Dr John Briffa's blog, A Good Look at Good Health — writing on food, cholesterol, weight, energy and the science behind everyday health, from the drbriffa.com archive. Filter by topic, browse by category, or search the library.
Healthy Eating
Last week saw the emergence of some news reports (example here) regarding research which linked the eating of processed meat. The study looked at the relationship between dietary habits and risk of death from a variety of causes in a group of people pooled from 10 European countries [1]. Analysis occurred over an average of […]
Children's Health
Last week I report on a study which finds that, in some people, there’s a very real possibility that plenty of fibre in their diet can cause, rather than cure, constipation and sluggish bowel movements. This week, I came across a recent study which suggests another perhaps surprising cause of constipation in the form of […]
Healthy Eating
I get a sense that almost all individuals feel better for having regular, easy, complete bowel motions. Should someone be having problems in this area, the usual first-line approach is to up the intake of fibre. This can come in the form of fruits and vegetables, but many will see ‘healthy wholegrains’ such as wholemeal […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Dairy products are, from a conventional nutritional perspective, very much a ‘double-edged sword.’ On the one hand, we are told, they provide the body with valuable calcium for healthy bones. On the other, they can be rich in ‘artery-clogging’ saturated fat and cholesterol. The answer, we are assured, it to consume dairy products in low-fat […]
Cholesterol and Statins
I don’t believe bread, as we commonly eat it, is a healthy or wholesome food (far from it). And last year I was surprised to read a ‘review’ lauding the nutritious attributes of bread and lamenting the fact that, here in the UK, bread consumption is declining. The review was authored by a scientist connected […]
Brain and Behaviour
I came across this report recently of a study which found that stopping men sleeping for a night led to them choosing bigger portions of ‘energy-dense’ food at a buffet [1]. Previous work from the same group at Uppsala University in Sweden found that sleep deprivation caused greater activity in the parts of the brain […]
Food and Medical Politics
I noticed yesterday that a certain study [1] concerning artificial sweeteners had got some press. In the study, overweight and obese adults were randomized to one of three dietary interventions: 1. advice to replace more than 200 calories a day of calorific beverages (softs drinks/soda) with water 2. advice to replace more than 200 calories […]
Brain and Behaviour
I read a review paper recently about the assessment of dehydration [1]. The authors conclude that we don’t have very good standardised tests for dehydration, but a reasonable test is to measure heart rate when sitting, and then again immediately on standing. During dehydration the blood volume tends to be lower and blood pressure too. […]
Cholesterol and Statins
So-called ‘omega-3’ fats found in oily fish (like salmon, trout, mackerel and herring) have a reputation for being healthy, including an ability to ward off cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. I was interested to read a recent study which points out that while earlier studies found that supplementing individuals with omega-3 fats […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Conventional nutritional ‘wisdom’ has it that saturated fat (found in foods such meat, eggs, dairy products, coconut and palm oil) is bad for heart health, while ‘polyunsaturated’ fats (including ‘vegetable’ oils) are good. These concepts emerged decades ago and were mostly based on the impact of these fats on cholesterol levels. There’s a big potential […]