crofts is a pharmacist, researcher, and lecturer based in New Zealand with a special interest in the early detection and prevention of metabolic disease. She completed her PhD at Auckland University of Technology, where she analysed the extensive insulin assay data collected by Dr Joseph Kraft, shedding light on how abnormal insulin responses can precede changes in blood glucose by many years.

Catherine’s work focuses on hyperinsulinemia as a key driver of chronic disease, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on glucose-based measures such as HbA1c or fasting glucose. She has presented internationally on the clinical importance of Kraft’s insulin patterns, advocating for earlier and more nuanced testing to improve long-term health outcomes.

With a background that combines pharmacy practice, clinical research, and teaching, Catherine brings a rare blend of practical experience and scientific insight to the conversation around metabolic health and diabetes prevention.

linkedin.com/in/catherine-crofts-4a25537b?originalSubdomain=nz

https://academics.aut.ac.nz/catherine.crofts

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