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This week on the podcast Mikki speaks to returning guest Professor Emeritus Don Layman, a leading nutrition scientist whose work has been central to how we understand protein, metabolism, and the role of diet in long-term health.

In this episode, the conversation starts at the top—unpacking what dietary guidelines actually are, why they exist, and how they came to shape the way we think about food at a population level. Don walks through the historical context behind early guidelines, including where things may have gone off track, particularly around the treatment of fat, cholesterol, and protein-rich foods.

From there, the discussion moves into the science. Don outlines the limitations of relying heavily on observational nutrition research and contrasts this with findings from controlled trials, particularly in relation to protein requirements and metabolic health. He explains why he recommended a shift to the new protein targets to better support muscle, satiety, and overall health.

Dr. Donald Layman is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Layman has been a leader in research about protein, nutrition for athletic performance, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular health. Dr. Layman has over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

 

He has received numerous awards for his research from the American Society for Nutrition and the National Institutes for Health and for his nutrition teaching. Dr. Layman currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and on the editorial boards of Nutrition & Metabolism, and Nutrition Research and Practice. Dr. Layman has an extensive consulting background including work with NASA, the Shriners Children’s Hospital, the US Air Force plus numerous food companies and organizations including Kraft Foods, Nestlé, Agropur and the National Dairy Council. Dr. Layman earned his doctorate in human nutrition and biochemistry at the University of Minnesota.

Prof Layman publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Donald-Layman

Conversations with Dr Lyon: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx1_K-1RwcGTt25RbHqXYcRaQm6rD3Ce7

Prof Layman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/donlayman

Previous podcasts

 https://podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/55

 https://podcast.mikkiwilliden.com/238