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.
England’s triumphant World Cup campaign, though glorious, brought back a few painful memories of my own endeavours on the rugby pitch. Playing out on the wing, I was generally spared any bone-crushing and blood-spilling injuries, but do recall spending many a winter’s afternoon perishing with cold while waiting for play to come my way. I [...]
My weekly trawl through the scientific literature quite often brings in evidence for the health-promoting properties of the fats found in oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardine. Studies show that these so-called omega-3 fats help keep a range ailments at bay including depression, hyperactivity, heart disease and cancer. However, despite their healthy [...]
Even in my relatively brief time as a doctor I have witnessed the rise to prominence of previously rare conditions including hyperactivity, autism and chronic fatigue syndrome. Another contemporary condition, and one which I seem to be seeing in increasing numbers in my practice, is the exclusively female affliction known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). [...]
The plummeting temperatures we have experienced of late will inevitably bring a rise in a range of ills including stiff joints, icy extremities and viral infections such as cold and flu. One other condition that is usually in season at this time of year is psoriasis – an affliction characterised by thickened, red, scaly patches [...]
One of the spin-off benefits of my line of work is occasional invites to give a talk in some far-flung place or other. I have, as it happens, just returned from a short stint of lecturing in Vancouver. On my way over there it occurred to me how much I relish long-haul flying, specficlly how [...]
Many doctors will confess to feeling frustrated by occasional patients who complain about some aspect of their health, but nonetheless appear to have no hard signs of disease. Members of the medical profession generally have their hands full dealing with those regarded as genuinely sick, and therefore tend not to have too much time for [...]
Like a lot of people who are plugged into the information superhighway, I get a sizeable quota of unsolicited emails enticing me to part with my hard-earned cash. In amongst the mortgage and loan offers, I have been receiving a growing number of emails plying a trade in Viagra and penis enlargement programmes. So great [...]
I have often heard doctors accused of not make use of nutritionally-oriented therapies in their work. Actually, strictly speaking, this is not true. After all, any doctor who has advised women to take folic acid in pregnancy or suggested calcium supplements for stronger bones has, to some degree at least, engaged in the practice of [...]
This morning, like pretty much every morning for the last decade, I downed a judicious collection of nutritional supplements along with my breakfast. Recently, however, I was quite alarmed to read a report from the Government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) which contained seemingly dire warnings about the potential for food supplements to put us at [...]
While acne is generally thought of as an adolescent affliction, my experience suggests otherwise. In my practice, I see a pretty regular stream of individuals who, long after the hormonal rush that comes with puberty has died down, continue to suffer from ‘bad skin’. In fact, statistics show that more than one in two women [...]
