Category: Nutrients and Supplements

Healthy Eating

Increasing potassium intake may lower blood pressure and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

My blog last Friday focused on a recent meta-analysis which demonstrates that garlic has real potential to reduce blood pressure. What is more, in individuals with high blood pressure (hypertension), the levels of reduction achieved with garlic supplementation seemed meaningful, and are likely to translate into real reduction in the risk of problems associated with […]

August 4, 2008· 3 min read

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Men's Health

Middle-aged and elderly men with urinary symptoms may not have a prostate problem, but a nutrient deficiency

When men middle-aged or elderly men have some difficulty with urination, their doctor’s attention will usually focus on their prostate ” the gland that encircles the pipe that takes urine from the bladder to the outside (the urethra). An enlarged prostate can impinge on the outflow of urine from the bladder and therefore cause symptoms […]

July 28, 2008· 4 min read

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Brain and Behaviour

Omega-3 fat supplementation found to improve brain function

Previously on this site I have written about the potential benefits that so-called omega-3 fats have regarding brain function. These fats appear to have anti-depressant potential, for instance, but also seem to have the capacity to help maintain basic brain function too. There is some research, for instance, which has linked higher levels of omega-3 […]

July 2, 2008· 3 min read

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Food and Medical Politics

Last of the summer whine

Regular readers of this site will know I tend to give my blog posts quite literal and descriptive titles: Why is the dietary advice given to diabetics so often so woefully inadequate?�, that sort of thing. So, I promised to write about sunlight and beta-carotene today (which I will, give me a moment�), but thought […]

June 4, 2008· 4 min read

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Food and Medical Politics

What are we to make of the recent warnings about antioxidant supplements?

Last week’s big ‘nutritional news’ was that taking certain nutritional supplements increases risk of death. Apparently. News headlines throughout the UK were awash with the reports of a study which found that the taking of ‘antioxidant’ nutrients (namely beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E) in supplement form is associated with a statistically significant increase in […]

April 21, 2008· 6 min read

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Nutrients and Supplements

Multivitamin use associated with improved fertility in women

Here in the UK we are told that, generally speaking, women are electing to have children later and later in life. One obvious potential problem with this is that fertility generally falls off from about their mid 30s. So, by the time a woman decides she wants to have children, there is the risk that […]

April 9, 2008· 3 min read

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Brain and Behaviour

Omega-3 fats found to help depressive symptoms during and after pregnancy

The so-called omega-3 fats (found plentifully in ‘oily’ fish such as sardines, salmon and trout) have been said to have the potential to enhance health in a number of areas, including mental health. There is a fair body of evidence now that suggests that omega-3 fats are important in the functioning of the brain, including […]

April 7, 2008· 2 min read

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Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome

Combination of chromium and biotin found to benefit individuals with type 2 diabetes

When it comes to blood sugar control, it makes sense to avoiding eating too much in the way of foods that tend to disrupt blood sugar levels. This is particularly true for diabetics whose bodies tend not to handle sugar at all well. However, in addition to eating a ‘carbohydrate-controlled’ diet, it can also help […]

March 26, 2008· 3 min read

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Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome

Green tea extract again found to help the body burn fat

Back in December I reported on a study which found that supplementing men with an extract of green tea led to a significant reduction in their weight, waist size and ‘fat mass’. The extract in question, which goes by the name of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is believed to boost metabolism by stimulating the burning of fat […]

March 17, 2008· 3 min read

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Children's Health

Does vitamin D help protect against type 1 diabetes?

I love being out in the sun. And not just because I like it, but also because of the abundant evidence linking sunlight exposure with a reduced risk of conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis as well as improved physical and psychological functioning. And it’s free. And I like sporting a tan. I recently […]

March 14, 2008· 4 min read

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