Author: Dr Briffa

Food and Medical Politics

World Health Organisation accused of improper soliciting of funds from the pharmaceutical industry

It seems that not a week goes by without some information leaking out about the sometimes too-cosy relationship that can exist between the pharmaceutical industry and organisations we rely on for giving us impartial health information and advice. This particular week’s story concerns accusations that a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) attempted to […]

February 19, 2007· 3 min read

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Children's Health

Getting the ‘balance’ of dietary fats right seems to be important whatever our age

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the role that specific nutrients may play in helping ensure a healthy pregnancy. In addition to folic acid, another specific nutrient that has been the focus of attention are the so-called ‘omega-3’ fats found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardine. These fats appear […]

February 16, 2007· 4 min read

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Healthy Eating

Why chocolate can be a really healthy Valentine’s day treat

It’s Valentine’s day, and in honour of this my blog today is going to pay homage to a common-given gift on this day – chocolate. While this confectionery traditionally has a naughty-but-nice reputation, there is increasing evidence that some forms of chocolate might have some benefits for health. The essential ingredient in all types of […]

February 14, 2007· 3 min read

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Food and Medical Politics

Enviga’s manufacturers forced to substantiate ‘weight loss’ claims

Some of you may remember that the Coca-Cola Corporation announced the forthcoming launch of its ‘weight loss’ drink Enviga. Naturally, I felt compelled to blog about this, and included a calculation which revealed that (if what the Coca-Cola Corporation is taken at face value) each kilogram of weight lost through the imbibing of the beverage […]

February 12, 2007· 3 min read

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Healthy Eating

High-GI foods aid sleep? Dream on!

Insomnia can be a debilitating problem. Not only can it leave people feelings seriously low on physical and mental energy, but shortened sleep has also been linked with a range of long-term health issues including heart disease, diabetes and weight gain. For a variety of reasons, what we eat and drink may affect sleep, and […]

February 9, 2007· 4 min read

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Brain and Behaviour

Omega-3 fats found to help those who self-harm

The so-called ‘omega-3’ fats found in oily fish (such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardine and herring) have been extensively studied with regard to their apparent ability to ward against ‘cardiovascular’ conditions such as heart attacks and stroke. They also seem to offer considerable promise for the brain too, and have been linked with a reduced […]

February 7, 2007· 2 min read

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Food and Medical Politics

Why do drug companies put caffeine in headache remedies?

I noticed that this week’s copy of the British Medical Journal included a ‘Masterclass for GPs’ on the subject of headaches [1]. This took, as expected, a pharmaceutical-based approach to the problem. What I found more interesting was an electronic response to this review by a doctor wishing to draw attention to a cause of […]

February 5, 2007· 3 min read

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Children's Health

Why removing tonsils is not usually the answer for children who do not breathe easily

Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are quite common in children, and may make breathing difficult. One way that this may manifest is as snoring and something known as sleep apnoea ” basically where breathing is so obstructed that it can stop for short periods during sleep. Surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids is a common strategy […]

February 2, 2007· 5 min read

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Children's Health

Study finds that overweight children eat the LEAST fat and most sugar

While it is widely held in the medical and dietetic communities that eating fat is one sure way to become fat, there are for why this just ain’t so. Some of the key explanations for why fat is not necessarily fattening were covered in a previous blog [1]. Despite the dearth of evidence against fat […]

January 31, 2007· 4 min read

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Cholesterol and Statins

Drug companies charged with using money to influence treatment guidelines

Not uncommonly, I use drbriffa.com to draw attention to how conflict of interest might influence health advice. One of the areas that seems quite badly affected in this respect is the recommendations that we get regarding drug therapy. Only last week, I was writing about how it seems we have not been given the full […]

January 29, 2007· 4 min read

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