NICE’s decision to restrict Alzheimer’s drugs upheld, and natural treatments that offer real potential for this condition
Today’s big health story is the National Institute of Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) final decision to restrict the prescribing of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. Basically, NICE has said that there’s not enough evidence of cost-effectiveness to support the use of such drugs in individuals in the early stages of this condition. Patient groups, including the Alzheimer’s [...]
Continue Reading →
Get in tune with the drbriffa.com podcasts!
In our first, introductory podcast, John talks to Carl Munson of the drbriffa.com team about how, as a young doctor, he accidentally discovered the power of natural health principles. They also discuss some of the medical myths surrounding a range of health issues as well as the cynical politics of food. In his unique, often [...]
Continue Reading →
Why exercise is not a cure for obesity and what works better for those seeking to shed weight in the long term
The on-line version of the British Medical Journal recently published a study in which the effects of exercise on body weight was assessed in some 545 children with an average age of 4 [1] The children exercised for 30 minutes, three times a week. Basically, this additional exercise made no difference to their weight. The [...]
Continue Reading →
Soft drinks cause soft bones, but is it also time to slay the sacred cow?
This month’s edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published a study which found that women drinking four or more cola drinks a week were at increased risk of reduced bone density (1). And this is not the first evidence that has linked the drinking of fizzy drinks to weaker bones. A number [...]
Continue Reading →
Is breast really best?
A study published this week in the British Medical Journal has analysed the relationship between breast-feeding and subsequent intelligence. Breast-feeding was associated with enhanced intelligence, but this study found that this benefit was associated not with the breast-feeding itself, but by other factors including the mother’s intelligence. No doubt, the results of this study will [...]
Continue Reading →
More protein is usually what’s needed when hunger strikes
Appetite is something that can run riot in certain individuals, and the last few years have seen scientists attempt to identify the mechanisms that influence it. For example, a hormone by the name of leptin has been found to suppress appetite, while one called ghrelin has the opposite effect. This week saw the publication of [...]
Continue Reading →
No time for exercise? New research suggests you may need less time than you think
Having ‘no time’ is the most common reason individuals quote for not taking exercise, so it can be useful to know of ways in which exercise can be taken in a time efficient manner. In a study published this week in the Journal of Physiology tested two fitness regimes in young men click here. One [...]
Continue Reading →
Needled by the flu vaccine shortage? Don’t be!
Radio 4 informs me this morning that doctors are being advised to ration flu vaccines due to problems with supply. For those left out in the cold or who are uncomfortable about being vaccinated against a condition that is almost always self-limiting and without complication, I have attached a couple of articles which explore natural [...]
Continue Reading →
Fat chance – why cutting down on saturated fat will do little or nothing for your health
Over the weekend, I was reading about an Australian study in which individuals shopping on-line for food were able to be diverted away from foods rich in saturated fat by some nifty software that gives purchase-specific dietary advice. I like the idea of anything that gives individuals the opportunity to make informed eating choices more [...]
Continue Reading →