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.
We British do seem to have an insatiable appetite for foreign cuisine, and one country whose traditional fare seems to have made a successful migration to these shores is Japan. While taste and fashion are likely to be driving forces in the rising popularity of Japanese food in these parts, my suspicion is that another [...]
Nutritional science seems to churn out a perennial crop of research demonstrating the health benefits to be had by consuming a decent daily quota of vegetables. Certain vegetables on which particular praise has been heaped by researchers are those of the brassica class, such as broccoli and cabbage. Research suggests that one specific constituent of [...]
In my last column a couple of weeks ago I gave some attention to the notion that it’s not just our size, but also our shape, that determines the likely health effects of any excess body baggage we happen to be carrying. Increasing evidence suggests that individuals with an overflow of fat around the midriff [...]
Many of us will have ushered in the New Year with the best of intentions, and may well be reigning back on our intake of food or upping our exercise output in an effort to lighten our load. Those whose focus is on shedding surplus weight are quite likely to be monitoring their progress with [...]
New Year’s Eve looms, and many of us will be brewing up for the bout of heavy drinking this night of celebration traditionally entails. Such intoxicating pleasures tend to come with some pain too, however, usually in the form of the hangover from hell the morning after the night before. Alcohol in excess has a [...]
As a big believer in the concept that food is something to be enjoyed and savoured, I am not one to encourage particular dietary restraint at this time of year (it is Christmas, after all). However, I am also mindful of the fact that the sort of overindulgence typical over the festive season can leave [...]
One lingering memory I have from childhood is the influx of festive fare into our home on the run-up to Christmas. December would see bottles of advocaat and Asti Spumante (I kid you not) appear in the garage, and netting bags full of nuts would take up much-needed room in the kitchen cupboards. Another seasonal [...]
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 [...]
Recent estimates that a whopping 40 per cent of us will be obese within the next generation have led to renewed calls from the dietetic establishment for us to cut back on calories. Standard slimming theory dictates that the only way to lose weight is simply to consume fewer calories than the body burns as [...]
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 [...]
