Chief Scientist of FSA discredits detox regimes without using any, err, science
With the New Year beckoning and a general feeling that this time of year brings with it a tendency to ‘tox out’ on food and drink, I suspect some of you may be contemplating a bit of an internal spring clean in the form of a detox programme. However, I note that Andrew Wadge, the [...]
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UK doctors warn of ‘resurgence’ in rickets
The cold winter months (many of us will be experiencing these right now�) bring with them a risk of vitamin D deficiency ” something which I have written about before (see article from 29th November 2006 pasted below). Low levels of vitamin D may predispose to a variety of conditions including seasonal affective disorder (winter [...]
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Research suggests overall fat intake has little or no bearing on breast cancer risk
On 14 December my blog highlighted some research linking higher insulin levels (or, more specifically, higher levels of related a substance known as C-reactive protein) and an increased risk of breast cancer. The lead investigator of this study had recommended that women wanting to temper their insulin levels should eat a diet low in fat, [...]
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Merry Christmas – and have a drink on me…
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) is a publication full to the brim with learned and generally quite turgid scientific research and reports. Except, that is, for the Christmas edition, when the editors attempt to ‘lighten up’ this publication a bit with the inclusion of more quirky and seasonal items that would not necessarily make it [...]
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3 simple tricks to curbing alcohol intake without any sense of sacrifice
My blog on Wednesday focused on why, if we don’t want to find ourselves unduly stuffed with food at this time of year, it can make sense to start the day with a sustaining breakfast. Apart from solid stuff, alcoholic drinks are the other major potential cause of over-indulgence at this time. As Christmas is [...]
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Why those wanting to avoid over-indulging over the festive season should eat breakfast (but not cornflakes)
For many of us, this time of year will bring with it an increased risk of us consuming more than is strictly needed. A few additional pounds can quite easily find their way onto our frames and scales, which can lead us to feel in need of a serious overhaul come the New Year. I [...]
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Evidence suggests that moderate activity significantly reduces the risk of death
Whilst I am an advocate of activity and exercise, I generally encourage ‘doable’ forms and levels of exercise that are relatively easily sustainable. For me, the often-quoted ‘get 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week’ passes this test, especially when one considers that brisk walking can push the heart rate up [...]
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Women with breast cancer advised to lower insulin levels – but how?
Back in October, I wrote about some recently-published research which linked the eating of a high carbohydrate (actually, high glycaemic index and load diets) with an increased risk of breast cancer. One way that fast sugar-releasing foods may promote cancerous growth is through the activity of a compound known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF), which [...]
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Iron supplementation found to help hyperactive children
I not so long ago wrote about the research which has found that hyperactivity in children can seemingly be triggered by certain food additives. However, just like about any health issue one care’s to mention, hyperactivity (or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ” ADHD ” to give it it’s full name) is multifactorial in nature. This [...]
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The Japanese eat rice. So what?
My dislike of many starchy carbs like bread, potato, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals is based on a body of evidence which suggests that the gluts of insulin their eating induces can speed our path to conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. And, despite all this talk about their ‘nutritious’ nature, the fact [...]
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