Brain and Behaviour
Earlier this month I wrote a blog highlighting the need for adequate sunlight exposure for maintaining mood and vitality in the winter months, even perhaps for people not suffering from ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (AKA winter blues). Quite how it is that sunlight that exerts a mood modulating effect is not known for sure, though there […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Sitting in medical practice brings me in contact with people with a wide variety of symptoms and condition, though some things are commoner than others. One of the most common conditions I see is irritable bowel syndrome. This gut condition, characterised by one or more symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, wind, constipation and/or diarrhoea, […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in the elderly. And sufferers of this condition in England had some welcome news this week when the barring from use of a drug used to treat this condition (Lucentis) by National Health Service (NHS) doctors was reversed. This means that doctors in the state medical […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Last Wednesday I wrote about the role that vitamin C may have in the treatment of cancer. Of course vitamin C may have other potential benefits for the body too, and is sometimes said to be a useful remedy for the common cold in high doses. Another nutrient that has some reputation for potential benefit […]
Nutrients and Supplements
The idea that vitamin C might offer potential in the treatment of cancer has been around for some decades. Perhaps the person whose name is most linked with this concept is the late Linus Pauling. With his death, it seemed that interest in his ideas died a bit of a death too. However, some scientists […]
Healthy Eating
Last month, one of my blog posts featured recent research which has linked the consumption of coffee with a reduced risk of death in women. The improved survival seen here appeared to essentially be down to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (of which heart attacks and strokes are the most common forms). This research […]
Healthy Eating
I don’t drink tea myself (don’t like it) but I do think that the evidence shows that it is actually quite a healthy beverage. Tea is rich in plant substances known as polyphenols which have been particularly linked with a reduced risk of heart disease. Not only that, but tea-drinking has also been associated in […]
Brain and Behaviour
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 […]
Specific conditions
I have written more than once about the benefits of sunlight. There is, for instance, quite a body of evidence which links sun exposure and the heightened vitamin D levels in the body this tends to bring with a reduced risk of cancer. It’s one major reason why, although I avoid burning, I seek the […]
Healthy Eating
Generally, people tend to have quite firmly established ideas about weather a food is healthy or not. And they may even have some idea about which conditions a food is supposed to protect against or promote. So, for instance, when asked to comment on red meat, most people will express the view that this food […]