Food and Medical Politics
The standard way of assessing body weight in Europe and the USA is the body mass index (BMI) which is calculated by dividing someone’s weight in kg by the square of their height in metres. It is generally accepted that BMIs of 18.5-24.9 are ‘healthy’, and that those of 25.0-29.9 mean someone is ‘overweight’, with […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy in women who were not previously diabetic. If left uncontrolled, it can have adverse effects on the developing foetus. Its treatment depends on the severity of the condition, with diet, oral medication and insulin being the three mainstay options. Insulin therapy is generally seen as the last […]
Women's Health
I remember when I was at medical school hormone replacement therapy was being positioned, it seemed, as a sort of magic elixir for women of a certain age. Part of the hype surrounding it centred on its supposed ability to not only ward off menopausal symptoms, but chronic conditions such as heart disease. But then […]
Exercise and Activity
I was talking to someone yesterday regarding some changes in his biochemistry that suggest his adrenal glands are not functioning as well as they might. This is important, because the adrenal glands (which sit on top of the kidneys) have a multitude of roles, including the secretion of hormones in response to stress. For many […]
Brain and Behaviour
Nutritional needs can vary a bit between men and women, and this does certainly seem to be generally so for iron. Women who menstruate are at risk of iron deficiency because of the iron lost in menstrual blood each month. In my experience, a very significant proportion of such women have low or suboptimal iron […]
Specific conditions
Some of you will have noticed that there has been some focus, of late, on the beneficial properties of vitamin D within the body. For example, recently on this blog I have written pieces exploring the potential for sunlight/vitamin D to help moderate body weight and enhance muscle strength, fitness, balance and reaction time. And […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Back in March I wrote a blog which explored the concept that low levels of vitamin D may predispose the body the fatty accumulation. Part of the evidence for this comes from a couple of studies [1,2] cited in the blog which found this association in female teenagers and women aged 16-22 respectively. More recently, […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Back in April 2008 one of my blogs focused on the nutrients which might help prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration (the most common cause of visual loss in the elderly). The blog highlights the potential of omega-3 fats and zinc to be or particular value here. However, more recently, evidence has emerged which […]
Exercise and Activity
For a while now I have been interested in the role that vitamin D plays in health. My interest was recently heightened when I discovered earlier this year that my own vitamin D levels were very deficient. As I revealed here, I since commenced on a programme of supplementation (3000 IU per day). I’ve also […]
Healthy Eating
I spent last week in Portugal, and while I was there my girlfriend and I had a lot of food given to us by local farmers. We were lucky enough to be given quite a stash of fresh produce including citrus fruit, onions, broad beans, fresh peas, lettuce and cabbages. We were also given a […]