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
There are lots of different types of fat in the diet, including what are know as polyunstaturated- fats. These fats come in two major forms in the diet: omega-6 and omega-3. The main omega-6 fatty acid in the modern-day diet is known as linoleic acid. Rich sources of linoleic acid include plant oils such as […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
I believe that what represents an ideal diet varies from person to person, but one thing I’m clear about is that many health professionals and even our Governments advise intakes of carbohydrate that are greater than is good for us. In particular, while starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals have […]
Healthy Eating
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 […]
Food and Medical Politics
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 […]
Healthy Eating
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 […]
Healthy Eating
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 […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
One basic nutritional tenet I subscribe to is the idea that the diet should be based on foods that give relatively slow sustained release of sugar into the blood stream. Some of the reason for this thinking comes from the fact that fast sugar-releasing (high glycaemic index) foods will tend to cause surges in the […]
Healthy Eating
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food ingredient which is used to enhance flavour and palatability. It is the glutamate ” an amino acid – part of the MSG molecule that does the job in this respect. MSG (and/or other sources of glutamate) can be found in a wide range of processed foods with the blessing […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Back in July, one of my blog posts focused on an article in the British Medical Journal which highlighted the problem of drug residues turning up in municipal water supplies. A new study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that other dangers may lurk in drinking water in the form […]
Exercise and Activity
I noticed an interesting article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) recently. It sought to determine the explanation for the ‘paradox’ seen in Masai tribesmen in Kenya can consume relatively large quantities of animal fat (especially in the form of milk, meat and blood), and have stunningly low rates of heart disease. We […]