‘Walking to work’ associated with a reduced risk of diabetes
Many of you will be familiar with the concept of the ‘diabetes timebomb’ ” an explosion of diabetes we are seeing as a result of our supposedly increasingly unhealthy lifestyle habits. Health professionals often advise us, if we want to reduce our risk of diabetes, to moderate our weight with a low-fat diet. However, this [...]
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Can cutting back on sleep kill you?
I’m a fan of sleep. Such a fan that I protect my own as much as possible, and even delivered a lecture about the benefits of sleep and how to ensure we get enough of it just yesterday. Some of my enthusiasm for sleep comes from it’s ability to restore our energy, and therefore maintain [...]
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Korean ginseng found to help men with ‘erectile dysfunction’
Recently, a press release alerted me to a study which found that one in four men aged 30-79 suffers from low testosterone levels [1]. While male menopause (sometimes to referred to ‘andropause’) has not received nearly as much attention as female menopause, the fact is that dwindling testosterone levels can lead to problems with mood [...]
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Garlic linked with reduced risk of colon cancer
Garlic is an herb that has gained a reputation for enhancing the health of the heart and circulation (see below). However, perhaps what is less well known is that garlic has been implicated as a cancer-preventive agent too. Within the body, garlic is metabolised into a variety of sulphur-containing compounds that may have anti-cancer properties. [...]
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UK Food Standards Agency continues to mislead the public on the ‘value’ of starchy foods
Recently, in an effort to clarify what healthy eating is all about, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) have launched its ‘eatwell plate’, which the FSA describes as ‘ a visual tool that illustrates the types and proportions of foods that make up a balanced diet’. You can see the eatwell plate here. When I [...]
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Weight-training found to lead to fat loss in women
Aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking and swimming) has long been recommended as part of a ‘healthy’ lifestyle, particularly with regard to heart and ‘cardiovascular’ health and weight control. However, in recent times there has been a little more focus on the role of ‘resistance’ exercise (such as weight-training) as a means to improve health, [...]
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Family meals associated with healthier eating habits in later life
Even though I like to think of myself as reasonably progressive, the reality is that when it comes to eating, I’m a traditionalist at heart. This does not just mean eating a diet based on natural, unprocessed food, but also refers to how this food is eaten. In particular, I’m fan of family meals, as [...]
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Vitamin D supplementation appears to save lives
Just last week I highlighted the apparent association between higher levels of vitamin D and reduced risk of a variety of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis. All of this research has some merit, but until recently I had not been aware of any attempt to specifically assess the link between vitamin D [...]
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Food additives proven to trigger hyperactivity, so why not ban them?
Here in the UK, the kids are back at school which is usually a cue for some “child-focused stories to emerge in the press. One pearl of a story that recently surfaced concerned a trial in which certain food additives (colourings, mainly) were tested in children aged 3 and 8-9. This research, undertaken in Southampton, [...]
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Research makes case for higher vitamin D levels to combat cancer
Previously, I have written about the health benefits of sunlight, and in particular the role of vitamin D in promoting and preserving the wellbeing of both body and brain. For instance, in recent times I have highlighted research which links vitamin D with relative protection from cardiovascular disease, improved physical function in the elderly (here [...]
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