What does it mean to say a treatment “works”?
Sometimes when I’m in practice I may give an opinion on how well someone has improved in terms of the symptoms that they originally consulted me for. However, I am acutely aware, and often remark, that my opinion doesn’t really count for much: it’s the patient’s opinion that is most important. I could be delighted [...]
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Frequent drinking associated with reduced risk of unhealthy weight gain
Most health professionals agree that if someone is going to consume alcohol, it is better to consume it ‘little and often’, rather than use up one’s quota on ‘binges’ that usually come at the weekend. Compared to binge-drinking, regular imbibing of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Some have attempted to [...]
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What have the tobacco and food industries got in common?
Very few people would disagree with the idea that cigarette smoking is generally bad four our health. This habit has strong links with a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. The only doctors and scientists that dispute the negative effects of smoking seem to be those in the pay [...]
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Should women who have paid for statins be given their money back?
Cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins are hugely popular and highly profitable. It’s a shame, then, that they aren’t very effective. I say this because while they have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, they do not reduce the overall risk of death when essentially healthy individuals are being [...]
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Why hunger can be the enemy for those wishing to lose weight
Many individuals who are attempting to lose weight will see hunger as a sign that they have pushed themselves into calorie deficit, and that their body weight will be dwindling as a result. They may be right, but the problem is that getting hungry can make it very difficult indeed for individuals to control what [...]
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Low GI diet again found to be associated with reduced risk of macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of loss of vision in adults. Recently, I wrote about this condition, and offered some suggestions regarding the sort of supplements that appear to have promise in the management of this condition. Last year, I wrote about a study that found a link between eating a [...]
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Low carb diet found to lower insulin levels (go figure)
While not all dietary approaches are applicable or beneficial to everyone, there are some, I think, that generally hold true. Here’s one: if you want a long and healthy life, do what you can to ensure stability in blood sugar and insulin levels. What this means usually means in practice is the regular eating of [...]
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Research shows vitamin D has natural anti-depressant action
Earlier this month I wrote a blog highlighting the need for adequate sunlight exposure for maintaining mood and vitality in the winter months, even perhaps for people not suffering from ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (AKA winter blues). Quite how it is that sunlight that exerts a mood modulating effect is not known for sure, though there [...]
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Coffee consumption again associated with benefits for health
Previously, such as here, here and here, I have written about the potential health benefits of coffee, and specifically its relationship with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. I was therefore interested to read a recently published study that, once again, assessed the relationship between coffee and health. The focus of this study [...]
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Review finds herbal remedy effective for the treatment of depression
Last week I wrote about the importance of sunlight in maintaining mood and generally wellbeing, and this is especially important during the darker winter months. Those lacking exposure to sunlight can run the risk of suffering from seasonal affective disorder SAD), sometimes referred to as the ‘winter blues’, and exposure to sunlight and/or light from [...]
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