http://johnbarnesnutrition.com/

John Barnes Nutrition, 11 Bradley Street, Wotton-under-Edge (2025)

02/10/2025

Knowing that you are genetically more likely to develop Alzheimer's might at first seem like a curse - but what if this knowledge could give you the power to change your fate?

Building on last week's discussion of Alzheimer's prevention, this post examines the role of genetics in assessing current risk and outlines actions that can be taken based on genetic insights. The most powerful predictor of Alzheimer's is the APOE gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein called Apolipoprotein E (APOE), which is crucial for transporting cholesterol and other fats in the body and is essential for brain health. There are three versions (alleles) of the gene E2, E3 & E4 with one being inherited from each parent leaving six possible combinations which have profoundly different effects on your risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Finding out that you are in the 2% of the population who carry the highest risk E4/E4 genetic combination could be life-changing information (which is why genetic counselling is essential before any results are discussed). The power of good diet and lifestyle choices can far outweigh the risks posed by any genetic combination. Your genes load the gun - your lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Knowing your APOE status means becoming both better informed and more able to compensate for your genetic variation. A nutrient dense diet low in sugar and saturated fat combined with regular movement and social interaction can offer significant protection regardless of your genotype. The lifestyle recommendations necessary to prevent Alzheimer's also protect from stroke, heart attack and diabetes.

Each time you are tempted to stay on the sofa and open the fridge, this awareness could persuade you to get on the road and open your lungs. Knowledge is both power and a powerful driver of habit change.

A comprehensive APOE report and professional interpretation costs £295. The report also includes genes involved in methylation, inflammation, toxicity and neuroprotection which enables you to take preventative action by adopting personalised nutrition and lifestyle changes to optimise your future, long term health.

21/09/2025

Alzheimer’s is almost always a choice’ is an intentionally provocative statement aimed to spark debate and raise awareness about an issue we often collectively ignore - burying our heads in the sand, hoping it won’t affect us, or assuming we’re powerless to act.

This ‘choice’ is both relevant - being World Alzheimer’s Day - and painfully personal for me as a carer for a parent with Alzheimer’s. I am not alone in witnessing the cruel progression of this disease: watching someone you love being steadily stripped of their personality, character and independence with each passing day.

Unfortunately, for many of the population, Alzheimer’s is far from a choice. If you were born in the wrong postcode, in a food desert or lack the information, motivation and resources required to protect your brain from the onslaught of the modern world, pollution, inactivity and Big Food, Alzheimer’s becomes less of an option and more of an inevitability. This a societal and governmental issue that requires urgent action especially as the tide of new cases continues to rise at a rate that threatens to drown both our healthcare and financial systems.

If you are fortunate to have the resources and knowledge, then there is plenty of individual action you can take today to protect your brain tomorrow. Eating a nutrient dense diet is key - omega 3 fats, essential B vitamins, anti-oxidants and fibre - all proven to be protective – along with keeping an active body and mind. Equally important is reducing your exposure to the toxins that can damage your grey matter – refined carbs, sugar and saturated fats, smoking, alcohol and environmental pollutants.

Of course, there are genetic factors at play with Alzheimer’s and some of us may need to be more vigilant than others. Be assured, however, that besides the particularly rare Familial Alzheimer’s Disease, the lifestyle and dietary choices you make have far more impact on the disease than the genes you carry.

Get in touch to find out more about protecting your brain or how metabolic and genetic tests can assess your personal risk. Knowledge is both power and a powerful motivator.

21/09/2025

‘Alzheimer's is almost always a choice’ is an intentionally provocative statement aimed to spark debate and raise awareness about an issue we often collectively ignore - burying our heads in the sand, hoping it won't affect us, or assuming we're powerless to act.

This ‘choice’ is both relevant - being World Alzheimer's Day - and painfully personal for me as a carer for a parent with Alzheimer's. I am not alone in witnessing the cruel progression of this disease: watching someone you love being steadily stripped of their personality, character and independence with each passing day.

Unfortunately, for many of the population, Alzheimer’s is far from a choice. If you were born in the wrong postcode, in a food desert or lack the information, motivation and resources required to protect your brain from the onslaught of the modern world, pollution, inactivity and Big Food, Alzheimer’s becomes less of an option and more of an inevitability. This a societal and governmental issue that requires urgent action especially as the tide of new cases continues to rise at a rate that threatens to drown both our healthcare and financial systems.

If you are fortunate to have the resources and knowledge, then there is plenty of individual action you can take today to protect your brain tomorrow. Eating a nutrient dense diet is key - omega 3 fats, essential B vitamins, anti-oxidants and fibre - all proven to be protective – along with keeping an active body and mind. Equally important is reducing your exposure to the toxins that can damage your grey matter – refined carbs, sugar and saturated fats, smoking, alcohol and environmental pollutants.

Of course, there are genetic factors at play with Alzheimer’s and some of us may need to be more vigilant than others. Be assured, however, that besides the particularly rare Familial Alzheimer's Disease, the lifestyle and dietary choices you make have far more impact on the disease than the genes you carry.

Get in touch to find out more about protecting your brain or how metabolic and genetic tests can assess your personal risk. Knowledge is both power and a powerful motivator.

31/07/2025

Arguably, we should all eat less sugar as this is probably the single most powerful way to improve metabolic health.

If you have a variant on the TCF7L2 gene however, you should be even more vigilant of the sugar and refined carbohydrate levels in your diet. This gene variant can significantly influence how your body handles sugar and those with a less efficient version have a 50% increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Having this gene does not mean you are destined to develop diabetes, but it does mean that your body will not manage meals with high levels of refined carbohydrates efficiently therefore your diet and lifestyle choices become even more important.

From a functional nutrition perspective, it may be beneficial to limit refined sugars and high-glycemic carbohydrates, focus on fibre-rich whole foods to slow glucose absorption, prioritise healthy fats and proteins with each meal, and maintain regular physical activity to improve insulin sensitivity.

If you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, you may want to consider exploring genetic testing to better understand your risk.

Knowledge is power. This is just one of many ways by which understanding your genes can help you make more targeted and preventative health choices.

DM if you would like to find out how to eat for your genes.

28/07/2025

Tired of managing symptoms without real answers?

Chronic fatigue, bloating, skin issues, brain fog, stubborn weight - these aren’t just “normal” or something you have to live with. They’re signals from your body telling you something deeper is going on.

Functional testing and personalised nutrition can go beyond simply masking symptoms with medications to discover the root cause of many common health problems.

Digging deeper with DNA analysis and targeted lab testing can reveal a nutrition-first approach to help address gut imbalances, hormonal dysfunction, chronic inflammation, blood sugar instability and nutrient deficiencies.

Using these tools to find out why symptoms are happening helps create a plan to restore balance from the inside out.

Because healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about understanding your body’s unique story and giving it exactly what it needs to thrive.

Ready to feel like yourself again - or maybe even better?

21/07/2025

�If I had to sum up everything I have studied to date, all the scientific papers I have read along with the feedback from clients about health improvements they have enjoyed. That would be it.

It’s simple advice - but it’s powerful and is the message most robustly supported by decades of research across epidemiology, clinical trials, nutrition science, and public health.

This does not mean becoming vegan or vegetarian or even leaving behind the treats and indulgences you enjoy (in moderation of course). It simply means putting more whole plant foods into your meals and snacks - eat leaves, stalks, stem, seeds, roots and tubers, eat the skins and the pips. Eat them raw, streamed, fried, roasted or fermented. Eat them as close to their original, natural form as possible, before they have been ground, processed, refined and purified.

Eat an abundant and diverse variety of colourful plants and make them the centre of your plate. Eat more of them, more often, and your health will improve.

🌱 Eating more plants can:
�✔️ Extend your lifespan and improve your healthspan (how well you live, not just how long)�🫀
Protect your heart and reduce the risk of heart disease�
💪 Help manage your weight in a sustainable, satisfying way
🧠 Improve mood and boost mental health
�⚖️ Balance blood sugar and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes�
🧬 Reduce inflammation and your risk of many chronic diseases�
💩 Boost digestion thanks to fibre (something most people don’t get enough of)�
🍊 Flood your body with micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
😋 Leave you feeling fuller and for longer

And let’s not forget whole plant food diets are:
�💰 Cost-effective�
🌍 Better for the environment�
🥗 Simple and delicious

If you’re curious about how to shift toward a more plant-based way of eating - without overcomplicating it - I’d love to help.

16/06/2025

These are some very kind words from a client today which have helped make all of the studying, self-doubt and imposter syndrome worthwhile. More important, however, was one word in particular which, on reflection, was key to the success of this amazing health journey - accountability.

It’s one of the most underrated drivers of change. Nutritional therapy isn’t just about food plans or meal prep - it’s about showing up, regularly, for someone who’s invested in your wellbeing. Often, we find it easier to do something for someone else than for ourselves. This ‘motivational transference’ is the tendency to follow something through not out of internal drive, but to meet the expectations of someone we trust.

That regular check-in, the sense of being seen, the subtle pressure not to let someone down - it matters, it builds momentum and it works. And over time, that external motivation can grow into something deeper and more lasting. So while the science and strategy behind nutritional therapy are vital, it’s often the human connection - the accountability - that quietly transforms lives.

This is why I offer a series of four appointments plus an assessment for just £245. Book a free consultation call to find out how accountability can work for you.

05/06/2025

Chopping, slicing or grating your vegetables increases the amount of health protective polyphenols they release.

These bioactive compounds are synthesised in response to the ‘wound’ to defend the plant from microbiological attack. Due to a happy accident that has emerged from deep evolutionary connections between plants and animals - the same chemicals impart health benefits when we eat them. These bioactive phenolic compounds interact with our cellular signalling and gene expression pathways to reduce inflammation, offer protection from cancer and heart disease whilst improving memory and slowing cognitive decline.

A recent study showed that:

Grated carrots had over 5x more phenolics than sliced

Finely sliced broccoli florets yielded 1.5 x phenolic activity of florets

Shredded onions released twice the phenolics as sliced

In short, taking a knife, grater or mandolin to your salad ingredients comes with extra health benefits by wound-inducing them to improve their nutritional composition. Of course this is nothing new - the chopped salad or a simple ’slaw’ have been around for ever, but its great to know that a couple of minutes work, with a small price tag can be delicious health boosting addition to any meal.

Think diversity and colour when putting produce to the sword - beetroot, celery, radish, squash, courgette, fennel, cabbage, chicory, leek, apple. I use finely shredded vegetables as the base for my salad most days - simply seasoned and dressed with olive oil and cider vinegar to add flavour and crunch to any lunch.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.906069

18/05/2025

As we are reaching the end of Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought it topical to look at eating for better mood. What we eat can have a profound effect on our mental health and a lot of it begins in the microbiome which effects our mood via the gut-brain axis - which we intuitively know already - gut feelings, butterflies in our stomachs, gut-wrenching anxiety etc.

Eating plenty of fibre and whole foods keeps your microbiome in tip top condition so it can produce extra feel-good signalling chemicals. This also allows for better absorption of nutrients needed to reduce inflammation, provide anti-oxidants and allow for the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

One of the most effective dietary changes to feel happier comes from simply reducing sugar which, over time, can cause neuro-inflammation, disrupt brain chemistry and impact neurotransmitters which can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.

Find out what makes you happy. We all have our own unique recipe when it comes to feeling good - the best food to enhance your mental health may depend on your unique genetic code. Message if you would like to find out about what personal dietary solutions can help to make you happier.

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10.3390/nu8010056
10.1007/BF00431803
10.1007/s00726-012-1330-y
10.1038/s41398-022-01941-x
10.4088/JCP.10m06634
10.3389/fphys.2018.01047
10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112568
10.1016/j.psychres.2015.04.023
10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019
10.3945/ajcn.115.124545
10.1177/0269881109106923
10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.12.017
10.4088/JCP.8157su1c.03
10.1007/s00213-010-1870-3
10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.129
10.3945/ajcn.114.103846
10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.008
10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x
10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.067
10.1177/0004867416676895
10.3390/nu9050429
10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.05.008
10.1002/dneu.22089
10.1002/hup.2434
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10.1017/S0029665114001512

12/05/2025

Green tea has been used therapeutically for millennia due to its ability to both relax or focus the mind. So how can both be achieved and why does green tea help some of us find calm whilst other may feel jittery? This is predominantly down to variations in your COMT gene which codes for an enzyme (catechol-O-methyltransferase) that breaks down dopamine after its release. The gene comes in two main variants: the ‘warrior’ which processes dopamine quickly and the ‘worrier’ which processes dopamine slowly

The active compound in green tea, EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), further slows the activity of your COMT enzyme which for the worrier can cause an excessive build-up of dopamine leading to anxiety and poor focus. Whereas for the warrior type, green tea leads to a slower COMT resulting in optimum dopamine levels improving focus and attention. This is just one of many genetic variants the demonstrates how the same food can have completely opposite effects in different people.

Knowing which variant of the COMT gene you carry, however, can tell you much more than if you should drink green tea or not. When viewed in context of other genes that affect the speed at which dopamine is manufactured, it also offers valuable insights into your stress response and ability to focus. More importantly, this information can tell you what specific dietary and lifestyle modifications can be made to help optimise your own dopamine levels to help manage anxiety and ADHD symptoms.

Message if you would like to find out more about eating for your unique genetic variations.

06/05/2025

It was curiosity that got me into nutrition and, more recently, the same curiosity found me wondering what orange peel tastes like. Have I lost my mind? Quite the opposite in fact, as the rind from citrus fruit contains high concentrations of powerful nutrients such as hesperidin and naringenin which may help support brain health and cognitive function.

Naringenin is of particular interest due to its ability to stimulate the NRF2 pathway. This cascade of biochemistry stimulates the growth of new brain cells whilst protecting existing ones from damage by inflammation and oxidative stress. Supplementing becomes more important as we age because the NRF2 pathway slows down and is particularly relevant as a therapeutic option if you have a down-regulated (less efficient) NRF2 gene.

The pith also yields high concentrations of hesperidin, shown to reduce blood pressure, serum triglycerides and inflammation thus improving cardiovascular and cognitive health. Furthermore, the effects have been shown to linger for at least 6 weeks after consumption.

The rind also contains a host of other beneficial bioactive compounds, most of the fibre and vitamin C content, which is why many nutritional supplements are derived from citrus peels.

So how did it taste? In this case, not too bad - the thin layer of rind on this easy peeler offered an intriguing bitter contrast to the sweet, juicy flesh. Fortunately you don’t have to go around chomping on orange peel like me - lots of Middle Eastern cuisine traditionally uses whole citrus fruits in savoury dishes and you could try the ‘mange-tout’ of the citrus world, kumquats.

Whilst there is also marmalade and candied peel - the sugar content probably cancels out most of the health benefits so it may be better to try some of the numerous citrus bioactive supplements that are available which also come with the added plus of using what is otherwise a waste product. product.

https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2017.3134
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1177708

17/04/2025

As a nutritionist I don’t promote superfoods simply because, despite the chorus of promises made on social media, no single food can deliver all that your body needs for optimum health. However, if I were pushed to nominate one food for having more super powers than most, it might have to be the humble beetroot for the spectrum of health benefits hiding beneath that luscious deep purple flesh. Also because its cheap, readily available and delicious.

Beetroot offers numerous health benefits, including improved heart health, lower blood pressure, enhanced athletic performance, and potential anti-cancer effects. It’s also a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and is high in prebiotic fibre to feed the gut microbiome.

Of particular interest to me, is the betaine content which is useful contributor to methylation - a biochemical process that controls many essential metabolic functions including synthesis of neurotransmitters, DNA and the structure of cell walls. After studying my nutrigenetics I discovered a down-regulated BMHT gene (betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase) which basically means that additional beetroot compensates by boosting my cardiovascular and neurological health, although it often makes me think I am haemorrhaging when visiting the toilet!

Before you start beet-loading, a word of caution: beetroots are rich in oxalates, which can contribute to kidney stones. So if you have them, it’s best to enjoy beetroots and beet greens in moderation. For most healthy people though, oxalates aren’t an issue. As part of a balanced, varied diet, you simply can’t beat beets.

John Barnes Nutrition

02/10/2025

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