Organic food found to be better for us – and why this finding is unlikely to lead to an official endorsement of organic food
When I’m lecturing, one of the most common questions that comes up is whether organic food is better than food produced non-organically. There is actually some evidence that organic food tends to offer more in the way of what the body needs (e.g. nutrients). And of course, it offers less of what the body most [...]
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More evidence linking omega-3 fat intake with improved pregnancy outcomes
Earlier this month I focused one of my blogs on the apparently beneficial role of fish/omega-3 consumption during pregnancy [1]. The omega-3 fats found abundantly in certain fish have been linked with a variety of potential benefits including better neurological development of the foetus and reduced risk of post-natal depression. Other research has linked inadequate [...]
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Study shows nutrient supplementation benefits brain function in kids
I’m often asked about my attitude to nutrient supplementation. Do we ‘need’ to supplement, is how it’s often put to me. My answer is that it is probably entirely possible to get all what we need to prevent overt nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy and beri-beri. However, less obvious deficiency states may occur quite [...]
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BMJ editorial questions the effectiveness of mammography
Perhaps more than any other disease, breast cancer has received a helluva lot of social and political attention over the last decade. And a big part of the trust around raising awareness of the disease is the ‘need’ for women to be screened for breast cancer. The most commonly used technique for this is mammography [...]
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On-line photos that help to demonstrate the inappropriateness of the BMI
Previously on drbriffa.com I have written about the limitations of the body mass index (BMI) as a marker of health. This measurement (calculated by dividing weight in Kg by the square of one’s height in metres) takes no account of body composition, nor where any addition fat is aggregated in the body. Nevertheless, we are [...]
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10 ways to lose weight without hunger
‘Eat fewer calories than you burn’ has been the weight loss mantra for decades now. The problem is, cutting back on food and taking more exercise almost inevitably makes people hungry, which can make changes quite unsustainable in the long term. In this article, I offer some practical solutions to this, by outlining several approaches [...]
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Can small changes make a big difference?
Today in the UK, the news is awash with a story about how we appear to be sleep-walking into an obesity epidemic. The recently-completed largest ever study into the obesity in the UK, compiled by 250 experts in the field, has concluded that obesity is not rooted in individual gluttony and laziness, but in our [...]
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Nestlé annouce research supporting the concept of ‘metabolic typing’
While I think it’s possible to give nutrition advice that can be applied broadly to a population, there is no doubt in my mind that fine-tuning is required for those who are seeking to consume something close to their ideal diet. That’s because, are nutritional needs differ. Physiological studies show, for instance, that some individuals [...]
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Could low levels of vitamin D help explain why we’re prone to infections in the winter?
Here in the UK the weather has turned distinctly autumnal, and the drop in temperature will no doubt herald an upsurge in the risk infections including those affecting the ‘respiratory tract’. There is some thought in natural medicine that certain nutrients have a particular part to play in ensuring a healthy immune response, and may [...]
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High glycaemic index and glycaemic load foods associated with increased risk of breast cancer
It’s a basic nutritional belief of mine that eating healthily means, at least in part, not eating too much in the way of foods that disrupt blood sugar and insulin levels. Gluts of insulin are known to have the capacity to cause fat accumulation in the body, and likely increase the risk of chronic conditions [...]
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