tommy wood

This extra special – and slightly different – episode of the podcast is for anyone who’s ever felt confused about best practice for good health. If you’ve wondered which diet is the best one for your health, or if you are confused about how much protein you should be consuming - or whether a little bit of alcohol has any health benefit at all - then I have just the guest for you. 

Dr Tommy Wood is Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, US. He holds a degree in biochemistry from Cambridge, a medical degree from Oxford, achieved his PhD in physiology and neuroscience in Oslo, and has published papers and lectured across the globe. It’s fair to say that when it comes to health and longevity, Tommy knows what he’s talking about. And that’s exactly why I invited him back onto my podcast for the third time. 

He, like myself, is passionate about empowering individuals to take control of their health by simplifying the wealth of information that exists and giving people practical, realistic recommendations. In today’s conversation, Tommy and I work through a list of common areas of confusion when it comes to our wellbeing. And together we try to put the received wisdom in context, summarise the evidence, and then give nuanced, practical advice.

We begin with alcohol, and Tommy explains that while there are no proven health benefits to drinking it, there are caveats. And that becomes a theme for this conversation. Nothing is all good, or all bad - context is always key.

Next, we cover caffeine and its effect on performance, cognitive function, gut health, stress and, again, sleep. Then we dive deep into the hot topic of sugar, ultra-processed foods, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and other trackers.

We go on to tackle protein, the minimum effective dose for exercise, the importance of building muscle, and the supplements we might want to consider taking. And for every subject we cover, Tommy exposes the common pitfalls in research methods and tells us what the science can show, but also what it can’t. 

There are so many mixed messages out there when it comes to our health. Our hope is that this conversation offers a valuable lesson in critical thinking and context, and highlights the importance of taking a personalised approach to your health. 

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/404

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Tommy Wood is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, where he studies brain injury and how lifestyle choices and environmental factors contribute to brain health, cognitive function, and chronic disease. In this episode, Tommy delves into the complexities of age-related cognitive decline and explores interventions to counteract it. Drawing from his experience working with Formula 1 drivers, he highlights the connection between cognitive function and the right type of demands and training leading to improvement. Next, he explores the various theories on the different types of pathology in dementia and neurodegeneration. He makes the case that a large fraction of dementia is preventable through lifestyle choices and nutrient status, and provides an in-depth overview of interventions and supplements that support cognitive function. Finally, he provides a comprehensive overview of head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), discussing symptoms, how to mitigate damage following an incident, and long-term management.

We discuss:

• Tommy’s professional work, unique skill sets, and interests [3:00];
• Age-related decline in cognitive function and memory [5:45];
• Improving brain function with the right level and type of demand [20:15];
• Formula 1 as a model for how to perform under high cognitive demand and how to increase multitasking capacity [31:30];
• Advice for the person reaching middle life looking to mitigate cognitive decline [37:45];
• Tasks and activities that support and improve cognitive function [45:30];
• Neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease: exploring the role of amyloid and tau proteins [49:30];
• Why Tommy believes dementia research funding should be focused on environmental and lifestyle-based risk factors [1:05:15];
• Benefits of lowering homocysteine and boosting omega-3’s, and evidence-based supplements that support cognitive function [1:09:00];
• A unifying theory of dementia [1:20:45];
• How muscular strength can help with both the prevention and survivability of dementia [1:24:15];
• Head injuries: comparing concussions against traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), mitigating the damage after an incident, and the long-term management of head injuries [1:29:15];
• Is hyperbaric oxygen treatment helpful after a TBI? [1:45:45];
• Supplements that aid recovery from a TBI: creatine, DHA, and choline [1:49:30];
• Demands faced by F1 drivers, and testing interventions to improve their performance [1:57:30]; and
• More.

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