Dr. Tim Noakes

Professor and low-carbohydrate nutrition researcher

Low-carbohydrate nutrition and exercise science

1Episode

78 minAnalysed

1Topic

Last reviewed: Jul 12, 2026·Credential: MD, DSc·First indexed: Jul 12, 2026

About the expert

Focus: Low-carbohydrate diets, fat adaptation, and insulin resistance

Tim Noakes is a professor and researcher known for his work on low-carbohydrate diets and exercise. He argues that many people are better suited to burning fat than carbohydrates. He links high carbohydrate intake to insulin resistance and chronic disease.

Why this matters

Researcher and physician focused on low-carbohydrate nutrition and exercise, who views insulin resistance as the central driver of metabolic disease. Strongest on the harms of refined carbs and the physiology of fat adaptation; more contested where he downplays LDL cholesterol and extends the case to carnivore-style eating.

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Topics covered

Insulin Resistance (Human)

Episodes with Dr. Tim Noakes

Are carbs driving weight gain and diabetes?

Tim Noakes argues that many people with weight or blood sugar problems are primarily affected by insulin resistance driven by high carbohydrate intake. In this view, cutting carbs lets insulin fall, which makes stored body fat easier to burn. In this model, insulin — not cholesterol — is the primary marker to watch, though that remains an area of active scientific debate.

78 minHuman

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