Brain and Behaviour
Post-natal depression (depression after the birth of a child) is something that has broad recognition within the medical profession and even many parts of the community. In recent times, there has been growing awareness too that depression can commonly come on during the pregnancy itself. Depression that comes on during or up to 12 months […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Conventional nutritional wisdom dictates that heart disease risk can be influenced through our intake of fat. Specifically, saturated fat (found in foods such as meat, dairy products, eggs and coconut) promotes heart disease, while certain foods (for example, omega-3 fats found in oily fish) do the reverse. I do think there’s a good deal of […]
Food and Medical Politics
Mammography is a widely advocated and popular intervention designed to pick up breast cancers earlier than they would otherwise be, and therefore allow less invasive and more effective treatment. However, as I pointed out in a blog back in 2007, some researchers believe that the benefits of mammography are somewhat overblown, and that the potential […]
Brain and Behaviour
Coffee and tea may taste quite different, but one thing these beverages they have in common is their rich content of ‘antioxidants’ including ‘polyphenols’. The presence of these supposedly health-giving substances may explain, at least in part, the reason why these drinks have been associated with a reduced risk of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease […]
Brain and Behaviour
Women who are in the throes of menopause can experience a range of debilitating symptoms which can be psychological (e.g. anxiety and/or depression) and/or physical (e.g. hot flushes and night sweats) in nature. Standard conventional medical treatment for the menopause is centred around hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, concerns about the safety of HRT (it’s
Pregnancy and Fertility
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that can develop in the 2nd half of pregnancy. It is characterised by high blood pressure in the mother, along with protein in the urine. Late in pregnancy the condition can cause fitting, which can have serious (and even fatal) consequences for the mother and her baby. I was interested to […]
Nutrients and Supplements
Less than a month ago I wrote about one specific hazard associated with the taking of antibiotics, specifically their capacity to disturb the ‘ecosystem’ within the gut. In the short term this may lead to symptoms such as diarrhoea, but theoretically there may be longer-term consequences too, in the form of chronic digestive symptoms such […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
A year ago I reported on some research which had found a link between elevated levels of a substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) and worse outcomes for women with breast cancer. CRP levels tend to be higher in individuals with insulin resistance (where insulin levels tend to be high but the tissues in the body […]
Healthy Eating
There are lots of different types of fat in the diet, including what are know as polyunstaturated- fats. These fats come in two major forms in the diet: omega-6 and omega-3. The main omega-6 fatty acid in the modern-day diet is known as linoleic acid. Rich sources of linoleic acid include plant oils such as […]
Healthy Eating
Overeating is something that many of us will have experienced at one time or another. This phenomenon can, of course, be down to plentiful supply of appetising food, but it can also have a physiological and/or biochemical root too. One cause of overeating is ‘hypoglycaemic’ or low blood sugar. When blood sugar levels drop to […]