Mayo Clinic On Nutrition Podcast: Evidence-Based Nutritional Advice

 Even amid this orgy of anti-science with top U.S. government health officials spouting nonsense on fake cures for serious diseases and halting cutting edge cancer research to focus on food additives, the Mayo Clinic is still one of the most admired health care institutions in the U.S. 

 Mayo Clinic employs over 7,300 physicians, scientists, and 66,000 administrative and allied health staff. The practice specializes in treating difficult cases through tertiary care and destination medicine. It is home to the top-15-ranked Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and many of the highest-regarded residency education programs in the United States. It spends over $660 million yearly on research and has more than 3,000 full-time research personnel.

Furthermore, it maintains three major campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Mayo Clinic's history began in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1864 with Dr. William Worrall Mayo. His sons, William James and Charles Mayo, later joined their father's practice, forming a group practice that evolved into the Mayo Clinic. This practice was unique for its time, emphasizing a team-based approach to patient care, education, and research.

In August 2024, the Mayo Clinic released a new podcast, Mayo Clinic On Nutrition Podcast.

The Mayo Clinic situates their show like this: "On Nutrition helps listeners unravel the complexities of modern diets, offers evidence-based nutritional advice, and debunks common myths about what we eat. Explore topics like weight management and innovative nutritional therapies, and learn how to make the best, most informed nutrition choices."

  Tara Schmidt, the podcast host, is the lead dietitian for the Mayo Clinic Diet. She specializes in outpatient counseling for obesity, bariatric surgery, and cardiovascular diseases. She is passionate about reducing weight bias and educating people about realistic, evidence-based weight management.

As a host, she's exceptional because she infuses the show with high energy, focuses on conveying factual information and helpful tips, and helps interviews flow seamlessly while enabling her guests to dazzle with their expertise.

The podcast has an average runtime of about 40 minutes and releases episodes every two weeks.  

My favorite episodes include the August 27th show about being a vegan. For some reason, vegans seem to bring out the worst in meat eaters, who can't conceive of a diet without animal fat. Tara says, "People choose to ‘go vegan’ for many reasons, from animal welfare to environmentalism. But is veganism automatically healthier just because it's plant-based? What do people need to know before they make the whole food switch?"

On the episode, Tara Schmidt talked with Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a longtime vegan and doctor of osteopathic medicine, about how a plant-based diet has helped her and her patients—and how it could help you. I'm not a vegan, but I enjoy a delicious veggie burger. I can't recommend a brand, because that's impossible!

On the November 5, 2024, show, Tara Schmidt talks with psychologist Dr. Afton Koball about the harmful impact of weight bias, and how providers and patients can push back against stereotypes, in the medical field and beyond. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults have experienced stigma due to their weight. But where does it come from, and how can it come between you and your healthcare?

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of nutrition podcasts available, with The Nutrition Diva being the best. 

The Mayo Clinic On Nutrition Podcast proves that any genre, no matter how crowded, can still offer a fresh perspective on a topic by using the standard tools of informational accuracy, intellectual curiosity, a skilled host, and insightful guests.