Specific conditions
The way many of us are encouraged to get vaccinated against flu, we might imagine this practice is a failsafe way to avoid the condition. But we’d be wrong. As I wrote about recently here, flu vaccination is a lot less effective than we have generally been led to believe. Plus, it’s perhaps worth bearing […]
Brain and Behaviour
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, a typical finding in which is the deposition of a protein known as amyloid-ß in the brain. Loss of brain cells is a common feature too. One natural agent that has shown some promise in combating Alzheimer’s disease is fish oil. Fish oil is rich in two main […]
Food and Medical Politics
I walked past my local GP surgery the day before yesterday. Outside, they’re flying a banner which reads something like ‘Roll up! Roll up! for your Flu Vaccine’. Flu vaccination seems to be pushed increasingly hard, especially for ‘at risk’ individuals such as the over-65s. Generally, we’re given the impression that having a flu jab […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Restless legs is a condition characterised by uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually when individuals are sitting or lying in bed. The sensations tend to make sufferers want to move their legs and body in an effort to ease the discomfort or find a more comfortable position. The condition can cause sufferers to lose out […]
Specific conditions
Upper digestive symptoms such as indigestion, ‘acidity’ and heartburn are common. The mainstay of medical treatment for these symptoms is a class of drugs known as the ‘proton pump inhibitors’. These drugs, including omeprazole and lansoprazole, inhibit acid secretion in the stomach. They do help control symptoms in some people. However, as I revealed in […]
Specific conditions
I came across this story today. It concerns a young lady who, it is claimed, can bloat up like a balloon shortly after she eats. Normal testing has not identified any particular problem. I was interested in this story because it reminded me of a similar story given to me some years ago when I […]
Healthy Eating
I’m no fan of the artificial sweetener aspartame. Not only is there no good evidence that artificial sweeteners aid weight control, there is also evidence linking aspartame to adverse effects on health. For example, aspartame liberates methanol into the body which can be converted to formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies), which has recently been […]
Specific conditions
Crohn’s disease is one of the two main ‘inflammatory bowel diseases’ (the other being ‘ulcerative colitis’). The condition is generally believed to be ‘auto-immune’ in nature – which means the body’s immune system is reacting against its own tissues (in this case, the bowel wall). Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gut, and […]
Healthy Eating
‘Phytosterols’ are compounds that can impair the absorption of cholesterol from the gut. In this way, ‘sterols’ (as their name is often abbreviated to) can reduce cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, which conventional wisdom dictates is always a good thing. Sterols are added to ‘functional foods’ including special margarines that promise cholesterol-reducing and, therefore, health-enhancing […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
The lunch that reminded me why I do what I do, probiotic pessaries for the prevention of urinary tract infections and nutrient supplementation for diabetic neuropathy. For RSS feed for this podcast, click this link.