Dr Briffa's Blog - A Good Look at Good Health
A health-focused blog that makes sense of science, and offers accurate, trustworthy and practical advice about all aspects of healthy living.
Antibiotics can be life-savers and reduce illness and suffering, but they are no without risk. For a start, the widespread (and sometimes indiscriminate) use of antibiotics over the last few decades has contributed to the emergence of anti-biotic resistant bacteria that themselves can prove fatal. Antibiotic-related allergy is another issue with potentially fatal consequences. Another [...]
The British Medical Journal has a reputation for publishing serious science, but its Christmas edition is traditionally a lighter-hearted affair, comprising articles and studies that would generally be considered too frivolous to make it into regular editions of the journal. One of this year’s offerings comes from Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll, assistant professor and [...]
Here in the UK we’ve had a distinct downturn in temperatures of late, and this is something that will make us more reluctant to venture out. And even if we do, we’re likely to be very well wrapped up and protected from the elements. The net results is that at this time of year we [...]
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterised by symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, wind and altered bowel habit. In conventional medicine, there is no real consensus on what causes IBS. IBS is what might be termed a diagnosis of exclusion. In other words, it’s the diagnosis that individuals end up with when tests [...]
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 [...]
Overeating is something that many of us will have experienced at one time or another. This phenomenon can, of course, be down to plentiful supply of appetising food, but it can also have a physiological and/or biochemical root too. One cause of overeating is ‘hypoglycaemic’ or low blood sugar. When blood sugar levels drop to [...]
Sitting in medical practice brings me in contact with people with a wide variety of symptoms and condition, though some things are commoner than others. One of the most common conditions I see is irritable bowel syndrome. This gut condition, characterised by one or more symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, wind, constipation and/or diarrhoea, [...]
Over recent weeks there has been a flurry of research that has challenged the notion that lower levels of cholesterol are always better. In particular, there is evidence linking lower cholesterol levels with an increased risk of cancer (see here, here and here for more on this). In the light of this, it seems reasonable [...]
The omega-3 fats found in oily fish such as mackerel, herring, sardine and salmon appear to have broad-ranging benefits, particularly with regard to the health of the cardiovascular system and brain. Omega-3 fats in fish come in two principle forms: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). While these fats can be found abundantly in [...]
