Prevention is Cure

Prof. Grant Schofield sits down with Prof. Julia Rucklidge, clinical psychologist, University of Canterbury researcher, and one of the world's leading voices on micronutrients and mental health, for a wide-ranging conversation on three decades of research most people have never heard about.
Julia walks through the origin story of it all (yes, it really did start with pig farmers in Alberta), then into the studies that built her case: ADHD trials showing improved emotional regulation, faster recovery after the Christchurch earthquakes and mosque attacks in well-nourished populations, and the landmark "NUTRIMUM" pregnancy study, where mothers taking a broad-spectrum micronutrient formula saw dramatically better birth outcomes than those on antidepressants, including a threefold difference in resuscitation rates at birth.
From there the conversation turns to the part that will frustrate you: why none of this has translated into practice. Julia unpacks New Zealand's 40-year-old+ Dietary Supplement Regulations, the bizarre legal reality that a supplement is not allowed to claim it can prevent or treat disease (yes, even scurvy), and her own first-hand experience being refused a prescription for the very formula she's spent her career researching. They also cover her newly-teenager emotional dysregulation trial, the reward-system dysregulation driving the "anxious generation," and her new role on the NZ Psychologists Board.
If you've ever wondered why good nutrition science doesn't reach GPs, mums, or teenagers who need it, this one's for you.
How a pig-feed observation in Alberta led to a career studying micronutrients and mental health
Faster recovery from trauma (Christchurch earthquakes, Christchurch mosque attacks) in well-nourished populations
The NUTRIMUM pregnancy trial: depression outcomes, birth outcomes, and postnatal depression rates vs. antidepressants
Why broad-spectrum micronutrients may work better than single nutrients like vitamin D or B-vitamins alone
Reducing emotional dysregulation in teenagers, without a psychiatric diagnosis
New Zealand's outdated supplement law (Dietary Supplement Regulations Act, 1985) and why a food "cannot legally prevent or treat disease"
Julia's own experience being denied a prescription for daily essential nutrients by her GP
The regulatory maze around lithium-containing micronutrient formulas and Medsafe's crackdown
What an ideal, evidence-based regulatory environment could look like
Reward system dysregulation, dopamine, and the "anxious generation" in young people
Julia's new appointment to the NZ Psychologists Board

In this episode Guests & Links
Prof. Julia Rucklidge, Clinical psychologist and researcher, University of Canterbury🔗 https://prekure.com/meet-the-faculty/professor-julia-rucklidge/?srsltid=AfmBOorWCSuCEW407OjLSwFlvzAGhZkB_bItn5IHAgKW4Y1IAk25NVIr

Prof. Grant Schofield, Host🔗 https://profgrantschofield.com/

PREKURE🔗 https://prekure.com/

Prevention is Cure is brought to you by PREKURE. Subscribe for more conversations on nutrition, mental health, and the science of prevention.

Prof. Grant Schofield explains ketosis from first principles: what it is, why it matters, and how it differs from simply "eating low carb." We talk about insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, which affect a significant share of adults today, the surprising wartime origins of chemotherapy.
Prevention is Cure is sponsored by Prekure - a New Zealand education organisation with a bold vision: to redefine the future of medicine. Prekure's CEO, Louise Schofield, saw that people weren't getting the support they deserved, and decided to do something about it. Her answer? Train masterful health coaches who can empower people with the knowledge and tools to prevent illness - not just treat it.
Feel inspired by these conversations? If you think you might have something to give, maybe you were meant to be a health coach?
Learn more at prekure.com.And if you're loving the show - let us know what topics you want us to cover next. We're listening.

In this episode, Grant Schofield sits down with ocean swimmer and activist Jono Ridler, fresh off an extraordinary feat: swimming just shy of 1,400km from North Cape to Wellington in just 90 days.
Jono shares what drove him to take on the swim, the physical and mental toll of months in open water, and the deeper mission behind it: raising awareness of what's happening beneath the surface of our oceans, including the impact of bottom trawling on fragile deep sea ecosystems. He talks candidly about training while working full time and raising a young daughter, navigating shark encounters, adapting to dropping water temperatures, and the injuries and setbacks along the way.

Follow Jono's journey and future adventures here: https://www.instagram.com/jonoridler/
www.liveocean.org
Footage of Jono's Swim 🎥 : https://www.instagram.com/jonoridler/
Prevention is Cure is sponsored by Prekure, a New Zealand education organisation with a bold vision: to redefine the future of medicine. Prekure's CEO, Louise Schofield, saw that people weren't getting the support they deserved, and decided to do something about it. Her answer? Train masterful health coaches who can empower people with the knowledge and tools to prevent illness, not just treat it.
Feel inspired by these conversations? If you think you might have something to give, maybe you were meant to be a health coach? Learn more at prekure.com.
And if you're loving the show, let us know what topics you want us to cover next. We're listening.

Prof Grant Schofield and Dr Louise Schofield are embarking on their annual 5-day fast, and they're sharing everything: the science, the struggles, and the practical tips that make it work.

Whether you're fasting-curious or a seasoned faster, this is the honest, science-backed conversation you need before you start.

Follow along on socials: Prof Grant Schofield & Dr Louise Schofield on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

PREKURE - where prevention is the cure. | www.prekure.com
PREKURE trains masterful health coaches and is on a mission to redefine the future of medicine.

A Herald story revealed New Zealand households spend $20 million a year on energy drinks, and some people are drinking two litres a day just to get through a shift. In this episode Prof. Grant Schofield and guest co-host, Sam Schofield unpack the predatory marketing with energy drinks aimed squarely at young boys, why a single 500ml can hides 13 teaspoons of sugar and 160mg of caffeine, and the B6 toxicity risk almost nobody talks about, with recorded cases here in NZ and Australia.
From there:
- Are "sugar-free" lollies just a clever scam? Should governments regulate the food environment the way they regulate everything else?
- A surprising new zinc trial where people lost nearly 3× more weight on the same calories.
- The real story on seed oils and your cell membranes, which is more nuanced than the internet tells you.
- And why the coming robot age might make some of us healthier, not sicker.
This is general discussion, not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician before changing anything.
Got a guest or topic you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments.