Food and Medical Politics
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 […]
Healthy Eating
Because for so long we have been encouraged to eat a diet based on carbohydrates, it’s natural to have warm feelings toward this ‘macronutrient’. Yet, many carbohydrates, particularly those that cause considerable fluctuation in blood sugar and insulin levels, I think should be handled with considerable caution. Not that long ago, I blogged about a […]
Brain and Behaviour
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 […]
Food and Medical Politics
While there is a general move to have us lose some of our collective weight, regular readers may have noticed that I’m a less exercised regarding this than most health professionals. Just last week, one of my posts included several links to articles which appear to show that individuals in the ‘overweight’ category have health […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Today’s edition of the British Medical Journal contains an article which summarises guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the management of chronic fatigue syndrome [1]. Let me start by saying I have special interest in this area, as quite a number of my patients present with ‘fatigue’ (often, […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Acetyl-L-carnitine is a naturally-occurring substance in the body which is made up, unsurprisingly, of carnitine and what is known as a acetyl group. Carnitine facilitates the transport of fat in the body’s cells into the miniature ‘powerhouses’ called the ‘mitochondria’ where fat is converted into energy. The ‘acetyl’ part of acetyl-L-carnitine may participate in the […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes is a condition characterised by generally raised levels of sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. One of the problems here is that glucose can react (through a biochemical process known as ‘glycation’) to tissues in the body, which can damage those tissues and lead to complications in the long term. Not surprisingly, glycation has been […]
Specific conditions
While it seems we are frequently warned of the supposed skin-related hazards of sunshine, there is abundant evidence that sunlight exposure is associated with general benefits for health. For instance, sunlight helps protect against low mood and depression, as well as several forms of cancer. There is also evidence that it might help prevent multiple […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Back in May, I wrote about the relatively new diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) and, specifically, the then new research which linked it with a substantially increased risk of heart disease [1]. By coincidence, rosiglitazone was also the focus of attention of a review conducted by a scientific group known as the Cochrane Collaboration. The research […]
Specific conditions
Cranberry has been held up as a herbal remedy for cystitis (urinary tract infections or ‘UTIs’) for as long as I can remember. Cranberry is believed to contain substances that inhibit the adherence of unwanted organisms such as the bacterium E. coli tothe inside of the bladder. This help prevent infecting organisms setting up camp […]